Dan-Erland Swanö[1] (born 10 March 1973), also known as Dan "The Man" Swanö, is a Swedish musician and record producer who is currently the vocalist, guitarist, ex-bassist and ex-drummer for the band Nightingale, lately vocalist, keyboardist and drummer for the band Witherscape, as well as the owner of Unisound. He achieved fame as the vocalist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Edge of Sanity.

Dan Swanö
Swanö live at Nosturi 2008
Swanö live at Nosturi 2008
Background information
Also known asDay DiSyraah
Born (1973-03-10) 10 March 1973 (age 51)
Finspång, Sweden
OriginÖrebro, Sweden
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion
Years active1988–present
LabelsBlack Mark

As a multi-instrumentalist he is regarded as influential in the underground melodic death metal, black metal, progressive metal, death metal, progressive rock, and power metal communities.[not verified in body] He is known for his progressive rock-influenced songwriting style and his frequent use of both clean and growled vocals.

Career

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Swanö has fronted a number of bands, including Edge of Sanity, Brejn Dedd, Unicorn, Infestdead and Route Nine. He has also been a member of Katatonia and Ribspreader, as well as playing drums and lead guitar in death metal band Bloodbath.[2]

Swanö also participated in Steel, a one-off power metal project from Sweden that featured him and members of Opeth. Started in 1996, this collaboration emerged during the recording sessions for Opeth's Morningrise album. During a jam session, when the band were soundchecking the drums, they hit upon an idea to record a short piece for fun, entitled "Guitars and Metal". This gave birth to Steel. Subsequently, they were asked to record more songs, and when they did, the songs which were originally meant for a demo, actually appeared on a limited picture 7-inch EP titled Heavy Metal Machine, released by Near Dark Productions. To this date, it remains their sole record. Featuring only two songs, Heavy Metal Machine sounds very much like a typical 1980s power metal band, with high-pitched vocals, shredding solos, pounding bass lines and 1980s-style sound effects (police sirens, etc.). However, the record is not meant to be taken as a serious power metal attempt, explaining Swanö's extremely high-pitched vocals. As a limited release, Heavy Metal Machine remains a collectors' item and is hard to come by.

He has also contributed his vocal talents to Arjen Lucassen's Star One project. The two musicians are good friends, with Lucassen contributing guitar parts to Swanö's Nightingale project. Swanö can also be heard on the albums Theli and A'arab Zaraq – Lucid Dreaming by the symphonic metal band Therion. He was a producer and contributing writer of the band Diabolical Masquerade, the now-defunct solo avant-garde black metal band of Anders Nyström a.k.a. Blakkheim (Katatonia, Bloodbath, ex-Bewitched). He also contributed some guitar solos, backing vocals on various Diabolical Masquerade albums, and played the drums on the album Nightwork. He also produced and played the keyboards on the Memories from Nothing album by Swedish rock band Another Life, released on Vic Records.

Swanö has also released a solo progressive death metal album entitled Moontower, on which he plays all instruments (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard) as well as providing all the vocal work.

In July 2007, he auditioned to be lead singer for the Israeli project Amaseffer but lost the part to Mats Levén.

During 2009, Swanö re-activated Odyssey, this time performing all instruments by himself. Swanö recorded seven of his all-time favourite songs which was released in November 2010 on the album Reinventing the Past, together with the three 1999 tracks as a bonus on Vic Records. His brother Dag played guest lead guitar on the song "Gypsy", a Uriah Heep cover.

In 2013, Swanö released with his new project Witherscape the full studio album The Inheritance, with Ragnar Widerberg as co-member, and the collaboration of, amongst other guest musicians, Novembers Doom's founder Paul Kuhr. It was followed a year after by the EP The New Tomorrow. In 2016, the full studio album The Northern Sanctuary was released, via Century Media Records like its predecessors, featuring once again Paul Kuhr.[3][4]

Swanö has a diverse vocal register, encompassing many styles, which include death growls; clean, melodic singing with a warm tone; dark gothic vocals; and thrash shouting. As a peculiarity, he is a left-handed guitarist, but plays on right-handed guitars without reversing the strings.

In December 2020 Swanö was a guest on episode 8 of the podcast "Wir und ELANE", hosted by members of the German band Elane. He spoke about several band experiences, the creation process of the first Nightingale album and the project which was called "Second Sky".[5]

Unisound Studio

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Unisound Studio (also Unisound Recordings[6][7] or Gorysound Studio)[8] is a recording studio owned and operated by Dan Swanö. It used to be in Finspång, Sweden, but was closed down in around 2001 because of his family.[9] The studio was later relocated into Swanö's home in Örebro.

