Spawn of Possession
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Kalmar , Sweden |
| Products | Music albums |
Number of employees | 5 (final lineup) |
Spawn of Possession was a technical death metal group originating from Kalmar, Sweden, established in 1997. They produced three studio albums before disbanding in 2017. In 2024, four out of the five last members reunited under the new name Retromorphosis.
History
Formed in February 1997, Spawn of Possession initially consisted of Jonas Bryssling (guitar), Jonas Karlsson (guitar), and Dennis Röndum (drums). After three years of formation, they recorded their debut demo entitled The Forbidden and added bassist Nick Dewerud to their lineup. The following year saw the release of their second demo, Church of Deviance, and by December 2001, they secured a contract with Unique Leader Records.
Their first full-length album, Cabinet, was recorded in June 2002 at Pama Studios with Magnus Sedenberg as producer. To support this release, the band embarked on a European tour alongside Disavowed, Vile, Inhume, and Mangled. This was followed by a 27-show North American tour with labelmates Severed Savior, Pyaemia, and Gorgasm, which included multiple Canadian performances.
Upon returning to Europe, Spawn of Possession participated in the No Mercy tour featuring prominent acts such as Cannibal Corpse, Hypocrisy, and Kataklysm. Their festival appearances included major events like Fuck the Commerce in Germany, Stonehenge in the Netherlands, Grind You Mother in Italy, and Mountains of Death in Switzerland.
Towards the end of 2004, they began composing new tracks and supported Cannibal Corpse during a 24-date tour across Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Their sophomore album, Noctambulant, was released in July 2006 through Neurotic Records.
On 11 May 2009, the band unveiled a preproduction teaser for their forthcoming album featuring five completed songs and announced lineup changes. By June that year, Matthew Chalk (formerly of Psycroptic) joined as vocalist while Christian Muenzner (formerly with Obscura and Necrophagist) took on lead guitar duties. Norwegian bassist Erlend Caspersen also became part of the group during this period.
Dennis Röndum returned to vocal duties in September 2010 following Chalk’s brief stint. Later that year in December, Henrik Schönström replaced drummer Richard Shill due to difficulties coordinating members residing across Sweden, Norway, and Germany.
Their third studio album, Incurso, was released on 13 March 2012 to critical praise for its intensity and technical complexity. It is frequently regarded as a landmark modern death metal album alongside Necrophagist's Epitaph and Obscura's Cosmogenesis, all featuring Muenzner’s guitar work. The majority of compositions were crafted by Jonas Bryssling with significant input from Erlend Caspersen.
On 4 August 2017, the band publicly announced their dissolution citing limited time for creating new material and pursuing band-related endeavors:
Influences
Spawn of Possession’s sound was shaped by a wide array of influences spanning both death metal and classical music genres. Among their primary inspirations were bands such as Death, Monstrosity, Nocturnus, Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Gorguts, Dismember, Edge of Sanity, and Carcass. Additionally, classical composers including Johann Sebastian Bach, Sylvius Leopold Weiss, and Dmitri Shostakovich played a role in influencing their musical direction.
Members
- Final roster
- Dennis Röndum − drums (1997−2006), vocals (1997−2006, 2010−2017)
- Jonas Bryssling − guitar (1997–2017)
- Christian Münzner − guitar (2009–2017)
- Erlend Caspersen − bass (2008–2017)
- Henrik Schönström − drums (2010–2017)
- Touring musicians
- Mikael Petersson − vocals (2001)
- Ben Lawless − guitar (2010)
- Danny Tunker − guitar (2012)
- Previous members
- Jonas Hagström − bass (1997−2000)
- Jonas Karlsson − guitar (1997−2009)
- Niklas Dewerud − bass (2000−2008)
- Kelly Izquierdo − vocals (2002−2003)
- Jonas Renvaktar − vocals (2003−2009)
- Richard Schill − drums (2008−2010)
- Matthew "Chalky" Chalk − vocals (2009−2010)
- Timeline
Discography
- Albums
- Demo releases
- The Forbidden (2000)
- Church of Deviance (2001)