Memory Garden stream their brand new conceptual album »1349«, out now via No Remorse Records

Swedish power/doom metal band Memory Garden featuring current and former Nightingale, Memento Mori, Abstrakt Algebra, Wolf, and Evil Conspiracy members stream their brand new conceptual album, »1349«, out on December 17th, 2021 via No Remorse Records.

Tracklist:
01. Shallow Waters
02. Pariah
03. Distrust
04. Rivers Run Black
05. The Flagellants
06. The Messenger
07. The Empiric
08. 1349
09. Blood Moon

Bonus Tracks:
10. Unrestrained
11. Heart Of The Dark (Demo 1993)
12. Legions Of The Lost (Demo 1993
13. Up From The Ashes (Demo 1993)

From No Remorse Records:

The album is mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö and the artwork is created once again by the mighty Hjules (Destruction, Grave Digger, Annihilator, Stratovarius). Guest artists such as Niklas Stålvind (Wolf), Josefin Bäck (the original voice of “Marion” from the first demo in 1993!) and Göran “Freddy” Fredrikson (medieval instruments) contribute to this album. An album which will offer a sufficient dose of Swedish power/doom metal!

»1349« is a conceptual album and the storyline covers both fact and fiction, taking place during the pandemic years of the black plague. “Stefan and I were talking about how the new songs were coming together nicely, and he told me he really wanted the album to carry a concept,” states drummer Tom Björn.

“We started contemplating different themes that could fit our music, and we both got hooked on the black plague. A very dark and tragic period of history… We drew some guidelines, or a few key words for the concept, and after that I developed the story incorporating a few facts with the fictive elements. It’s not a linear timeline throughout the album, but a few songs are connected by the same character and happen in the correct order. Some things have to be read between the lines though.”

“»Unrestrained« was initially meant to be on the album as well, but somewhere during the process we felt it wouldn’t fit in”, says Tom Björn. “It ended up as a nice bonus instead, without any relevance to the album lyrics wise and the topic here is of a more philosophical nature”. As for the previously unreleased demo tracks, Tom adds: “The demos were recorded in studio Bunker in Kumla 1993 sometime, with the original line-up. We don’t know why none of these songs ever made it to an album, they were just forgotten about”. But they will definitely add a historical value for the fans of Memory Garden.

Memory Garden were formed in 1992, recording demo and EP releases (including »Forever«, one of the finest EPs in metal history) until 1996 where their debut full-length album »Tides« shocked the doom metal world. A technical, crushing and powerful album that paved the way for the future, with Memory Garden joining Metal Blade Records releasing the albums »Verdict Of Posterity« (1998) and »Mirage« (2000). At that point, Memory Garden were already hailed as one of the leading forces of the power/doom metal field. And while time and tide wait for no man, they kept the course releasing »Carnage Carnival« (2008) and »Doomain« (2013). Eight years later, Swedish power/doom metal is ready to strike again with an album that will shock the scene.

Memory Garden is:
Stefan Berglund – Vocals, Backing Vocals
Tom Björn – Drums, Piano, Backing Vocals
Simon Johansson – Lead Guitar
Johan Wängdahl – Bass, Backing Vocals
Andreas Mäkelä – Guitar, Backing Vocals

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well