Heavy Load

THE FIRST SWEDISH HEAVY METAL BAND Riders of the Ancient Storm (2023) – A comeback album after 40 years Stronger than Evil (1983) Death or Glory (1982) Metal Conquest (1981) Full Speed at High Level (1978) It is generally held that Heavy Load was the band that started the Swedish wave of heavy metal. The band was formed by the brothers Ragne and Styrbjörn Wahlquist in the middle of the 1970s: first concert in 1976, first album-release in 1978. Before long, the brothers started their own studio. As time went by, many famous bands would come to record in the brothers’ Thunderload Studio. Among those were Candlemass with Epicus Doomicus Metallicus which was produced by Ragne Wahlquist and came to create a new sub-genre “Doom Metal”. Examples of other famous bands who worked with the Wahlquist brothers in their studio are, Hammerfall, Morbid, Electric Boys and Yngwie Malmsteen. The first Viking Metal Band The Viking heritage has been an important source of inspiration ever since their child-hood. The brothers’ emotional connection to people of a remote past, people with whom they share everlasting human challenges, was destined to find an outlet in their music. However, although the Viking themes have always been a salient trait in Heavy Load’s song writing some of their songs rendered stories with other settings. For the new album, this variety remains. No matter the setting, however, all songs have their source deep down in the brothers’ emotional life.