Face down

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Face down
Face Down logo.jpg
General information
origin Hägersten , Sweden
Genre (s) Thrash metal , death metal
founding 1993 as Machine God, 2004
resolution 1999
Website www.facedown.nu
Current occupation
Marco Aro
Christofer Barkensjö
Rickard Dahlberg
Joakim "Harju" Hedestedt
former members
Drums
 Erik Thyselius (2004-2006)
Drums
 Håkan Ericsson (1997–1999)
Drums
 Peter Stjärnvind (1995–1997)
Drums
 Richard Bång (1993–1995)
Electric guitar
 Niklas Ekstrand (1994–1995)
Electric guitar
 Alex Linder (1993-1994)
Electric guitar
 Joacim Carlsson (1994-2007)

Face Down (formerly known as Machine God ) is a thrash metal / death metal band from Sweden , which was founded in 1993 under the name Machine God , disbanded in 1999 and reunited in 2004.

history

The band was founded in 1993 by bassist Joakim "Harju" Hedestedt, drummer Richard Bång and guitarist Alex Linder under the name Machine God. A short time later, singer Marco Aro joined them. After a first appearance in 1994, guitarist Joacim Carlsson ( Afflicted , General Surgery ) joined the band, after which the group was renamed Face Down. In the same year singer Linder was replaced by Niklas Ekstrand (ex- Tiamat ). In this line-up, the formation took a first demo, which had a circulation of over 900 pieces. The copies were published but not specifically sent to record labels. In 1995 Soundfront Records became aware of the demo on the band. After performing in Stockholm in spring , the band signed a contract with Roadrunner Records through the label . This should also be the last appearance together with the guitarist Ekstrand. In the summer the band went to the Soundfront Studio with producer Daniel Bergstrand to record their debut album Mindfield . Shortly thereafter, drummer Bång left the band and was replaced by Peter Stjärnvind ( Unanimated , Merciless ). After the album was released in January 1996, the band went on a European tour with Napalm Death and Crowbar . The tour was only partially successful, however, as large parts of the audience left the concert during the performance. On this tour, the band also played some gigs with At the Gates . At the same time, the band also recorded a music video for the song Kill the Pain , which aired a number of times on Headbangers Ball on MTV . A live interview with the band was also shown there. The tour was followed by another through Great Britain and also played in London together with Cathedral . Back in Sweden the band took part in the Hultsfred Festival. After several problems with Soundfront Records, the group split from the label and signed a deal with Nuclear Blast . Thereupon work on the second album began in autumn 1996. In February 1997, the band and producer Tomas Skogsberg went to Sunlight Studios to record 15 new songs within six weeks. However, since Nuclear Blast was not satisfied with the result, the band had to re-record the songs within two weeks in Daniel Bergstrand's Dug Out Productions studio in July. After the album was released towards the end of the year under the name The Twisted Rule the Wicked , drummer Peter Stjärnvind left the band to join Entombed . Håkan Ericsson joined the band as a replacement. In the following years, some local appearances followed, while there were disputes with Nuclear Blast. In addition, the band held a tour of Great Britain with Soulquake System . After the tour ended in early 1998, the project was paused before the group went to the Sunlight Studis in autumn 1998 to record a demo that included three songs. Since the relationship between Nuclear Blast and Face Down was too shattered, the band separated from their label. In early 1999, singer Aro left the band to join The Haunted , whereupon the band disbanded in spring 1999. After the breakup, Joacim Carlsson returned to Afflicted, while bassist Joakim Harju founded Construcdead and Peter Stjärnvind played with Entombed, Krux and Murder Squad .

In 2004 bassist Hedestedt revived the band after hearing of Aro's departure from The Haunted. After Aro returned to Face Down, Erik Thyselius ( Construcdead , Terror 2000 ) joined the band as a drummer. Shortly thereafter, the band signed a contract with Black Lodge Records . In the summer of 2005 the band made their first gigs, performing at the Sweden Rock Festival and the 2000 Decibel Festival. In July, the band went to Fear And Loathing Studios together with producer Jocke Skog to record the album The Will to Power . After the album was released in November 2005, the album was released an appearance at the Marquee Club in London. After a few more appearances, drummer Erik Thyselius left the band and was replaced by Christofer Barkensjö in February 2006. In 2008 the split- release Think Twice followed along with Remasculate via Unexploded Records .

style

In its early days the band played metal that was heavily influenced by hardcore punk , so that the music could be described as " metalcore with a strong thrash influence". In terms of sound, parallels to Machine Head were also audible at the beginning . With the release of their debut album Mindfield , the band distanced themselves a little from the machine-head sound and worked increasingly with samples , which brought the group closer to industrial rock . On the second album there were again sonic parallels to Machine Head, but also Fear Factory or occasionally Damageplan . The music can then be described as Thrash Metal, with influences from Grindcore and a little Doom Metal . In addition to the Death Metal sound, there are also sonic parallels to Thrash Metal bands such as Accu§er or Thrash Metal artists from the San Francisco Bay Area . On The Will to Power the band played Thrash Metal with modern Death Metal influences, with Aros's aggressive guttural vocals being particularly characteristic. On the song Heretic , the band thematized the deeds of the American mass murderer Carl Panzram .

Discography

  • One Eyed Man (demo, 1994)
  • Demo 2 (demo, 1995)
  • Demo 3 (demo, 1995)
  • Mindfield (album, 1996)
  • Demo 4 (Demo, 1996)
  • The Twisted Rule the Wicked (album, 1997)
  • Demo 5 (Demo, 1998)
  • Promo Demo 2004 (Demo, 2004)
  • The Will to Power (album, 2005)
  • Think Twice (split with Remasculate, 2008)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Thorsten Zahn: Face Down . Heroin . In: Metal Hammer , December 2005, p. 50
  2. ^ Daniel Ekeroth : Swedish Death Metal . Index Verlag, Zeltingen-Rachtig 2009, ISBN 978-3-936878-18-9 , pp. 348 f . (English: Swedish Death Metal . Translated by Andreas Diesel).
  3. ↑ a b Holger Stratmann: Rock Hard Encyclopedia . ROCK HARD GmbH, 1998, ISBN 3-9805171-0-1 , p. 115 f .
  4. ↑ Garry Sharpe-Young : AZ of Death Metal . Cherry Red Books, London 2001, ISBN 1-901447-35-9 , pp. 171 .
  5. ^ Eduardo Rivadavia: Face Down , accessed August 15, 2013.
  6. ↑ Biography ( Memento of the original from August 20, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 15, 2013.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / facedown.nu
  7. ↑ Face Down / Remasculate Think Twice , accessed August 15, 2013.
  8. ↑ a b Thorsten Zahn: Face Down . Power fighter . In: Metal Hammer , December 2005, p. 88
  9. ↑ Martin Popoff : The Collector's Guide of Heavy Metal Volume 3: The Nineties . Collectors Guide Ltd, Burlington, Ontario, Canada 2007, ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9 , pp. 151 .
  10. ↑ Oliver Recker: Face Down . Mind control . In: Metal Hammer , February 1996, p. 54 f.
  11. ↑ Thorsten Zahn: Face Down . The Will to Power . In: Metal Hammer , December 2005, p. 100.