As You Drown

Originally formed in 2003 as Ethereal, Borås, Sweden, natives Mikael Åkerström (guitar/vocals), Simon Exner (guitar), Martin Latvala (drums), and Alexander Persson (bass) got together to try their hand at crafting one of Sweden's finest musical exports: death metal. The group self-released a couple of demos between 2003-2005 and managed to play some shows supporting fellow European metal acts like <a href="spotify:artist:2pnezMcaiTHfGmgmGQjLsB">Entombed</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2s5DSt9VBNzAn2TbtDHzFZ">Vader</a> before encountering their first set of lineup changes. In 2005 Åkerström decided to focus on his guitar playing, opting to bring in Christopher Ranasen to pick up his vocal duties. They also brought in bassist Robert Karlsson to replace Persson, who was leaving the band to study in Japan. With the lineup solidified, the band further honed its sound, a blend of the technical ferocity of <a href="spotify:artist:1MK0sGeyTNkbefYGj673e9">Behemoth</a> with the heaviness of <a href="spotify:artist:35jmO5o3AhUV70kiR7u4Nw">Morbid Angel</a>. In 2007 the band self-released a demo album titled simply Demo 2007. In 2008 the band switched singers once again, replacing Ranasen with ex-Shadowbuilder vocalist Henrik Blomqvist. With a new recording project underway and a new lineup, the band decided to change its name, dropping Ethereal and being reborn with its current moniker, As You Drown. In 2009, their full-length debut, Reflection, was released in Europe and the U.S. by Metal Blade. ~ Gregory Heaney, Rovi