Jesper Strömblad
Encyclopedia
Clas Håkan Jesper Strömblad (born November 28, 1972) is a Swedish musician who is currently the guitarist for the bands Dimension Zero & The Resistance. He is known most as founder and former guitarist/drummer/keyboardist of the Swedish
melodic death metal
band In Flames
, guitarist of the band Sinergy, bassist of Ceremonial Oath and drummer of HammerFall.
In March 2004, Jesper (along with Björn Gelotte
) were both ranked #70 out of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of all time by Guitar World
.
he played until age 12, when he no longer considered the violin a 'cool' instrument to play and began playing guitar
instead.
He is known to be an avid World of Warcraft player, even wearing a "WoW" t-shirt on stage at times. He also plays a guitar imprinted with the logo for the Horde faction from World of Warcraft as can be seen in this picture: Jesper Strömblad's WoW guitar
On 3 February 2009, the band's website inflames.com announced that Jesper would not be participating in the Australia/South America/Japan tour in order to get treatment for his alcohol abuse problems. Niklas Engelin was announced as his replacement for the tour.
On February 12, 2010, Jesper announced that he was leaving In Flames
permanently for personal problems and health issues.
Jesper's comment on the situation was:
. Strömblad is also currently a member of another side project he started called All Ends
, for which he and his In Flames bandmate Björn Gelotte
both write the music. Neither plans to play in the side project due to In Flames' demanding schedule, but they continue to aid in writing songs for the band to play. He is also working on a side project together with Roland Johansson, former singer of the Swedish metal band Sonic Syndicate
although as of January 2011 there has been no sign of any official release from the two.
He has formed a new band called The Resistance along side with fellow former In Flames
guitarist Glenn Ljungström
, former vocalist for The Haunted
Marco Aro, Alex Losbäck Holstad of Despite, and Chris Barkensjö of Carnal Forge
.
With Dimension Zero
With Ceremonial Oath
With Sinergy
, Jesper was an endorser of ESP using his signature variant of the EX series until he switched to Gibson
guitars with his fellow bandmate Björn Gelotte
. He switched to Gibson for the release of Reroute To Remain, but returned to ESP for the recording of Soundtrack To Your Escape. Strömblad has now returned to Gibson since the release of Come Clarity. Jesper uses the Gibson Flying V and Explorer
Voodoo models, as well as some Gibson Gothic Explorer II's.
Jesper is known for using the Peavey 5150/6505 amp. Strömblad also uses a Line 6 rack-mounted POD just like Gelotte.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
band In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
, guitarist of the band Sinergy, bassist of Ceremonial Oath and drummer of HammerFall.
In March 2004, Jesper (along with Björn Gelotte
Björn Gelotte
Björn Gelotte is a songwriter and guitarist for the Swedish band, In Flames. He joined the band as the drummer in 1995, and continued his position as drummer during The Jester Race and Whoracle . Gelotte switched to his current position on guitars after Niklas Engelin left the band, sharing...
) were both ranked #70 out of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of all time by Guitar World
Guitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
.
Background
Strömblad began playing music at age 4, with a violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
he played until age 12, when he no longer considered the violin a 'cool' instrument to play and began playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
instead.
He is known to be an avid World of Warcraft player, even wearing a "WoW" t-shirt on stage at times. He also plays a guitar imprinted with the logo for the Horde faction from World of Warcraft as can be seen in this picture: Jesper Strömblad's WoW guitar
On 3 February 2009, the band's website inflames.com announced that Jesper would not be participating in the Australia/South America/Japan tour in order to get treatment for his alcohol abuse problems. Niklas Engelin was announced as his replacement for the tour.
On February 12, 2010, Jesper announced that he was leaving In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
permanently for personal problems and health issues.
Jesper's comment on the situation was:
Side projects
Strömblad is known for having played in and been a founding member of a series of bands and side projects. Strömblad is currently the guitarist (formerly bassist) of Dimension Zero, a side project which he started with former In Flames guitarist Glenn LjungströmGlenn Ljungström
Glenn Ljungström was the original guitarist of the Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames along with the band's founder, Jesper Strömblad. He was a member of In Flames from 1993 until 1997, after which he quit In Flames to support his family with a more stable job. He was fired from multiple...
. Strömblad is also currently a member of another side project he started called All Ends
All Ends
All Ends is an alternative metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, founded in 2003. It started as a side project of the In Flames guitarists Björn Gelotte and Jesper Strömblad, but currently they are no longer playing with All Ends.- History :...
