Dream Evil

Dream Evil

Dream Evil is a heavy metal and power metal group from Gothenburg, Sweden. It forms in 1999 around producer Fredrik Nordström, who wants to create a band built around his own musical ideas. The original lineup comes together in an unusual way: Nordström meets guitarist Gus G. while on holiday in Greece, and the two begin writing material together. Vocalist Niklas Isfeldt, bassist Peter Stålfors and drummer Snowy Shaw are then added, with Shaw initially declining before later agreeing to play on the debut album.

Formation and early recordings

The band first plans to use the name Dragonslayer, reflecting the medieval and fantasy themes in the early songs, but the label rejects the name as not distinctive enough. The group instead adopts Dream Evil, taking the name from Dio’s album of the same title. Before promotional photos are taken, the members have not all been in the same place together, and some do not know each other personally.

Dream Evil signs to Century Media Records and releases its debut album, Dragonslayer, in 2002. The record receives positive notices from specialist press and reaches number one on the Japanese import charts. The band then plays festivals and supports Blind Guardian on part of a world tour. Snowy Shaw later becomes a permanent member, and the group makes its first Japanese tour.

Albums and lineup changes

Dream Evil records Evilised quickly after being invited to tour Europe with HammerFall. The band writes much of the material on the flight to Europe and records the album in two weeks. The record appears in 2003, followed by touring with HammerFall and Masterplan, and another Japanese tour. Around the same period, Gus G. appears on the cover of Young Guitar Magazine.

For the third album, The Book of Heavy Metal, the band spends more time writing and refining the songs in the studio. It is recorded over two months and released in 2004. Later that year Gus G. leaves to focus on Firewind. He is replaced by Markus Black, also known as Mark U Black. In 2005, Niklas Isfeldt and Peter Stålfors briefly leave, with Jake E. Berg, also known as Jake Steel of Dreamland, and Tommy Larsson stepping in before the original pair return.

At the start of 2006, Snowy Shaw leaves the group. After a period of silence, Dream Evil announces drummer Pat Power, also known as Patrik Jerksten, and says it has recorded 18 new songs. These songs are issued on United in 2006. The band later announces Gold Medal in Metal, a release that combines tracks previously available only in Japan, new recordings, and a DVD featuring a live performance from Gothenburg on 25 November 2006.

Style and members

Dream Evil is associated with heavy metal and power metal, and its early material draws heavily on medieval and fantasy imagery. The group’s members include Fredrik Nordström, Niklas Isfeldt, Peter Stålfors, Gus G., Snowy Shaw, Markus Fristedt, Patrik J. Sten and Sören Fardvik.