Bereaved

Swedish death metal outfit Bereaved first took shape in 1998, founded by bassist Mikael Nilsson alongside guitarists Henrik Tranemyr and Johny Westerback. Persistent lineup instability, above all a rapid succession of fleeting vocalists, kept the group from reaching listeners for another five years, at which point they surfaced on a Blind Guardian tribute album. Westerback had already taken over lead vocals by that stage, and once drummer Tobhias Ljung joined on a permanent basis the stabilized quartet issued the demo “Inverted Icons,” which secured them a deal with Black Lotus Records. Their first full-length effort, Darkened Silhouette, arrived in 2004.