, for which he and his In Flames bandmate Björn Gelotte
Björn Gelotte
Björn Gelotte is a songwriter and guitarist for the Swedish band, In Flames. He joined the band as the drummer in 1995, and continued his position as drummer during The Jester Race and Whoracle . Gelotte switched to his current position on guitars after Niklas Engelin left the band, sharing...
both write the music. Neither plans to play in the side project due to In Flames' demanding schedule, but they continue to aid in writing songs for the band to play. He is also working on a side project together with Roland Johansson, former singer of the Swedish metal band Sonic Syndicate
Sonic Syndicate
Sonic Syndicate is a melodic death metal band from Falkenberg, Sweden. They are influenced by Swedish melodic death metal bands such as In Flames, Soilwork and metalcore bands like Killswitch Engage.....
although as of January 2011 there has been no sign of any official release from the two.
He has formed a new band called The Resistance along side with fellow former In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
guitarist Glenn Ljungström
Glenn Ljungström
Glenn Ljungström was the original guitarist of the Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames along with the band's founder, Jesper Strömblad. He was a member of In Flames from 1993 until 1997, after which he quit In Flames to support his family with a more stable job. He was fired from multiple...
, former vocalist for The Haunted
The Haunted
The Haunted is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1996.The original members were Anders & Jonas Björler, Peter Dolving, Adrian Erlandsson and Patrik Jensen...
Marco Aro, Alex Losbäck Holstad of Despite, and Chris Barkensjö of Carnal Forge
Carnal Forge
Carnal Forge are a Swedish band, best classified as thrash metal with some melodic death metal influences. The songs tend to be very fast and violent. Their name originates from a song on Carcass's album Heartwork.- Biography :...
.
Former bands
- Ceremonial OathCeremonial OathCeremonial Oath was a Swedish extreme metal band who formed in 1988 under the name "Desecrator", changed their name to Ceremonial Oath in 1990 and disbanded in 1995. During their short career they released three demos, one EP and two full-length albums...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1990–1993), (founding member) - HammerFallHammerFallHammerFall is a power metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak.- Early days :...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1993–1996), (founding member) - SinergySinergySinergy was a Finnish power metal band started in 1998 by American musician, Kimberly Goss. Aside from Sinergy, the most notable bands Goss has been involved with are Dimmu Borgir; as keyboardist, and Children of Bodom; where she filled in live for Janne Wirman and also contributed lyrics...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1997–1999), (founding member) - In FlamesIn FlamesIn Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
- drums (1990–1993) guitar (1993–2010), (founding member) - The ResistanceThe ResistanceThe Resistance can refer to a Resistance movement. It can also refer to:* The Resistance series, a book series by Vlad Matviets* The Resistance , an album by British rock band Muse* The Resistance , an Animorphs book...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2010-), (founding member)
Guest appearances
- 1997 - Withering Surface - "Scarlet Silhouettes": Guitar Solo at "Scarlet Silhouettes"
- 1997 - MisanthropeMisanthrope (band)Misanthrope is a French metal band, formed in 1988. The name of the band is taken from Molière's play Le Misanthrope, reflecting the band's very theatrical style and the influence of the French dramatist on their music and lyrics....
- "Visionnaire": Guitar solo at "Hypochondrium Forces" - 1998 - Exhumation - "Dance Across the Past": Guitar Solo at "Images of Our Extinction"
- 1999 - Grievance - "The Phantom Novels"
- 2007 - AnnihilatorAnnihilator (band)Annihilator is a Canadian heavy metal band hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, also from Vancouver, British Columbia between 1987-2002 by founding member, vocalist, guitarist and bassist Jeff Waters. The band has been around since 1984 and is the biggest selling heavy metal artist from Canada in history,...
- "Metal": Guitar Solo at "Haunted"
Discography
With In FlamesIn Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
- Lunar StrainLunar StrainLunar Strain is the debut album by Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames. In this release, vocals were sung by Mikael Stanne, the vocalist of Dark Tranquillity, who was a session musician for In Flames at the time. The album is known for its "folky elements" with the inclusion of violins and...
(1994) - The Jester RaceThe Jester RaceThe Jester Race is the second album by melodic death metal band In Flames. It is the first album to feature Anders Fridén as the band's vocalist and Björn Gelotte as the drummer. A video for the song "Artifacts of the Black Rain" was also released...
(1995) - WhoracleWhoracle-Personnel:In Flames*Anders Fridén - vocals, additional percussion*Jesper Strömblad - lead guitar, keyboards, additional percussion*Glenn Ljungström - rhythm guitar*Johan Larsson - bass*Björn Gelotte - drums, percussion & additional lead guitar...
(1997) - Colony (1999)
- ClaymanClaymanClayman is the fifth album by Swedish melodic death metal band, In Flames. The album was released by Nuclear Blast in 2000. Most of the lyrics deal with depression and internal struggles...
