The Quill are a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

stoner rock Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sl ...

/ heavy metal band.

Biography

The Quill was formed in the early 1990s by singer Magnus Ekwall, guitarist Christian Carlsson, drummer George Atlagic,

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

Anders Haglund and bassist Peter Holm. The Quill played the Swedish bar circuit the following years. Peter Holm left the band at the end of 1993 and was replaced by Roger Nilsson. After writing material for half a year they entered Berno studio in

Malmö Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...

and recorded their self-titled debut '' The Quill'' in three weeks. After signing a record deal with

Megarock Records Megarock Records was a Swedish record label which focused on heavy metal music. It was located in Stockholm. Bands * Abstrakt Algebra * Ace's High * Alien * Backyard Babies * Bad Habit * Candlemass * Criss * Crossroad Jam * It's Alive * Jeste ...

their debut was released in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

in March 1995. A video for the track "Jet of water" was recorded. The album got an overwhelming reception by the critics and was later voted number 70 in Sweden's biggest newspaper "

Aftonbladet (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish language, Swedish daily tabloid newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lar ...

" poll, Top 100 albums of the year. Other reviews that can be mentioned: 4 out of 5 in Raw, 81 out of 100 in ''

Burrn! is a monthly Japanese magazine for fans of heavy metal music, published since September 1984. It is the major publication on heavy metal music in the country. As of 2013, it is published by Shinko Music Entertainment in Tokyo Tokyo, off ...

'' magazine. After a short promotion tour in Sweden with

Abstrakt Algebra Abstrakt Algebra was a Swedish experimental metal band with influences from power metal and doom metal. It was founded by bassist Leif Edling in 1994, shortly after his main project Candlemass split up. They made one album, but Edling had alre ...

, The Quill played the Karlshamn Rockfestival. A tour in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

was booked but was later cancelled due to some trouble with the record company. Instead The Quill played some more festivals in Sweden. After playing all over Sweden for almost a year the band started working on the next album. In May 1997 Anders Haglund decided to leave the band, the others feeling no need of a new organ player decided to continue as a four piece band. In August 1997 the band again entered Berno Studio in Malmö and started working on the second album ''Silver Haze''. A month later the band had recorded 13 new songs. Since the release of the album was delayed and The Quill had written some new songs that they wanted on the album, so they re-entered Berno Studios in the summer of 1998 and recorded the tracks "Grand Canyon, "Under a vow" and "Mercury". At the same session they also recorded the song "A Sinner's Fame" originally made by the band

Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...

, and the song "Fairies Wear Boots" originally recorded by Black Sabbath. During the autumn of 1998 they did a smaller tour of Sweden. The beginning of 1999 finally saw the release of the second album entitled ''Silver Haze''. The summer also saw the release of a 10" EP called ''

Evermore ''Evermore'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was surprise-released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records. Swift conceived ''Evermore'' as a "sister record" to its p ...

'' on Froghouse records as well as a praised performance at Sweden Rock Festival. During the summer the band entered Berno Studios twice recording their versions of "Where Eagles Dare" by

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...

, "Frozen Over" by

Captain Beyond Captain Beyond is an American rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles in 1971.
at

and "Mount Everest" by November (band), November. In 2000 The Quill re-released their first album on both CD and vinyl. It was released by Meteorcity in the US and People Like U in Europe. Shortly thereafter the band announced that they reached an agreement with German label SPV/Steamhammer and Japanese label JVC/Victor. Once again the band entered Berno Studios and recorded their third album, which came to be titled ''Voodoo Caravan'' when released in 2002. By many fans seen as the quintessential The Quill album it also feature a guest appearance by

Spiritual Beggars Spiritual Beggars is a Swedish stoner metal band from Halmstad, formed by Michael Amott, who is known for his work with Arch Enemy, Carcass (band), Carcass and Carnage (band), Carnage. The band is heavily influenced by 1970s hard rock and inco ...

Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a Supergroup (music), supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass (band), Carcass, Armageddon (Swedish band), Armageddon, Carnage (band), Carna ...

guitarist

Michael Amott Michael Amott (born 28 July 1969) is a Swedish guitarist, founding member of the metal bands Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars and Carnage (band), Carnage, as well as a former member of Carcass (band), Carcass. He is the older brother of Christoph ...

. More live shows followed with an appearance at

Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a Heavy metal music, heavy metal music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all ...

as the highlight of the year. Wasting no time, the band quickly started working on the next album. This time the band decided to change studio and producer and ended up in Halmstad in the southwest of Sweden. Working with producer Rickard Bengtsson in Slaughterhouse Studios, the band opted for a more contemporary sound compared to previous releases. To further develop their sound, the band tapped

In Flames In Flames is a Swedish Heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990 out of the Swedish death metal, Swedish death metal scene. Their lineup has changed several times, with vocalist Anders Frid ...

producer Daniel Bergstrand when it came time to mix the album. Released in 2003 '' Hooray! It's a Deathtrip'' and showcased a harder and more focused selection of songs. To promote the album The Quill teamed up with Norwegian band

Gluecifer Gluecifer is a Norwegian hard rock band based in Oslo. Formed in 1994, the band gained fame as a part of the Scandinavian hard rock wave in the late 1990s and early 2000s alongside Turbonegro and The Hellacopters. Gluecifer released five studio ...

and headliners

Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock music, rock band formed in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (musician), John McBain (guitar), and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums). The band has since undergone severa ...

for an extensive European tour playing 40 shows over the course of seven weeks. In 2005 bass player Roger Nilsson left the band, citing exhaustion from too much touring. He was replaced by Robert Triches and the band decided to leave Sweden for the recording of fifth album '' In Triumph''. Working with producer Tommy Newton of

Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. The band has at times been called one of the most influential European heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Its first ...

and

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...

fame, the album was recorded in Area 51 Studios in Celle just outside Hannover, Germany. To promote the release of the album in 2006, a video was recorded for the track "Broken Man". More touring followed when the band headlined a short European tour as well as a bunch of European festivals culminating in another performance at

Sweden Rock Festival Sweden Rock Festival is a rock festival outside the town of Sölvesborg in Blekinge in southern Sweden. The festival offers the best possible mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues and related genres. The first version of the festival, k ...

