History

Founded 1988 in Stockholm/Sweden, Dismember were among those responsible for death metal's big break through. The first line-up consisted of Robert Sennebäck (guitar, vocals), David Blomqvist (bass) and Fred Estby (drums).

The first demo 'Dismembered' was nailed on tape in December 1988. The second demo 'Last Blasphemies', which was recorded in 1989, saw Robert move onto the vocals and David grabbing the guitar. During that year the band release 'Rehearsal Demo '89' too.

In 1990 the band returned with new line-up: Robert was out and Matti Kärki was the new vocalist. In August of that year, the third official demo, 'Reborn in Blasphemy', was released. Nuclear Blast Records signed the band.

Line-up was renewe again: Matti Kärki (vocals), David Blomqvist (lead guitar), Robert Sennebäck (rhythm guitar), Richard Cabeza (bass) and Fred Estby (drums). The debut album, 'Like an Ever Flowing Stream' from 1991, clearly showed that Dismember are an uncompromising band which resulted in their rise to cult status within a short period of time after the album took the scene by storm. Extensive touring with bands like Death, Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse showed that Dismember are a live force to be reckoned with and the number of fans grew steadily. Picture 7" EP 'Skin Her Alive' followed.

Spurred on by success, it was easy to commence the songwriting for the next album. However, the band then released the 5-track EP, 'Pieces', and went out on tour again instead with Napalm Death and Obituary. They played for thousands of fans throughout Europe thus reinforcing their status as one of the best live bands on Earth.

The second album, 'Indecent & Obscene', sounded more mature and accessible as its predecessor without, however, casting aside the bands' death metal roots. The tour which followed (with Deicide, Suffocation and Vader) took Dismember to America for the first time where they left an astonished audience behind after tearing through the US of A like a runaway train before returning to Europe to take part in the first Nuclear Blast Festival tour with labelmates Hypocrisy, Amorphis and Benediction.

1995 saw the release of the 3-track single, 'Casket Garden' and the third album, 'Massive Killing Capacity', through which Dismember became a legend in their own right. The Swedes had never been better. A european tour with Dissection as support was also made during this period.

After a short creative break, the Swedes returned with a vengeance in 1997 with the single, 'Misanthropic' and the album, 'Death Metal' and showed the then flourishing, second generation of death metal that Dismember are still an ever present force.

Two years passed, and Dismember returned with a new album. The band had, once again, managed to improve their instinctive feel for good songs and presented with 'Hate Campaign', a merciless, all-pulverising death metal album enriched by highly accessible melodies and riffing. The bassist Richard was replaced by Sharlee D'Angelo (Mercyful Fate, Witchery, Arch Enemy etc.) and the guitarist Robert by Magnus Sahlgren. They toured Japan for the first time ever, and antoher tour in the U.S was made together with Krisiun and Shadows Fall.

After a long absence Dismember stroke back in 2004 as four-piece (David being the sole guitarist and Richard Cabeza retuning on bass) with 'Where Ironcrosses Grow' - one of the strongest albums to emerge from Stockholm's death metal scene since the glorious days back in the early 90's. The band was nominated for the Swedish Grammy awards in the category "best hardrock" at this point. In 2004 the band toured South-america for the first time. In the summer of 2004, the first Dismember DVD was released: 'Live Blasphemies' features a live performance taped in Stockholm in 2003. It also includes a thorought 90-minute document.

In 2005 the band made a successful first tour in Australia. Regain Records released a demo compilation 'Complete Demos'.

Sooner than expected the band who was almost written off a few years ago is about to release their follow up. Dismember's 7th album, 'The God that never Was', consists of eleven uncompromising songs true to the genre they helped create. Ranging from the violently brutal to the two guitar harmonies 'The God that never Was' combines them both. This time Richard had left again, and Martin Persson (ex-Mörk Gryning) stepped in for guitar/bass. A tour in America was made together with Grave and Vital Remains in 2006. They also did their first ever tour in Russia as well as a very successful tour in Europe together with Entombed, Unleashed and Grave under the name of "Masters Of Death".

After twenty years of relentless live performances and classic album releases, Dismember is now back with their most crushing album to date! 'Dismember' is the ultimate death metal album from one of the finest Swedish bands. These guys have lost nothing in terms of intensity. The sheer pace and passion of the songs are blistering and the vocal sounds as pissed off as ever. Powerful riffs that are not in short demand, plenty of lead works and amazingly melodic harmonies are what the metal scene needed and Dismember have them in huge spades. The rhythm section was new: Tobias Christiansson on bass and Thomas Daun (Repugnant, ex-Insision) on drums. In 2008 Dismember made extensive world headline touring visiting Europe, Asia, Australia, South-America and Canada.

The second DVD, 'Under Bloodred Skies' (2009), features two concert, one shot in The Netherlands and the socond one at Party.San Open Air festival, Germany.

The band split in Ocotber 2011, and reformed in January 2019 with the original line-up.

(source: Dismember @ MySpace, August 2009, some editing by AM)
(discography incomplete)