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UNLEASHED
1991 - Where No Life Dwells.
1992 - Shadows In The Deep.
1993 - Across The Open Sea.
more UNLEASHED.
way more Helter Skelter.

May 1, 1991 - 2021: 30 years of: Where No Life Dwells.

Oh beautiful Sweden: land of snowy mountains, endless forests and dark-deathmetal !

While the USA had the Big Four of thrashmetal, as in METALLICA, ANTHRAX, SLAYER and MEGADETH ...on the heavier side of the metal-spectrum, Sweden had the Big Four of dark-deathmetal: ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER, GRAVE and UNLEASHED.

From the ashes of underground cult NIHILIST, bassist and vocalist Johnny Hedlund single-handedly created UNLEASHED: the Viking-influenced and Odin-worshipping 30 year+ deathmetal steamroller !

1991 is THE YEAR for deathmetal, end of story. Here are some cold hard deadly facts: From Beyond, Testimony Of The Ancients, Clandestine, The Rack, Blessed Are The Sick, Butchered At Birth and the trendsetting Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious ...and UNLEASHED's debut Where No Life Dwells CD is a well worthy top deathmetal milestone.

The misleading classic-guitar intro of "Where No Life Dwells" sends us right-field and in a sudden instant, the grotesque "Dead Forever" quickly brings us back into the left hand path. "Before The Creation Of Time" stands has one of the band's signature-track, an up-beat monster that doesn't take "no" for and answer. The slow heavy intro in B of "The Dark One" sets the table for the incoming onslaught, while "Into Glory Ride" is another gasping-for-air type of aural-assault. The moniker-track punches away with a vengeance, reminding us that "Jesus Christ is no more" while the eerie "Where Life Ends" closes the casket on this perfect DM album.

Initially set to answer the progressive elements of Floridian-deathmetal such as DEATH, ATHEIST and NOCTURNUS, this old-school genre thru time walked and merged hand-in-hand with the traditional German heavymetal-vibe and even with some shades of blackmetal. Mystifying, raw, cold and somewhat unholy ...definitely a place where no life dwells.

Goodbye Mother Earth !

*
Before The Creation Of Time = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3UHfA5dCAw
Where No Life Dwells = CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nsisgGVHaU
Interview in 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXyY9Zv7ZnM
Live in 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laMcWnNQ6w0

May 1, 1992 - 2022: 30 years of: Shadows In The Deep.

Darker and deadlier.

After the massive punch of 1991's Where No Life Dwells impressive debut-CD, the deathmetal-scene was in awe. From Stockholm, the city that spearheaded the Second Wave of Death-Metal ...comes hell UNLEASHED: the dark vikings of Swedish deathmetal.

Last cut on the previous opus "Where Life Ends" continues on the cataclysmic opener "The Final Silence". A blast from below, with shady twin guitar-tones and Johnny's commanding grunts.

The rock-element makes a powerful apparition on "The Immortals", while the raw killing of "Bloodbath" and the thrashiness of "Onward Into Countless Battles" uses the low-B tuning to it's full advantage. The classic VENOM reprise "Countess Bathory" is a fine tribute to the Gods and the doomy feel of the title-cut "Shadows In The Deep" elevates UNLEASHED into the cold realms ...beyond the "Land Of Ice".

Again produced by to-be prolific Waldemar Sorychta, this second sinister deathmetal record solidifies the band as dark-deathmetal ring-leaders. Conceived and ablazed in Sweden, UNLEASHED are the first to crossover and fully incorporate the Norse-element into deathmetal, leading the way to future vikingmetal and paganmetal scenes = no compromise !

The flag is raised, the wind is blowing, the ship is North-bound. The dark ones are migrating into remote viking territories. 1993 would unearth the Eurometal coup of Across The Open Sea CD.

*
Shadows In The Deep = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GGRdrRaWHI&list=PLzDMOar-1Y_yv8seyNdaNkr_Kj7PbqrZh
Live In Vienna '93 = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beoB1qxpuww&list=OLAK5uy_k9AdQOGI_r47hZBiOG4QCie_1PLXXdAEk
Live in Belgium in 1993
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfHhQAA1tD0

October 1, 1993 - 2023: 30 years of: Across The Open Sea.

Onward into countless territories.

Coming back from the darkness of 1992's Shadows In The Deep CD, our battalion now spears full speed ahead. UNLEASHED are ready to conquer new lands of ice.

Ride the wings of death, "To Asgaard We Fly" with a new metal sound where life ends ...and "Open Wide" to a new death-rock time-stamp. Power-chords and headroom, this unorthodox mix finally breaks the HM2 status-quo. Fast punches and crushing the skull is still within their Nordic DNA, as provided on "Forever Goodbye (2045)" and the Holy deception of "I Am God".

The thrash template gets an appearance on "The One Insane" and the final command of "Execute Them All". Diametrically, the title-track for "Across The Open Sea" is a 2:45sec acoustic-guitar keyboard supported piece. The JUDAS PRIEST staple "Breaking The Law" gets the touch of death, while the never ending hate of "In The Northern Lands" is the death-rock track MANOWAR never wrote.

A violent ecstasy in Three Chapters.

Sweden's hooligans are now forever breaking away from the early 90s Stockholm-syndrome, bringing more traditional heavymetal signatures and even a stripped-down blackmetal production. Far away from the mediawhores and before the creation of time, UNLEASHED proudly choose the Norse underground. Their trajectory is clear, next target: where no life dwells on 1995's Victory CD.

Deathmetal - no compromise.

*
The One Insane = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBi26ie2cw
Across The Open Sea = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kT0GF5IF7E&list=OLAK5uy_lifGjAASrGeq10eNE7oQAdW1l_hP80Hw4

more UNLEASHED:

Death-Metal 1988-92
&

Death-Metal EU 1991