. Following the end of the In Triumph period vocalist Magnus Ekwall decided to leave the band in 2007; no comments were made regarding his departure. During 2008 and the bigger part of 2009 the band activity was at an all-time low. Drummer Jolle Atlagic joined Finnish glam act

Hanoi Rocks Hanoi Rocks were a Finnish Rock music, rock band formed in 1979. They were the first Finnish band to chart in the UK and they were also popular in Japan. By 1984, the band was considered to be on the verge of an international breakthrough when ...

during their last year of touring, culminating with a series of farewell-shows at Tavastia in Helsinki. Late 2009 the three remaining members (Atlagic, Carlsson, Triches) decided to try finding a new singer and make another album. Magnus Arnar was contacted and he joined the band mid-2010. The band's sixth album, ''Full Circle'', was recorded in Grand Studios in Gävle, Sweden, during the winter 2010–11, and a new record deal was cut with German hard rock label Metalville. ''Full Circle'' was released on 24 June in Europe and 24 July in North America. Following the release the band undertook their most ambitious touring in many years, with shows taking place all over Europe and, for the first time in the band's history, the US. April 2012 saw the comeback of bass player Roger Nilsson, who rejoined the band at the tail end of the Full Circle tour. The later part of the year was devoted to the writing and recording of the next album. Recorded in 491 Studios in Oskarshamn and Sound Society Studios in Gävle, the band set out to make an album showcasing their broad spectrum of influences. In May 2013 the seventh album titled ''Tiger Blood'' was released, again on the Metalville label. Rave reviews followed, one journalist stating: "Jam packed with catchy riffs, thumping bass lines and vocals reminiscent of Chris Cornell and

Sammy Hagar Sam Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947), also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose before launching a ...

, this album will please even the finickiest rocker." In August 2017, the band released a new studio album called "Born From Fire", which saw the return of original vocalist Magnus Ekwall.

Musical style and influences

The Quill are often referred to as a

and

stoner metal Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Slee ...

band but they can also be regarded as a heavy metal band. They are influenced by late 1960s and early 1970s bands such as

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

and

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

, but also sound like 1990s

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

and stoner metal bands such as

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AiC) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Voca ...

Kyuss Kyuss ( ) was an American stoner rock band formed in Palm Desert, California, in 1987, and considered one of the pioneers of the genre. After disbanding in 1995, a number of band members have gone on to form or play in several notable bands in ...

and

Corrosion of Conformity Corrosion of Conformity (often abbreviated as C.O.C.) is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina, formed in 1982. The band has undergone multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with lead guitarist Woody Weatherman a ...

. Especially vocalist Magnus Ekwall who is often compared to Soundgarden singer

Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell ( Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock music, rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a ...

. The official The Quill MySpace states they sound like "groovy hard/heavy rock".

Members

*Magnus Ekwall – vocals (1990-2007, 2016–present) *Christian Carlsson – guitar *Roger Nilsson – bass (1993–2005, 2012–present) *George ’Jolle’ Atlagic – drums

Discography

Studio albums

*'' The Quill'' (1995) *''Silver Haze'' (1999) – CD *''Evermore'' (1999) – 10" EP *'' The Quill – reissue'' (2000) – CD/LP *''Voodoo Caravan'' (2002) – CD *'' Hooray! It's a Deathtrip'' (2003) – CD *'' In Triumph'' (2006) – CD *'' Full Circle'' (2011) – CD *''Tiger Blood'' (2013) – CD/LP *''Born From Fire'' (2017) - CD/LP *''Earthrise'' (2021) - CD/LP *''Live, New, Borrowed, Blue'' (2022) CD *''Wheel of Illusion'' (2024) CD

Trivia

Lead singer Magnus Ekwall appeared on

Ayreon Ayreon is a musical project by Dutch songwriter, singer, musician and record producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Ayreon's music is described as progressive rock, progressive metal and power metal sometimes combined with genres such as folk music, f ...

The Human Equation ''The Human Equation'' is the sixth album from the progressive rock project Ayreon by Dutch musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen, released on 25 May 2004 via Inside Out Music. As with other Ayreon albums, it features guest appearances from several m ...

, in the role of "Pride".
He reprised this role in the theater adaptation of this album, The Theater Equation.
Drummer George "Jolle" Atlagic joined Finnish glam band

in 2008. He has also recorded one album with British band

Firebird Firebird and fire bird may refer to: Mythical birds * Phoenix (mythology), sacred firebird found in the mythologies of many cultures ** Fenghuang, sometimes called Chinese phoenix * Vermilion bird, one of the four symbols of the Chinese constella ...

Bass player Roger Nilsson has also recorded and toured with other bands such as

and

References

External links

The QuillOfficial MySpace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quill, The Swedish rock music groups Swedish stoner rock musical groups English-language musical groups from Sweden