Spiritual Beggars
Swedish hard rock/stoner metal band formed in 1993 by Michael Amott, a side project after Michael left the British death metal band Carcass. The band provided an outlet for Amott’s retro hard rock impulses, and in the process became one of the stoner metal movement’s best-kept secrets.
• Mantra III Mantra III marks the addition of Per Wiberg on organ and Mellotron, Fender Rhodes piano, and clavinet, and Stefan Tsebring on percussion, and the album’s roots are in the almighty kingdom of riff. If all these guys came from gloom-metal bands, it’s not possible to tell from the songs here. This is rock — hard, heavy rock — more than even metal. (Thom Jurek, AllMusic)
• Another Way To Shine Music so accomplished solicits the simplest of descriptions, so there’s no sense complicating descriptions of this stoner gem with obvious comparisons and inadequate adjectives. Suffice to say that fans of the genre will love the more energetic entries and appreciate all of Another Way to Shine. (Jason Anderson, AllMusic)
• Ad Astra The band had previously stuck to a contemporary stoner palette somewhere between the thundering Kyuss and chaotic Corrosion of Conformity, but everything from the Doors (“Per Aspera Ad Astra”) to Deep Purple (“Wonderful World” and others) gets folded into the retro metal mix on this release. (Jason Anderson, AllMusic)
• On Fire This album featured a new line-up following the departure of original singer Christian “Spice” Sjöstrand. The replacement was Janne “JB” Christoffersson (vocals) whom had been recommended to Michael Amott by a mutual friend. The “On Fire” album was musically and vocally more melodic and saw the band reaching deeper into the epic 70’s hard rock style of songwriting.

Hardcore Superstar
Paying little attention to the extreme death metal sounds their hometown was renowned for, the four natives of Gothenburg, Sweden, who formed Hardcore Superstar in 1998 drew upon melodic, glammed-up hard rock, especially the sleazy L.A. pop-metal sound of the ’80s. Hardcore Superstar has had several #1 hit singles, and Grammy wins in Sweden. (Steve Huey, AllMusic)
• No Regrets 2003 album including the single “Honey Tongue,” which peaked at #3 on the Swedish singles chart. 13 tracks worth of great sleazy, trashy, hard rock. This album experiments with 70’s style glam rock but maintains their brand of polished, melodic Swedish rock.
• Thank You For Letting Us Be Ourselves had a more laid back feel than its predecessor. It featured the singles “Shame” and “Mother’s Love”. A bonus track was released in Japan, featured a guest appearance by Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe.
• Bad Sneakers & A Pina Colada is Hardcore Superstar’s first album to be released internationally, and is thus often considered the first full-length album in general. The title was lifted from the jazz-rock band Steely Dan’s song (“Bad Sneakers”). Contains re-recordings of their first album “It’s Only Rock & Roll” along with some new tracks. Single “Liberation” nominated for a Swedish Grammy.

Lost Horizon
A power metal / progressive metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. They went under the name Highlander from 1990 until 1994 before the band was put on hold. The band reformed in the late nineties, briefly under the same name, before changing it to Lost Horizon.
• A Flame To The Ground Beneath differs from its predecessor, Awakening The Worlds in a number of ways. Some of the aggression displayed by the band has been replaced by a more focussed drive for compassion. Also, the pure crunch has been tempered by a more melodic feel, with a larger emphasis on keyboards than before. However, this is not to suggest that A Flame To The Ground Beneath is in anyway lacking. It possesses a greater sincerity than the band’s debut album, and as such speaks to the listener in a more persuasive way. (Jason Hellmuth, Sputnik Music)
• Awakening The World The four band members of the time: Wojtek Lisicki, Martin Furangen, Daniel Heiman and Christian Nyqvist were dismayed at the state of the world, and believed that only a great truth could unite the world, and ultimately save us all. And the best way to preach this gospel was, of course, the music of power. A grand claim indeed for a band that was yet to be signed, or record an album. Yet, in 2001 the proof of their declaration was delivered, in the form of Awakening The World. (Jason Hellmuth, Sputnik Music)

Firebird
A British blues-rock power trio founded by Bill Steer in 1999. The music style, reminiscent of seventies rock bands such as Cream, is a radical departure from Steer’s previous work with grindcore pioneers Napalm Death and death metal band Carcass.
• Deluxe Originally released in 2001, this was the trio’s follow-up to their self-titled debut. Firebird’s sound harkens back to the glorious early Blues/Rock sound of the late ’60s and early ’70s. It has been said that Firebird are the bastard children of Humble Pie, Free and Cream. Deluxe is made up of 10 tracks including ‘Dirt Trap’, ‘Miles From Nowhere’ and ‘Lonely And Sober’.
• Firebird the debut self-titled album and first of only two albums to include the original lineup of Bill Steer with Cathedral bassist Leo Smee and Spiritual Beggars drummer Ludwig Witt. Firebird treaded a distinctly laid back Blues/Rock approach on this 2000 debut.

Witchery
A Swedish thrash/speed metal band, formed by former members of Satanic Slaughter in 1997. Witchery quickly gathered a cult following with their combination of serious, technical thrash metal and all topics “dead”. Their strictly tongue-in-cheek humour, often involving executions, murder, necrophilia, resurrections and other morbid topics can be spotted in song titles and album names as well as in their very own mascot – an animated skeleton called “Ben Wrangle.”
• Symphony For The Devil is Witchery’s third full-length studio album. It was released in 2001 and has received underground acclaim from metal fanzines and webzines. The album continues in the style of previous Witchery releases, with thrash metal riffing and solos, but with a black and death metal influence. This album sees Martin Axe of Opeth on drums, after the departure of former Witchery drummer Mique.