Raise Hell

Jonas Nilsson handled guitar and vocals while Torstein Wickberg played guitar, Niklas Sjöström handled bass, and Dennis Ekdahl sat behind the drums when the quartet assembled in Stockholm in 1995. Operating initially under Raise Hell, the group cycled through assorted monikers and metallic approaches until they tracked their debut demo, Nailed, in 1997 under the temporary banner In Cold Blood. Nuclear Blast inked the band the next year, after which the musicians settled on their permanent name once they had completed their first full-length, Holy Target. That record delivered a thrash-infused death-metal sound that toyed with melody yet stopped short of the sweeping tunefulness favored by Gothenburg acts such as At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity. Nuclear Blast nevertheless booked the relatively untested unit on an extensive European trek alongside Dismember and Children of Bodom, plus a high-profile appearance at Wacken Open Air that same summer. Not Dead Yet, the follow-up issued in 1999, was captured at Studio Fredman under the guidance of In Flames vocalist Anders Fridén; its measured tempos and introspective lyrics showcased a noticeably more seasoned and road-hardened ensemble. A subsequent jaunt supporting eighties thrash veterans Destruction preceded a second Wacken slot in 2000, after which Raise Hell maintained a near-constant touring schedule through 2001. Once the group finally stepped off the road, they rejoined Fridén to cut their third album, Wicked is my Game, which surfaced in October 2002.