hIstOgrAf
Let us undertake a journey into the past and see what we can dig up among the sands of time…
It was the year of the new millennium in Sweden. The school where about to commence once again, and things started to get exciting. A complete new school in a whole different city an entire new class with of course both familiar faces and brand new ones. It was a perfect opportunity to tie new contacts and make new friends, although I had my old best friends in the class also. After a while it appeared to be a very nice class, the chemistry was perfect.
And early (I guess it was the first day) I started to change words with a guy called Fredrik Wellsfält. My interest for metal had gushed over the past years. (Not to advanced metal though! I mostly listened to band like Iron Maiden, Helloween, DIO, Manowar, Edguy etc.) And actually he was into that kind of music to, Music in general actually he even had a band. Early he showed me that he was a very talented guitar player and after a while he wondered if I was interested in starting a brand new band with him. I wasn’t talented in any musical instrument and the fact that I had just singed (When I was forced by violence) when the school was breaking up once a years made me sceptical. But he insisted on putting me at the mice. And I decided to give it my best shoot.
Gathering people wasn’t all too hard either. 2000 line-up looked like this:
Richard Sjunnesson – Vocals
Fredrik Wellsfält – Lead guitar, Vocals
Dan Land – Guitar
Roger Sjunnesson – Guitar
David Blennskog – Bass
Kristoffer Bäcklund - Drumms
We formed a band called:”Silent Night”. And the fact that the only people that was musical competent was Fredrik and Kristoffer (The only ones that had played in bands earlier also) made us NOT a very good band to be honest. We covered John Fogertys Centerfield, made various speed changes and implanted heavy elements in the song and thought we rocked like hell…as far I concern it was pathetic. We also made a tragic attempt to make our own song called “Silent Night” I still have the lyrics and they suck major and hard!
We had two or three rehearsals then people started to drop from the band. And project “Silent Night” faded to become just an unsuccessful memory. People from the band started to practice on there own. To later go on with other things that were more important in our lives. Then the dawn of another summer was upon us.
That very summer when I was drudging in Ullared, I came in contact with a drummed called Jacob Strand. Our musical ideas where similar and I asked if he was interested to play in a band when the summer was over. He seamed to be very happy over the offer and was very motivated. When the school started Fredrik recruited a guy called Daniel Bengtsson (originate from the music city Växjö but have recently moved to Falkenberg to play ping-pong) to handle the bass. The rehearsal started just a week after the new recruits.
Now we had a complete line-up once again and 2001 it looked like this:
Richard Sjunnesson – Vocals
Fredrik Wellsfält – Lead guitar
Dan Land – Guitar
Roger Sjunnesson – Guitar
Daniel Bengtsson – Bass, Aditinal Vocals
Jacob Strand – Drums
Things started to go well! We changed the name to “Silence”. We practice twice a week and the multi-musician and very gifted troubadour Daniel helped us out with many things. The band started to develop the ensemble in the group and as individuals. We made some covers like Marilyn Manson – Sweet dreams, Green day – Basket case, Bad Religion – American Jesus, Ramones – Pet Cemetary, Iron Maiden – The wicker man, Stratovarius – Hunting high and low etc. Just to establish the ensemble. As we had many different musical aspects in the band (Daniel was into Punk, Me and my brother Roger was heavy/power metal influenced, Jacob was slave to death and trash metal, Fredrik and Dan didn’t really have any thought of there own) we didn’t yet managed to get a solid and own sound so we just made different covers as we pleased and for the fun of the moment. We managed to make some songs of our own also. The undying cult song “At the gates of Valhalla” the western inspired song “Lone Wolf” and a half-ballad called “Silence” (That song was never really played more then a few times in the premise). Our own songs where very Deep Purple and Iron Maiden inspired heavy metal songs made by Fredrik, Daniel and Roger. I had many fine and fun moments in these days and we even had a local gig at Smedjan where we also had our premise.
Then it was time for a revolt! We got what we needed in the basic band training. I and my brother were considering breaking away from the rest of the group to start a new era´. Attempt to reach more melodic and even faster horizons, something in style with the power metal genre. As Roger had developed as a guitarist the past months this was more then possible. So we successfully escaped taking the drummer Jakob with us. We also managed to recruit two new members to fill the holes.
When the new era´ commenced the line-up 2002 looked like:
Richard Sjunnesson – Vocals
Roger Sjunnesson – Lead Guitar
Andreas Andersson – Guitar
Robin Sjunnesson – Bass
Jacob Strand – Drums
Beneath the name of: “Tunes of silence” the team worked out fine! As we know each other so well at this point. So we had of course knowledge of each others qualities and lacks. The song development went smoothly to. It worked something like this: Roger composed the music then he sent a midi to me and explained the different verses and chorus. I made the song arrangements and wrote the lyrics. To begun our new chapter we made a song called “Science into madness” that song is still the best song of the once we managed to do in the time being. We also made a song called “Artificial Alliance” kind of dark song and one very melodic called “The expedition”. We covered the Helloween song “Future world” also. We had two gigs on at a rather big arrangement called “Gymnasietalang 2002” around 500 people showed up! It was of course the greatest time of the band. Then we unfortunately had a turkey gig at Smedjan I don’t now why but things wasn’t right!
Then the greatest tragedy in history of music occurs. Jacob decided to leave us for a local trash metal band called “Oppression”. It was no hard feelings against Jacob, he was a brutal trash metallian in is heart and we actually saw this coming. That this was a greater tragedy then when Jason left Metallica was and is still a fact.
