Skyfire
Encyclopedia
Skyfire is a melodic death metal
band from Höör
, Sweden
.
, Sweden
in 1995 by Andreas Edlund (guitar
), Martin Hanner (bass guitar
), Jonas Sjögren (guitar) and Tobias Björk (drums
). The four were friends since high school and had similar tastes in music. The band recorded two demos
: Within Reach and The Final Story. On the second demo, the vocals were performed by Henrik Wenngren. Skyfire got in touch with band members of Thyrfing
who helped them find a record label
with Dutch label Hammerheart Records. During two weeks in August 2000, Skyfire recorded their debut album
Timeless Departure
in the Abyss Studio.
In September 2002, the band recorded their second album Mind Revolution
, again in the Abyss Studio with new drummer Joakim Jonsson. Mind Revolution
was released in 2003 and showed the band's style evolving and branching off into different musical genres. The third album Spectral
was recorded at Los Angered and Studio Underground and released on May 10, 2004, by Arise Records.
The vocalist Henrik Wenngren left the band and was replaced by Joakim Karlsson.
On January 7, 2008, Skyfire announced on their official MySpace page that they have signed with Florida
-based label Pivotal Rockordings
on a three-album deal
and the band entered the recording studio to begin recording their fourth untitled album. Mixing was done by Scar Symmetry
's Jonas Kjellgren at Black Lounge Studios.
On May 15, 2009, Skyfire announced a digital only EP entitled Fractal
for a July 2009 release. The EP is a collection of B-sides recorded between 2004's Spectral
and Esoteric
. Fractal
was released July 6 for digital download.
Skyfire fourth album is titled Esoteric
, which was released on September 14, 2009 in the United Kingdom
via Pivotal Rockordings. The album was released on September 18, 2009 in the rest of Europe, and in North America
on October 13, 2009, due to a scheduling issue. The cover art was created by Pär Olofsson, who also made covers for Brain Drill
, Psycroptic
, Spawn of Possession
, Persuader
and others.
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 from Höör
Höör Municipality
Höör Municipality is a municipality in the central part of Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Höör....
, 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....
.
Biography
Skyfire was formed in the town of HöörHöör Municipality
Höör Municipality is a municipality in the central part of Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Höör....
, 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....
in 1995 by Andreas Edlund (guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
), Martin Hanner (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Jonas Sjögren (guitar) and Tobias Björk (drums
Drum kit
A 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 ....
). The four were friends since high school and had similar tastes in music. The band recorded two demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
: Within Reach and The Final Story. On the second demo, the vocals were performed by Henrik Wenngren. Skyfire got in touch with band members of Thyrfing
Thyrfing
Thyrfing is a viking metal band from Sweden. The band is named after the royal sword Tyrfing from Norse mythology.-History:Thyrfing was formed in 1995 by Patrik Lindgren , Jocke Kristensson , Peter Löf and Kimmy Sjölund...
who helped them find a record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
with Dutch label Hammerheart Records. During two weeks in August 2000, Skyfire recorded their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Timeless Departure
Timeless Departure
Timeless Departure is the debut full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Skyfire, released on March 12, 2001 by Hammerheart Records...
in the Abyss Studio.
In September 2002, the band recorded their second album Mind Revolution
Mind Revolution
Mind Revolution is the second studio album by The Swedish melodic death metal band Skyfire, released on May 5, 2003 by Hammerheart Records. In a continuing trend, "Mind Revolution" focuses on insanity, isolation, loneliness, and the self...
, again in the Abyss Studio with new drummer Joakim Jonsson. Mind Revolution
Mind Revolution
Mind Revolution is the second studio album by The Swedish melodic death metal band Skyfire, released on May 5, 2003 by Hammerheart Records. In a continuing trend, "Mind Revolution" focuses on insanity, isolation, loneliness, and the self...
was released in 2003 and showed the band's style evolving and branching off into different musical genres. The third album Spectral
Spectral (album)
Spectral is the third full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Skyfire. It was released on May 10, 2004 through Arise Records. The lyrical themes include armageddon, loneliness, delusion, despair and mysticism...
was recorded at Los Angered and Studio Underground and released on May 10, 2004, by Arise Records.
The vocalist Henrik Wenngren left the band and was replaced by Joakim Karlsson.
On January 7, 2008, Skyfire announced on their official MySpace page that they have signed with Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
-based label Pivotal Rockordings
Pivotal Rockordings
Pivotal Rockordings LLC is a record label that was founded in December 2004 by start-up businessman Leevan Macomeau who a year prior had founded the Pivotal Rage Webzine and one of its staff members, Alexi Front....
on a three-album deal
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
and the band entered the recording studio to begin recording their fourth untitled album. Mixing was done by Scar Symmetry
Scar Symmetry
Scar Symmetry is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Avesta in Dalarna County, formed in 2004. The band has released five albums, with six released singles...
's Jonas Kjellgren at Black Lounge Studios.
