Afflicted (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Stockholm , Sweden |
| Products | Technical death metal, power metal music |
Afflicted was a technical death metal ensemble originating from Sweden, active during the early part of the 1990s. Although they were contributors to the Swedish death metal movement, their presence was eclipsed by more prominent acts such as Entombed, Dismember, and Tiamat.
History
Hailing from Stockholm, Afflicted emerged following the dissolution of the band Defiance and initially operated under the name Afflicted Convulsion between 1988 and 1990. Their inaugural demo, Beyond Redemption, along with the single "Ingrained", were both released in 1990. In 1992, they issued the single "Wanderland" through Relapse Records. That same year marked their signing with Nuclear Blast, under which they launched their first full-length album, Prodigal Sun. Afterward, the group transitioned from their death metal roots to a more melodic sound, accompanied by a lineup change replacing vocalist Joakim Bröms with Michael Van Der Graaf. This evolution toward a power metal style became apparent by 1994 when Afflicted featured on Nuclear Blast’s compilation Summer Blast 1994, preceding the surge of Sweden’s power metal scene spearheaded by HammerFall. The band ultimately dissolved soon after releasing Dawn of Glory in 1995.
The debut album Prodigal Sun received a 3 out of 5 rating from the Swedish publication Expressen, which commended its quality but noted issues with the initial edition’s mixing. Conversely, Dawn Of Glory was given a one-star evaluation by Aftonbladet, criticizing it as an uninspired fusion of death metal and 1980s metal influences lacking vitality. Death Metal Underground also reviewed the album unfavorably, branding it as an unsuccessful attempt at mainstream appeal and describing it as leaning more toward rock n’ roll than metal. Both releases were also assessed by Rock Hard.
When Prodigal Sun was reissued in 2008 by Metal Mind Productions, Teeth of the Divine underscored the band’s underrated status, highlighting the album’s combination of heavy, intricate compositions with unconventional elements such as "Arabic folk music". Death Metal Underground praised its evocative melodies for conjuring imagery reminiscent of "an ancient Egyptian landscape".
Drummer Yasin Hillborg later ventured into film production with the metal documentary Så jävla metal, which premiered in 2011. Bassist Philip Von Segebaden went on to establish the project Defender, releasing an album in 1999, and had previously been involved with Cranium.
Members
- Michael Van Der Graaf – vocals
- Jesper Thorsson – guitar
- Joacim Carlsson – guitar
- Philip Von Segebaden – bass
- Yasin Hillborg – drums
Discography
- Beyond Redemption (demo, 1990, released as Afflicted Convulsion)
- "Ingrained" (single, 1990)
- "Rising to the Sun" (single, 1992)
- "Wanderland" (single, Relapse Records, 1992)
- Prodigal Sun (Nuclear Blast, 1992)
- Dawn of Glory (Massacre Records, 1995)
- Beyond Redemption (compilation of demos, Century Media Records, 2023)
External links
- Afflicted, Encyclopaedia Metallum
- Afflicted, Metal Music Archives
- Wanderland review, Metal Music Archives
- Prodigal Sun review, Metal Music Archives
- Prodigal Sun review, Sea of Tranquility