From djent to sticky sweet, glamorous pop, these are the five best bands from Sweden, according to Allt guitarist Olle Nordström.
Sweden, of course, has a rich history of influential underground metal exports and Allt are jockeying for position as the country's most promising metalcore act.
With such a great lineage of artists to draw inspiration from, the sounds of Sweden's finest (inside and outside of heavy music) have helped create the prog-minded approach embraced by Allt and their apparent appreciation of great music, regardless of style.
We'll learn more about those bands soon, but first...
What You Need to Know About Allt
From: Karlskoga, Sweden
First Album: From the World (2024)
New Album: Ataraxia (2026)
Formed in 2020, Allt's vision materialized quickly and their first EP, Dark Waters, was released by late October of that year.
The band's name, which translates to "everything," is emblematic of their style, which uses metalcore as the foundation and a mix of prog metal, djent and swirling post-rock atmospheres to frame it all.
After a 2022 EP, Allt's unique sound attracted Century Media, who signed the Swedes to a record deal. Now, two years removed from their debut, From the New World, the band is serving up their second LP on Century Media, Ataraxia.
READ MORE: 5 Metalcore Bands That Answered the Call of Dad Rock
"With Ataraxia, we wanted to write from the place we actually live in, not an ideal version of it," Allt contend. "The album is about the search for peace and stillness and all the things that can pull you away from it. It's not trying to offer answers or present some inspirational message. It's more about what it felt like to live through these experiences, or watch people close to us go through them."
Check out the song "Omertà" below. Vocalist Robin Malmgreen asserts that it's "about knowing better and doing it anyway."
And keep scrolling to see Nordström's picks for Sweden's best musical representatives.
Allt, Omertà (Music Video)
Follow Allt on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Head to Allt's website to get the new album.
Allt's Olle Nordström Names the Top 5 Swedish Bands of All Time
Kent
They somehow manage to do indie rock, alternative rock, synthpop, electronic music and even psychedelic music and still sound 100 percent like themselves. Their DNA is so strong that it doesn't matter what kind of song they write, it always sounds distinctly like Kent.
A massive inspiration for me and one of my favorite bands of all time.
Vildhjarta
Måsstaden changed my life and pushed me musically in a completely different direction. Our music would not sound the same if not for Vildhjarta. This is the band that sparked my love for ambience and encouraged me to tune my guitar to drop-stupid.
Karmanjakah
There isn't another band on the planet that sounds like them or evokes the same feeling for me. Completely unique, with an underlying optimism in the music that is incredibly rare to find. Their music makes me want to ride my bike on a sunny day and just exist for a while.
Meshuggah
Pioneers of metal. They've never been my personal favorite band, but if my guitar teacher hadn't introduced me to "Bleed" when I was about 11 years old, my playing would have ended up being very different. I have to give it up to them. They have one of the best live shows in all of music, regardless of genre.
ABBA
Iconic. Some of the best pop music ever written. The sound of summer, road trips and childhood for so many Swedes. Music that has already spanned generations and will continue to do so long after we're gone.
Below, dive further into Swedish history with Loudwire's list of 11 Best Prog Rock + Metal Bands From Sweden:
The 11 Best Prog Rock + Metal Bands From Sweden
Gallery Credit: Jordan Blum
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