Friday 5 February 00:00 We give you: MASTODON
 Mastodon from Atlanta is one of the prime acts within the so called New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Their progressive yet brutal music is influenced by Pantera as well as Neurosis and Thin Lizzy (!), extremely well-played and featuring sometimes psychedelic, sometimes downright intellectual lyrics. The band's full-length debut "Lifesblood" arrived in 2002, followed by their breakthrough album "Leviathan" (2004). Since then Mastodon have also released "Blood Mountain" (2006) and "Crack the Skye" (2009), establishing themselves as one of the hottest metal bands of our time. If you like your metal hard, progressive and delivered with intense aggression on stage, Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds (guitar/vocals), Bill Kelliher (guitar) and Brann Dailor (drums) is the band for you!
Monday 11 January 10:48 Prepare to be mauled. Behemoth to Sweden Rock!
 Polish Behemoth is a band that lives up to its name. The bands hybrid of death and black metal truly sounds like a beast, especially on stage: the quartet's touring schedule is constantly filled to the brim, so it is a well-oiled machinery that comes to set our stage on fire. The band last visited us in 2005, and has since released the critically acclaimed albums "The Apostasy" (2007) and "Evangelion" (2009).
Saturday 19 December 21:52 Heavy metal from Scotland with celtic rythms and a pirate image? We proudly present: ALESTORM
 Scotsmen Alestorm have swiftly become one of the most talked-about new metal bands of our time. They debuted in 2008 with "Captain Morgan's Revenge", an album of the folk metal persuasion and with a pirate image that would have gained an appreciative nod from the legendary Running Wild (RIP). Album number two, "Black Sails at Midnight", arrived promptly the following spring, and it hasn't taken Alestorm very long to find an audience, by touring heavily but also because their music is quite impressive, musically and from its entertainment value. For those who have longed for a band combining tough heavy metal-riffs with Celtic rhythms, and with a singer (Christopher Bowes) who sings about pirates with a bona fide Scottish accent, their patience has now been rewarded.
Saturday 19 December 00:00 Hair metal is alive and kickin'. Steel Panther to Sweden Rock.
 In America, hair metal was long considered extinct - then came Steel Panther and showed just how wrong this was! Said Los Angeles-quartet have been around for roughly a decade, under different monickers - they released their debut "Hole Patrol" both in 2003 as Metal Shop, and in 2005 as Metal Skool. As Steel Panther, they debuted in 2009 with "Feel the Steel", and this album has made the public take serious notice. For the acclaimed music, reminiscent of glam/hair metal heroes like Poison, Slaughter et al, but even more for the ironic (?) lyrics. Titles like "Asian Hooker", "Stripper Girl" and "I Want Pussy" indicate, correctly, that the lyrics of Steel Panther would make a gangsta-rapper blush!
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Monday 1 February 18:15 Fates Warning to Sweden Rock with the classic "Parallels" line-up!
 Fates Warning, along with Queensrÿche and Dream Theater, are the most important pioneers in the history of prog metal. The band was formed in Hartford, Connecticut in 1983 and has released ten studio albums since 1984. The most successful one is "Parallels" from 1991, recorded by the band's classic line-up: guitarists Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti, bassist Joe DiBiase, drummer Mark Zonder and vocalist Ray Alder. This line-up effectively disbanded in 1996, but will nonetheless be just the one performing at Fates Warning's SRF-debut in 2010. In other words, "Eye to Eye", "Point of View", "We Only Say Goodbye" and the other fan-faves will be performed by all their original creators - no fan of melodic, professional and exciting metal should miss this opportunity.
Thursday 28 January 20:48 Finally! SLAYER to Sweden Rock Festival.
 The hardest of the hard in the 80s, historically one of the most important bands in extreme metal. From the beginning, Slayer stood out as the spearheads of thrash - along with Metallica, obviously - and their debut "Show No Mercy" (1983) was their then record label Metal Blade's biggest seller at the time. Even more successful, not to mention influential, were albums like "Hell Awaits" (1985), "Reign in Blood" (1986) - often regarded as the pivotal thrash release - and "Seasons in the Abyss" (1990).
