Biography
The Quill emerged as a Swedish hard rock and stoner metal outfit that coalesced in 1992 after an inauspicious beginning in the coastal town of Mönsterås in 1990, quietly building recognition over subsequent years. Their self-titled debut arrived in March 1995 and earned positive reviews, after which the group toured with Abstrakt Algebra and appeared at numerous Swedish festivals. Original members comprised vocalist Magnus Ekwall, guitarist Christian Carlsson, organist Anders Haglund, bassist Peter Holm—who was replaced the following year by Roger Nilsson—and drummer Jolle Atlagic. Haglund departed after the tour, leaving the band to continue as a quartet.
Label complications postponed the release of their sophomore effort, Silver Haze, by nearly two years; the 1999 album had been written in a month and tracked in two weeks. A new agreement with SPV enabled steady output in the stoner rock vein, beginning with 2002’s Voodoo Caravan, which earned global accolades. The following year’s Hooray! It’s a Deathtrip prompted critics to draw parallels with UFO, Dio and Rainbow, and the band supported it on a European run alongside Monster Magnet and Gluecifer. In Triumph appeared in 2006 and broadened their audience, particularly in North America and Canada.
Bassist Nilsson exited amid internal tensions in 2005 and was succeeded by Robert Triches. Founding singer Ekwall left in 2007, while Atlagic began splitting time with Hanoi Rocks in 2008. After a period of reflection, Carlsson, Atlagic and Triches enlisted Magnus Arnar—previously frontman of Ground Mower and Sol 78—to record the sixth studio album, Full Circle, issued in 2011. Tiger Blood followed in 2013 to critical praise and was unveiled mid-tour. Ekwall rejoined for 2017’s Born From Fire; audiences welcomed his return enthusiastically during the subsequent trek, after which the pandemic halted activity.
The group reconvened with fresh material and released Earthrise in 2021, enlisting Dreadful Fate’s Fredrik Karlén on keyboards. In 2022 they issued the live compilation Live, New, Borrowed, Blue, which mixed new and catalog tracks with covers of songs by Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, November and Captain Beyond. Returning to the studio as a quartet with Karlén in late 2023, they completed Wheel of Illusion, which surfaced in March 2024.
Label complications postponed the release of their sophomore effort, Silver Haze, by nearly two years; the 1999 album had been written in a month and tracked in two weeks. A new agreement with SPV enabled steady output in the stoner rock vein, beginning with 2002’s Voodoo Caravan, which earned global accolades. The following year’s Hooray! It’s a Deathtrip prompted critics to draw parallels with UFO, Dio and Rainbow, and the band supported it on a European run alongside Monster Magnet and Gluecifer. In Triumph appeared in 2006 and broadened their audience, particularly in North America and Canada.
Bassist Nilsson exited amid internal tensions in 2005 and was succeeded by Robert Triches. Founding singer Ekwall left in 2007, while Atlagic began splitting time with Hanoi Rocks in 2008. After a period of reflection, Carlsson, Atlagic and Triches enlisted Magnus Arnar—previously frontman of Ground Mower and Sol 78—to record the sixth studio album, Full Circle, issued in 2011. Tiger Blood followed in 2013 to critical praise and was unveiled mid-tour. Ekwall rejoined for 2017’s Born From Fire; audiences welcomed his return enthusiastically during the subsequent trek, after which the pandemic halted activity.
The group reconvened with fresh material and released Earthrise in 2021, enlisting Dreadful Fate’s Fredrik Karlén on keyboards. In 2022 they issued the live compilation Live, New, Borrowed, Blue, which mixed new and catalog tracks with covers of songs by Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, November and Captain Beyond. Returning to the studio as a quartet with Karlén in late 2023, they completed Wheel of Illusion, which surfaced in March 2024.
Albums
Rock 'n' Roll Might Be Dead
2025
Broken Man
2025
Wheel Of Illusion
2024
Live, New, Borrowed, Blue
2022
Earthrise
2021
Born from Fire
2017
Tiger Blood
2013
Full Circle
2011
In Triumph
2006
Hooray! It's a Deathtrip
2003
Voodoo Caravan
2002
Singles
