Misery Loves Co. is a reformed Swedish
industrial metal
Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine In ...
duo, initially active in the 1990s and early 2000s. The band combine the hostility of
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
riffs with electronic samples usually associated with
industrial music
Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initiall ...
. Their lyrics generally focus on bleak sexual visions and pain over troubled relationships.
Biography
The band was formed in January, 1993, by Patrik Wiren (vocals) and Örjan Örnkloo (guitar, bass, programming).
Wiren was previously a member of Midas Touch who had recorded an album with
Noise Records
Noise Records is a German heavy metal record label founded in 1983 by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any ...
,
while Örnkloo worked with several bands within his Swedish hometown,
Uppsala
Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
. Their first recorded track was ''Sonic Attack'' for a metal compilation ''Extreme Close Up''.
Based on the response to the single the band worked with MNW Zone to release their self-titled debut album, ''
Misery Loves Co.'', in 1995.
Independent success lead to signing with
Earache Records
Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...
which re-released the album throughout Europe.
During live performances, Misery added Jim Edwards (guitar), Marre Ericksson (bass), and Olle Dahlstedt (drums),
who was replaced by Niklas Gabrielsson before their first UK show, at the
Camden Underworld
Camden Underworld is a music venue in Camden Town, London, England. The venue is a part of the World's End pub, situated in the basement of the building. It has a capacity of 500 people.
History
Over the years The Underworld has become th ...
. The band opened for
Clawfinger
Clawfinger is a Swedish rap metal band from Stockholm. The group is known for aggressive but melodic music and tackling political and anti-racist themes in their songs.
History Origins: 1989–1991
The band's origin dates back to mid-1989, w ...
and then for
Warrior Soul
Warrior Soul is an American rock band, formed by lead singer and producer Kory Clarke. Clarke started the band on a bet from a promoter at New York City's Pyramid Club, after a solo performance art show called "Kory Clarke/Warrior Soul". Clark ...
,
Headswim
Headswim are an English alternative rock band active during the 1990s, best known for their 1997 single "Tourniquet". Band members subsequently went on to projects including BlackCar, Tenebrous Liar and Mew.
History
The band originally forme ...
, and Clawfinger later in the year.
Misery's US debut disc featured a promotional CD with the track ''Need Another One'' remixed by similar bands such as
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass).
Their first album, ''Ki ...
and
Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter are an English industrial rock band from Nottingham, formed in 1989. The band was started by lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A. Carter, and bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden. The band’s early material was characterized for ...
. In 1996, the band returned with an EP, ''Happy?'', which featured seven tracks and a collection of multimedia bonuses. The band toured with
Slayer
Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...
and
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial metal. ...
before their second album, ''Not like Them'', was released in 1997. The record reached number 12 on ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' 's Top 20 in 1997. Misery then toured Europe, supporting
Machine Head
A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
. Their last and softer album, ''
Your Vision Was Never Mine to Share'', was released in March 2000. Another European tour followed, with
Kill II This
Kill II This (sometimes typeset as Kill 2 This) are an English metal band from Manchester.
History Beginnings and ''Another Cross II Bare'' (1995–1997)
Kill II This blend extreme metal music with elements of dance music, hip hop/trip-h ...
and
earthtone9
Earthtone9 (stylized earthtone9) is an English metal band from Nottingham, England.
History
Signing to Copro Records in 1998, the band's first major release was the album ''lo-def(inition) discord'', which comprised songs from their three d ...
, but in late 2000 Misery Loves Co. announced their splitting.
Patrik Wiren went on to form the band Alpha Safari (formerly named Washoe) with some former live members from Misery Loves Co. They have released one album titled ''Commercial Suicide''.
In February 2016, the band reformed. On June 2, 2017, a teaser video was released by the band on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, where Wiren talks about a new single called ''Would You?''. In the same video Wiren say that Misery Loves Co. have been writing new music since 2005 and want to start touring and release more music in the future. ''Would You?'' was released as a single on all digital platforms in 2017. In 2018 two digital singles followed, the first was ''Suburban Breakdown'' and the second was a cover of
Garbage
Garbage, trash, rubbish, or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or gaseous wastes, or toxic waste produc ...
's ''
Only Happy When It Rains
"Only Happy When It Rains" is an alternative rock song written and produced by American alternative rock band Garbage for their self-titled debut studio album (1995). It was recorded at the band's own studio, Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisco ...
''. In 2019 they released another single titled ''Way Back Home (Single Edit)'', then later on in 2019, the band released their fourth album, ''Zero''.
Members
* Patrik Wiren - Vocals
* Örjan Örnkloo - Guitars, programming
* Michael Hahne - Guitars, bass
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Misery Loves Co.'' (1995)
* ''Not Like Them'' (1997)
* ''
Your Vision Was Never Mine to Share'' (2000)
* ''Zero'' (2019)
Singles and EPs
* ''Private Hell'' (1994)
* ''Need Another One'' (1995)
* ''Kiss Your Boots'' (1995)
* ''Happy?'' (1996)
* ''Prove Me Wrong'' (1997)
* ''Blinded'' (1998)
* ''Would You?'' (2017)
* ''Suburban Breakdown'' (2018)
* ''Only Happy When It Rains'' (2018)
* ''Way Back Home (Single Edit)'' (2019)
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Industrial metal musical groups
Earache Records artists
Musical groups from Uppsala