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Mats Levén

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Mats Levén
Background information
Birth nameMats Göran Levén
BornMölndal, Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden
(1964-09-11) 11 September 1964 (age 60)
Genresheavy metal, symphonic metal, doom metal, power metal, hard rock
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Years active1986–present
WebsiteMatsLeven.com

Mats Levén (born in Mölndal, Sweden on 11 September 1964) is a singer. His most notable recent collaborations have been with symphonic metallers Therion and doom metallers Krux and Candlemass.

Biography

Levén began his career in 1986 with a small band of friends, called Capricorn. Three years later, he joined chart-toppers Swedish Erotica, releasing an album and several singles.[citation needed]

The year 1992, found him collaborating with another Swedish band, Treat with which he also released an album as lead vocalist and a single. In the mid-1990s he worked with Abstrakt Algebra (project band of Candlemass' bassist and composer Leif Edling) and did backing vocals for the band Lion's Share. He also joined an AC/DC cover band, called AB/CD, with which he keeps performing up to the present. In 1997, he teamed up with Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, recording the album Facing the Animal and doing the promotional world tour for the named album, world tour which led to the release in 1998 of the album and DVD Live!!, featuring recordings from the shows. 1998 also found Levén collaborating with the project band Southpaw.

In 1999 came out another collaboration, this time with Pontus Norgren. A year later followed another project band called Dogface with which he released two albums. 2002 teamed him up again with Edling for a doom metal project entitled Krux. Another prominent collaboration came the following year when German guitarist Olaf Lenk asked Levén to join his band At Vance, as lead vocalist. He released two successful albums with At Vance, The Evil in You (2003) and Chained (2005). He also found time for recording an album with yet another project band, Sabbtail. Around the end of 2003, Swedish symphonic metal act Therion asked Levén to join them for the recording of their albums Lemuria and Sirius B and also the one-year-and-a-half world tour to follow. Due to the successful collaboration between him and Therion the band has asked him to do lead vocals on their next album and world tour as well.

The first months of 2006 brought new perspectives for Levén: a 5-song appearance on the Reflections of the Obscure album by Essence of Sorrow (project band of guitarist Jani Stefanovic of Divinefire), lead vocals in another new project entitled Fatal Force (featuring Danish guitarist Torben Enevoldsen and drummer Daniel Flores) with whom he released a self-titled album in April 2006, and backing vocals for Swedish hard rock band The Poodles on their "Night of Passion" song, with which they won 4th place in the Swedish final qualifying round for the Eurovision song contest. He has also finished recording for the new Krux album which was released on 18 October 2006 and the new Therion album, entitled Gothic Kabbalah which was released on 12 January 2007. On 16 June 2007, Levén joined Therion in a special concert in Miskolc, Hungary. It featured a full orchestra and choir as well as classical stars from Europe. The setlist included both Therion songs and famous classical pieces in Therion manner.

Starting from 2007, Mats shared vocal duties in Therion with Snowy Shaw and two female vocalists. One of them is Katarina Lilja who has also done vocals for the new album. The other one is Lori Lewis, vocalist for the band Aesma Daeva. After Graspop and Hellfest in June 2007, Mats ceased his collaboration with Therion to focus on his new projects. His place in the band was taken by Thomas Vikström. Mats recorded backing vocals for Apocalyptica's Worlds Collide album. He also appears on the Nuclear Blast 20-year anniversary compilation Into the Light, singing on the track Death is Alive. Currently Levén has involved himself in other projects: lead vocals for the trilogy album based on the Tanakh by Israeli metal band Amaseffer and collaborations with Carl Westholm's project, Jupiter Society. He toured with the French symphonic progressive metal band Adagio in March and April 2010 as a replacement for their previous singer, Christian Palin, who was fired in February 2010.[1]

In 2011, due to family issues on the part of Firewind's lead singer Apollo, Mats was called in to substitute for the rest of their European tour.[2]

In June 2012 he joined Candlemass as their singer for the remaining booked shows in 2012 (Candlemass fired Robert Lowe in June 2012).

