Erik Danielsson

In 1987, Swedish industrial music veteran Roger Karmanik founded Cold Meat Industry. Over the next decade, the label grew from a bedroom passion project into a world-renowned record company. However, while CMI expanded rapidly, Karmanik’s underground mindset and work methods remained unchanged. Beset by personal and professional struggles, as well as deteriorating mental health, he eventually hit a wall. CMI was declared bankrupt in 2011. But in 2017, as fans from over 40 countries gathered in Stockholm to celebrate the label’s thirtieth anniversary, something unexpected happened.

Swedish hard rock took its first big step abroad in the early 80s, when a young Yngwie Malmsteen sent a demo cassette across the Atlantic and became a guitar god overnight. Now Swedish hard rock bands perform all over the world on the biggest stages. This is the story of how Swedish hard rock became an export success.

Norwegian black metal is beloved by fans worldwide, but is also known for its shocking story. Now the musicians who created the grim genre, tells how it all came to be.