So we decided to step aside from the band awhile. To practice as individuals once again, then another summer was upon us…
The school started. Personally I had trained song and growling very intensive. Roger had developed to another level once again. And Robin had started to practice on his guitar. We wanted to start the rehearsals again because we had big plans and new experiences. We wanted a new sound a more brutal but still extreme melodic! Like Children of bodom vs. Nightwish. Aggressive and very dark death guitar chew, influenced by Dark Tranquillity and Children of bodom. But still very melodic and bombastic movie like ambience in fact! (Sometimes even harmonic) Like Nightwish. With very varied song, Ordinary song, Death growling, Manowar like and sometimes even church choir influenced. To do this we needed a new crew. We used an old contact and recruited an old childhood friend called Andreas Mårtensson to handle the massive keyboard work. Then I talked with Kristoffer Bäcklund if he was interested in this new project and gladly he was and finally we got a drummer again. Also we recruited a guy called Mikael Hauglund to handle the bass a very good friend of mine, sometimes I even see him as my brother. And at least we were whole again.
The new “Tunes of silence” line up 2002:
Richard Sjunnesson – Vocals
Roger Sjunnesson – Lead Guitar
Robin Sjunnesson – Guitar
Andreas Mårtensson – Keyboard
Mikael Hauglund – Bass
Kristoffer Bäcklund - Drums
The new rehearsal kicks off. We were very satisfied with the new sound and were very eager to wash away the old stamp. Early we realized the lack of interest from the bass player Mikael Hauglund side so we talked to him. He reveals that it was not really his music and that he was a bit insecure with the bass so he left the band and got replaced with the very talented Magnus Svensson.
We also decided to change name from Tunes of Silence to Fallen Angels. Tunes of silence are not cut out to be band name to this kind of music and the new name is also a stand for our new musical directions. We have moved on and imported radical changes in our music you can’t even tell it’s the same band. The step from power metal to “death” metal can’t be better symbolised then just Fallen Angels.
When we was satisfied and finished with four songs all well rehearsed. The idea of “Fall from heaven” came on the subject. We wanted to take the songs out of the rehearsal room to show people what Fallen Angels really sound like. We considered the idea of a “garage” release. Because a studio would be a bit extreme in such early stage of a band. The project was initiated immediately. We had pretty strange and complicated ways of recording to get everything sound kind of as we wanted. The drums were actually recorded with a minidisk in the rehearsal room and the rest in my own one room apartment with amplifiers, mices and a computer. The neighbours were furious but we all had a kick-ass time doing the “Fall from heaven” demo. The result was better then we intend actually! The sound quality is crappy indeed but it far better then an ordinary garage recording. The blunt and filthy sound actually worked whit this kind of music. So we where pretty proud of what we archived with the final results of “Fall from heaven”.
In the time being Fallen Angels also had two local gigs (Fallen Angels first gigs ever.) One occurred at the school talent hunt 2003 where about 500 people showed up and one at Smedjan “2 Fistfulls of metal”.
The demo “Fall from heaven” limited edition to 100 units was sold out. It was really cool since people from all over the world were interested in it. (Mostly Sweden but also Germany, Malaysia, Brazil, Holland, Greece and the States) The website hits rose with about 50 unique hits per day.
Roger composed three new songs and this time we wanted to immortalize the songs in a real studio. We had a look around for some options but then we decided to record in Megastudio (The crown, Eternal Lies, Ablaze my sorrow). The studio was booked the very same day and (September 26-28 2003) to record our second demo “Black Lotus”. So there are major things going on in front of us!
"Fallen Angels” line up 2003:
Richard Sjunnesson – Vocals
Roger Sjunnesson – Lead Guitar
Robin Sjunnesson – Guitar
Andreas Mårtensson – Keyboard
Magnus Svensson – Bass
Kristoffer Bäcklund - Drums
And that’s the fairytale so far...and I tell you something, Fallen Angels flight have just begun!
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dIskOgrAf
Black Lotus (2003)
All music written and arranged by: Fallen Angels.
All music recorded in studiomega (Vallinge) during 2003 (september 26-29)
Mixed and Mastered: Christian ''Bullen'' Silver and Herman ''Manne'' Engström
Cover Artwork & designs: Richard Sjunnesson
Cover Print: Rdcenter (www.rdcenter.se)
CD Label: Emil "Egon" Eriksson,
Label artwork: Richard Sjunnesson
Additional thanks:
Backin vocals in the chorus of "Crowned in..." and outro vocals in "Where the black lotus..." by Herman "Manne" Engstöm (Fatal Embrace, Cemetary). A big thank goes to our families and friends and to everyone that have bought the release!
Official release date: 2003-10-03
Tracklist:
1. Soulstone Splinter - (MP3)
2. Crowned in Despair - (MP3)
3. Where The Black Lotus Grows - (MP3)
4. Mæstitia - (MP3)
Fall From Heaven (2003)
Recorded in: Richards apartment (except drums that was recorded at Smedjan) everything recorded during March - May 2003
Recorded by: Fallen Angels
Mixed & Mastered: Richard Sjunnesson
Cover Artwork: Richard Sjunnesson
Band Photography: Daorsa Koshi
Fallenguests & credits:
Cover Print: rdCenter (www.rdcenter.se)
CD Label: Emil "Egon" Eriksson,
Label artwork: Richard Sjunnesson
Additional thanks:
"Yeah" in Betrayer... by Rham Nilsson, "Girl scream" in Light from... by Robin Sjunnesson.
Our families, girlfriends and everyone that have bought the release!
Official release date: 2003-05-23
Tracklist:
1. Betrayer of the code - (MP3)
2. Inherit the earth - (MP3)
3. Light from the abandoned croft - (MP3)
4. The curse of a gift - (MP3)
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