2012 in Scandinavian music explained

The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Scandinavian music in 2012.
(Go to last year in Scandinavian music or next year in Scandinavian music.)

Events

• 31 March
  • Norway's Sigrid Moldestad is awarded the Vossajazzprisen for 2012.^[1]
  • Norwegian jazz musician and composer Karl Seglem performs the commissioned work Som Spor at Vossajazz.^[2]
• 5 May – Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick and his quintet receive the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2012.^[3]
• 6 May – Swedish singer Loreen wins the 57th annual Eurovision Song Contest, held in Baku, Azerbaijan.^[4]
• 6 June – The 20th Sweden Rock Festival opens in Norje, running until 9 June).^[5]
• 25 June – Peter Wichers leaves the band Soilwork for a second time.^[6]
• 24 September – Swedish band Dark Funeral appear in Washington DC, United States, making their first major appearance with their new vocalist Nachtgarm.^[7] He would leave the band after less than a year.
• 1 October – Anette Olzon leaves the band Nightwish.^[8]
• 9 November – Finnish band Amberian Dawn announce the departure of singer Heidi Parviainen, drummer Heikki Saari and guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen.^[9]
• 21 December – Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen is announced as the new vocalist of Amberian Dawn.^[10]

New works

• Hans Abrahamsen – String Quartet No. 4^[11]
• Magnus Lindberg – Acequia Madre, for clarinet and piano^[12]
• Kaija Saariaho – Circle Map^[13]

Film and television music

• Hildur Guðnadóttir – ^[14]

Albums released

January

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
9		It's the Arps	Olsen Records	EP	^[15]
27	Tord Gustavsen Quartet	The Well	AFM Records		^[16]
	Stian Omenås	Klangkammer 1			^[17]

February

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
1	Swallow the Sun	Emerald Forest and the Blackbird	Spinefarm Records		^[18]
10	Dunderbeist	Black Arts & Crooked Tails			^[19]
	Engel	Songs for the Dead		EP	^[20]
13	Coldworker	The Doomsayer's Call	Listenable Records	Final album before 2013 breakup	^[21]
14	Avatar	Black Waltz	eOne Music		^[22]
15	Soen	Cognitive	Spinefarm Records	Debut album	^[23]

March

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
23	Aura Noir	Out to Die			^[24]
26	Borknagar	Urd	High Roller Records / Indie Recordings		^[25]
	Naglfar	Téras	Century Media Records	Features Dirk Verbeuren as a session musician	^[26]
30	Atrocity	Die Gottlosen Jahre		Double live DVD	^[27]

April

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
18	In Mourning	The Weight of Oceans	Spinefarm Records	Produced by Jonas Kjellgren	^[28]
	Verjnuarmu	Pimmeyvven Ruhtinas			^[29]
23	Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra	Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7; Karelia Suite	Decca Records, Deutsche Grammophon		^[30]

June

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
1	Circus Maximus	Nine	Frontiers Records		^[32]
	Jorn	Bring Heavy Rock to the Land	Frontiers Records		^[33]

August

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
24	Tarja Turunen			Live album recorded at El Círculo Theatre in Rosario, Argentina	^[35]
	Trollfest	Brumlebassen			^[36]
27	Ensiferum	Unsung Heroes			^[37]
	Grave	Endless Procession of Souls	Century Media Records		^[38]
	Katatonia	Dead End Kings			^[39]

October

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
22	Dark Tranquillity	Zero Distance	Century Media Records	EP	^[41]
26	Skálmöld	Börn Loka	Napalm Records	Based on Norse mythology	^[42]
30	Ragnarok	Malediction	Agonia Records		^[43]

November

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
2	NonExist	From My Cold Dead Hands			^[44]
	Moonlight	Lucifer's Rising	Impaled Records		^[45]
	Tiamat	The Scarred People			^[46]

December

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
5	Yngwie Malmsteen	Spellbound	Rising Force		^[47]
12	The Project Hate MCMXCIX	The Cadaverous Retaliation Agenda	Mouth of Belial Productions		^[48]
21	The Unguided	InvaZion (EP)		EP	^[49]

