Clawfinger

Biography

Clawfinger is a Swedish rap metal band formed in Stockholm in 1989. Considered pioneers of the rap metal genre, the band had their international and commercial breakthrough in 1993 with the release of their debut album, Deaf Dumb Blind×Deaf Dumb Blind21 April 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Nigger3:482The Truth4:133Rosegrove4:034Don't Get Me Wrong3:125I Need You4:586Catch Me4:397Warfair3:488Wonderful World2:419Sad to See Your Sorrow5:1710I Don't Care3:11. The band's musical style is described as aggressive, melodic and groovy, with lyrics tackling politics and social issues such as racism and war. Clawfinger has released seven studio albums and sold over 1.5 million albums worldwide.

Formation and debut album: 1989–1993

Clawfinger's origin dates back to mid-1989, when Zak Tell and Jocke Skog met while working together at Rosenlund Hospital in Stockholm. In 1990, they were joined by the Norwegian guitarists Bård Torstensen and Erlend Ottem who were also working at the hospital. Based on their similar interests in music, the four formed the first line-up of Clawfinger.
The band's line-up was solidified with the addition of bassist André Skaug and drummer Morten Skaug in 1992. Clawfinger's original demo, comprising three tracks ("Waste of Time", "Nigger×Nigger1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Nigger3:492Get It4:453Love3:02" and "Profit Preacher"), quickly secured local radio airplay and consequently brought them to the attention of the music label MVG Records. The single "Nigger", an anti-racism statement, caused controversy upon release, but proved to be a massive success. In April 1993, Clawfinger released their debut album Deaf Dumb Blind×Deaf Dumb Blind21 April 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Nigger3:482The Truth4:133Rosegrove4:034Don't Get Me Wrong3:125I Need You4:586Catch Me4:397Warfair3:488Wonderful World2:419Sad to See Your Sorrow5:1710I Don't Care3:11. Produced by the band and Jacob Hellner, the album sold over 600,000 copies worldwide and was critically acclaimed by the Swedish press. Later that year, Clawfinger performed at several European festivals and opened for Anthrax and Alice in Chains on their European tours.

Use Your Brain and Clawfinger: 1994–1998

Following the release of their debut album, the band received several awards, including two Grammis during the Swedish Grammy Awards in 1994 in the categories Hard Rock/Metal of the Year and Music Video of the Year. That same year, original drummer Skaug was replaced by Ottar Vigerstøl. After a headlining tour in support of their debut album, Clawfinger returned to the studio with producer Hellner to record their second studio album, Use Your Brain×Use Your Brain23 March 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Power3:142Pay the Bill4:203Pin Me Down4:104Wipe My Ass3:135Die High2:346It5:217Do What I Say4:258Undone4:119What Are You Afraid Of3:4710Back to the Basics2:2711Easy Way Out2:3912Tomorrow4:09. The album was released 1995 and a new touring campaign followed. The band notably participated at Ozzy Osbourne's Monsters of Rock Festival in Argentina, Brazil and Chile that year, appearing alongside American metal counterparts like Megadeth, Faith No More and Alice Cooper. After returning to Europe, Clawfinger continued their touring by performing headlining shows and appearing at festivals.

In 1997, Clawfinger's self-titled album was released, their first with new drummer Henka Johansson, who replaced Vigerstøl that same year. The album's opening track, "Two Sides×Two Sides1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Two Sides4:072What Gives Us the Right3:213Two Sides (Witchman's Accelerator mix)5:264Two Sides of Every Vibe4:04", notably expanded the band's soundscape by featuring female choir vocals and Middle Eastern-influenced sounds, while the rest of the album maintained the band's aggressive metal sound and socio-political lyrics. Clawfinger yielded three singles ("Biggest & the Best×Biggest & The Best1997 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Biggest and the Best (album version)3:532Runner Boy4:493Biggest and the Best (Godhead remix)5:404Biggest and the Best (Pitchshifter remix)4:14", "Two Sides", "Don't Wake Me Up×Don't Wake Me Up1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Don't Wake Me Up (radio edit)3:272Don't Wake Me Up (Yoga remix)5:163RealiTV4:114Don't Wake Me Up4:11") and two music videos for the singles "Biggest & the Best" and "Two Sides".

A Whole Lot of Nothing and Zeroes & Heroes: 1999–2004

Clawfinger's fourth studio album, A Whole Lot of Nothing×A Whole Lot of Nothing6 August 2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Two Steps Away3:422Out to Get Me3:443Nothing Going On3:214Are You Man Enough?3:355Confrontation3:346Evolution4:177Don’t Look at Me3:328Simon Says4:019Burn in Hell3:2310I Close My Eyes3:0911Paradise3:3912Revenge4:0313Vienna4:1514Manic Depression3:1815Fake a Friend3:46, was released on 23 July 2001. The album was the band's first collaboration with producer Hellner in six years and saw the band adopting an industrial and electronic sound in a larger scale than previous albums with the use of synthesizers.
In 2002, the band released their fifth studio album, Zeros & Heroes×Zeros & Heroes26 May 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Zeros & Heroes4:102Recipe for Hate2:553When Everything Crumbles3:51415 Minutes of Fame3:365World Domination3:556Bitch3:507Four Letter Word3:238Money Power Glory3:339Kick It3:1810Live Like a Man2:5111Step Aside3:1212Blame3:5313Are You Talking to Me2:3314Where Are You Now3:2215Point of No Return4:26. The album caused controversy upon release in America due to its open critique of then-president George W. Bush and US military politics following the 11 September 2001 attacks. Clawfinger would again experiment with new and different sounds for new recordings, opting for complex and melodic guitar riffs as opposed to the electronic and industrial sound of their previous album. In 2003, lead guitarist Ottem departed the band to pursue a career as a software specialist.

