Unleashed

Biography

Unleashed is a Swedish death metal band formed in 1989 by Johnny Hedlund in Stockholm. Lyrical themes include Viking culture, recollection of a pre-Christian world, and Norse folklore. A number of their recent songs contain references to J. R. R. Tolkien. Unleashed (along with Dismember, Entombed and Grave) is considered one of the "big four" of Swedish death metal.

History

Unleashed was founded in 1989 by vocalist and bassist Johnny Hedlund. Unleashed recorded demos "Revenge×RevengeSeptember 1990 · EP · DemoSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksA1The Utterdark Revenge3:46A2Unleashed3:26B1Where Life Ends5:23" and "Utter Dark", which got them a deal with Century Media Records. In 1991, the band released their debut studio album, Where No Life Dwells×Where No Life Dwells1 May 1991 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Where No Life Dwells0:482Dead Forever3:013Before the Creation of Time3:494For They Shall Be Slain3:205If They Had Eyes3:526The Dark One3:407Into Glory Ride3:218...and the Laughter Has Died3:229Unleashed3:2510Violent Ecstacy3:1411Where Life Ends4:58, and toured with Morbid Angel in Europe and the US.
In 1992, Unleashed released their second studio album, Shadows in the Deep×Shadows in the Deep1 May 1992 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1The Final Silence2:542The Immortals4:233A Life Beyond4:494Shadows in the Deep5:025Countess Bathory4:016Never Ending Hate2:327Onward Into Countless Battles4:138Crush the Skull3:359Bloodbath4:0810Land of Ice4:31, including a cover version of Venom's "Countess Bathory". Their next studio albums were Across the Open Sea×Across the Open Sea1 October 1993 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1To Asgaard We Fly3:552Open Wide3:123I Am God4:334The One Insane3:035Across the Open Sea2:456In the Northern Lands3:537Forever Goodbye (2045)2:278Execute Them All3:209Captured3:4710Breaking the Law2:1311The General4:21 in 1993 and Victory×Victory27 February 1995 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Victims of War4:142Legal Rapes3:103Hail the New Age3:084The Defender3:195In the Name of God3:446Precious Land5:007Berserk1:558Scream Forth Aggression3:549Against the World3:0010Revenge2:35 in 1995, the latter being the last on which guitarist Fredrik Lindgren played. Lindgren focused on punk rock with his band Loud Pipes, consisting of members from Swedish death metal bands. When he left Unleashed, they replaced him with Fredrik Folkare, who played guitar on the fifth Unleashed studio album, Warrior×Warrior5 June 1997 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Warmachine1:582In Hellfire2:363Mediawhore3:284Down Under Ground2:525My Life for You2:096Death Metal Victory2:147Hero of the Land3:138Löngt Nid5:229Born Deranged3:0210I Have Returned3:2711Ragnarök5:0112Your Pain My Gain1:3613The End4:14, in 1997.