Discography

Bands/Projects

Guest Vocals/Tributes

  • Various Artists - A Salute To AC/DC (1999 - vocals on Riff Raff)
  • Various Artists - Power From The North (1999 - vocals on Disciples of Hell)
  • Various Artists - A Tribute To Grand Funk Railroad (2000 - backing vocals on Upsetter)
  • Various Artists - The Spirit Of The Black Rose (2001 - vocals on Suicide)
  • Various Artists - Bajen Forever (2001 - vocals on Victory)
  • Various Artists - Blackmore's Castle (2003 - vocals on Space Truckin)
  • Svullo - För Fet För Ett Omslag (2003 - vocals on 2 songs)
  • Leif Edling - The Black Heart Of Candlemass (2003 - vocals on 6 Abstrakt Algebra demos including White Heat Red Hot)
  • Various Artists - The Sweet According To Sweden (2004 - vocals on Sweet Fanny Adams)
  • Audiovision - The Calling (2005 - lead and backing vocals)
  • The Bear Quartet - Eternity Now (2006 - vocals on 2 songs)
  • Essence Of Sorrow - Reflections Of The Obscure (2007 - vocals on 5 songs)
  • Nuclear Blast Allstars - Into The Light (2007 - vocals on Death is Alive)
  • Jupiter Society - First Contact // Last Warning (2008 - vocals on 3 songs and drums on 2)
  • Crucified Barbara - Til Death Do Us Party (2009 - vocals on "Jennyfer")
  • Jupiter Society - Terraform (2010 - vocals on 2 songs and drums on 1)
  • Adagio – 2010 European tour[4]
  • Wisdom - Judas (LP 2011) - Vocals in the song "Judas"
  • Snowy Shaw - Snowy Shaw is Alive! (2011) - Vocals on the song "To Mega Therion"
  • Cem Köksal - Vigilante Episode One (2011 Vocals on Awakened One, Don Quixote, Stalkers In The Night)
  • Crownless - Dark Evolution (2011 - vocals on Thorns)
  • Nubian Rose - Mountain (2012 - vocals on "Close My Eyes Forever")
  • Gus G - I Am The Fire (2014 - vocals on “My Will Be Done”,“End Of The Line”,“Blame It On Me” & “Eyes Wide Open”)[5]
  • Gus G - Brand New Revolution (2015 - vocals on “Come Hell Or High Water”, “If It Ends Today” & “The Demon Inside”) [6]

Backing Vocals

  • Lion's Share - Lion's Share (1995)
  • Conny Bloom's Titanic Truth - Titanic Truth (1996)
  • Lion's Share - Two (1997)
  • Vildsvin - Iskallt Begär (1997)
  • Zifa - The Last Dog (1997)
  • John Norum - Slipped Into Tomorrow (1999)
  • Jessica Folcker - Dino (2000)
  • Alfonzetti - Ready (2000)
  • Little Chris - At Last... (2002)
  • Adam Thompson - Reconnected (2004)
  • Gypsy Rose - Gypsy Rose (2005)
  • Narnia - Enter The Gate (2006)
  • Shineth - 11 of 10 (2006)
  • Lion's Share - Emotional Coma (2007)
  • Apocalyptica - Worlds Collide (2007)
  • Nubian Rose - Mountain (2012)
  • Crazy Lixx - Crazy Lixx (2014)

DVD/Video

References

  1. ^ Myspace.com blogs
  2. ^ http://www.centurymedia.com/newsdetailed.aspx?IdNews=10265&IdCompany=3
  3. ^ Radiance.fi
  4. ^ "Adagio Taps former Yngwie/Therion singer Mats Levén for Kamelot tour". Blabbermouth. 20 February 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  5. ^ http://www.gusgofficial.com/home.html
  6. ^ http://www.gusgofficial.com/home.html
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