Family and work

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Swanö with his brother Dag, 2008

Despite the large amount of releases to his name, Swanö worked full-time in a music store[10] (Musikbörsen) in Örebro, near his home in Sweden, rarely doing live performances with any of his bands. He has an older brother, Dag, who plays guitars and keyboards in Nightingale, formerly under the name of "Tom Nouga".[11]

Musical contributions

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Bands Audio
engineering
Audio
mastering
Audio
mixing
Backing
vocals
Bass
guitar
Drum
kit
Electric
guitar
Electronic
keyboard
Former
member
Member Other Instruments Record
producer
Vocals
Aeon[12]  Y  Y
Aephanemer[13]  Y  Y
Altar  Y  Y
Ancient  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y
Ancient Ascendant  Y[14]  Y[14]
Another Life  Y  Y  Y
Another Perfect Day  Y
Argentum  Y  Y
As Light Dies  Y  Y  Y
Battlelore  Y  Y  Y
Bloodbath  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y
Bombshell Rocks  Y
Brejn Dedd  Y  Y  Y
Bucovina  Y  Y
Canopy  Y  Y
Coldworker  Y
Coraxo  Y[15]
Cronian  Y
Dark Funeral  Y
Darkcide  Y  Y  Y
Darkified  Y  Y  Y
Dawn  Y
Dawn of Dreams  Y[16]  Y
De Infernali  Y
Demiurg  Y  Y  Y
Demon Project  Y
Denial  Y
Diabolical Masquerade  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y
Dissection  Y
Edge of Sanity  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y
Effloresce  Y  Y
Evergrey  Y  Y
Evocation[17]  Y
Evoke  Y
Fall of Serenity  Y
Fleshcrawl  Y
Fractal Gates  Y  Y  Y[18]
Frameshift  Y
Gates of Ishtar  Y
Ghost  Y
Ghostorm  Y  Y  Y
Godsend  Y  Y  Y
Gravecarver[19][20]  Y  Y
Gorath[21]  Y
Hail of Bullets[22]  Y  Y
Hallows Die  Y
Hearse  Y
Incision  Y  Y  Y
Infestdead  Y  Y  Y
Insomnium  Y[23]
Kaoteon  Y
Karaboudjan  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y
Katatonia  Y  Y  Y
Lay Down Rotten  Y  Y  Y
Maceration  Y  Y  Y
M.E.S.S.  Y  Y
Mahlstrøm  Y
Marduk  Y
Masticate  Y  Y  Y  Y
Mechanization  Y[24]
Millencolin  Y
Mirrors of Obsidian  Y
Moredhel  Y
Mörk Gryning  Y
Motorowl  Y[25]  Y
MyGrain  Y  Y
Nasum  Y  Y
Necrochamber  Y  Y
Nightingale  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y
Novembers Doom[26]  Y  Y
Novembre  Y
Nårdegaist  Y
Oddland  Y  Y
Odyssey[27]  Y[28]  Y[28]  Y  Y  Y
Omnium Gatherum  Y  Y  Y  Y
Opeth  Y  Y  Y
Overflash  Y
Pain  Y
Pan.Thy.Monium  Y  Y
Proserpine[29]  Y
Rakshasas  Y
Ribspreader  Y  Y  Y
Route Nine  Y  Y  Y ? ?  Y
Rytmihäiriö[30]  Y  Y
Scartown  Y[31]
Somnae  Y[32]
Sörskogen  Y  Y  Y  Y
Star One  Y  Y  Y
Steel  Y  Y
Subway Mirror  Y  Y
The Foreshadowing[33]  Y  Y
Theatre of Tragedy  Y  Y  Y
Therion  Y
Threshold  Y
Torture Division[34]  Y
Total Death  Y  Y  Y  Y
Total Terror  Y  Y  Y
Uncanny  Y
Under Black Clouds  Y  Y  Y  Y
Vinterland  Y  Y
Wake Arkane  Y
Winds  Y
Witherscape  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y
Wounded Knee  Y  Y

