Blindside
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blindside | |
|---|---|
 Marcus Dahlström, Simon Grenehed, Tomas Näslund, and Christian Lindskog |
|
| Origin | Stockholm |
| Country | Sweden |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Genres | Alternative Metal |
| Labels | DRT Entertainment |
| Members | Christian Lindskog Simon Grenehed Tomas Näslund Marcus Dahlström |
Blindside is a rock band from Stockholm, Sweden. They formed in 1994 as "Underfree" and kept that name for two years before releasing their debut EP in 1996.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1997, Solid State Records got a hold of the EP and signed Blindside. The first album, the self-titled Blindside, was released to American audiences. This album had quite a raw, punk-rock feel and was well-received by fans of P.O.D. and Mr. Bungle.
In 1998, Tooth & Nail Records issued a new EP: Empty Box. That would go on to be a great album
In 2000, A Thought Crushed My Mind was released. This album explored a harsher, more hardcore side than the band's debut, and vocalist/chief lyricist Christian Lindskog also voiced his pain of missing his wife, Elina, while touring. Due to lackluster sales of the two albums, it would be Blindside's final album for Solid State. P.O.D. began actively endorsing Blindside and signed them to Elektra Records under the imprint 3 Points.
2002 saw the release of Blindside's next album, Silence. It generated major hits such as "Sleepwalking", "Pitiful", and "Caught a Glimpse". In 2003, they toured with Hoobastank to support the album. Some fans consider this their best work yet, as it perfectly meshes Christian's beautiful vocal melodies with the band's dramatic, crunchy instrumentation.
In 2004, About a Burning Fire was released. It generated a minor hit in "All of Us". This album showed the band toying with their diversity, as they threw in techno elements in "Where The Sun Never Dies" and yodeling Swedish vocals in the ethereal "Shekina". "Shekina" was used on WWE DVD Cheating Death, Stealing Life - The Eddie Guerrero Story.
In 2003, the Warner Music Group was sold to private investors, leading Elektra to drop Blindside. The Blindside Union and P.O.D. Warriors, the two bands' street teams, stepped in to help in promotion. Blindside sold out five of the shows they headlined in 2004.
However, the headlining tour was marred by a couple of incidents. First, their tour bus crashed, and was in disrepair, so they were forced to rent a van. Second, their last show in Bartlesville, OK had to be cancelled. They went in to a restaurant after their show in Dallas, TX, and when they came out, they found everything in their rental van stolen, including their passports and whatever money they had.
In 2005, Blindside re-released their two Solid State LPs with bonus tracks and new cover art. A DVD titled Ten Years Running Blind was released on June 21, 2005, and a new album, The Great Depression, was released August 2, 2005.
The Great Depression showcased Blindside experimenting with multiple new genres. Many jazzy elements were incorporated, such as in the spiritually uplifting "My Alibi" and the dreamy, ethereal "City Lights". Guest vocalists were even incorporated, namely Ilkka from Benea Reach, as well as J. Jamte. Ilkka's vocals dualed Christian Lindskog's in "Come To Rest". J. Jamte also did work on the comforting ballad "You Must Be Bleeding Under Your Eyelids." Blindside will be releasing "When I Remember" as a single in Sweden. A video has been compleated and can now be viewed on their website. Also, Blindside's song "This Time" will be part of a compilation CD titled Friends With Microphones, along with fellow Christian artists such as mewithoutYou, anberlin, Paul Wright, and Dogwood; the proceeds from this CD benefit Lifewater International.
Blindside is expected to release their sixth studio album in early 2007.
[edit] Members
[edit] Discography
| Title | Year | Label | Billboards | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blindside | 1997 | Solid State | Lasse Marten | |
| A Thought Crushed My Mind | 2000 | Solid State | Andre Jacobsson | |
| Silence | 2002 | Elektra | #83 (US) | Howard Benson |
| About a Burning Fire | 2004 | Elektra | #39 (US) | Howard Benson |
| Blindside (re-released) | 2005 | DRT | ||
| A Thought Crushed My Mind (re-released) | 2005 | DRT | ||
| The Great Depression | 2005 | DRT | #89 (US) | Lasse Marten |
| n/a | 2007 | DRT | ?? |
[edit] Videography
| Title | Album |
|---|---|
| King Of The Closet | A Thought Crushed My Mind |
| Pitiful | Silence |
| Sleepwalking | Silence |
| All Of Us | About A Burning Fire |
| About A Burning Fire | About A Burning Fire |
| Fell In Love With The Game | The Great Depression |
| When I Remember | The Great Depression |
[edit] Billboard chart positions, by song
| Title | Category | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| "Pitiful" | Mainstream rock tracks | #18 |
| "Pitiful" | Modern rock tracks | #36 |
| "Sleepwalking" | Mainstream rock tracks | #31 |
[edit] Quotes
- "Blindside's multifaceted singer can cut through thick, gristly guitar chords with serrated vocals or make melodic incisions with scalpel-clean precision. Lots of similarities to Refused, which is about the nicest thing anyone can say about a Hardcore band these days. Swift, furious tempo changes, crushing throw-downs and airtight construction all around."
-Rollingstone.com[citation needed]
- "We’re a rock band yes, but our lyrics and the personal way we try and relate to our audience is always in the forefront of our minds.”
-Christian Lindskog[citation needed]
- "They play with such a high level of emotion. I believe they will be the next big thing in rock. Silence is by far the best album of the year, a refreshing break from all the cookie-cutter acts that are out there today."
-Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D.[citation needed]
[edit] Media Appearances
- "Swallow" (from About A Burning Fire) appears on the "Need For Speed Underground" video game
- Blindside peformed "Pitiful" on the Conan O'Brien Show on September 11, 2002
- Blindside was mentioned on "IMX" by P.O.D
- Billy Corgan featured in "Hooray, It's L.A." on About A Burning Fire
- Christian featured in the song "Anything Right" on P.O.D's album Satellite
- "Pitiful" video featured in P.O.D's Tastemaker (a show on the channel Fuse TV)
- Blindside has played at Cornerstone Festival multiple times
- "Channel One News" song requests
- Oven Fresh on "Fuse TV"
- "Pitiful" appears as background music for the MTV special Ultimate Videogame Countdown
- Fuse TV's IMX Interviews
- Blindside appears playing "Pitiful" live in Grind the movie
- Project Revolution Tour 2003
- "Pitiful" appears in the video game NHL 2003
- Appearances on TVU Live
- Purple Door Festival
- Blindside's songs appear in various Solid State compilation CD's
- "Fell In Love With The Game" (from The Great Depression) is featured in the Taste of Chaos compilation CD
- "Shekina" (from About A Burning Fire) is used on the WWE DVD Cheating Death, Stealing Life - The Eddie Guerrero Story.
