Edge of Sanity Mega-Post, as per Smalley's requestification!



If you don't like Edge of Sanity, you hate metal. I think Dan Swano and company are indirectly responsible for all of the popular hard stuff today. Without EoS the mid-90's Gothenberg sound wouldn't have evolved past the early EToS or At the Gates sound, and Swano's willingness to use traditional metal harmonies and clean vocals heavily inspired tons of the big Swedish bands of the early and mid-90's which in turn inspired the metal-core bands that have inspired the screamo and hardcore bands of today. Additionally Swano is best friends with Opeth and produced their early work, urging Mikael to work on his clean vocals and incorporating the prog music both loved into Opeth's work.

Nothing But Death Remains:


A rather typical album that didn't hint at the greatness to come. A 16 year old Dan Swano joins the band in 1989 and quickly becomes their center, releasing this album in 1991.
Nothing special, but this IS their first non-demo (though their demos heavily influenced tons of bands around the same time and shared a sphere of influence with Entombed and Dismember. Elements of all these bands can be heard in each others respective sounds).
can't find any full length songs for you, but here are some 30 second samples of every song on the album: http://mp3-realm.biz/nothing-but-death-remains/alb1861/

Unorthodox, was still a little typical, though this is how early Swano was experimenting with some unique, ballsy touches gleaned from goth, prog, and doom.
Fave song:
Enigma:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kLbM...eature=related


it was on Spectral Sorrows that EoS really came into their own. Recorded in 1992 and released in 1993, Spectral Sorrows still sounds unique, and, when placed in the context of the time in death metal, was downright cutting-edge.


Jesus Cries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl4AOIcEb1M
The Masque: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2DO4...eature=related

Purgatory Afterglow (1994).

Some will call this Edge of Sanity's best, some will call this Edge of Sanity slipping over the edge into "too accessible". However it would be idiotic not to recognize this as EoS' most influential work. Stunning clean vocals, amazing melodies and harmonies, a heavy goth-rock influence (as heard on Sepctral Sorrows), and bludgeoning riffs. The final track is an homage to American hardcore, which all memebers were fans of. One of the most ballsy releases ever by an extreme metal band. IMO, exceptional.

Twilight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP4Lhe6E7YY (probably my favorite EoS track. Just awesomely, crushingly brutal and rifftastic.)
Black Tears: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwhzmUismio (notice the melody bears a striking resemblance to a crap hit song by a certain bunch of idiots in masks). An excellent punkish/gothic rock song.
The Sinner and the Sadness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOQsO63_APc
Elegy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5QT1736y4k


After this came Crimson:

a 40 minute long song that runs from Death Metal to Prog to Goth and back again, with guest vocals from Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth. This album wasn't as successful (as it was much less commercial) and caused a major rift in the band. By the time Infernal came out the band was on the outs and the album suffered as a result. Swano left to do a number of other projects and EoS turned into crappy stomp metal, heavily influenced by later Entombed and American hardcore like Hatebreed.
Crimson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9i-jaMaEpo

Swano:


BONUS: from the Until Eternity Ends EP (1994): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUzMBhLI--4