The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Nordic music in 2008.
Events 1 January – Making her début as a concert pianist, German violinist Julia Fischer chooses Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor at the Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany. 14 March – Norwegian guitarist Mads Berven is awarded the Vossajazzprisen 2008 at the Vossajazz festival. 20 May – On finally leaving Viking metal band Stratovarius after 20 years, Norwegian lead vocalist and band founder Timo Tolkki agrees to sign over his right to use the band's name, giving other members the option to continue without him. 11 September – Christian Älvestam leaves the band Scar Symmetry and begins a solo career. 18 September – Peter Wichers returns to Swedish band Soilwork, replacing Daniel Antonsson. 7 October – The Spotify on-demand music streaming service is launched in Sweden, where it was founded two years earlier. 9 October – Singer Denny Axelsson leaves Swedish band The Blinded. November – Norwegian black metal vocalist Gaahl reveals that he is gay, in an interview with the magazine Rock Hard. unknown date – Stefan Klaverdal wins first prize at the International Competition for Electroacoustic Music in Bourges, for his score for the film SIDA 33.
Classical works Kalevi Aho –Minea. Concertante Music for Orchestra Bo Holten – The Visit of the Royal Physician (opera), published
Albums released January DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.2 In Mourning Shrouded Divine Aftermath Music Debut album 14 The Dø A Mouthful Cinq 7 Debut album 30 Lykke Li Youth Novels LL Recordings Produced by Björn Yttling
February DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.8 Behexen My Soul for His Glory Hammer of Hate Records Limited edition 13 Norther N Century Media Records Last Norther album with Petri Lindroos
March DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.10 Bloodbath Unblessing the Purity Peaceville Records First album with Mikael Åkerfeldt on vocals since 2002 Nortt Galgenfrist Avantgarde Music Recorded 2006-7 21 Korpiklaani Korven Kuningas Nuclear Blast Records First album with Nuclear Blast
April DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.15 Ketil Bjørnstad Life in Leipzig ECM Records Recorded in 2005; featuring Terje Rypdal
May DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.20 Broder Daniel Cruel Town EMI Distribution Re-release of last studio album before disbanding 21 Bang Gang Ghosts from the Past Cool Music 30 Communic Payment of Existence Opeth Watershed Pyramaze Immortal Locomotive Music Last album with Matt Barlow as vocalist Sabaton The Art of War Black Lodge Records Based on The Art of War by Sun Tzu
June DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.2 Bloodbath The Wacken Carnage Peaceville records Live album Satyricon My Skin Is Cold Roadrunner Records EP 10 Unleashed Hammer Battalion Steamhammer
July DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.14 Basshunter Now You're Gone – The Album Hard2Beat, Warner Music Sweden, Ultra Records First English-language album
August DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.8 Nina Kreutzmann Jørgensen Eqqissineq Atlantic Music First solo album 13 Machinae Supremacy Overworld Spinefarm Records
September DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.1 Volbeat Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood Mascot Records, Rebel Monster #1 in Danish and Finnish album charts 17 Swallow the Sun Plague of Butterflies Spinefarm EP 22 Omnium Gatherum The Redshift Candlelight Records Produced by Dan Swanö
October DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.20 Darkthrone Dark Thrones and Black Flags Peaceville Records 24 Darkane Demonic Art Nuclear Blast, Massacre Records Lordi Deadache The End Records
November DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref.3 Satyricon The Age of Nero Roadrunner Records Turisas A Finnish Summer with Turisas Century Media DVD (documentary film) 13 Dag Arnesen Trio Norwegian Song 2 Resonant Music
Unknown date DayArtistAlbumLabelNotes Ref. Anne Linnet Anne Linnet Sony BMG
Deaths 10 February – Inga Nielsen, Danish operatic soprano (born 1946; cancer) 15 March – Fredrik Friis, Norwegian composer, singer, and lyricist (born 1923) 16 March – Ola Brunkert, Swedish drummer, session drummer for ABBA (born 1946; accidental fall) 19 March – Eivind Solberg, Norwegian jazz trumpeter (born 1933) 30 March – Anders Göthberg, Swedish guitarist (born 1975) 3 July – Harald Heide-Steen Jr., Norwegian actor and singer (born 1939) 18 July – Tauno Marttinen, Finnish composer (born 1912) 25 August – Pehr Henrik Nordgren, Finnish composer (born 1944; cancer) 6 October – Paavo Haavikko, Finnish poet and librettist (born 1931) 26 November – Pekka Pohjola, Finnish multi-instrumentalist and composer (born 1952; epileptic seizure)
References