Mustasch (Band)
Encyclopedia
Mustasch is a rock
band from Sweden
. They were formed in fall 1998 by Ralf Gyllenhammar, Hannes Hansson, Mats Hansson, and Mats Johansson on the Mustasch farm, located on the island Orust
.
in 1998, and recorded a demo which was released on different record labels around the world in small numbers. In 2000 they released their first EP The True Sound of the New West
, embarked on a tour, and started to make a name for themselves in the Swedish metal scene. They chose the name Mustasch because many of their musical heroes had moustaches; such as Freddie Mercury
from Queen and Tony Iommi
from Black Sabbath.
The band went on to release Above All
in 2002 and Ratsafari
in 2003, both of which were nominated for Swedish Grammies and helped the band to build their reputation. The band continued to tour hard, and released Powerhouse in 2005 before switching record labels. The switch to Regain Records
was made to get the proper channels to sell metal records and the fact that the label was based near Gothenburg.
With their new record label, they were given complete creative control and in 2006 they released an EP entitled Parasite!
. It was soon followed up with their 2007 album, Latest Version of the Truth
, which led to their first Swedish Grammy award after being nominated twice in the past. Following the album's release, the band postponed further recordings, instead favoring an extensive touring schedule to promote themselves; this also led to the release of the compilation album Lowlife Highlights
.
In June 2008, guitarist Hannes Hansson announced that he would leave the band due to family reasons: "It's been a fantastic period of ten years with the band, but now the band has grown so much with touring all over the world. It takes too much from my family and other things in life which I now want to put all my priority to."
The band continued their scheduled tour with various replacements before David Johannesson from Swedish metal band Sparzanza was chosen as a permanent replacement.
In late-spring 2009 Mustasch started to work on their new album, also announcing that drummer Mats had left the band because of problems with drumming live; Danne McKenzie, who had played with the band on numerous occasions, took the spot. On August 19, 2009, the band announced that they had finished recording their new album, entitled Mustasch, and that it will be released on September 30 in Finland
and Sweden
, October 5 in Denmark
and Norway
, and the rest of the world in early 2010. The first single from the album is entitled "Mine".
and uses their Stilletto and Lone Star amplifiers. Drummer Danne McKenzie is endorsed by Ludwig
and Sabian Cymbals. Former guitarist Hannes was endorsed by Hagström
guitars and almost exclusively played their Super Swede model.
Former members
Sessions members
Extended plays
Live recordings
Singles
Demos and compilations
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Sweden
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....
. They were formed in fall 1998 by Ralf Gyllenhammar, Hannes Hansson, Mats Hansson, and Mats Johansson on the Mustasch farm, located on the island Orust
Orust
Orust is an island in western Sweden, and Sweden's third largest island. The largest town on Orust is Henån, where approximately 1,800 inhabitants live...
.
Band history
Mustasch was formed on the island Orust in SwedenSweden
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....
in 1998, and recorded a demo which was released on different record labels around the world in small numbers. In 2000 they released their first EP The True Sound of the New West
The True Sound of the New West
The True Sound of the New West is the first EP by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2001.- Track listing :#"Homophobic/Alcoholic" - 4:01#"The Wave" - 4:52#"Serpent - The Zodiac " - 5:54#"Fabian's World" - 3:54...
, embarked on a tour, and started to make a name for themselves in the Swedish metal scene. They chose the name Mustasch because many of their musical heroes had moustaches; such as Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
from Queen and Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
from Black Sabbath.
The band went on to release Above All
Above All (album)
Above All is the first full-length album by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. The album which was released in 2002, peaked at #22 on theSwedish albums charts.- Track listing :#"Down In Black" – 2:45#"I Hunt Alone" – 3:17...
in 2002 and Ratsafari
Ratsafari
Ratsafari is the second full-length album by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Stinger Citizen" - 3:12#"Black City" - 2:35#"Unsafe At Any Speed" - 4:34#"Ratsafari" - 4:21#"6:36" - 4:45#"Deadringer" - 3:20...
in 2003, both of which were nominated for Swedish Grammies and helped the band to build their reputation. The band continued to tour hard, and released Powerhouse in 2005 before switching record labels. The switch to Regain Records
Regain Records
Regain Records is a Swedish based independent record label. The label predominantly releases death metal and black metal albums. Regain Records was founded from what remained of the former label, Wrong Again Records, by Per Gyllenbäck in 1997...
was made to get the proper channels to sell metal records and the fact that the label was based near Gothenburg.
With their new record label, they were given complete creative control and in 2006 they released an EP entitled Parasite!
Parasite!
Parasite! is the second EP by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2006.- Track listing :#"Nailed To Pain" - 4:17#"My Disorder" - 4:10#"Do Or Die" - 3:33#"Parasite" - 2:40#"Kill The Light" - 3:51#"The Dagger " - 10:12...
. It was soon followed up with their 2007 album, Latest Version of the Truth
Latest Version of the Truth
Latest Version of the Truth is the fourth full-length album by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2007.- Track listing :#"In The Night" - 4:22#"Double Nature" - 4:45#"Falling Down" - 3:56#"The Heckler" - 3:31...
