Mats Levén (born in Mölndal, Sweden on 11 September 1964) is a prolific sin… Read Full Bio ↴Mats Levén (born in Mölndal, Sweden on 11 September 1964) is a prolific singer who has worked during the years with big names of the Swedish musical industry. His most notable recent collaborations have been with symphonic metallers Therion and doom metallers Krux and Candlemass. He is preparing a solo album that should be released some time in the next couple of years.

Biography

Mats Levén started his career back in 1986 with a small band of friends, called Capricorn. Three years later, he joined chart-toppers Swedish Erotica, releasing an album and several singles.

The year 1992, found him collaborating with another Swedish well-known band, Treat with which he also released an album as lead vocalist and a single. In the mid 1990's he worked with Abstrakt Algebra (project band of Candlemass' bassist and composer Leif Edling) and did backing vocals for the band Lion's Share. He also joined an AC/DC cover band, called AB/CD, with which he keeps performing up to the present. In 1997, he teamed up with Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, recording the album Facing the Animal and doing the promotional world tour for the named album, world tour which led to the release in 1998 of the album and DVD Live!!, featuring recordings from the shows. 1998 also found Levén collaborating with the project band Southpaw.

In 1999 came out yet another collaboration, this time with Pontus Norgren. A year later followed another project band called Dogface with which he released two albums. 2002 teamed him up again with Edling for a doom metal project entitled Krux. Another prominent collaboration came the following year when German guitarist Olaf Lenk asked Levén to join his band At Vance, as lead vocalist. He released two successful albums with At Vance, The Evil in You (2003) and Chained (2005). He also found time for recording an album with yet another project band, Sabbtail. The end of 2003 brought Mats Levén his most challenging offer ever, when Europe's biggest symphonic metal act, Therion, asked him to join them for the recording of their double album, Lemuria / Sirius B and also the one-year-and-a-half world tour to follow. Due to the successful collaboration between him and Therion the band has asked him to do lead vocals on their next album and world tour as well. The second half of 2005 has seen Levén working on a collaboration with drummer Snowy Shaw (Dream Evil, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Notre Dame) entitled S&M, which is most likely to be released sometime in 2008, and doing backing vocals for the new album of Swedish neo-classical metallers Narnia.

The first months of 2006 brought new perspectives for Levén: a special 5-song appearance on the Reflections of the Obscure album by Essence of Sorrow (new project band of guitarist Jani Stefanovic of Divinefire), lead vocals in another new project entitled Fatal Force (featuring Danish guitarist Torben Enevoldsen and drummer Daniel Flores) with whom he released a self-titled album in April 2006, and backing vocals for Swedish hard rock band The Poodles on their "Night of Passion" song, with which they won 4th place in the Swedish final qualifying round for the Eurovision song contest. He has also finished recording for the new Krux album which was released on October 18 2006 and the new Therion album, entitled Gothic Kabbalah which was released on January 12 2007. On December 9 2006, Levén joined Therion in a special concert in Bucharest, Romania. It featured a full orchestra and choir as well as classical stars from Europe. The setlist included both Therion songs and famous classical pieces in Therion manner.

Starting from 2007, Mats shared vocal duties in Therion with Snowy Shaw and two female vocalists. One of them is Katarina Lilja who has also done vocals for the new album. The other one is Lori Lewis, vocalist of American band Aesma Daeva. After Graspop and Hellfest in June 2007, Mats ceased his collaboration with Therion to focus on his new projects. His place in the band was taken by Thomas Vikström. Mats recorded backing vocals for Apocalyptica's Worlds Collide album. He also appears on the Nuclear Blast 20-year anniversary compilation Into the Light, singing on the track Death is Alive. Currently Levén has involved himself in other projects: lead vocals for the trilogy album based on the Tanakh by Israeli metal band Amaseffer and collaborations with Carl Westholm's project, Jupiter Society.

In 2012 he joined Candlemass.