Centinex

Centinex counts among Sweden's earliest death metal acts, founded already in 1990, although the group achieved little forward motion for quite some time afterward. Their initial recording, the 1991 demo The End of Life, featured the near-original roster of vocalist Mattias Lamppu, guitarists Andreas Evaldsson and Kenneth Wiklund, bassist Martin Schulman, and drummer Joakim Gustavsson. Several further independent sessions followed, all oddly issued solely on cassette: the 1992 full-length Subconscious Lobotomy, the 1993 EP Under the Blackened Sky, and the 1994 EP Transcend the Dark Chaos. After a period of dormancy, the 1996 release Malleus Maleficarum gathered stray and previously unheard material, closing that unsettled early chapter. A clearer direction emerged with the 1997 album Reflections and its 1998 follow-up Reborn Through Flames; both discs, marked by the use of a drum machine listed as “Kalimaa,” displayed a steadier, more assured ensemble that had begun to settle into its place within the regional sound—aggressive yet melodic Scandinavian death metal reminiscent of At the Gates. Extensive lineup turnover occurred across the 1999 EP Bloodhunt and the 2000 album Hellbrigade, resulting in a new five-piece configuration by the time Diabolical Desolation appeared in 2002, now featuring vocalist Jonas Jansson, guitarists Jonas Kjellgren and Jonas Ahlberg, and drummer Kennet Englund alongside the steadfast Martin Schulman.