normaloctagon: Melodeath: Finnish vs Swedish

normaloctagon 01.07.25	What is your favorite style, and why? BONUS POINTS for dropping a lesser-known rec in either style I’ll go first: Finnish and it’s not even close. I love the symphonic influence. I don’t have a rec rn
mystagogus 01.07.25	Suddenly, the lesser-known rec comes from the US: https://duskmourn.bandcamp.com/
CottonSalad 01.07.25	Kalmah >>
CottonSalad 01.07.25	can't think of a rec rn either...Mors Principium Est came to mind, but they aren't that lesser-known lol
Kusangii 01.07.25	Swedish easily. They just have better albums. Of course Finland has a lot of good shit too but yeah
Hawks 01.08.25	Finnish metal in general >>>>>>>>
Zac124 01.08.25	Tough one tbh. I feel like Finnish bands typically lean to the more flashy guitar style (eg Children of Bodom, Kalmah, Moonlight Sorcery) while the Swedish bands lean more towards kick ass riffs driven by a simple and fun melody (eg literally any Gothenberg band). Really something that depends on my mood but I love them both. As for recs: Desultory, Unmoored, Unbound, Hypocrite, Sacrilege, Vintersorg, Brymir, Whispered.
Eakflanderyof 01.08.25	Probably would have to give it to the swedes by a hair but I agree with hawks... overall finnish metal is the shit
Flugmorph 01.08.25	gotta be swedish for me
DaveyMonsoon 01.08.25	Sweden has some of the best bands in the genre but also has just as many generic copycats playing the same tired Gothenburg style. Meanwhile Finland has the likes of Sentenced and Fall of the Leafe (however the latter is also fairly Gothenburg-y so I don't think they should really count) and really struggles to have bands that reach the highs of Sweden's highest aside from those aforementioned bands. I'll say Sweden but with an asterisk on it.
ToSmokMuzyki 01.08.25	sweden has the crown tho
zaruyache 01.08.25	fins got kalmah and insomnium so sorry to my swede ancestors butttt
Eakflanderyof 01.08.25	If insomnium kept making albums like their first few, I'd probably agree with you. Kalmah is great but can get pretty samey if you're doing a discog run. Gotta agree with Davey that the swedes just have higher highs but not necessarily more great bands than the finns
rufinthefury 01.08.25	Kalmah is a pretty fucking high bar just on their own so Finland
Dedes 01.08.25	Finland riffs harder The Swedes have prettier atmospheres Uhhhhhhh I guess the Finns
Kusangii 01.08.25	I feel like the complete opposite. Finland is all about the atmosphere while Sweden brings the riffs imo. Also agree that Finland is probably more consistent overall while Sweden has higher highs
Muzz79 01.08.25	Melodeath my favourite subgenre because of its breadth in melody and heaviness and Sweden and Finland reign supreme. To generalize I’d say Swedish melodeath is based more on powerful flowing riffs and choruses and Finnish melodeath is more melancholic and progressive. Both have definitive exponents, my faves being Swedish This Ending Dark Tranquillity In Flames Night Crowned Amon Amarth Arch Enemy Soilwork An Abstract Illusion In Mourning Orbit Culture Sodomisery Aktaion Enshine Torchbearer Draconian Finnish Amorphis Wintersun Wolfheart Insomnium Omnium Gatherum Marianas Rest Hanging Garden Bloodred Hourglass Brymir Dark The Suns Crownshift Shade of Sorrow Shade Empire
Demon of the Fall 01.08.25	In an irrefutable sample size of four vs four from the selection Muzz posted above, I conclude Sweden based on DT (and The Jester Race) a quick bit of research concludes I have FOUR melodeath 4s in total (nothing higher) and 3 are from U.S, Canada and Japan, lol not my strong point!
Kusangii 01.08.25	Did you ever check out Skydancer? (DTs debut)
mystagogus 01.08.25	Not sure if it's lesser-known but Sweden's Slumber (which is Jari Lindholm's pre-Enshine) haven't been mentioned here yet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDIiVuvXdXw
DungeonBoy 01.08.25	Slumber is excellent, definitely FFO bands like Rapture, Enshine, Atoma, Daylight Dies, etc. That style of doomy melodic metal is so good.
