Mister Kite
Encyclopedia
Mister Kite is a progressive metal
/hard rock
band from Malmö
, Sweden. Their music is best described as heavy yet melodic, with dark, brooding lyrics, drawing obvious influences from bands like Dream Theater
. Their name is taken from the Beatles song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"
, which released the debut album All in Time in 2002. The release saw a guest appearance by Swedish guitar virtuoso Mattias IA Eklund
of Freak Kitchen
, on the song Seventeen Years. All in Time received almost exclusively good reviews, yet failed to sell. The band supported the album with a short tour, playing the Midtfyn Festival in Odense, Denmark, and later joined heavy metal
band Dio
as supporting act for their Killing the Dragon
tour of Scandinavia.
In the summer of 2003 the band entered the studio again to record their second album, Box of Fear
. This album saw the group move towards a heavier, darker sound. The release was preceded by an EP, The Hunger, showcasing two songs from the new album as well as Bloodsucker, a Deep Purple
cover taken from the Lion Music release Blackmore's Castle, a tribute to Ritchie Blackmore
. Again, the album was given favorable reviews, and in supporting it Mister Kite joined Canadian prog
act Saga
for their Network tour.
The band is currently reviewing material for a forthcoming third album.
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
/hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band from Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden. Their music is best described as heavy yet melodic, with dark, brooding lyrics, drawing obvious influences from bands like Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
. Their name is taken from the Beatles song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song from the 1967 album by The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was composed by John Lennon...
"
Early inception
Formed in Malmö in 1999 by Wemmenlind, Johansson and Bergentz, Mister Kite had done a few demo recordings when guitarist Kristensson stepped in with some fresh ideas. He soon became a permanent member of the band. In the summer of 2001 they felt they had enough material for a studio release, and with the old-friend-turned-keyboardist Djurfeldt completing the line-up, the recording of the first album started.First albums
The band signed to Finnish independent label Lion MusicLion Music
Lion Music is a production company and record label founded in 1989 by composer and artist Lars Eric Mattsson.-History:Lion Music was founded in 1989 by Lars Eric Mattsson as a production company to handle production and licensing for his records in Europe, the United States, and Asia, where a...
, which released the debut album All in Time in 2002. The release saw a guest appearance by Swedish guitar virtuoso Mattias IA Eklund
Mattias Eklundh
Mattias "IA" Eklundhtou de meme' is a guitarist and vocalist, known for his work with the bands Freak Kitchen, Frozen Eyes, Fate, The Jonas Hellborg Trio, and Art Metal; he has also released several noted solo albums...
of Freak Kitchen
Freak Kitchen
Freak Kitchen is a heavy metal/hard rock band from Gothenburg, Sweden, formed in 1992. Because of the high technical level of their compositions people sometimes refer to their style as progressive metal or progressive rock.-History:...
, on the song Seventeen Years. All in Time received almost exclusively good reviews, yet failed to sell. The band supported the album with a short tour, playing the Midtfyn Festival in Odense, Denmark, and later joined heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
as supporting act for their Killing the Dragon
Killing the Dragon
Killing the Dragon is Dio's ninth studio album. It was released May 21, 2002 through Spitfire Records and was produced by frontman Ronnie James Dio. A re-release in 2007 puts Killing the Dragon together with Magica....
tour of Scandinavia.
In the summer of 2003 the band entered the studio again to record their second album, Box of Fear
Box of Fear
Box of Fear is the second album of Swedish progressive rock band Mister Kite. It marked a darker and heavier sound for Mister Kite.-Track listing:All tracks by Mister Kite# "From This Day On" – 5:17# "How Long" – 5:08# "Evil Bob" – 5:11...
. This album saw the group move towards a heavier, darker sound. The release was preceded by an EP, The Hunger, showcasing two songs from the new album as well as Bloodsucker, a Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
cover taken from the Lion Music release Blackmore's Castle, a tribute to Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
. Again, the album was given favorable reviews, and in supporting it Mister Kite joined Canadian prog
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
act Saga
Saga (band)
Saga is a progressive rock quintet, formed in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Jim Crichton and Welsh-born vocalist Michael Sadler have been the principal songwriters for Saga. Ian Crichton is the band's guitarist; apart from his work with Saga, he has recorded several solo albums as well as sessions...
for their Network tour.
Personnel change
In 2005, both Thomas Djurfeldt and Anton Johansson revealed that they intended to leave the band due to other commitments. Replacements were found in 2006 in young guitarist Linus Abrahamson, taking up bass, and long-time-friend Robert Ahrling of Origin Blood joined as second guitarist. This line-up performed a few well-received gigs before taking a break to write new material. Since then, the band has released the song Won't Go Away, written specifically for the book STIGMA by Åsa Schwartz. More information about the Stigma project can be found here. Stigma official siteThe band is currently reviewing material for a forthcoming third album.
Members
- Alf Wemmenlind - vocals
- Magnus Kristensson - guitars
- Linus Abrahamson - bass (2006-)
- Robert Ahrling - guitars (2006-)
- Mats Bergentz - drums
Discography
- All in Time (20022002 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
) (Lion Music) - The Hunger (EP) (20032003 in music-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
) (Lion Music) - Box of FearBox of FearBox of Fear is the second album of Swedish progressive rock band Mister Kite. It marked a darker and heavier sound for Mister Kite.-Track listing:All tracks by Mister Kite# "From This Day On" – 5:17# "How Long" – 5:08# "Evil Bob" – 5:11...
(20042004 in musicSee also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
) (Lion Music)