Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy arose in the early 1990s as a Swedish heavy metal outfit whose lyrical obsessions range across the occult, conspiracy theories, astrobiology, societal unrest, and mental illness. Initially anchored in a raw, traditional death metal approach, the group gradually shifted toward a melodic yet unrelentingly severe style that defined key releases such as the self-titled Hypocrisy (1999), Virus (2005), End of Disclosure (2013), and Worship (2021).

Peter Tägtgren launched the project in 1990 after returning to Sweden from Florida, where exposure to the local death metal community—Morbid Angel, Deicide, Death, and Obituary among them—had left a lasting impression. He cut the first demo entirely on his own; once a contract materialized, he assembled Masse Broberg on vocals, Jonas Österberg on guitar, Mikael Hedlund on bass, and Lars Szöke on drums, while taking the guitar role himself. The resulting Penetralia appeared in 1992, after which Österberg departed. Obsculum Obscenum followed in 1993; Broberg then exited, prompting Tägtgren to handle vocals. Reconfigured as a power trio, the band tracked The Fourth Dimension (1994), Abducted (1996), and The Final Chapter (1997). During the same stretch Tägtgren built a parallel career behind the board, producing Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, and Dark Funeral.

After The Final Chapter the group announced its dissolution, yet sustained fan pressure prompted Tägtgren to reverse course. The live document Hypocrisy Destroys Wacken 1998 surfaced in early 1999 as a bridge to new material, and the studio album Hypocrisy arrived soon after, drawing widespread praise. Into the Abyss came the next year, followed by Catch-22 in 2002. Further acclaimed efforts closed the decade, among them Virus (2005) and A Taste of Extreme Divinity (2009). Following the 2013 release of End of Disclosure the band entered a period of inactivity before resurfacing in 2021 with Worship, whose lineup comprised Tägtgren, longtime bassist Mikael Hedlund, and drummer Reidar Horghagen.