DungeonBoy 01.08.25	Also, Swedish melodeath changed my life, so it will always be number one, but there are so many top tier Finnish bands
normaloctagon 01.08.25	Love hearing why you guys like the different styles. Diving into some insomnium now. Digging the doomy touch. I’ll have to check out Slumber. I used to dig DT when i was a kid but have not been able to get back into them as an adult. I’m sure they will click again sometime down the line. Music is funny like that
JohnnyoftheWell 01.08.25	Have been pondering this question hard and: I don't know! Swedish metal was defs a greater formative influence for me back in the day, but Finnish stuff was always the ultrakitsch crack cocaine that brought me the most moment-to-moment gratification, and I guess faced with any Swedish band vs any Finnish band rn, I'd opt to throw on Hatebreeder and yow like a horny monkey, so maybe that's the answer? Tentative W for Finn? Get some tallies up in the list entries, you lovely knave!!
normaloctagon 01.08.25	YAOW Tallies have been added Swedish is currently taking the crown by one vote VOTE and REC like your headphones depend on it
Kusangii 01.09.25	Idk why you put me in undecided lol I def prefer Sweden like I said in my first comment :D
SomeCallMeTim 01.09.25	Swedish easy
normaloctagon 01.09.25	Oops sry kusbro classic mixup. Or part of my conspiracy to keep Sweden from getting the crown hmmmm
ToSmokMuzyki 01.09.25	they already have the crown tho thats what i was saying https://www.sputnikmusic.com/bands/The-Crown/3293/
Futures 01.09.25	da swedes easy. feels like an unfair comp like a pro football team vs a good college team. just so much more swedish stuff and the finnish stuff seems more overblown and theatrical for my taste. maybe i haven't heard enough tho. just love that distinct gothenburg and obv it's influence on so much metalcore that i love from prayer for cleansing to killswitch engage.
TheAntichrist 01.09.25	swedish cus slaughter of the soul is the best fvckin' thing ever made
Hawks 01.09.25	Bro why am I listed under Swedish???? Look at my comment again. ;]]]
jrlikestodance 01.09.25	Been debating on this and think I gotta pick Swede. For better or for worse, Carcass and ATG have inspired lots of my metalcore favs and my fav Melodeath band Black Dahlia Murder!
Hawks 01.09.25	Carcass is from England brother lol.
DaveyMonsoon 01.09.25	@Futures Check early Fall of the Leafe. They're Finnish but they play more in the Gothenburg style.
alamo 01.09.25	swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish swedish
Futures 01.09.25	appreciate that davey, what album you think? not big on folky/gothic stuff tho. just so corny. even the good folk metal.
DaveyMonsoon 01.09.25	Your best bet is their debut Evanescent, Everfading. They don't really get too much gothic/folky until after their second album. For their first album though, it's more influenced/undertones of folk than actually being folk metal, I definitely wouldn't put them in the same realm as actual folk metal bands. But yeah, you would probably dig it.
jrlikestodance 01.09.25	Wow I blew it lol. I just saw those blokes recently too. Not gonna be a coward and edit my comment tho!!!
Hawks 01.09.25	HAHAHAHA hey we all make mistakes. Like Normal listing me under Swedish instead of Finnish. ;]
BallsToTheWall 01.09.25	Swedish.
normaloctagon 01.09.25	Lawl that’s my bad, i was definitely updating tallies while on the elliptical jamming CoB and may have gotten distracted 8) Updated to here. @me if i goofed your placement m/
Hawks 01.09.25	Yeeeee there we go!!
Wildcardbitchesss 01.09.25	melodeath kinda sucks from what I’ve listened to at least. Like, old school At the Gates and In Flames are good but god damn it just all sounds so exactly the same. If anyone’s got some melodeath that sounds different and is actually good hmu And Swedish I guess but again I haven’t really dug that deep
jrlikestodance 01.09.25	I'm not a huge melodeath guy either Wildcard but there are definitely some gems. Try some early Children of Bodom. Some of the most fun and cool music in the genre
Wildcardbitchesss 01.09.25	For how popular they are it’s honestly stupid that I’ve never checked them out. Will do, but again I just feel like this whole ass genre is played out.
Futures 01.09.25	for something a little different i'd recommend be'lakor for something a little proggy and heaven shall burn for a fun toeing of the line between dm and core and some great vox and appreciate that @davey
DaveyMonsoon 01.09.25	@Wildcard There's a lot of melodic death metal like early At the Gates to explore if you're interested. Try stuff like Eucharist, A Canorous Quintet and Autumn Leaves.
