If you haven’t yet been baptized in the blistering, chaotic waters of GOD MOTHER, now’s your chance. This Swedish hardcore beast is back with their latest EP, “Sinneseld,” and it’s a wild ride you won’t want to miss. For the fans who are ready to dive deeper into the Scandinavian underground, we’ve got a special treat. GOD MOTHER’s bassist, Daniel Noring, has handpicked 11 fantastic bands you need to check out.
Hailing from the heart of Stockholm, the IDIOTEQ featured band first burst onto the scene with their 2015 debut album “Maktbehov.” They quickly caught the attention of none other than THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN’s Ben Weinman. He was so impressed that he released their 2017 album “Vilseledd” on his own label, Party Smasher Inc. Not stopping there, he gave them a coveted opening slot at one of Dillinger’s final shows in New York. When Ben Weinman calls you a “force majeure” and passes the torch, you know you’re doing something right.
Their sound is a wild mix of d-beat, grind, and math rock that bends traditions rather than bowing to them.
Fast forward almost five years from their raw and raging “Obeveklig EP” in 2022, GOD MOTHER returns in 2024 with “Sinneseld.” This title, continuing their trend of 9-letter Swedish words, translates to “mind fire”—an archaic term for mental illness.
Vocalist Sebastian Campbell mentions that the world’s gotten a lot darker since “Obeveklig,” and this EP captures their struggle to maintain mental health and purpose amidst chaos.
“Sinneseld” offers five tracks that showcase both their most accessible and most brutal songs to date. “Human+” hits harder than anything they’ve ever done, while “Big Things Coming” adds a rock ‘n’ roll twist with an infectious cowbell groove. This track’s lyrical depth is a critique of our superficial, image-obsessed culture. Campbell’s biting commentary pairs perfectly with the track’s straightforward, heavy sound.
Recorded across multiple studios in Stockholm and mixed by their own Michael Dahlström, with mastering by Magnus Lindberg of CULT OF LUNA fame, “Sinneseld” is a polished yet ferocious statement of intent. To celebrate its release, we have teamed up with the band’s bassist Daniel Noring, who handpicked 11 fantastic bands you need to check out:
God Mother’s Daniel Noring recommends…
11 underground Scandinavian bands worth checking out:
BABA IAGA:
To me their music sounds like Pig Eyes and Godspeed You! Black Emperor had a baby, but a notch heavier. They have only released one song yet, “Sunken High // Cruise Lord” which will be on their upcoming debut album.
Driving bass guitar with noisy electric guitars and violins on top of double drum kit mayhem.
I’ve really been looking forward to hearing anything from these guys. Three of four members from the grindcore band Setsuko (fantastic!) are playing in BABA IAGA.
Telephone Melts:
Experimental LoFi electronic project by the genius of Martin Hagrot.
Martin has released music as Telephone Melts since 2009. Telephone Melts experiments with odd time signatures and hooky melodies with a fantastic lofi production and he has a beautiful voice as well.
Martin was a part of the noise rock band Munnen which was probably the coolest band in Stockholm in the early 2010s.
Concrete Winds:
God Mother played at the same festival as Concrete Winds in February last year (2023) and I must say this is the most uncompromising music I’ve ever heard/seen. You never get a break while listening to their music, you get crushed into pieces. I must say that this is extremely inspiring.
I love their second album “Nerve Butcherer”, really looking forward to their next release.
Psudoko:
Psudoko are from Trondheim, Norway and are playing unique blend of extreme metal that blends spastic grindcore with jazz, if i have to compare them with other bands I would say The Locust and Hella (There Is No 666 in Outer Space, best album ever made) but with a lot more prog rock and jazz influence. I can hear some vibes of Herbie Hancock’s Sextant album as well.
I stumbled on a YouTube video with these guys a couple of months back and can’t really stop listening to them since.
DULL:
DULL, the Stockholm noise rock outfit to rule them all. They have a pounding rhythm section and noisy, but still hooky, guitars that get stuck in your head for days. Loving their music and you have to check them out live, they are a fantastic live band!
XIAO:
Our friends in XIAO are playing relentless power violence, I love them.
They played on our release show for “Obeveklig”.
Prescriptiondeath:
The best! I love Prescriptiondeath with my whole heart. I wish that every God Mother show was with Prescriptiondeath.
Grindcore from Gävle, Robin the vocalist does the vocals on our track “Human+” from our new EP “Sinneseld,” and their drummer Torbjörn has filled in for Michael our drummer Michael on one show.
Three of the four members also played in Infraction which created the best grindcore album ever made, Posthumous Release.
Rymdklubben:
Electronic duo with acoustic drums, makes a great blend of grooviest grooves and great ambient sounds.
They have released the best track this year (so far), “Fistfight.”
Pink Milk:
Just released a fantastic album called “Night on Earth” earlier this year. Their music reminds me a lot of Cocteau Twins, which I love.
Last week they decided to put the band into the grave which is very sad.
Harmagedon:
Like a love child between High On Fire and the groovy parts of Entombed, truly amazing. Their debut album Dystopian Dreams came out late last year and it’s a smorgasbord of heavy riffs. Welcome to riff heaven.
Vidro:
In Stockholm they have the hype, which I understand, they are amazing!
Intense live shows and great hooky songs.
They released the best song of 2022, “Dansa.” I love that drum beat and the chorus is fantastic.
