Adrian Paul Erlandsson (born 27 October 1970) is a Swedish heavy metal drummer who is a member of At the Gates (1990–1996, 2007–2008, 2010–present), the Haunted (1996–1999, 2013–present), and Nemhain (2006–present).

Adrian Erlandsson
Background information
Birth nameAdrian Paul Erlandsson
Also known asThe Swede, El Podrido
Born (1970-10-27) 27 October 1970 (age 54)
Malmö, Sweden
GenresMelodic death metal, heavy metal, extreme metal, death metal, rock, black metal, crust punk, D-beat
OccupationDrummer
Years active1981–present
Websiteparadiselost.co.uk

He has also been a member of H.E.A.L. (1994–1996), Hyperhug (1994–1996), Decameron (1997), Cradle of Filth (1999–2006), Needleye (2006–?), Brujeria (2006–2013), Netherbird (2007–2010), and Paradise Lost (2009–2016).

Erlandsson currently resides in London where he owns a photo studio.[1]

Biography

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Erlandsson was born in Malmö to a Swedish father with Romanian roots. He's the older brother of Daniel Erlandsson, the drummer of Arch Enemy, and ex-Carcass. They both grew up together in Sweden and started playing drums at a very young age but with Adrian's career beginning in 1981 at the age of 11 after getting his first drum kit, and started to play with friends began playing covers of classic rock songs. He got his brother into drumming as Daniel admits "If it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't be playing today."[citation needed] They also started playing with their music teacher at school, and eventually began to write their own songs and formed a band.

Inspired by Judas Priest, he formed the Black Nuns which evolved into Berits Polisonger playing until 1986. There then followed a series of other bands including thrash metal band Penance in 1987. Erlandsson went on to form Penance, a thrash metal band, which never recorded a demo, although they did record some rehearsal tracks.

As soon as he could hold down his first beat, Adrian Erlandsson and a friend formed a band and covered classic rock songs. The first song they learned was Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" They soon gathered more members and began playing covers by bands like Def Leppard, Dokken, The Exploited, GBH, Thin Lizzy and Twisted Sister.

Bands

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At the Gates

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Erlandsson then went to University in Gothenburg, where in 1990, he joined the Swedish death metal band At the Gates. He was the band's drummer until they broke up, and received critical and fan praise for his speed and precision. When asked what each at the Gates member contributes to the group's overall sound, bandmember Anders Björler said that Erlandsson "hit the drums hard".[2]

In 2007, At the Gates reunited for some festival shows in the summer of 2008 and a headlining US tour which was dubbed Suicidal Final Tour and at the time, mentioned that they would disband after the 2008 tour.[3] In December 2010, the band reunited again, and released their fifth studio album At War with Reality in October 2014.

Terror

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He was a founding member of the supergroup Terror in the Spring of 1994 with Jon Nödtveidt and his At the Gates bandmates, Anders Björler & Jonas Björler. The band existed for a few weeks but released Demo '94 in April 1994.

The Haunted

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The day after the first demise of At the Gates, being 27 July 1996, Erlandsson formed The Haunted with Patrik Jensen. Erlandsson remained in the band before departing in June 1999 due to eventually not liking the deal the band had Earache Records.

Later on in 2012, when Per Möller Jensen (the drummer who replaced Erlandsson back in '99) quit The Haunted, the remainder of the band who had also lost 2 other members other than Möller, had difficulty for a year to search for a new drummer, until Patrik Jensen phoned Erlandsson in April 2013 to rejoin. When Erlandsson asked Jensen as to who else was in the band, he responded with new members Marco Aro and Ola Englund. Having knowing those members and respecting them at their musical abilities, Erlandsson immediately jumped at the chance to join and put his musical input with them.[4] On 26 June 2013, The Haunted released a YouTube video titled "The Haunted returns with a revamped line-up!" which officially announced the returns of both Erlandsson and vocalist Marco Aro.