Discography

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Year Bands Title Instruments Notes
1985 Ghost Djävulstriangeln Vocals Drums Demo
1986 Ghost Hollywood Vocals Drums Demo
1987 Ghost Solens Söner Vocals Drums Demo
1988 Brejn Dedd First Demo Backing vocals Drums Demo
1988 Brejn Dedd Ugly Tapez Backing vocals Drums Demo
1989 Brejn Dedd Born Ugly Backing vocals Drums Demo
1989 Edge of Sanity Euthanasia Vocals Demo
1989 Unicorn A Collection of Worlds, Part I Vocals Drums Demo
1989 Unicorn A Collection of Worlds, Part II Vocals Drums Demo
1990 Masticate Desecration Vocals Guitars Bass Demo
1990 Stygg Död Välkommen till Helvetet Vocals Bass Demo
1990 Stygg Död 666+Våld Vocals Bass Demo
1990 Pan.Thy.Monium ...Dawn Lead Guitars Bass Keyboards Demo
1990 Ulan Bator Gummicancer Backing vocals Drums Demo
1990 Incision Perverted Possessions Vocals Drums Demo
1990 Edge of Sanity Kur-Nu-Gi-A Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Demo
1990 Edge of Sanity The Dead Vocals Demo
1990 Edge of Sanity The Immortal Rehearsals Vocals Demo
1990 Deppdöden Titta först på när jag dansar Drums EP
1990 Wounded Knee Searching Backing vocals Drums EP
1990 Ulan Bator På Rätt Spår Backing vocals Drums EP
1990 Subway Mirror/O(:the circle) Prime Vocals Guitars Demo
1991 Pan.Thy.Monium Dream II Lead Guitars Bass Keyboards EP
1991 Incision Infest Incest Vocals Drums EP, Unreleased
1991 Edge of Sanity Dead but Dreaming Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Demo
1991 Edge of Sanity Nothing But Death Remains Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Studio
1991 Subway Mirror/O(:the circle) Golliwog Vocals Guitars Demo
1991 Unicorn The Weirdest of Tales Vocals Drums Demo
1991 Wounded Knee Feelings Backing vocals Drums Studio
1992 Edge of Sanity Unorthodox Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Studio
1992 Pan.Thy.Monium Dawn of Dreams Lead Guitars Bass Keyboards Studio
1992 Maceration A Serenade of Agony Vocals Keyboards Studio
1992 Route Nine Disrupted Vacancy Vocals Bass Drums Keyboards Demo
1992 Subway Mirror/O(:the circle) RaQ Vocals Guitars Demo
1992 Unicorn After Before Vocals Drums Demo
1992 Godsend Demo 92 Vocals Keyboards Demo
1993 Edge of Sanity The Spectral Sorrows Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Studio
1993 Route Nine Before I Close My Eyes Forever Vocals Bass Drums Keyboards EP
1993 Pan.Thy.Monium Khaooohs Lead Guitars Bass Keyboards Studio
1993 Unicorn Ever Since Vocals Drums Studio
1993 Subway Mirror/O(:the circle) Jpp Vocals Guitars Demo
1993 Godsend As the Shadows Fall Vocals Keyboards Studio
1994 Edge of Sanity Until Eternity Ends Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards EP
1994 Edge of Sanity Purgatory Afterglow Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Studio
1995 Unicorn Emotional Wasteland Vocals Drums Studio
1995 Nightingale The Breathing Shadow Vocals All Instruments Studio
1996 Edge of Sanity Crimson Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Studio
1996 Nightingale The Closing Chronicles Vocals Guitars Drums Keyboards Studio
1996 Infestdead Killing Christ Guitars Drum-programming EP
1996 Pan.Thy.Monium Khaooohs and Kon-Fus-Ion Lead Guitars Bass Keyboards Studio
1997 Edge of Sanity Infernal Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Studio
1997 Infestdead Hellfuck Guitars Bass Drum-programming Keyboards Studio
1997 Godsend A Wayfarers Tears Vocals Keyboards Studio
1998 Subway Mirror/O(:the circle) Wisepope Vocals Guitars CD-R, Recorded in 1994
1998 Steel Heavy Metal Machine Vocals EP
1998 Dan Swanö Moontower Vocals All Instruments Studio
1999 Edge of Sanity Evolution Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Compilation
1999 Odyssey Odyssey Vocals All Instruments EP
1999 Katatonia Tonight's Decision Session drums Studio
1999 Infestdead JesuSatan Vocals Guitars Bass Drum-programming Studio
2000 Nightingale I Vocals Guitars Drums Keyboards Studio
2000 Bloodbath Breeding Death Backing vocals Drums EP
2001 Karaboudjan Sbrodj Vocals All Instruments EP
2001 Route Nine The Works Vocals Guitars Bass Drums Keyboards Compilation
2002 Bloodbath Resurrection Through Carnage Drums Studio
2002 Nightingale Alive Again Vocals Guitars Keyboards Studio
2002 Star One Space Metal Vocals Studio
2003 Nightingale Alive Again Vocals Guitars Keyboards Studio
2003 Edge of Sanity Crimson II Vocals All Instruments Studio
2004 Nightingale Invisible Vocals Guitars Keyboards Studio
2004 Bloodbath Nightmares Made Flesh Backing vocals Guitars Bass Studio
2005 Nightingale Nightfall Overture Vocals Guitars Keyboards Studio
2006 Edge of Sanity When All Is Said Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards Compilation
2007 Darkcide Split EP with Infestdead Vocals All Instruments Split EP
2007 Nightingale White Darkness Vocals Guitar Keyboards Studio
2008 Bloodbath The Wacken Carnage Backing vocals Guitar Live
2008 Total Terror Total Terror Vocals Guitar Studio
2008 Nightingale Box of Rock Vocals Guitar Keyboards Compilation
2010 Odyssey Reinventing the Past Vocals All Instruments Studio
2010 Star One Victims of the Modern Age Vocals Studio
2010 Pan.Thy.Monium ...Dawn+Dream II Lead Guitars Bass Keyboards Compilation
2012 Edge of Sanity Kur-Nu-Gi-A (2012 Reissue Edition) Vocals Add. Guitar Keyboards EP
2013 Witherscape The Inheritance Vocals Drums Keyboards Studio
2014 Nightingale Retribution Vocals Guitars Keyboards Studio
2014 Witherscape The New Tomorrow Vocals Guitars Keyboards EP
2015 Unicorn A Collection of Worlds Resurrection Vocals Drums Compilation
2016 Infestdead Satanic Serenades Lead Guitars Bass Drum-programming Keyboards Compilation
2016 Witherscape The Northern Sanctuary Vocals Guitars Keyboards Studio
2017 Nightingale Rock Hard Live Vocals Guitars Keyboards Live
2018 Ghost 1983-1988 Vocals Drums Compilation
2022 Star One Revel in Time Vocals On "Today Is Yesterday"
2022 Maceration It Never Ends... Vocals Studio

