Absolut Country of Sweden

Imagine my surprise when I learned the de facto Swedish national anthem, " Du Gamla, Du Fria," does not actually feature d-beats (though I'm sure as we speak Tomas Lindberg is pulling together a roster of Swedish punk greats to rectify that oversight).
Because in my mind, even beyond the greatness of Scandi-grind, Sweden first and foremost has always stood out to me as a joyous celebration of Discharge's swinging punk legacy just with way more umlauts. It's a story that begins with seminal punk bands like Anti Cimex and continues through .... a whole lot of other bands that also contain ex-members of Anti Cimex and whatever band Tompa hustled into a studio during his free weekend.
Where Discharge were pissed and spitting, the Swedes (while still dealing a decent amount of aggression) also seemed to have realized that a hopping d-beat can actually be fun. They're screaming, sure, but you can just feel the corners of their mouths quirking, fighting to hide back an idiot grin.
Or maybe that's because Swedish punk bands, like a lot of their Scandinavian kin, tend to stick to their native language, so I have no clue what they're saying. As Totalitar said in the liner notes to Ni Mast Bort!, "... I would feel rather stupid if I wrote about these subjects using someone else's language. This has nothing to do with nationalism, to me it's just a simple fact that I react, think and have much more complex knowledge of the language I grew up with." But language has never been a barrier with Swedish punk, the intent comes through in the musical chops and the vocal passion just fine without resorting to Babel Fish.
Since I've been binging on Swedish punk lately, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites. I'm by no means an expert here and compiling this list made me realize my collection is short a few goodies (Krigshot! Svart Sno!), but I haven't made you guys a mixtape in a while and felt the need to share.

Swedish Punk [Mediafire]

Disfear - "Powerload"
Skitsystem - "Det Sociala Arvet"
Avskum - "Masskonsumtions Helvetet"
Victims - "This is the End"
Wolfpack (aka Wolfbrigade) - "Power and Greed"
The Great Deceiver - "Strychnine"
Anti Cimex - "Victims of a Bombraid"
End of All - "Fostrad"
Acursed - "Tunneln I Ljusets Slut Track 13 [Untitled]"
Totalitar - "Mediet Som Vapen"

G&P review: The Great Deceiver

The Great Deceiver
Life is Wasted on the Living
Deathwish Inc.
Tomas Lindberg, the hardest working man in metal, managed to drop this raging slice of experimental hardcore in between exhuming At the Gates for a series of festival dates and recording a new Disfear album.
With his umpteen projects, how is it Lindberg’s creative paths have yet to cross with those of attention deficit drummer Dave Witte?
Life is Wasted on the Living sees a reinvigorated The Great Deceiver hauled out of dry dock for its fifth release and first output in three years.
Anyone who was turned off by 2002’s overly poppy and meandering A Venom Well Designed would be well served to give this Swedish threesome another listen. Though short a rhythm section, guitarists Kristian Wahlin (who shredded in At the Gates precursor Grotesque) and Johan Osterberg, who also swap bass duties, remember to lay a hardcore foundation under their trademark swirly guitar leads.
Until hordes of violin toting hardcore kids endlessly ape The Red in the Sky is Ours, Slaughter of the Soul will remain the go to album for melodic metalcore bands looking to swipe a riff.
But Lindberg and Co. spare that landmark yet another uncomfortable hardcore reacharound. Instead, Life is Wasted can comfortably snuggle up next to In Flames’ electronics flecked Clayman.
Though the Deceivers are in fine form this outing, Life is Wasted is not with out its occasional, staggering miscue, such as the embarrassing lyrics of the overlong “Discontent.”
When a decade’s benefit of hindsight, “I feel my soul grow cold/Only the dead are smiling” does have a vaguely emo-ish vibe to it, but ATG ripped despite a few lyrical miscues. However, there’s absolutely no excuse for as talented a frontman as Lindberg to puke out such dreck as “For my art and my freedom/ I will gladly endure/ Until the end.” Leave that for the sissies with anime haircuts wearing girl pants. You’re better than that, Tompa.
Thankfully the band correct course on scorching album closer “21st Century Heartburn,” a scathing thrash/hardcore outing that sums up the best these scene veterans have to offer.