Deaths

• 1 January – Anders Frandsen, Danish singer and television presenter, 51^[50]
• 4 January – Totti Bergh, Norwegian jazz saxophonist, 76^[51]
• 13 February – Tommi Kristian "Tonmi" Lillman ("Otus"), Finnish drummer (Lordi), 38^[52]
• 22 February – Eivin One Pedersen, Norwegian jazz accordionist and pianist, 55^[53]
• 15 March – Edvard Hagerup Bull, Norwegian classical composer, 89^[54]
• 15 June – Rune Gustafsson, Swedish guitarist and composer, 78^[55]
• 8 October – John Tchicai, Danish saxophonist and composer, 76^[56]
• 15 October – Axel Borup-Jørgensen, Danish composer, 87^[57]
• 3 November
  • Anne-Lise Berntsen, Norwegian soprano, 69^[58]
  • Odd Børretzen, Norwegian author and folk singer, 85^[59]
• 15 November – Frode Thingnæs, Norwegian jazz musician, 72^[60]

Notes and References

1. Web site: VOSSA JAZZ-PRISEN 2012 til Sigrid Moldestad . no . . 2015-04-21 . https://archive.today/20150422103013/http://www.hordaland.no/Hordaland-fylkeskommune/Kultur/Arkiv---kultur/2012/April/VOSSA-JAZZ-PRISEN-2012-til-Sigrid-Moldestad- . 2015-04-22 . dead .
2. News: "Verdensjazz" som bestilt . no . . 2015-04-21.
3. Web site: Mathias Eick Quintet wins the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2012 . Andreasen . Guttorm . ListenTo.no . 2012-05-07 . 2015-04-24.
4. Web site: Grand Final of Baku 2012 . European Broadcasting Union . 1 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210501123638/https://eurovision.tv/event/baku-2012/grand-final . 1 May 2021 . live.
5. Web site: Sweden Rock Festival 2012 Setlist . Setlist.fm . 2018-03-04.
6. Web site: Soilwork – Guitarist Peter Wichers Quits The Band Again. 30 November 2024.
7. Web site: Morbid Angel at the Howard Theatre. DC Heavy Metal. 29 November 2024.
8. Web site: Nightwish . Nightwish – The Official Website . Nightwish.com . 1 October 2012 . 24 June 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130625170454/http://nightwish.com/en/news?month=10&year=2012#2187 . 25 June 2013 . dead .
9. Web site: The First Chapter Of AMBERIAN DAWN's Story Is 'Closed'. 9 November 2012. Blabbermouth. 29 November 2024.
10. Web site: AMBERIAN DAWN Announces New Singer. 21 December 2012. Blabbermouth. 29 November 2024.
11. Web site: ABRAHAMSEN String Quartets Nos 1 - 4. Gramophone. 30 November 2024.
12. Web site: Lindberg, Magnus - Acequia Madre (2012). Boosey & Hawkes. 30 November 2024.
13. Web site: Saariaho . Kaija . Kaija Saariaho . 2012 . Circle Map . . 19 January 2016.
14. Web site: Cast and crew. MUBI. 29 November 2024.
15. Web site: Todd Terje – It's the Arps EP . Consequence of Sound . January 18, 2012 . January 5, 2019 . Dilillo, David.
16. Web site: Tord Gustavsen / Tord Gustavsen Quartet – The Well . . 2016-02-22.
17. Web site: Utsøkt samarbeid på cd . Terje . Mosnes . Norwegian . . 28 March 2012 . 2013-09-20.
18. Web site: Swallow the Sun. Metal Storm. 30 November 2024.
19. Web site: Dunderbeist Reveals Cover Art and Track List . 2012-01-29 . 2012-05-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120502212751/http://www.indierecordings.net/news/news.php?id=54 . dead .
20. Web site: Engel Reveals "Songs For The Dead" EP Details. Metal Underground. 30 November 2024.
21. Web site: Coldworker Streaming New Track - in Metal News . Metal Underground.com . 2016-02-18.
22. Web site: Coldworker Streaming New Track - in Metal News . Metal Underground.com . 30 November 2024.
23. Web site: Metal Storm Review. Metal Storm. 1 June 2012. 16 May 2021.
24. http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=75921 Aura Noir To Release Fifth LP In March
25. Web site: "Universal" Follow Up is a Return to Roots. Metal Underground. 29 November 2024.
26. Web site: Naglfar – Reveal New Album Details, New Song Online. Metalstorm. 29 November 2024.
27. https://www.metalstorm.net/events/news_comments.php?news_id=15989 Atrocity – To Release Double Live DVD
