Dan Swano Appreciation/Recognition Thread

JBnaglfar

I haven't read anything about this guy here, and am wondering if many of you are aware of his work. I had considered posting one of his songs in the lesser known acts thread but I am not really sure that he is a relative unknown.

In my opinion, Dan Swano is one of the most legendary, awesome guys in metal over recent years. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer etc. Swano has worked with an incredible amount of death/black/progressive metal bands over the last couple of decades. If you don't know his name, there is a pretty good chance you have heard his work somewhere. He was a founding member of Bloodbath, playing drums for the first ep and album, and switched to guitar from the second album. He has also recorded drums for Diabolical Masquerade, and was a session musician on three Katatonia albums providing drums, keyboards and vocals on separate occasions. If you click the link at the start of this paragraph you will get an idea of the amount of bands he has worked with although the lists seem to be incomplete.

A friend of Mikael Akerfeldt, Swano was an influential figure in developing the progressive extreme metal sound that Opeth are well known for. As frontman of Edge of Sanity, he created music mixing death metal, with soft, acoustic melodic passages in the early 1990s alongside Opeth. Showing his versatiliy, he recorded an ep with 3 members of Opeth in 1996. Calling themselves Steel, it was a light-hearted nod to 80's power metal with Swano providing high-pitched, clean vocals.

Swano has also recorded solo material, developing his progressive metal sound. He played every instrument and sang himself on his album Moonmadness (edit: that's a Camel album, Dan Swano's album is Moontower), as well as mixing, producing, recording. It seems the only thing he didn't do was master the album, although I am sure he could have if he wanted. He described the album's sound as “If Rush played death metal in the 1970s”. If that does not convince any prog/metal fans to give it a listen, I don't know what will. :pac:

At that, here are a few songs to go with all this writing/reading. Hopefully we'll get some discussion on the guy going. Whether this is the first time you've come across his name, or you have a favourite album that he appeared on that you can't believe I haven't mentioned here, let me know what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivbzTyjRcR4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrf31snizCk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtdrS-uNfHI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_5H7HkyZ4w

nacho libre

As you say the man can do no wrong, whether it's playing on or producing a death metal, prog rock, prog-death metal, melodic-death metal, doom metal album. etc. It's just unreal the amount of bands across the metal spectrum he has been in - and how good they all are.

sxt

One of the most talented for sure, THe 40 minute opus 'Crimson' is his crowning glory in my opinion

JBnaglfar

Have you heard his recording with Mikael Akerfeldt where they called themselves Sorskrogen? Only one song was released online, and unfortunately if anything else was recorded its been buried. I would love to hear a full album from those two.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Crimson. Never picked it up, and really want to hear what he can do with a 40 minute opus.

baldshin

Wow! Had never heard of him until this thread a few days ago, got Moontower and can't stop listening to it! Amazing stuff, sounds like a blend of Opeth and Jester Race era In Flames! Cheers op!

nacho libre

JBnaglfar wrote: »

Have you heard his recording with Mikael Akerfeldt where they called themselves Sorskrogen? Only one song was released online, and unfortunately if anything else was recorded its been buried. I would love to hear a full album from those two.

.

No I Have not. I must have a look for it. Thanks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkRXs4H2910

JBnaglfar

nacho libre wrote: »

No I Have not. I must have a look for it. Thanks.

I probably should have put a video of it with that other post. Its a pretty good song, and Opeth re-used the chorus later on the Damnation album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsKQuKgy1H4

Saaron

Imo the best thing Swano has done was Bloodbath before he left. Edge of sanity has its moments too though

Can't beat a bit of bloodbath though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkGnhyWN4Yo