, which led to their first Swedish Grammy award after being nominated twice in the past. Following the album's release, the band postponed further recordings, instead favoring an extensive touring schedule to promote themselves; this also led to the release of the compilation album Lowlife Highlights
Lowlife Highlights
Lowlife Highlights is the first Best of compilation album by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2008.- Track listing :#"Unsafe At Any Speed" - 4:34 #"Down In Black" - 2:44...
.
In June 2008, guitarist Hannes Hansson announced that he would leave the band due to family reasons: "It's been a fantastic period of ten years with the band, but now the band has grown so much with touring all over the world. It takes too much from my family and other things in life which I now want to put all my priority to."
The band continued their scheduled tour with various replacements before David Johannesson from Swedish metal band Sparzanza was chosen as a permanent replacement.
In late-spring 2009 Mustasch started to work on their new album, also announcing that drummer Mats had left the band because of problems with drumming live; Danne McKenzie, who had played with the band on numerous occasions, took the spot. On August 19, 2009, the band announced that they had finished recording their new album, entitled Mustasch, and that it will be released on September 30 in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Sweden
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....
, October 5 in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and the rest of the world in early 2010. The first single from the album is entitled "Mine".
Musical equipment
Mustasch tune their guitars down to C-G-C-F-A-D (Drop-C) and their bass to C-G-C-F or Bb-G-C-F and use Skull Strings. Rhythm guitarist Ralf is endorsed by Schecter Guitars and Mesa BoogieMesa Boogie
Mesa/Boogie is a company in Petaluma, California that makes amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969....
and uses their Stilletto and Lone Star amplifiers. Drummer Danne McKenzie is endorsed by Ludwig
Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
and Sabian Cymbals. Former guitarist Hannes was endorsed by Hagström
Hagström
Hagström is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the sixties, the company started making electric guitars and later...
guitars and almost exclusively played their Super Swede model.
Line up
Current members- Ralf GyllenhammarRalf GyllenhammarRalf Gyllenhammar, born 1966, is the grammis award winning lead guitarist and vocalist of Swedish hard rock band Mustasch as well as the presenter at the Swedish TV channel TV7. He was also the singer of Swedish rock band B-Thong with which he released one album, From Strength to Strength in 1997,...
- Vocals and rhythm guitars - David Johannesson - Lead guitar
- Mats Johansson - Bass guitar
- Danne McKenzie - Drums
Former members
- Hannes Hansson - Rhythm guitars
- Mats Hansson - Drums, percussion
Sessions members
- Kristian Laimaa - Rhythm guitars
- Martin Boman - Rhythm guitars
- Leif Larsson - Bass guitar
- Danne McKenzie - Drums
Discography
Albums- 2002 Above AllAbove All (album)Above All is the first full-length album by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. The album which was released in 2002, peaked at #22 on theSwedish albums charts.- Track listing :#"Down In Black" – 2:45#"I Hunt Alone" – 3:17...
- 2003 RatsafariRatsafariRatsafari is the second full-length album by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Stinger Citizen" - 3:12#"Black City" - 2:35#"Unsafe At Any Speed" - 4:34#"Ratsafari" - 4:21#"6:36" - 4:45#"Deadringer" - 3:20...
- 2005 Powerhouse
- 2007 Latest Version of the TruthLatest Version of the TruthLatest Version of the Truth is the fourth full-length album by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2007.- Track listing :#"In The Night" - 4:22#"Double Nature" - 4:45#"Falling Down" - 3:56#"The Heckler" - 3:31...
- 2009 Mustasch
- 2011 The New Sound Of The True Best
Extended plays
- 2001 The True Sound of the New WestThe True Sound of the New WestThe True Sound of the New West is the first EP by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2001.- Track listing :#"Homophobic/Alcoholic" - 4:01#"The Wave" - 4:52#"Serpent - The Zodiac " - 5:54#"Fabian's World" - 3:54...
- 2006 Parasite!Parasite!Parasite! is the second EP by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2006.- Track listing :#"Nailed To Pain" - 4:17#"My Disorder" - 4:10#"Do Or Die" - 3:33#"Parasite" - 2:40#"Kill The Light" - 3:51#"The Dagger " - 10:12...
Live recordings
- 2008 In the Night
Singles
- 2002 "I Hunt Alone"
- 2002 "Down in Black"
- 2003 "Black City"
- 2004 "6:36"
- 2005 "Dogwash"
- 2005 "I'm Alright"
- 2007 "Double Nature"
- 2007 "Bring Me Everyone"
- 2008 "Spreading the Worst"
- 2009 "Mine"
Demos and compilations
- 1999 Daredevil Magazine / Burn the Streets Vol.1
- 1999 Molten Universe - Volume One
- 2000 Underdogma - Judge Not ...
- 2000 Daredevil Magazine / Burned Down to Zero
- 2002 All Areas Volume 29
- 2003 All Areas Volume 44
- 2002 The Encyclopedia Of Swedish Hard Rock And Heavy Metal, Volume II
- 2003 Music Plato Mania Sampler Volume 1
- 2003 Off Road Tracks Vol. 65
- 2003 P3 Popstad 2003 Växjö
- 2007 Target Roskilde 07
- 2008 Lowlife HighlightsLowlife HighlightsLowlife Highlights is the first Best of compilation album by Swedish heavy metal band Mustasch. It was released in 2008.- Track listing :#"Unsafe At Any Speed" - 4:34 #"Down In Black" - 2:44...