Victims (band)

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Victims are a Swedish hardcore punk band, originally hailing from Nyköping, they are currently based in Stockholm. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist and bass player Johan Eriksson, drummer Andy Henriksson, guitar player and vocalist Jon Lindqvist and guitar player Gareth Smith. Through their career, the band has released seven studio albums, one split album, two EPs and two split EPs.

To even the most pedestrian fan of d-beat hardcore/crust punk, VICTIMS is undeniably one of the genre’s kings, their name as synonymous with the genre as Anti-Cimex, Wolfpack/Wolfbrigade, From Ashes Rise, Disfear and the like. Through an exceptionally solid but not overcrowded discography since their 1997 inception, through labels like Havoc Records, La Familia, Deathwish, Tankcrimes, Relapse and more the band has yielded seven LPs, and a variety of EPs, having shared platters on splits with the likes of From Ashes Rise, Kylesa, and Acursed. In the 23 years that have passed since those early days of rehearsals in Nyköping, VICTIMS has toured internationally, heavily focused on Europe and the US extensively. Along the way they’ve experienced highs and lows, seen lineup changes and personal tragedy, they’ve been robbed in Italy and hospitalized in the USA. They’ve also played with a host of great bands, touring with the likes of Coliseum, Kylesa, Trash Talk, Rotten Sound, Trap Them, Municipal Waste, Black Breath, and countless others, and undoubtedly made some life-long friendships. Today, VICTIMS stands as one of the most respected bands of the underground punk and hardcore community.

Biography[]

Victims formed in 1997 in Nyköping, Sweden. The original line-up consisted of Johan Eriksson on vocals, Andy Henriksson on drums, Andy Söderström on bass and Marcus Strandberg on guitar. With this lineup in 1997 the band recorded a seven songs demo, reissued in 1999 as an EP titled Harder Than It Was Meant to Be, a split EP with in 1999 and their debut album Neverendinglasting in 2001 on German label Yellow Dog Records.^[1]

Shortly after the release of Neverendinglasting, guitarist Marcus left the band and was replaced by Acursed guitar player Jon Lindqvist. In 2003 they released a split LP with American crust punk act From Ashes Rise and in 2004 their second album, ...In Blood, both on . After the Release of ...In Blood, Victims embarked on their first US tour.^[1]

Their third album, Divide and Conquer, released in 2006 on Havoc Records, is described by the band as rougher and trashier. This is the first album not being produced by Mieszko Talarczyk, frontman for the band Nasum, who died during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. They subsequently toured in the US and in Europe with . Divide and Conquer is also the last record that features original bass player Andy Söderström.^[1]

After the departure of Söderström, vocalist Johan Eriksson started to play the bass, handling both vocals and bass duties, transforming the band into a power trio. In 2008 the band released their fourth album titled Killer. To promote the album the band toured extensively both in the United States and in Europe, sharing the stage with bands like Coliseum, Rotten Sound, Trash Talk, Trap Them and The Ocean.

This era marked the addition of a second guitarist Gareth Smith, formerly of Raging Speedhorn, a long time acquaintance of Eriksson.

With this new line-up Victims got back on the road and toured the US with Trap Them and Black Breath. They also toured Europe with Municipal Waste and appeared at some festivals such as Obscene Extreme. In 2008 Victims recorded an EP titled Lies, Lies, Lies and in 2009 a split EP with Kylesa.

Following this, VICTIMS released their subsequent albums A Dissident (produced by Nico Elgstrand of Entombed) in 2011 with Deathwish and La Familia and in 2016 Sirens (recorded and produced by Fred Estby of Dismember) with Tankcrimes and Deathwish.

In 2019, VICTIMS embark on a new era, signing with legendary metal label Relapse Records for the release of their seventh full-length album The Horse and Sparrow Theory. Recorded by producer Karl Daniel Lidén (Bloodbath, Katatonia, Craft and more), The Horse and Sparrow Theory clocks in at 28 minutes of relentless insurrection. VICTIMS' uncompromising take on d-beat and hardcore is a definitive statement of intent, as the band is set to deconstruct the current socio-political climate, bleak outlook of mass class division, industrialization, and the self-absorbed pursuit of greed and corruption.

Influences[]

The band credits Discharge, Motörhead and American hardcore bands from the 80s^[1][2] as influential for its sound.

Members[]

Current

• Johan Eriksson – lead vocals (1997–present); bass (2006–present)
• Andy Henriksson – drums (1997–present)
• Jon Lindqvist – guitar, vocals (2002–present)
• Gareth Smith – guitar (2008–present)

Former

• Marcus Strandberg – guitar (1997–2001)
• Andy Söderström – bass (1997–2006)

Discography[]

Studio albums

• Neverendinglasting (Yellow Dog/Scorched Earth Policy, 2001)
• ...In Blood (, 2004)
• Divide and Conquer (Havoc, 2006)
• Killer (Deathwish/Combat Rock Industry, 2008)
• A Dissident (Deathwish/La Familia/Tankcrimes, 2011)
• Sirens (Tankcrimes, 2016) ^[3]
• The Horse and Sparrow Theory (Relapse, 2019)

Extended plays

• Harder Than It Was Meant to Be (Yellow Dog, 1999)
• Lies, Lies, Lies (Deathwish, 2008)

Split albums

• Split EP with Acursed (Putrid Filth Conspiracy, 1999)
• Split LP with From Ashes Rise (Havoc, 2003)
• Split EP with Kylesa (La Familia, 2009)

References[]

External links[]

• Official Victims website
• Victims MySpace page
• Victims YouTube page