Cradle of Filth

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Erlandsson in 2000

Erlandsson mentioned how he was hired by Cradle of Filth stating:

I got approached by Cradle of Filth at the Dynamo gig '99 where we played with The Haunted. 2 weeks into June I was asked to join Cradle of Filth in England, mainly to help them out with some session recording and a few gigs… Since it worked so well… I ended up joining the band on a permanent basis…

— Adrian Erlandsson

In 2006, according to an official Roadrunner press release, Erlandsson left with the intention of devoting his energies to his two side projects, Nemhain and the since-defunct Needleye. "I have enjoyed my time with Cradle but it is now time to move on. I feel I am going out on a high as Thornography is definitely our best album to date".[5]

Nemhain

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Erlandsson formed Nemhain with his wife Amber Erlandsson, known as a fetish model under the name Morrigan Hel,[6] in March 2006. The band returns Erlandsson to his roots as a rock drummer. Nemhain recorded its debut album From the Ashes in Studio Fredman during the late spring 2008 due for a release in April 2009.

Paradise Lost

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Erlandsson with Paradise Lost in 2009

In March 2009, Erlandsson joined the British gothic metal band Paradise Lost under Jeff Walker's recommendation.[7] Although he was hired after the recording Faith Divides Us Death Unites Us, he was in the music video The Rise of Denial.

Throughout random times from 2009 to 2014, Erlandsson was unable to play with the band due to commitments with his other bands most notably At the Gates. In June 2016, he announced on his Facebook page that he will no longer play drums for Paradise Lost due to other band commitments.

Vallenfyre

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In 2010 he was hired again to be in another band of Gregory Mackintosh from Paradise Lost called Vallenfyre. In 2014, just like in Paradise Lost, Erlandsson has been unable to play with the band due to commitments with his other bands.

Other projects

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Erlandsson has also played in Nifelheim. While Adrian was in Cradle of Filth, due to band's poor reputation in the black metal scene, he was fired from Nifelheim, who said it was "like a very bad, bad dream" to have had "a drummer who plays in CRADLE OF WIMPS now", and that he was "a schooled drummer" but "had problems to understand the most twisted and sickest riffs".[8]

In late 2007, Erlandsson recorded the drums for a three track EP for London band Green River Project.

The year 2008 saw Erlandsson fill in for Deathstars on their tour in Europe supporting Korn.

In 2012 Erlandsson took part in a still unreleased and secretive project with the band HIYF. (needs more details)