(2000) - Reroute to RemainReroute to Remain-Personnel:In Flames*Anders Fridén – vocals & mixing*Jesper Strömblad – guitar*Björn Gelotte – guitar*Peter Iwers – bass guitar*Daniel Svensson – drumsOther Personnel*Maria Gauffin - co-vocals on "Metaphor"*Örjan Örnkloo – keyboards, programming...
(2002) - Soundtrack to Your EscapeSoundtrack to Your Escape-Bonus DVD:Note: The DVD came in a separate slimline jewelcase, that was bundled together with the limited edition digipak-version of the album.-Bonus DVD :...
(2004) - Come ClarityCome Clarity- In Flames :* Anders Fridén – vocals* Björn Gelotte – guitar * Jesper Strömblad – guitar * Peter Iwers – bass* Daniel Svensson – drums- Guests :* Örjan Örnkloo – keyboards and programming...
(2006) - A Sense of PurposeA Sense of PurposeA Sense of Purpose is the ninth studio album by Swedish band In Flames. The album was released in first Japan on March 26, 2008 with 15 tracks and later in Europe on April 4, 2008 through Nuclear Blast and through Koch Records in North America on April 1. This is the band's last album to feature...
(2008)
With Dimension Zero
- Silent Night FeverSilent Night FeverSilent Night Fever is the debut album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dimension Zero, distributed jointly through Century Media and Regain Records. The title is a play on words of the John Travolta film, Saturday Night Fever....
(2002) - This Is HellThis Is Hell (Dimension Zero album)This Is Hell is the second album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dimension Zero.Glenn Ljungström left after the recording. By the time of the release he was not in the band making this the last DZ album with him featured on it...
(2003) - He Who Shall Not BleedHe Who Shall Not BleedHe Who Shall Not Bleed is the third album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dimension Zero.The sampling at the beginning of the eponym song "He Who Shall Not Bleed" is a line by James Gregory from the film Beneath the Planet of the Apes....
(2007)
With Ceremonial Oath
Ceremonial Oath
Ceremonial Oath was a Swedish extreme metal band who formed in 1988 under the name "Desecrator", changed their name to Ceremonial Oath in 1990 and disbanded in 1995. During their short career they released three demos, one EP and two full-length albums...
- The Book of TruthThe Book of TruthThe Book of Truth is the debut studio album by Ceremonial Oath. The album was released in 1993 through Modern Primitive Records.This album is extremely rare and the CD-ROM version normally fetches upwards of $200 on eBay.-Track listing:...
(1993) - CarpetCarpet (album)-Track listing:# "The Day I Buried" – 6:06# "Dreamsong" – 3:44# "Carpet" – 3:30# "The Shadowed End" – 3:16# "One of Us/Nightshade" – 3:54# "Immortalized" – 3:48# "Hallowed Be Thy Name" – 6:46 -Credits:Ceremonial Oath...
(1995)
With Sinergy
Sinergy
Sinergy was a Finnish power metal band started in 1998 by American musician, Kimberly Goss. Aside from Sinergy, the most notable bands Goss has been involved with are Dimmu Borgir; as keyboardist, and Children of Bodom; where she filled in live for Janne Wirman and also contributed lyrics...
- Beware the HeavensBeware the HeavensBeware the Heavens is the first album by the power metal band Sinergy, released in 1999. The album features two instrumental tracks "Born Unto Fire and Passion" and "Pulsation", and a track inspired by the series Xena: The Warrior Princess, entitled "The Warrior Princess"...
(1999)
Equipment
Strömblad currently uses Gibson guitars. Before the release of Reroute to RemainReroute to Remain
-Personnel:In Flames*Anders Fridén – vocals & mixing*Jesper Strömblad – guitar*Björn Gelotte – guitar*Peter Iwers – bass guitar*Daniel Svensson – drumsOther Personnel*Maria Gauffin - co-vocals on "Metaphor"*Örjan Örnkloo – keyboards, programming...
, Jesper was an endorser of ESP using his signature variant of the EX series until he switched to Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
guitars with his fellow bandmate Björn Gelotte
Björn Gelotte
Björn Gelotte is a songwriter and guitarist for the Swedish band, In Flames. He joined the band as the drummer in 1995, and continued his position as drummer during The Jester Race and Whoracle . Gelotte switched to his current position on guitars after Niklas Engelin left the band, sharing...
. He switched to Gibson for the release of Reroute To Remain, but returned to ESP for the recording of Soundtrack To Your Escape. Strömblad has now returned to Gibson since the release of Come Clarity. Jesper uses the Gibson Flying V and Explorer
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar that made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its sibling, the Flying V. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design which years later Gibson marketed under the name Futura.The...
Voodoo models, as well as some Gibson Gothic Explorer II's.
Jesper is known for using the Peavey 5150/6505 amp. Strömblad also uses a Line 6 rack-mounted POD just like Gelotte.