We love a good comeback story, and that’s very much the case with Swedish extreme metal supremos Disruption, who describe their sound as “aggressive, energetic whiplash.” The band ravaged the local scene of Blekinge, in southern Sweden, for a decade from 1999 and were reborn in 2022, at a time when society was seemingly imploding.
Disruption is formed of six Swedish extreme-art veterans who are still hungry for making angry music led by the vicious vocals of Jonas Renvaktar supported by three guitarists Mike Lundqvist, Tom Persson and Peter Ericsson, bassist Daniel Sköld and drummer Niklas Holmberg, who are associated with bands like Vampire, Spawn of Possession, Imperishable, Istapp and Jack Daw.
Hailing from the sleepy industrial city of Ronneby, Disruption formed in 1999 when, in Mike’s words, “Kids at that time were either into sports or doing drugs and drinking moonshine. We found a way in the middle, playing music that we loved. It all started in high school. Some of us had already played together in other bands and different cover bands. There weren’t many bands who played fast and heavy metal music at that time, so it was an instant connection through our musical preferences. In school it was mainly Jazz kids and I’m quite sure we scared some of them with our music roaring in the hallways.”
The band swftly dominated their local scene with their blend of Swedish melodic death metal and American-influenced thrash and nu-metal with lyrics that shone light on global injustices and the darker aspects of society. They won the region’s best live act and released album Face The Wall in 2004, before morphing into hardcore band Jack Daw.
But Disruption returned with a bang three years ago, under the ruse of a timely band members’ reunion. As Mike explains: “I sat at home one day playing guitar when a messenger group suddenly showed up on my phone that said ‘reunion.’ It was our guitarist, Tom, who had started the messenger group in hope for us all to get together. At first, we discussed to meet once a mouth just playing old songs, but that plan immediately changed. We all felt like we missed playing together and how it feels when we play together. It’s magic… such an elemental force that none of us can control. Our fans that have seen us live know what we talk about. It’s a passion that shows that we love what we do. Writing songs is in our DNA, so it came naturally, and we’re really proud of these songs we created.”
They fittingly returned with the track Rebirth in 2023, before releasing self-titled EP Disruption last April. And on what to expect from the Disruption sound, Mike told us: “We like to write songs that speak to us… that strike an emotional string. We want to write music that we would listen to. It doesn’t matter if the song’s character is heavy, fast, moody, a good riff is a good riff. A good song is a good song. But our influences are always with us, in a blend of American and Swedish metal.”
From the EP, they sent us the opening track Kvarnsten, which opens up with a cool stabbing riff that continues under Jonas’ vicious yet engaging vocals, which increase in intensity and pace. A cool little guitar riff jumps in and bridges into another intense barrage of vocals, which end with a more laid-back guitar solo supported by driving drums. Fast-paced guitars take over, and a wild scream tees up a final blast of intensity to bring the track to a close.
On the track, Mike told us: “The reception to Kvarnsten has been out of our expectations, both internationally and in Sweden. When we perform live, you can really see people becoming totally crazy, releasing all their energy in under three minutes. The song is really energetic and is a tribute to old thrash metal, but with our Swedish perspective on it. It’s not for anyone, only true metalheads with a bull’s neck…. and balls.”
The EP is packed with equally intense thrashy goodness, including the excellent return track Rebirth, which opens up with heavy guitars and a fun stabbing lick. Crushing riffs continue as Jonas’ vocals take over, leading into an aggressive shoutalong chorus. That gives way to a piercing guitar solo before quickly dropping back into another intense verse and chorus, which ends with cool high-pitched guitars and a wild solo. Check it out in the video here:
We also love the sound of Torched, which you can check out in the lyric video below, and the intense Fabulist, while final track Sworn In Blood shows a more melodic side to the band. We also firmly recommend stepping back 20 years and giving their debut album Face the Wall, which includes huge tracks like King of the Kill, Thank You, Fuck You and Demolisher, a listen.
Of course, many things changed during Disruption’s near two decades away. As Mike explains: “There were fewer bands and not so much competition for gigs, and there were many more organisers and places to play our music in. Nowadays, you need a booking agency to get the gigs you want or need to get heard and money is a factor that drives these people. Back in the old days, there were so-called enthusiasts, who were driven by the love of the music and support of the local music life, who helped the bands with gigs and promoting bands that they believed in. Despite these factors, I can really appreciate the simplicity of spreading music worldwide and reaching new audiences, which was much harder back in the day.
“(Now) we’re better musicians with more experience. I feel more secure in my songwriting and have accepted my limitations but also my strengths as a songwriter. We all have different skills, and we are better at taking care of these and using them in the right way.”
The Disruption sound has been influenced by a long list of bands, from Metallica for their guitar playing and downstroke riffing to Slayer and Pantera for their speed and energy. While the main Swedish bands that have guided their sound are The Haunted and At the Gates for their aggression and energy.
And on what inspires them to write music, Mike told us: “We find influence all over. Sometimes I hear a riff in my head and I can’t rid of it until I sit down with the guitar and start writing a song. It can happen anywhere, in the store, at work…. in my sleep. I’ve become really good at humming riffs on my phone. We can release a whole album with humming sounds! When it comes to the lyrics, we have a blend of serial killers, war, threats to society and mental illness. It’s Jonas and I who write the lyrics, so we complete each other really well.”
If you like what you heard from the EP then you’re in luck as Disruption are currently working on a new album that should be released by the end of the year. They’ve already recorded two singles, mixed by Andy La Rocque in Sonic Train Studios, for which they invited their friend Chris Amott (Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquility) to record some guitar solos. The first of those tracks should be released in August or September.
You can follow Disruption on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Listen to Disruption and more new bands on our Spotify playlists GigRadar Core, GigRadar Nordic and GigRadar Metal
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