Fallnären

Fallnären
Fallnären performing at Raikonyretfest in 2016
Background information
Origin	Gothendral, Delkora
Genres	Alternative rock, progressive metal
Years active	1987 (1987)–present
Labels	Riot Records
Website	www.fallnären.del
Members	Valentin Oberg Mattias Jonessen Tore Vodner Jonny Grenborg
Past members	Kol Vossgaard

Fallnären (The Fallen) is a Delkoran alternative rock band formed in Gothendral in 1987. Although it never achieved the same level of commercial success as other bands of the era, the group was at the forefront of the Delkoran alt-rock scene at its zenith in the 1990's and had a major influence on the genre. The band's original bassist, Kol Vossgaard, went on to be elected to the Federal Parliament and later served as chancellor of Delkora from 2002 to 2006.

Biography

The band was formed in 1987 while Valentin and Jonessen were studying at the University of Gothendral. Grenborg, a longtime friend of Jonessen's, joined the group as its drummer that year and introduced the group to Vossgaard, who joined as its bassist. Fallnären began playing at local bars and nightclubs, slowly building a devoted following in the city. In 1988, the group was approached about playing at Sundering Fest that year. Their performance helped vault the group into the spotlight, leading to a record deal with Riot Records. The band began recording their first studio album Drömetoye, which debuted in 1989 and proved to be an underground hit. The band's second album, Kognition, released two years later, was a breakthrough hit, eventually reaching number one on Lyudetliste and securing the band nationwide recognition.

Early on, Fallnären was hampered by its antagonistic relationship with the major record companies and tour promoters. In particular, many venues refused to host the band because of its vulgar lyrics and members on-stage antics, which often included profanity-laden tirades against record industry executives, drug use, and passing out LSD to concert attendees. In 1993, after the Izenhoth Municipal Council voted down a resolution introduced by the mayor to ban the group from performing in the city, they organized a concert at a football stadium across from the municipal complex, hanging a giant banner with a spray-painted middle finger outside. Despite these and other issues, the band managed to play to a number of sold-out crowds throughout the country. In 1994, Vossgaard left the band following his election to the Federal Parliament as a member of the Green Party. The band took a year long hiatus while searching for a new bassist, eventually bringing on Tore Vodner in 1995. The band continued to release albums throughout the late 1990's, but began touring far less.

After Vossgaard unexpectedly became chancellor following the 2002 Federal Government Crisis, the band saw a spike in their publicity, with Fantometland becoming a best-selling album that year. In an interview with the DBS prior to the election, Oberg remarked, "Kol was always kind of a nerd, but you better fucking believe we're voting Green." In 2005, while the band played at a venue in Abenvard, Vossgaard made a surprise appearance on stage, playing bass for the second set.

After releasing Schemata in 2009, the group announced it was going on an extended hiatus. During this time, Oberg and Jonessen embarked on successful solo careers, releasing a number of best-selling singles between 2010 and 2014. In 2015, Grenborg was arrested in Tordenhelm after throwing a brick at a member of a far-right biker gang following a confrontation outside of a nightclub, but was later released. In 2016, the band announced they had begun recording Abstraktion, which dropped the following year and proved to be a major hit.

Line-up

• Valentin Oberg (Lead vocals, guitar)
• Mattias Jonessen (Guitar, supporting vocals)
• Tore Vodner (Bass)
• Jonny Grenborg (Drums)

Discography

• Drömetoye (1989)
• Kognition (1991)
• Sjal pa Fyuer (1993)
• Omskoling (1997)
• Synnetplaga (2001)
• Fantometland (2004)
• Schemata (2009)
• Abstraktion (2017)