Breach (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Defunct | 2002 (disbanded), briefly reunited in 2007 |
| Headquarters | Luleå , Sweden |
| Products | Studio albums, EPs |
Breach was a post-hardcore group originating from Luleå, Sweden, established in 1993. Their unique sound fused elements of hardcore punk, extreme metal, indie rock, noise rock, and post-punk, earning them recognition within underground music communities.
Throughout their career, they issued four studio albums via Burning Heart Records alongside several EPs released through different labels before disbanding in 2002. The band briefly reunited for a one-off performance in 2007.[1]
History
Breach came together in Luleå in 1993 and recorded their first album, Friction, at Stockholm’s Sunlight Studios with engineer Fred Estby. This debut was released in 1995. Most of their later albums were produced by Pelle Gunnerfeldt of Fireside. In 1996, they enhanced their visibility across Scandinavia by touring Europe as support for Refused.
Their major breakthrough arrived with the 1997 album It's Me God, which led to an opportunity to open for Neurosis and Entombed on a European tour. This record was subsequently released in the United States in 1998 and again in 2000 through Metal Blade. The 1999 album Venom premiered during a sold-out Stockholm concert featuring an innovative two-drummer lineup and was distributed in the U.S. by Relapse Records. After performing at summer festivals, they embarked on their third headlining European tour that autumn.
Following the release of Kollapse in 2001, Breach announced their disbandment. Vocalist Tomas Hallbom attributed the breakup largely to challenges in achieving consensus within the seven-member ensemble.[2] Their reunion gig in Stockholm in 2007 concluded with the band smashing their instruments, implying it was their definitive final show.
Musical style
Initially, Breach’s sound leaned toward metal-infused hardcore reminiscent of acts signed to Revelation Records and Victory Records, often covering bands such as Inside Out. From the mid-1990s onward, their influences broadened to include groups like Neurosis, Swedish death metal acts, Meshuggah, Shellac, and The Jesus Lizard. Their music was notably rawer and more chaotic compared to typical post-hardcore bands, drawing inspiration from the Swedish indie-rock scene and bands like The Bear Quartet. Their final release, Kollapse (2001), showcased experimental elements such as drum machines, varied percussion, and synthesizers, spanning styles from fast-paced hardcore to sludge metal, noise rock, and instrumental post-rock akin to Tortoise and The For Carnation.
Despite these complexities, critics often focused primarily on the band’s heavy and post-metal aspects. Steve Huey described them as "hard-to-categorize hardcore/metal hybrids" associated with the Victory Records roster. Stephen Hill of Louder Sound characterized their approach as "Unsane or Prong with broader artistic embellishments," highlighting Venom (2000) as an underrated European hardcore record. The album Kollapse received acclaim as "a landmark achievement in the emergence of violent post-metal."
Band members
- Final line-up
- Tomas Hallbom – Vocals
- Anders Ekström – Guitar
- Niklas Quintana – Guitar
- Johan Gustafsson – Bass
- Tomas Turunen – Drums
- Per Nordmark – Drums
- Former members
- Magnus Höggren – Bass
- Kalle Nyman – Bass
- Jejo Perkovic – Drums
- Janne Westerberg – Drums
- Erik Carlsson – Guitar
- Kristian Andersson – Bass
Discography
- Studio albums
- Friction (Released 27 October 1995, under Burning Heart)
- It's Me God (Released 28 April 1997, through Burning Heart)
- Venom (Released 17 May 1999, via Burning Heart)
- Kollapse (Released 3 December 2001, by Burning Heart)
- Singles and EPs
- Outlines CDEP (Released 1 June 1994, on Burning Heart)
- Untitled 7" (1996, issued by Chapel Hill)
- Old Songs vs. New Beats CDEP (Released 1 June 1996, through Burning Heart)
- 6-Song Split CD split CDEP with Regression (Released 17 April 1997, co-released by Burning Heart and Good Life)
- Amen/Last Rites 7" (Released 1 January 1999, on Trust No One)
- Godbox 12"/CDEP (2002, distributed by Chrome Saint Mangus)
External links
- Swedish metalcore musical groups
- Swedish post-hardcore musical groups
- Musical groups established in 1993
- Musical groups disbanded in 2002
- Musical groups reformed in 2007
- Musical groups disbanded in 2007
- Swedish heavy metal musical groups
- Burning Heart Records artists
- Relapse Records artists
- 1993 establishments in Sweden
- Good Life Recordings artists
- Musical groups from Norrbotten County
- Culture in Luleå
- Musical groups disestablished in 2002