Hate Yourself with Style and Life Will Kill You: 2005–2011

In 2005, Clawfinger released the album Hate Yourself with Style×Hate Yourself With Style18 November 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks0Hidden First Track (Ability to Rip Depends on Cd Drive)0:441The Faggot in You3:262Hate Yourself With Style3:443Dirty Lies2:594The Best & The Worst3:485Breakout (Embrace the Child Inside You)3:426Right to Rape4:317What We've Got Is What You're Getting2:238Sick of Myself3:229Hypocrite3:0410Without a Case3:4011God Is Dead4:46. The album continued the musical style of Zeros & Heroes×Zeros & Heroes26 May 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Zeros & Heroes4:102Recipe for Hate2:553When Everything Crumbles3:51415 Minutes of Fame3:365World Domination3:556Bitch3:507Four Letter Word3:238Money Power Glory3:339Kick It3:1810Live Like a Man2:5111Step Aside3:1212Blame3:5313Are You Talking to Me2:3314Where Are You Now3:2215Point of No Return4:26 with a hard rock style of melodic and fast guitar riffs. The album's limited edition featured a bonus disc with live footage from the band's performance at the Greenfield Festival in Switzerland in 2005 and music videos for all of the band's singles up to their third studio album.
In 2007, the band's seventh studio album, Life Will Kill You×Life Will Kill You27 July 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1The Price We Pay3:342Life Will Kill You3:343Prisoners3:534Final Stand4:405None the Wiser4:386Little Baby3:477The Cure & The Poison5:538Where Can We Go From Here?4:059It’s Your Life3:2910Falling3:4011Carnivore3:1312Dying to Know3:3413Picture Perfect Skies3:35, was released. The album spawned three singles: "Prisoners", "The Price We Pay×The Price We Pay5 July 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1The Price We Pay3:342Life Will Kill You3:343Prisoners3:52" and "Little Baby×Little Baby14 September 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Little Baby3:46". In 2008, long-time drummer Johansson left the band after eleven years and was replaced by Micke Dahlén. In August 2009, Clawfinger announced that they had been working on a re-recording of their debut album, Deaf Dumb Blind×Deaf Dumb Blind21 April 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Nigger3:482The Truth4:133Rosegrove4:034Don't Get Me Wrong3:125I Need You4:586Catch Me4:397Warfair3:488Wonderful World2:419Sad to See Your Sorrow5:1710I Don't Care3:11, that would feature guest musicians, including members of Rammstein and Peter Tägtgren.

Disbandment, occasional reunions and singles: 2012–2025

In August 2013, Clawfinger announced that the band had disbanded. In May 2014, the band announced that they would perform a one-off show at the ZAKHID festival in Ukraine on 8 August 2014. The band would later perform additional one-off reunion shows, including two shows in 2015, two festival appearances in 2016 at Denmark's CopenHell Festival and Bulgaria's Summer Chaos Festival, and a performance at the Irreversible Festival 2017 in Switzerland.
On 4 August 2017, the band released the single "Save Our Souls×Save Our Souls4 August 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Save Our Souls3:25", their first new material in ten years. Two years later, a new single, "Tear You Down×Tear You Down4 October 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Tear You Down2:54", was released on 4 October 2019. The band's latest single, "Environmental Patients×Environmental Patients4 March 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Environmental Patients3:40", was released on 4 March 2022. In June of that year, the band performed at Sweden Rock Festival.

Before We All Die: 2025–2026

On 21 June 2025, Clawfinger announced they had signed a new record deal with Perception Label - A division of Reigning Phoenix Music, and that they would be releasing a new song, Scum. The new album Before We All Die×Before We All Die19 February 2026 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Scum3:052Ball & Chain3:163Tear You Down2:544Big Brother3:335Linked Together3:286A Perfect Day3:227Going Down (Like Titanic)4:028You Call Yourself a Teacher2:589A Fucking Disgrace3:1110Kill the Dream3:0511Environmental Patients3:4012Before We All Die4:08 was released on 20 February 2026.

Members

Current line-up

Zak Tell – lead vocals (1989–2013, 2017–present)
Jocke Skog – keyboards, backing vocals (1989–2013, 2017–present)
Bård Torstensen – rhythm guitar (1990–2013, 2017–present), lead guitar (2003–2013, 2017–present)
André Skaug – bass (1992–2013, 2017–present)
Micke Dahlén – drums (2008–2013, 2017–present)
Former members

Erlend Ottem – lead guitar (1990–2003)
Morten Skaug – drums (1992–1994)
Ottar Vigerstøl – drums (1994–1997)
Henka Johansson – drums (1997–2008)