Scandinavian death metal

In the early 1990s, a distinctively Scandinavian death metal scene arose, centered primarily around Gothenburg and Stockholm, Sweden, though also incorporating Finnish and Norwegian bands. The Swedish and Finnish bands, inspired by Bathory and other 1980s thrash metal bands, were more popular than the Norwegian bands, who were influenced strongly by black metal and included keyboards and chaotic riffs. The Gothenburg sound was pioneered by bands such as Dark Tranquility, At the Gates, and In Flames. The Swedish (and Finnish) bands used grindcore influenced riffs and soon added prog rock-style flourishes. As the 1990s progressed, the Norwegian and Swedish scenes continued diverging, with the latter's center moving from Stockholm to Gothenburg, where New Wave of British Heavy Metal influences became prominent, and Finnish acts continued this trend into the next millennium as all things saumi rock began to break into mainstream European audiences.