| Hällas | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Jönköping, Småland, Sweden | |
| Genres | Progressive Rock, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Blues Rock | |
| Years active | 2011- | |
| Labels | The Sign, RMV Grammofon, Napalm Records | |
| Website | Official website | |
| Band Logo | ||
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Band is a Swedish progressive rock band formed in 2011 in Jönköping, Småland, by Tommy Alexandersson and Kasper Eriksson. Currently based in Linköping, Östergötland, they play a blend of progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal inspired by 1970s bands, resulting in a genre that they call "Adventure Rock".
The band is named after the main character of the stories they tell in their lyrics; Hällas is a knight living in parallel, medieval universe in which "religion similarly, albeit not necessarily the ones we recognize from here, are very prevalent and where treacherous tyrants reign lands on the verge of the apocalypse and where seers have gained so much strength that they can dictate the future and the past". [1]
History[]
Tommy Alexandersson, drummer Kasper Eriksson and an unnamed guitar player started Hällas as a Blues Rock trio in 2011, but soon moved towards more 1980s Heavy Metal and a progressive approach to writing songs. The guitarist left and was replaced by guitarists Marcus Petersson and Alexander Moraitis. They recorded their first EP at Treasuresound Studio in Jönköping, managed by organist Nicklas . At that time he was not a member of the band, but he was asked to join the band they wanted to have organs and synthesizers in their music.[2]
They toured the EP extensively and then started work on their first album, a concept album about the knight from their debut EP, continuing his journey to seek answers from existence and truth. But to find them, he must meet an astral seer, and on this recording, each song takes the listener one step further in history. Excerpts from a Future Past was released 2019 through Sign Records.
They signed with Napalm Records in 2020 and released their second album later that year. Conundrum finishes the story of the Knight. According to Kasper Eriksson the ideas mostly came from the story they had written for Excerpts from a Future Past and continued on for Conundrum, which in turn is some kind of mash-up from all the collective interests of the band like music, books, movies, video games, art, etc. The idea is essentially grounded in an underlying escapism – a yearning for what lays between the future and the past; a parallel universe where everyday life no longer matters. [3]
At the end of the year their label announced the band was nominated for a prestigious Swedish award: The P3 Guld Award [4], but they lost to Arre! Arre! [5]
2022 Saw the release of their third album, Isle of Wisdom.
Discography[]
Full albums[]
- Excerpts From A Future Past (2017, The Sign Records)
- Conundrum (2020, Napalm Records)
- Isle Of Wisdom (2022, Napalm Records)
EP's and Splits[]
- Hällas (EP) (2015, The Sign Records)
Members[]
- Tommy Alexandersson - Vocals, Bass (2011 - )
- Alexander Moraitis - Guitar (2013 - )
- Marcus Petersson - Guitar (2013 - )
- Nicklas Malmqvist - Organ, Synths (2015 - )
- Kasper Eriksson - Drums, Percussion (2011 - )
List of Known Tours[]
- European Tour 2020 [6]
External Links[]
Official Links[]
Archival / YouTube Links[]
- Star Rider (Official Video)
- Astral Seer (Official Video)
- Tear Of A Traitor (Official Video)
- Carry On (Official Video)
- Elusion's Gate (Official Video)
References[]
- ↑ https://yourlastrites.com/2020/03/26/interview-hallas/ Last Rites interview with Hällas March 26, 2020]
- ↑ Vianocturna interview with Hällas September 29, 2017
- ↑ Uplifting Music That Brings You Down: Interview with Kasper Eriksson March 28, 2020
- ↑ Award nomination announcement on Napalm Records Facebook
- ↑ 2020 P3 Guld Award results
- ↑ 2020 EU Tour dates