On May 15, 2009, Skyfire announced a digital only EP entitled Fractal
Fractal (EP)
Fractal is a digital-only EP by Swedish metal band Skyfire. It was made available for digital download on July 6, 2009. The EP contains four songs, which were recorded between the release of Spectral in 2004 and their album Esoteric released in September 2009. The EP features the debut of two new...
for a July 2009 release. The EP is a collection of B-sides recorded between 2004's Spectral
Spectral (album)
Spectral is the third full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Skyfire. It was released on May 10, 2004 through Arise Records. The lyrical themes include armageddon, loneliness, delusion, despair and mysticism...
and Esoteric
Esoteric (album)
-Band members:*Joakim Karlsson – vocals*Martin Hanner – bass guitar, keyboards*Andreas Edlund – guitar, keyboards*Johan Reinholdz – guitar*Joakim Jonsson – drums-Artwork:*Cover artwork by Pär Olofsson*Layout by Erik Olofsson -Release history:...
. Fractal
Fractal (EP)
Fractal is a digital-only EP by Swedish metal band Skyfire. It was made available for digital download on July 6, 2009. The EP contains four songs, which were recorded between the release of Spectral in 2004 and their album Esoteric released in September 2009. The EP features the debut of two new...
was released July 6 for digital download.
Skyfire fourth album is titled Esoteric
Esoteric (album)
-Band members:*Joakim Karlsson – vocals*Martin Hanner – bass guitar, keyboards*Andreas Edlund – guitar, keyboards*Johan Reinholdz – guitar*Joakim Jonsson – drums-Artwork:*Cover artwork by Pär Olofsson*Layout by Erik Olofsson -Release history:...
, which was released on September 14, 2009 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
via Pivotal Rockordings. The album was released on September 18, 2009 in the rest of Europe, and in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on October 13, 2009, due to a scheduling issue. The cover art was created by Pär Olofsson, who also made covers for Brain Drill
Brain Drill
Brain Drill is an American death metal band formed in 2005 from Ben Lomond, California. They are signed to Metal Blade Records and released their full length debut album entitled Apocalyptic Feasting on February 5, 2008...
, Psycroptic
Psycroptic
-External links:**...
, Spawn of Possession
Spawn of Possession
Spawn of Possession is a death metal band from Kalmar, Sweden, founded in 1997.-Biography:Spawn of Possession formed in February 1997, consisting of Jonas Bryssling , Jonas Karlsson , and Dennis Röndum ....
, Persuader
Persuader
Persuader is a Swedish power metal band from Umeå in the Swedish lappland Norrland. The band was formed in 1997, and they have since released three full length albums: The Hunter, Evolution Purgatory, and When Eden Burns...
and others.
Current members
- Andreas Edlund − guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s - Martin Hanner − bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, (guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
: ~ 2004) - Joakim Karlsson − vocals
- Joakim Johnsson − 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 ....
, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Johnsson also plays for AxenstarAxenstarAxenstar is a power metal band from Västerås, Sweden, founded in 1998 by Peter Johansson and Magnus Ek. Their fifth and latest studio album, Aftermath, was released on 7 January 2011.-Current members:... - Johan ReinholdzJohan ReinholdzJohan Reinholdz is a progressive metal artist best known for his work with the Swedish progressive metal band Andromeda, Swedish death metal band NonExist and the melodic death metal band Skyfire. He composed Andromeda's debut album, Extension of the Wish.- Biography :Reinholdz was born on June...
− guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Demos and EPs
- Within Reach (1998)
- The Final Story (2000)
- Haunted by Shadows (2003)
- FractalFractal (EP)Fractal is a digital-only EP by Swedish metal band Skyfire. It was made available for digital download on July 6, 2009. The EP contains four songs, which were recorded between the release of Spectral in 2004 and their album Esoteric released in September 2009. The EP features the debut of two new...
(2009)
Studio albums
- Timeless DepartureTimeless DepartureTimeless Departure is the debut full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Skyfire, released on March 12, 2001 by Hammerheart Records...
(2001) - Mind RevolutionMind RevolutionMind Revolution is the second studio album by The Swedish melodic death metal band Skyfire, released on May 5, 2003 by Hammerheart Records. In a continuing trend, "Mind Revolution" focuses on insanity, isolation, loneliness, and the self...
(2003) - SpectralSpectral (album)Spectral is the third full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Skyfire. It was released on May 10, 2004 through Arise Records. The lyrical themes include armageddon, loneliness, delusion, despair and mysticism...
(2004) - EsotericEsoteric (album)-Band members:*Joakim Karlsson – vocals*Martin Hanner – bass guitar, keyboards*Andreas Edlund – guitar, keyboards*Johan Reinholdz – guitar*Joakim Jonsson – drums-Artwork:*Cover artwork by Pär Olofsson*Layout by Erik Olofsson -Release history:...
(2009)