Equipment

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Discography

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Release Band Member Year
Gardens of Grief At the Gates Current 1991
The Red in the Sky Is Ours At the Gates Current 1992
With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness At the Gates Current 1993
Demo '94 Terror Former 1994
Terminal Spirit Disease At the Gates Current 1994
There Can Only be One H.E.A.L. Former 1994
Slaughter of the Soul At the Gates Current 1995
Profithysteril Skitsystem Former 1995
Distortion To Hell Again!! Vol.2 (The Demo Series) Skitsystem Former 1995
Cursed to Tour At the Gates Current 1996
Shivas Ohm H.E.A.L. Former 1996 (Recorded during or before that year, but unreleased)
Demo '97 The Haunted Current 1997
The Haunted The Haunted Current 1998
From the Cradle to Enslave (Track 2) Cradle of Filth Former 1999
Midian Cradle of Filth Former 2000
Peek A Boo (ft. Cradle of Filth) – Born Again Anti Christian Christian Death Guest 2000
Her Ghost In The Fog / Dance Macabre Cradle of Filth Former 2000
Her Ghost In The Fog (Edit) – Dynamit Vol. 24 Cradle of Filth Former 2000
Her Ghost In The Fog (Edit) – Rock Sound Volume 47 Cradle of Filth Former 2000
Her Ghost In The Fog – Off Road Tracks Vol. 37 Cradle of Filth Former 2000
Her Ghost In The Fog (Edit) – CD Side 1 Cradle of Filth Former 2000
Her Ghost In The Fog (Edit) – Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction Vol. VIII Cradle of Filth Former 2000
Her Ghost In The Fog (Edit) – Elegy – Numéro 12 Cradle of Filth Former 2000
Bitter Suites to Succubi Cradle of Filth Former 2001
Heavy Left-Handed and Candid Cradle of Filth Former 2001
Peaceville Classic Cuts At the Gates Current 2001
Eleven Burial Masses / Live Bait for the Dead Cradle of Filth Former 2002
Lovecraft & Witch Hearts Cradle of Filth Former 2002
Allt E Skitl Skitsystem Former 2002
Suicidal Final Art At the Gates Current 2002
Babalon A.D. – So Glad for the Madness Cradle of Filth Former 2003
Off Road Tracks Vol. 66 Cradle of Filth Former 2003
Damnation and a Day Cradle of Filth Former 2003
Mannequin Cradle of Filth Former 2003
Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth Former 2004
Nymphetamine Cradle of Filth Former 2004
Gilded Cunt – Rock Tribune: International Heavy Rock Gratis CD September 2004 Cradle of Filth Former 2004
Gilded Cunt – Orkus Compilation 3 Cradle of Filth Former 2004
Medusa And Hemlock – Off Road Tracks Vol. 84 Oktober 2004 Cradle of Filth Former 2004
Liszt 12 Ton Method Former 2005
Devil Woman Cradle of Filth Former 2005
Peace Through Superior Firepower Cradle of Filth Former 2005
Blinded by Fear – Death Metal Special At the Gates Current 2005
Thornographic Cradle of Filth Former 2006
Thornography Cradle of Filth Former 2006
Temptation & Dirge Inferno Cradle of Filth Former 2006
Ode to None Needleye Former 2006–?
Lighthouse Eternal (Laterna Magika) Netherbird Former 2007
Auf den Spiralnebeln Samsas Traum Former 2007
Heiliges Herz – Das Schwert deiner Sonne Samsas Traum Former 2007
The Art of Not Falling 12 Ton Method Former 2008
Debilador Brujeria Former 2008
The Ghost Collector (Tracks 1–9) Netherbird Guest 2008
Night Electric Night (Gold Edition) (Track 14) Deathstars Guest 2009
Warning Shots (Disc 1: Tracks 1, 5, 8, 14, 16 & Disc 2: Tracks 8–12) The Haunted Former 2009
Promo 2009 Netherbird Former 2009
Resplendent Grotesque Code Guest 2009
Sovereign (Tracks 10, 11) Tenet Guest 2009
Purgatory Unleashed – Live at Wacken At the Gates Current 2010
Monument Black Colossal Netherbird Former 2010
Live in Kraków At the Gates Current 2010
From The Ashes Nemhain Current 2010
Purgatory Unleashed – Live at Wacken 2008 At the Gates Current 2011
Farewell to Graveland (Tracks 3–6, 8) Martyr Lucifer Guest 2011
Desecration Vallenfyre Current 2011
A Fragile King Vallenfyre Current 2011
Draconian Times MMXI Paradise Lost Current 2011
Crucify Paradise Lost Current 2012
The Last Fallen Saviour Paradise Lost Current 2012
Tragic Idol Paradise Lost Current 2012
Shards (Tracks 11–13) Martyr Lucifer Guest 2013
Tragic Illusion 25 (Tracks 1–4, 13, 14) Paradise Lost Current 2013
Live at the Roundhouse Paradise Lost Current 2013
Eye of the Storm The Haunted Current 2014
Captor of Sin / Mandatory Suicide At the Gates Current 2014
Splinters Vallenfyre Current 2014
Exit Wounds The Haunted Current 2014
At War with Reality At the Gates Current 2014
The Plague Within Paradise Lost Former 2015
Strength in Numbers The Haunted Current 2017
To Drink from the Night Itself At the Gates Current 2018
The Nightmare of Being At the Gates Current 2021

References

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  1. ^ "AT THE GATES REUNITED AND READY TO CONQUER // Ghosts of the Road". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  2. ^ Morgan, Anthony (November 2007). ""The Flames of the End"? – Guitarist Anders Björler wishes to pen the final chapter in the glorious history of Swedish legends at the Gates". Lucem Fero. Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  3. ^ "Decibel Magazine". Decibelmagazine.com. Retrieved 26 July 2020.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "The Haunted - New lineup 2013 (Marco Aro, Ola Englund, Adrian Erlandsson, Jensen, Jonas Björler) - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Roadrunner Records Australia – Cradle of Filth". Roadrunner Records. n.d. Archived from the original on 6 August 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  6. ^ Christian Kruse: Nemhain. From The Ashes. In: Metal Hammer, February 2010, p. 98.
  7. ^ "PARADISE LOST – Welcome Adrian Erlandsson as New Drummer! van Paradise Lost op Myspace". Blogs.myspace.com. 10 April 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  8. ^ Paulo, Metalion: NIFELHEIM. In: Jon Kristiansen: Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries. Brooklyn, NY: Bazillion Points Books 2011. p. 459.
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