Edge of Sanity

{{Short description|Swedish death metal band}}

{{About|the band|the film|Edge of Sanity (film)}}

{{More sources needed|date=September 2024}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Edge of Sanity

| image = Nightingale Nosturi 20032008 DanSwanö 02.jpg

| caption = Dan Swanö

| background = group_or_band

| origin = Finspång, Sweden

| genre = Melodic death metal, progressive death metal, death metal (early)

| years_active = 1989–1999, 2003

| label = Black Mark

| associated_acts = Pan.Thy.Monium, Bloodbath, Nightingale

| website =

| past_members = Dan Swanö
Andreas Axelsson
Sami Nerberg
Anders Lindberg
Benny Larsson
Robert Karlsson

}}

Edge of Sanity was a Swedish death metal band that, alongside Opeth, is commonly regarded as being the first to fuse extreme metal styles like death and black metal with progressive rock. The group was founded by Dan Swanö in 1989{{cite web|url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=131229|title= Sunday Old School: Edge Of Sanity|website= Metal Underground|date=2023-01-29|access-date=2024-09-22}} and ended in 2003.

History

Edge of Sanity began as a death metal band with their debut release Nothing but Death Remains. The band's second release, Unorthodox, with tracks like "Enigma" and "When All Is Said", showed Edge of Sanity branching out from some of the genre's conventions. The Spectral Sorrows, Until Eternity Ends, and Purgatory Afterglow continued the trend, so that by the release of Crimson (1996), Edge of Sanity was a progressive metal band. Crimson was a 40-minute concept album consisting entirely of one track,{{cite web |url=https://www.spin.com/2023/07/the-15-best-swedish-metal-records/|title= The 15 Best Swedish Metal Records |website= SPIN|date=2023-07-25|access-date=2024-09-22}} concerning a post-apocalyptic future in which mankind had lost the ability to breed. After one more album, Infernal (1997), guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Dan Swanö left Edge of Sanity, and his departure is generally associated with a decline in quality in the band's material. Swanö was replaced by Robert Karlsson, the vocalist of Pan.Thy.Monium (a side project in which Swanö was also involved), but after one more album, Cryptic, the band split up.

In 2003, Swanö revived the outfit as a one-man band (with several session musicians), and recorded a sequel to Crimson, Crimson II. Immediately after, he re-dissolved the project.

The Kur-Nu-Gi-A demo was re-released on LP in 2011, and on CD in 2012.

In the spring of 2024, Century Media Records and InsideOutMusic revealed plans to launch the first chapter of an extensive reissue campaign for Edge Of Sanity's catalogue. These definitive reissues were remastered by Swanö.{{cite web |url=https://bravewords.com/news/edge-of-sanity-nightingale-catalogue-reissue-campaign-announced-new-single-video-for-edge-of-sanitys-twilight-remix-2024-available-now|title= Edge of Sanity / Nightingale catalogue reissue campaign announced; new single/video for Edge of Sanity’s “Twilight" (Remix 2024) available now|website=BraveWords|date=2024-04-19|access-date=2024-09-22}} In June 2024, a video was shared featuring the remastered version of Black Tears, from the band's 1994 album Purgatory Afterglow.{{cite web

|url=https://lambgoat.com/news/43052/edge-of-sanity-release-remastered-version-of-black-tears-off-upcoming-30th-anniversary-reissues/|title= Edge of Sanity release remastered version of "Black Tears" off upcoming 30th anniversary reissues|website= Lambgoat|date=2024-06-13|access-date=2024-09-22}}

Members

= Final line-up =

= Previous members =

  • Sami Nerberg − guitar (1989–1999)
  • Anders Lindberg − bass (1989–1999)
  • Benny Larsson − drums (1989–1999)
  • Robert Karlsson − vocals (1997–1999)

= Timeline =

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

PlotArea = left:120 bottom:90 top:5 right:10

Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1989 till:26/08/2006

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4

ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1989

ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1990

Colors =

id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals

id:guitar value:green legend:Guitars

id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards

id:bass value:blue legend:Bass

id:drums value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion

id:multi value:yellow legend:All_instruments

id:album value:black legend:Studio_release

id:other value:gray(0.7) legend:Other_release

id:bars value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =

at:01/11/1989 color:other layer:back

at:01/01/1990 color:other layer:back

at:01/02/1990 color:other layer:back

at:01/03/1990 color:other layer:back

at:09/07/1991 color:album layer:back

at:01/01/1992 color:other layer:back

at:01/03/1992 color:other layer:back

at:01/05/1992 color:other layer:back

at:08/07/1992 color:album layer:back

at:15/11/1993 color:album layer:back

at:01/03/1994 color:other layer:back

at:01/10/1994 color:album layer:back

at:02/04/1996 color:album layer:back

at:05/02/1997 color:album layer:back

at:11/11/1997 color:album layer:back

at:29/11/1999 color:other layer:back

at:26/08/2003 color:album layer:back

BarData =

bar:Swano text:"Dan Swanö"

bar:Robban text:"Robert Karlsson"

bar:Dread text:"Andreas Axelsson"

bar:Sami text:"Sami Nerberg"

bar:Anders2 text:"Anders Lindberg"

bar:Benny text:"Benny Larsson"

PlotData =

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(15,-4)

bar:Swano from:01/01/1989 till:01/07/1997 color:vocals

bar:Swano from:01/01/1991 till:01/07/1997 color:keys width:3

bar:Swano from:01/02/1993 till:01/07/1997 color:guitar width:7

bar:Robban from:01/07/1997 till:01/12/1999 color:vocals

bar:Swano from:01/01/2003 till:26/08/2003 color:vocals width:3

bar:Swano from:01/01/2003 till:26/08/2003 color:multi

bar:Swano from:01/01/2005 till:26/08/2006 color:vocals

bar:Swano from:01/01/2005 till:26/08/2006 color:drums width:3

bar:Dread from:01/01/1989 till:01/12/1999 color:guitar

bar:Dread from:01/01/2003 till:26/08/2003 color:guitar

bar:Dread from:01/01/2005 till:26/08/2006 color:guitar

bar:Dread from:01/02/1992 till:01/07/1997 color:vocals width:3

bar:Dread from:01/01/2005 till:26/08/2006 color:vocals width:3

bar:Dread from:01/02/1993 till:01/12/1993 color:bass width:7

bar:Sami from:01/01/1989 till:01/07/1996 color:guitar

bar:Sami from:01/07/1997 till:01/12/1999 color:guitar

bar:Sami from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 color:vocals width:3

bar:Anders2 from:01/01/1989 till:01/02/1993 color:bass

bar:Anders2 from:01/12/1993 till:01/12/1999 color:bass

bar:Benny from:01/01/1989 till:01/12/1999 color:drums

Discography

= Albums =

= EPs =

= Demos =

  • Euthanasia (1989)
  • Kur-Nu-Gi-A (1990)
  • The Dead (1990)
  • The Immortal Rehearsals (1990)
  • Dead but Dreaming (1992)
  • Darkday (1993)
  • Lost (1993)
  • The Spectral Sorrows Demos (1993)
  • Infernal Demos (1996)

= Compilations =

= Videos =

  • "Black Tears" (1994) from Purgatory Afterglow
  • "Uncontroll Me" (1997) from Cryptic
  • Live in Norrköping 1991

References

{{reflist}}