Carnal Forge Bio

Be prepared, because upon pressing play you will subject yourself to the most savage form of punishment one could possibly image. This is all courtesy of the Swedish thrash titans CARNAL FORGE who have returned with their most brutal offering to date, a relentless assault that refuses to let up for even a moment. The group's dynamic sound is comprised of a perfect blend of Bay Area aggression, Swedish melody and hardcore energy.

This savage quintet was formed in 1997 by guitarist Jari Kuusisto and drummer Stefan Westerberg, as both felt the need to create a new musical entity apart from their two other bands, In Thy Dreams and Steel Attack. After numerous auditions, CARNAL FORGE finally came together when Johan Magnusson (guitar), Dennis Vestman (bass, also in Steel Attack) and Jonas Kjellgren (vocals, also in Dellamorte) joined as permanent members. Shortly after, they recorded their first and only demo, Sweet Bride, in Studio Underground; within a few days of sending it out to labels, the Swedish label WAR Music was quick to get in touch.

Their subsequent debut album, Who's Gonna Burn, was once again recorded in Studio Underground and even the group was a little surprised by the relentlessness of these ten songs. Still, even though the album received great reactions, CARNAL FORGE fell into a deep hibernation for about two years soon after its release, but quickly arose from the ashes in 2000. Right when they started to work on new material, Vestman decided to leave the band, and was soon replaced by Jari's brother, Petri (also from In Thy Dreams).

After recording their second album Firedemon in Studio Underground, things started to move quickly for CARNAL FORGE as they signed to Century Media Records and went on a three-week tour with The Haunted and Nile. While working on the material for their third album, Magnusson quit, so former bassist Petri took over the guitar duties. The vacant bassist position was filled by ex-Rosicrucian/Slapdash guitarist Lars Lindén, a close friend of the band who ran their website and designed their artwork. The line-up change definitely proved beneficial, resulting in the sonic impact of Please... Die. With this album the group laid a foundation for single-handedly bringing the thrash scene back to the forefront of heavy music. In that line of thinking, CARNAL FORGE have the answer for all who miss the raw and precise power of razor-sharp, yet occasionally melodic, twin guitars and pummeling rhythm section, mixed with the talent to create genuine insanity.

Only one short year after Please…Die these melodic thrash metal monsters have returned with a new form of aggression entitled The More You Suffer, a dynamic 12-track killing machine annihilated anything in its path. They also began to create a name for themselves in the U.S. last year on The 2003 Metal Gods Tour, which featured such high profile acts as Halford, Testament, Primal Fear, Immortal and Amon Amarth. With more touring under their belt the group grew tighter as musicians, as well as songwriters and quickly returned to the studio determined to writer the most devastating album possible.

CARNAL FORGE's latest offering Aren't You Dead Yet?, their fifth studio release, sees them increasing their speed, technicality and aggressiveness. Once again, all vocals were recorded at front man Jonas Kjellgren's Black Lounge studio, while the rest was completed once again at the famed Studio Underground. For a full hour, you get it all: Jari and Petri Kuusisto execute razor-sharp double guitar leads, while the tight-as-hell rhythms of Westerberg and Lindén roar alongside Kjellgren's words of destruction and despair. The songwriting is still advanced, brutal neo-thrash but tracks like "The Strength Of Misery" and "Burn Them Alive" also show the band's diversity while proving they can throw it down with the best of the new metalcore acts and run them into the ground.

The group vow to return to the U.S. in support of their latest offering, for it is the band's unabashed live intensity that quickly sets them apart from the pack. Fans of At The Gates and Slayer should beware, because CARNAL FORGE are set to steal the throne.