Stockholm
quartet Drain S.T.H. intend to change the musical perception of their native
land forever. "This country is pretty dark and cold and depressing, yet
our music isn't typical for Sweden," insists singer Maria Sjöhölm.
Despite the homogeny of Swedish artists that rise to international visibility,
the hard rock and heavy metal scenes there are vibrant and thriving. It's
not just Ace of Base and Roxette," Sjöhölm chuckles.
The
fifteen blistering cuts on the Drain S.T.H. debut full-length, Horror Wrestling,
share as much in common with Ace of Base as Courtney Love does with Kathie
Lee Gifford. Billboard magazine claims the band "...comes on with enough
force to rate among the headbangers of the world and with enough melodic
acumen to stick in the minds of hook-starved audiences....A promising act."
Recorded at Stockholm's Decibel studio, dense tracks like "Stench," "I
Don't Mind," and "Crack The Liar's Smile" boast a musical intensity that
ensnares the listener with raw melodicism, then moves in for the kill with
virtuoso ferocity.
Sjöhölm
and drummer Martina Axén take turns penning the words, although
both share a penchant for darker topics, including death ("Someone") betrayal
and humiliation. Hence, the album title, lifted from a bizarre Mexican
videocassette. "The lyrics are about wrestling with your own agony and
horrors in life," notes Axén. The band composes the music in collaboration,
according to Canel. "We all write different parts, and then we try to put
them together. Sometimes one of us comes with a whole song, but that's
very rare." The group's tight-knit allegiance extends beyond the stage
and rehearsal studio, too. "We're still the best of friends, which is great
considering we spent nine months in a tour bus together last year. Of all
the bands we've toured with, I've never seen anybody as tight knit as we
are. Even at home, we hang out together almost every day," says bassist
Kjellberg.
Drain
S.T.H. came together in 1993, but their foundations stretch back a few
years before that when AxÈn and Canel began playing together. The
name was chosen because "it just fits with the sound and lyrics," says
Axén. With their lineup complete, Drain S.T.H. spent a year together,
writing songs and creating their sound. They had one rule: Quit your job
or quit the band.
>That
dedication culminated in the polished sound found on Horror Wrestling and
a tight live set. It also earned tours with Type O Negative, the OZZfest
(featuring Ozzy Osborne, Marilyn Manson and Pantera among others), Corrosion
of Conformity, Life Of Agony and Machine Head, just to name a few. The
band played up and down and across the U.S., building a loyal fanbase.
Drain S.T.H. also found the U.S. airwaves friendly, as rock radio embraced
their first two singles, "I Don't Mind" and "Serve The Shame."
Drain
S.T.H. is now preparing for the Mercury release of Horror Wrestling, featuring
three previously unreleased tracks, including Drain's version of the Motorhead
classic, "Ace Of Spades." The band is also looking forward to more touring
in the U.S. this summer.
Drain
S.T.H. realize their all-female line-up may still seem novel to some. "We
don't waste time thinking about that anymore," says Kjellberg. "We happen
to be an all-female band -- that concept will upset some, and inspire most."
They also believe that gender is inconsequential to their music. "We've
never related to other female bands ourselves," says Sjöhölm.
You can bet some diehard metal fans who have said those exact words in
the past, will be changing their tune once they've gone a few rounds with
Horror Wrestling.
