Nightingale originated as an offshoot venture for acclaimed Swedish vocalist and guitarist Dan Swano, renowned as the frontman of the death metal outfit Edge of Sanity and a frequent contributor, whether performing or producing, to numerous pivotal recordings by leading acts across Scandinavia’s vibrant metal community. Over time Swano had amassed extensive non-metal compositions spanning progressive, gothic, and classic hard rock styles, prompting him to capture a pair of albums under the Nightingale banner that opened with 1995’s The Breathing Shadow, an effort he completed in a single week while handling every instrument, and closed with the following year’s aptly titled The Closing Chronicles. After that he returned briefly to Edge of Sanity before establishing himself as a dedicated producer and solo performer with the 1998 release Moontower, at which point he enlisted his brother Tom Nouga on guitars to revive Nightingale through the 2000 album simply called I. Two years afterward the pair stabilized the lineup by adding bassist Erik Oskarsson and drummer Tom Bjorn, resulting in Alive Again: The Breathing Shadow Part IV.
