Saturn

Saturn, a quartet from Sweden, fuse hard rock and space metal in a style that remains thoroughly modern while drawing heavily from Black Sabbath, UFO, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore-era Deep Purple, early Judas Priest, and NWOBHM acts such as Tygers of Pan Tang and Diamond Head. The band itself labels its approach "heavy metal space rock."

The four musicians formed in 2011. Guitarist Robin Tidebrink and bassist Oscar Pehrson had already been close friends and musical collaborators since turning 15 in the Swedish city of Borås. After Tidebrink relocated to Malmö, Pehrson met guitarist Linkan Lindgren and began jamming with him; Tidebrink’s return roughly a year later completed the initial trio. They added a drummer that same year and started composing material rooted in the vintage sounds they revered. A pair of early demos sought to translate the live energy of those influences onto tape.

Once Tidebrink, Pehrson, and Lindgren committed more seriously to writing and performing, their first drummer proved unable to match the required dedication and was replaced by Ted Carlsen. Further songs and demos followed, tightening the group’s cohesion. Club dates and opening slots for established bands soon materialized, eventually generating enough revenue to finance a full album.

In summer 2013 the band entered a proper studio and tracked Ascending: Live in Space, laying down every instrument except organ in live single takes. The self-produced recording was picked up by Rise Above Records and issued in 2014. Universal acclaim, even from the often skeptical metal press, enabled extensive touring throughout Europe and the United States. Back in Sweden they immediately began writing new material intended to enlarge their sonic palette and develop a signature voice. The songs grew heavier and more expansive, featuring darker, more intricate psychedelic melodies and hypnotic grooves. Their second self-produced album, Beyond Spectra, appeared in spring 2017.