Miscellaneous

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References

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  1. ^ "Ratsit – Gratis upplysning pĺ företag och privatpersoner". Ratsit.se. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  2. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Biography: Bloodbath". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  3. ^ "Witherscape: Releases". Witherscape.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Century Media Records: Witherscape". Century Media Records. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  5. ^ Special: The Big Cosmos (with Dan Swanö) - Wir und ELANE, archived from the original on 2 June 2021, retrieved 31 May 2021
  6. ^ Who is who in Lithuania, UAB Neolitas, 1997, p, 75.
  7. ^ Not to be confused with the Athens-based Unisound Records.
  8. ^ Nicolas Bénard, Robert Culat, Katatonia : Sous un ciel de plomb, Camion Blanc, 2015, "Environnement technique."
  9. ^ CoC : Katatonia : Interview : 8/12/2001 Archived 28 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Chroniclesofchaos.com. Retrieved on 25 July 2016.
  10. ^ "Dan Swanö comments on the next album release". UltimateMetal.com. 21 February 2011. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  11. ^ "Dag Swanö - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Metal-archives.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Aeon: New Album Title Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 17 February 2010. Archived from the original on 19 February 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  13. ^ "Aephanemer - Mixing/Producer : Dan Swanö". Blabbermouth.net. 17 February 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  14. ^ a b "ANCIENT ASCENDANT To Release 'Into The Dark' In August". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  15. ^ "Unisound". Unisound.se. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Unisound". Unisound.se. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  17. ^ "Evocation Prepares To Record New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 24 January 2010. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  18. ^ "Beyond the Self". Fractalgates.bandcamp.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  19. ^ "Unisound". www.unisound.se.
  20. ^ "Spectral Carnage, by Gravecarver".
  21. ^ "Gorath Parts Ways With Drummer, Announces Replacement". Blabbermouth.net. 27 December 2009. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  22. ^ "Hail of Bullets Putting Finishing Touches on New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 13 March 2010. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  23. ^ "Century Media Records - Insomnium: : new album and book "Winter's Gate" to be released September 23rd, 2016!". Centurymedia.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Official Mechanization Web Site > Discography". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  25. ^ "MOTOROWL: NEW ALBUM "OM GENERATOR"". Century Media Records. 26 June 2016. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  26. ^ "Novembers Doom: A Eulogy For The Living Lost Video Released". Blabbermouth.net. 16 February 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  27. ^ "Odyssey: Reinventing The Past Artwork Unveiled". Blabbermouth.net. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  28. ^ a b Odyssey (EP, 1999) & Reinventing the Past (Album, 2010)
  29. ^ "About Proserpine". Proserpineband.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  30. ^ "Albumit | Rytmihäiriö". Surmacore.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  31. ^ "Легенды большого города" (Russian spelling for "Legends of a big city")
  32. ^ Forever More (EP)"Dan Swanö Mastering Somnae Forevermore E.P." Myspace.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  33. ^ "Second World Out Now". The Foreshadowing.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  34. ^ "Torture Division: Evighetens Dårar II Demo Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. 2 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  35. ^ "Dan Swanö Issues Update on Second Sky Project". Blabbermouth.net. 4 February 2010. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  36. ^ "The Project Hate MCMXCIX Announces Lineup Changes". Blabbermouth.net. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
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