Edge of Sanity

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This article is about the band. For the film, see Edge of Sanity (film).
Edge of Sanity
Dan Swanö
Dan Swanö
Background information
OriginFinspång, Sweden
GenresMelodic death metal, progressive death metal, death metal (early)
Years active1989–1999, 2003
LabelsBlack Mark
Past membersDan Swanö
Andreas Axelsson
Sami Nerberg
Anders Lindberg
Benny Larsson
Robert Karlsson

Edge of Sanity was a Swedish death metal band that, alongside Opeth, is commonly regarded as being the first to fuse extreme metal styles like death and black metal with progressive rock. The group was founded by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Dan Swanö in 1989 with Swanö taking vocal, guitar and songwriting duties,[1] and ended in 2003.

History

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Edge of Sanity began as a death metal band with their debut release Nothing but Death Remains. The band's second release, Unorthodox, with tracks like "Enigma" and "When All Is Said", showed Edge of Sanity branching out from some of the genre's conventions and striving for a more progressive sound. With The Spectral Sorrows, Until Eternity Ends, and Purgatory Afterglow , the band continued its tendency towards longer and more melodic songs. By the release of Crimson in 1996, Edge of Sanity was well established progressive death metal band. Crimson was a 40-minute concept album consisting entirely of one track, concerning a post-apocalyptic future in which mankind had lost the ability to breed.

After the release of Infernal in 1997, founder Dan Swanö left the band, citing creative differences with guitarist Andreas Axelsson.[2] Following Swanö's departure, Axelsson hired Robert Karlsson, the vocalist of Pan.Thy.Monium, a side project in which Swanö was also involved, and released Cryptic in 1997. Despite the efforts to keep the band running, the band split up shortly after the release of Cryptic.

In 2003, Swanö revived the outfit as a one-man band with several session musicians, and recorded a sequel to Crimson, Crimson II. Immediately after, he re-dissolved the project.

In 2011, Swanö re-released the Kur-Nu-Gi-A demo as a LP, and a CD edition of it in 2012.

In April 2024, Century Media Records and InsideOutMusic unveiled plans to reissue both remixed and remastered editions of the band's catalogue, reworked by Dan Swanö himself. Along with the announcement, Century Media released a remix of "Twilight", from the band's 1994 album Purgatory Afterglow, plus a music video for the new track.[3] The reissues were released in "chapters" throughout 2024 and 2025, along with remastered versions of Nightingale's records[4]. In June 2024, Century Media released the first chapter of reissues, featuring Purgatory Afterglow as well as the band's only EP, 1994's Until Eternity Ends, along with a music video featuring the remastered version of "Black Tears".[5]

Members

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Final line-up

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Previous members

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  • Sami Nerberg − guitar (1989–1999)
  • Anders Lindberg − bass (1989–1999)
  • Benny Larsson − drums (1989–1999)
  • Robert Karlsson − vocals (1997–1999)

Timeline

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Discography

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Albums

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EPs

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Demos

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  • Euthanasia (1989)
  • Kur-Nu-Gi-A (1990)
  • The Dead (1990)
  • The Immortal Rehearsals (1990)
  • Dead but Dreaming (1991)
  • Darkday (1993)
  • Lost (1993)
  • The Spectral Sorrows Demos (1993)
  • Infernal Demos (1996)

Compilations

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Videos

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  • "Black Tears" (1994) from Purgatory Afterglow
  • "Uncontroll Me" (1997) from Cryptic
  • Live in Norrköping 1991

References

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  1. ^ "Sunday Old School: Edge Of Sanity". Metal Underground. 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  2. ^ "metalupdate.com". www.metalupdate.com. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  3. ^ "Edge of Sanity / Nightingale catalogue reissue campaign announced; new single/video for Edge of Sanity's "Twilight" (Remix 2024) available now". BraveWords. 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  4. ^ "Tracklisting". www.danswano.com. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  5. ^ "Edge of Sanity release remastered version of "Black Tears" off upcoming 30th anniversary reissues". Lambgoat. 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
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