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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.

Monthly Listeners

17,005

Followers

11,945

Total Streams

1.9 million

Top Cities

404 listeners
340 listeners
319 listeners
314 listeners
226 listeners

Links

Popular Tracks

35 tracks
1
Heavy Metal Angels (In Metal and Leather)

Heavy Metal Angels (In Metal and Leather)

Oct 13, 1982

300,770

streams

2
Run With the Devil

Run With the Devil

Oct 1, 1983

153,056

streams

3
Might For Right

Might For Right

Oct 13, 1982

151,724

streams

4
The Guitar Is My Sword

The Guitar Is My Sword

Oct 13, 1982

110,333

streams

5
Ride the Night

Ride the Night

Oct 13, 2023

87,999

streams

6
Saturday Night

Saturday Night

Oct 1, 1983

77,132

streams

7
The King

The King

Oct 1, 1983

76,072

streams

8
Bleeding Streets

Bleeding Streets

Oct 13, 1982

71,839

streams

9
Stronger than Evil

Stronger than Evil

Oct 1, 1983

70,394

streams

10
Something New

Something New

Oct 13, 1982

64,189

streams