Wildcardbitchesss 01.09.25	Got them all queued up on spotify, thanks fam
Kusangii 01.09.25	Two first Dark Tranquillity albums too while you're at it. And all melodeath definitely does not sound the same, just depends where you look
ShadowRemains 01.09.25	Japan
porcupinetheater 01.09.25	Honestly both have a couple nice heavies at the top and not a lot underneath Will go Finland though for having a few stellar examples of representing the goofy Bodom style thrills and the Omnium Gatherum type melancholy leedz Even if Dark Tranquillity is the best band from either scene Obscure-r Finn rec - that one Black Sun Aeon album
Muzz79 01.09.25	Tough choice - but Swedish
ShadowRemains 01.09.25	the best swedish melodeath band (hypocrite) has barely been mentioned here
normaloctagon 01.09.25	Updated to here I’ve always felt like the Swedish melodeath stuff doesn’t have enough distinguishing characteristics between bands, the Finnish bands all have a lot of similarities but each have bits that make them unique and stand out. Obviously i need to give Swedish another go and there’s lots of tasty stuff in here for when i do that!
jrlikestodance 01.09.25	I've only heard 3 1/2 Hypocrisy songs tbh. What's a good Finnish band to jam?
Dedes 01.09.25	Moonlight Sorcery Wolfheart Whispered Omnium Gatherum Noumena Bloodred Hourglass Finland is a storm of RIFFZ
Dedes 01.09.25	Whispered is my favorite amongst the listed. They're a melodeath band that makes music around Japanese history/mythology and uses authentic instruments like koto and shamisen. Shogunate Macabre is like, maybe a top 10 melodeath album of all time.
jrlikestodance 01.09.25	Thanks for the recs Dedes! All of these look sick
DaveyMonsoon 01.09.25	"What's a good Finnish band to jam?" Both early Sentenced (namely North from Here) and early Fall of the Leafe.
alamo 01.09.25	"Shogunate Macabre is like, maybe a top 10 melodeath album of all time." of all time is a stretch lol but definitely one of the most interesting mdm albums of the 2010s
BallsToTheWall 01.10.25	Early Sentenced slaps agreed and have to jam Whispered now.
Dedes 01.10.25	Both Shogunate and Metsutan are ridiculously fun. If ya want something with a little more bite and even thrash elements i'd go with Metsutan first but I def have a preference for the dummy good hook game and the more vivid soundscape of Shogunate. Also never jammed Sentenced but man I uhhh really should.
Elynna 01.10.25	Gonna have to go with Finland on this one
Pikazilla 01.10.25	I would like to vote for the option that doesn't include yawnsomnium
ToSmokMuzyki 01.10.25	could you be more specific
jrlikestodance 01.10.25	Inyawnium would've went harder Pika
Eakflanderyof 01.10.25	More like somnium lmao
BallsToTheWall 01.10.25	Sort of related, As a Tampa resident I stupidly started a Tampa vs Swedish death metal debate and much to alienating myself from others yet again I still choose Swedish over Tampa. I’m sorry, the Swedes own it for me. In terms of melo death and death.
jrlikestodance 01.10.25	As a fellow Floridian, I do not agree! FL DM clears
ShadowRemains 01.10.25	floridian death metal is not melodeath, it's osdm usually with a more progressive/technical side (brutality, death, morbid angel, atheist, monstrosity, etc.)
jrlikestodance 01.10.25	Thank goodness
BallsToTheWall 01.10.25	I know but the Stockholm and Scandinavian scenes are at the top for me anyways. From Gorement to Dark Tranquility, Sweden overall just hits that spot a little more than Florida.
BallsToTheWall 01.10.25	I love Morbid and the usual suspects but at the end of the day my first metal love just predating Sputnik was At the Gates, Enromb d and DT so I was biased from the start.
jrlikestodance 01.10.25	That's definitely fair. Cannibal Corpse, Obituary and Morbid Angel were my first exposure to the genre
BallsToTheWall 01.10.25	Also makes sense. You dug into the heavier stuff first, the more melodic for me first. 20 Years ago I don’t think this convo would’ve made things awkward in public but now I get the impression of it making me Seem Anti-American or Florida to others when I am not. Just preference.
NexCeleris 01.10.25	Civilized discussion in this day and age? Only on Sput.
BallsToTheWall 01.10.25	Pretty much.