28. Web site: In Mourning Reveals New Album "The Weight Of Oceans" Details. Metal Underground.
29. Web site: Verjnuarmu Releasing New Album "Pimmeyvven Ruhtinas".
30. Web site: Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7; Karelia Suite. Deutsche Grammophon. 30 November 2024.
31. Web site: Mikael Åkerfeldt and Steven Wilson Finished Working on Storm Corrosion Album . Guitar World . 2011-09-26 . 2012-06-11.
32. Web site: Rocktopia – Circus Maximus release new album 'Nine' worldwide in June.
33. Web site: JORN to release “Bring Heavy Rock To The Land” on Frontiers in June. Frontiers Records. 30 November 2024.
34. Web site: Zonaria - Sign With Listenable Records, Reveal New Album Details. 21 May 2012. Metal Storm. 30 November 2024.
35. Web site: Tarja Turunen first solo album 'Act I' announced . 2013-10-15 . 13 June 2012 . earMUSIC Official Website . . https://web.archive.org/web/20140809194143/http://www.ear-music.net/en/news/details/tarja-turunen-s-first-solo-live-album-act-1-announced/ . 2014-08-09 . dead .
36. Web site: Brumlebassen. 21 May 2012. Metal Storm. 30 November 2024.
37. Web site: Ensiferum – Album Details Revealed. 30 November 2024.
38. Web site: GRAVE: New Album Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed. June 22, 2012. Blabbermouth. 30 November 2024.
39. News: Katatonia: Dead End Kings – review. Dom. Lawson. 23 August 2012. The Guardian.
40. Web site: Elephant9-Jazz Rock/Fusion. ProgArchives. 29 November 2024.
41. Web site: Dark Tranquillity Releasing Digital Edition Of "Zero Distance" EP. 18 October 2012. Metal Underground. 30 November 2024.
42. Web site: Things Seen and Heard: haarp, Skalmold, Bloodred Hourglass and Goblin. No Clean Singing. August 23, 2012. August 23, 2012.
43. Web site: Things Seen and Heard: haarp, Skalmold, Bloodred Hourglass and Goblin. Metal Storm. 30 November 2024.
44. Web site: From My Cold Dead Hands – Nonexist. 1 December 2024.
45. Web site: Lucifer's Rising. Metal Archives. 1 December 2024.
46. Web site: TIAMAT: 'The Scarred People' Cover Artwork Revealed. Blabbermouth.net. September 10, 2012 . September 13, 2012.
47. Web site: Album/EP Reviews. Metal Forces magazine. 1 December 2024.
48. Web site: The Cadaverous Retaliation Agenda – The Project Hate MCMXCIX. Metal Archives. 1 December 2024.
49. Web site: The Unguided – InvaZion. Metal Storm. 1 December 2024.
50. News: Venner fandt Anders Frandsen død. B.T.. da. 3 January 2012. Jens. Hansen.
51. News: Totti Bergh er død . Norwegian . Erling . Wicklund . Erling Wicklund . . 2012-01-04 . 2016-02-16.
52. Web site: Lordi Drummer ‘Otus’ Tonmi Lillman Dies at 38. en. 15 February 2012. Loudwire. 30 November 2024.
53. Web site: Eivin One Pedersen . Norwegian . MIC.no . 2017-03-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034004/http://www.mic.no/symfoni/kontakt.nsf/pub/per2012031509315535981689 . 2016-03-04 .
54. News: Red. . Edvard Hagerup Bull er død . Norwegian . Ballade.no . 2012-03-19 . 2016-02-20.
55. Web site: Gitarristen Rune Gustafsson död. 16 June 2012. Aftonbladet. 30 November 2024.
56. Web site: John Tchicai, Saxophone Player in Free Jazz Movement, Dies at 76 . Ratliff . Ben . October 10, 2012 . New York Times . March 3, 2021.
57. Web site: Axel Borup-Jørgensen . da . Politiken.dk . 2012-11-11 . 2012-10-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020042750/http://politiken.dk/navne/doedsfald/ECE1785491/axel-borup-joergensen/ . live .
58. Encyclopedia: Anne-Lise Berntsen . Norsk biografisk leksikon. Kjell . Hillveg . . Kunnskapsforlaget . Oslo. Norwegian. 8 April 2013.
59. Web site: Odd Børretzen er død - VG Nett . Vg.no . 2012-01-01 . 2012-11-03.
60. Web site: Festaften med Thingnæs . Norwegian . Oluf . Endresen . . 2008-01-18 . 2013-11-04 . dead . https://archive.today/20120905115346/http://www.oblad.no/article/20080118/SKI/750737913 . 2012-09-05 .