Wednesday 27 January 20:40 One of metal's most furious acts to Sweden Rock: Suicidal Tendencies!
 They have been named one of the instigators of crossover thrash, and they are definitely one of the genre's most classic bands. Suicidal Tendencies was formed in Venice, California in 1981 and released their eponymous debut two years later. The band gradually developed their very own variety of thrash, firmly rooted in savage hardcore and punk and crowned by the provocative and rap-like lyrics of main man Mike Muir. At their commercial peak - with current Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo in the line-up - they released certified gold albums as "Lights Camera Revolution" (1990) and "The Art of Rebellion" (1992), and 2010 will hopefully also see the arrival of the first new album in many years from one of metal's most furious acts. They will definitely make their highly anticipated debut at SRF.
More bands to be announced soon!
Wednesday 27 January 20:17 OPETH to Sweden Rock!
 With a groundbreaking hybrid of death metal and progressive rock with a 70s flavour, Opeth from Stockholm rank among the most influential and exciting metal bands of our time - and not only the Swedish ones.
Saturday 23 January 15:22 H.E.A.T., Abramis Brama and The Devil's Blood added. Stockholm-Turku 8-9 April 2010
 H.E.A.T., Abramis Brama, The Devil's Blood and Death Angel confirmed for the Sweden Rock Cruise!
Tickets on sale now!
Friday 8 January 14:19 We start 2010 by presenting: STRATOVARIUS
 One of the most influential bands of what is now referred to as power metal, Finnish Stratovarius, debuted in 1989 and got their domestic break with their fourth album "Fourth Dimension" (1995).
Friday 18 December 08:54 Watain to Sweden Rock with a special Bathory tribute
 Swedish Watain is one of the most influential and successful black metal-bands of today, and when they make their Sweden Rock Festival debut it will be a memorable occasion in more ways than one.
Thursday 17 December 14:39 It does'nt get much more legendary than this: NAZARETH confirmed for Sweden Rock!
 In the mid-70s, Scottish Nazareth was once of the biggest names in hard rock. They ingeniously mixed rugged, rocky tunes like "Razamanaz", "Hair of the Dog" and "Woke Up This Morning" with poppier covers like Joni Mitchells "This Flight Tonight" and the Everly Brothers "Love Hurts". The latter one gained its greatest momentum in Nazareth's version, as one of the greatest rock ballads of all time. The band has been a major influence on the likes of Hanoi Rocks and Guns n' Roses - in fact, Dan McCafferty is Axl Rose's role-model as a singer - and remains a very popular live-act, as they have proved numerous times at SRF. In 2008, they released the impressive "The Newz", their first studio album since the passing of drummer Darrell Sweet in 2009. Today, Nazareth consists of original members McCafferty and Pete Agnew (bass), the latter's son Lee Agnew on drums, plus long-time guitarist Jimmy Murrison.
Monday 14 December 09:14 For the very first time: DANZIG to Sweden Rock!
 Glenn Danzig has reached massive commercial success not just once, but thrice: he formed horrorpunk pioneers Misfits, who've been a standing influence on scores of punk and hard rock bands ever since their formation in 1977. In 1983 it was time to develop things with Samhain, a band that fused Misfits punk rage, dark heavy metal, plus brooding goth and new wave-vibes. In Samhain Danzig would form a musical partnership with bass player Eerie Von and guitarist John Christ - both of whom followed Glenn when the band Danzig was formed in 1987. The line-up was completed by drummer Chuck Biscuits and the rest, as they say, is history. With eight full length albums and tons of hits - "Mother", "Twist of Cain", "Devil's Plaything", "Dirty Black Summer", "How the Gods Kill" among others - in their catalogue Danzig will finally be making their debut at Sweden Rock Festival.
Only show in Sweden!
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