The band went on hiatus after 7–8 years of recording and touring. They concentrated on life outside the music business, their side projects, and studying. After a reissue of the band's classics in 2002, the band released the album Hell's Unleashed in the same year, and began to tour again. This was also the year Hedlund came under scrutiny because of allegations that he was a Nazi sympathizer. Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters intended to approach Hedlund for his Probot metal project, but the album producer, Matt Sweeney, discouraged him from doing so because of Hedlund's alleged sympathies. Hedlund branded these accusations as false and stated, Unleashed praises nature, beast and man. Man....regardless of background, place of birth or color of the skin.
In 2004, Unleashed released their seventh studio album, Sworn Allegiance×Sworn Allegiance26 July 2004 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Winterland3:032Destruction (Of the Race of Men)2:553Only the Dead3:584The Longships Are Coming4:095Helljoy3:056Insane for Blood3:587I Bring You Death3:198Attack!1:409CEO2:2510One Night in Nazareth3:1111Praised Be the Lord2:2412Metalheads3:1313To Miklagård3:4014Long Live the Beast3:22. In October 2006, the band released their eighth studio album, Midvinterblot×Midvinterblot6 October 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Blood of Lies2:392This Is Our World Now3:213We Must Join With Him4:004Midvinterblot2:595In Victory or Defeat2:406Triumph of Genocide3:137The Avenger3:158Salvation for Mankind2:549Psycho Killer2:1710The Witch3:1811I Have Sworn Allegiance2:4112Age of the Warrior3:3513New Dawn Rising2:5014Loyalty and Pride3:1015Valhalla Awaits3:35. Unleashed toured Europe in November 2006 as part of the Masters of Death tour, with Grave, Dismember, and Entombed. On February and March 2007, they headlined a North American tour with Krisiun and Belphegor. June 2008 saw the release of their ninth studio album, Hammer Battalion×Hammer Battalion6 June 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1The Greatest of All Lies3:222Long Before Winter's Call3:523Your Children Will Burn2:574Hammer Battalion3:305This Day Belongs to Me2:396Marching Off to War3:507Entering the Hall of the Slain3:338Black Horizon3:559Carved in Stone3:1910Warriors of Midgard3:3511Midsummer Solstice3:0612Home of the Brave2:5213I Want You Dead4:03.
On 24 July 2009, Unleashed signed with Nuclear Blast Records for the release of their tenth album, As Yggdrasil Trembles×As Yggdrasil Trembles19 March 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Courage Today, Victory Tomorrow!3:552So It Begins...3:243As Yggdrasil Trembles4:524Wir Kapitulieren Niemals3:265This Time We Fight3:026Master of the Ancient Art3:487Chief Einherjar3:428Return Fire4:049Far Beyond Hell3:1810Dead to Me2:4711Yahweh and the Chosen Ones3:5212Cannibalistic Epidemic Continues4:5913Evil Dead2:32. In the press statement, the band said, "We are very much looking forward to this new cooperation! The recording of the album is scheduled for October/November this year."
In summer 2010, Unleashed was part of the Summer Breeze Open Air and the With Full Force heavy metal festivals in Germany. The band's 11th studio album, Odalheim×Odalheim18 April 2012 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Fimbulwinter4:112Odalheim4:293White Christ3:124The Hour of Defeat3:085Gathering the Battalions3:066Vinland3:587Rise of the Maya Warriors2:408By Celtic and British Shores3:499The Soil of Our Fathers4:5510Germania3:3311The Great Battle of Odalheim5:51, was released on Nuclear Blast Records in April 2012, and their twelfth record, Dawn of the Nine, was released 24 April 2015. In early 2018, Unleashed signed to Napalm Records, through whom they released their next album, The Hunt for White Christ×The Hunt for White Christ26 October 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Lead Us Into War3:282You Will Fall3:353Stand Your Ground3:164Gram4:105Terror Christ3:546They Rape the Land4:007The City of Jorsala Shall Fall4:128The Hunt for White Christ2:379Vidaurgelmthul3:2410By the Western Wall4:1711Open to All the World4:49, later that year. In February 2021, the band announced that they were working on their 14th studio album. The resulting No Sign of Life was released in late 2021.
The band played Maryland Deathfest in 2025.

Musical style

Steve Huey of AllMusic described the band's sound as "brutal, unwavering death metal." He also said that the band exhibits "a basic loud-fast-rules death metal style that has remained largely unchanged but always potent."

Current

Johnny Hedlund – vocals, bass (1989–present)
Anders Schultz – drums (1989–present)
Tomas Måsgard – rhythm guitar (1990–present)
Fredrik Folkare – lead guitar (1995–present)

Former

Fredrik Lindgren – lead guitar (1989–1995, died 2025)
Robert Sennebäck – vocals, rhythm guitar (1989–1990)

Studio albums

Where No Life Dwells (1991)
Shadows in the Deep (1992)
Across the Open Sea (1993)
Victory (1995)
Warrior (1997)
Hell's Unleashed (2002)
Sworn Allegiance (2004)
Midvinterblot (2006)
Hammer Battalion (2008)
As Yggdrasil Trembles (2010)
Odalheim (2012)
Dawn of the Nine (2015)
The Hunt for White Christ (2018)
No Sign of Life (2021)
Fire Upon Your Lands (2025)

Live albums

Live in Vienna '93 (1993)
Eastern Blood Hail to Poland (1996)

Compilation albums

Masters of Brutality (Fnac Music, 1992)
Viking Raids (The Best Of 1991-2004) (2008)

Boxed sets

...And We Shall Triumph in Victory (2003)
Immortal Glory (The Complete Century Media Years) (2008)