Strömblad began playing music at age 4, with a violin he played until age 12. At age 12, he no longer considered the violin a 'cool' instrument to play and began playing guitar instead.
Strömblad is known for having played in and been a founding member of a series of bands and side projects. However, In Flames was his main band. Strömblad was the only remaining original member of In Flames and was the main songwriter for the band.
He is known to be an avid World of Warcraft player, even wearing a WoW t-shirt on stage at times. Whilst away from home on tour, he regularly plays World of Warcraft on his laptop with his fiancée, swedish model/BE Wendela, as a way of keeping in touch with her.
Former bands
Ceremonial Oath – bass guitar (1990–1993)
HammerFall – drums (1993–1996), (founding member)
Sinergy – guitar (1997–1999), (founding member)
In Flames - guitar (1990-2010), (founding member)
Haunted
Jesper Strömblad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living out this hell from year to year
So many voices down the hallway
Screaming out in paralyzing fear
[Chorus]
Tell me, why I suffer, tell me, why I'm here
I am haunted, I am haunted
I am haunted, I am haunted
White coats surround me, they inject anxiety
Nothing but a memory
Bright lights above, so fascinating
Is that a scalpel coming for me?
[Chorus]
I am the light, I am the way
Just reach out and touch me
Come take my hand, you'll understand
You know you can trust me
Come back to me, come back to me
Just follow the bright white light
I feel no pain, but it's not the same
Something is just not right
Waking up, what the hell have you done to me?
Blackened figures roam about the room
I cannot breathe, I'm sliding underground
They've buried me in my own tomb
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Jesper Stromblad's "Haunted" seem to be about imprisonment and insanity. The singer is locked away and living in a hellish state year after year. The second stanza describes the terror the singer feels, hearing voices down the hallway, screaming in fear. The chorus questions the reason behind the singer's suffering and the presence of demons in the darkness.
The third stanza talks about the singer's experiences in a mental institution. The white coats surrounding him or her are injecting anxiety, and the bright lights above them are fascinating. The singer wonders if a scalpel is coming for them. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing the singer's haunting state of mind.
The final stanza is a plea for help. The singer is the light and the way and asks for someone to trust and follow them. However, they are buried in their own tomb and experience something terrible that they cannot explain.
Overall, the song seems to be about the horror of someone struggling with their mental state, feeling trapped and haunted by their thoughts and surroundings.
Line by Line Meaning
Locked away, sentence, insanity
I'm locked away in an asylum for committing a crime, and my mental illness is eating away at me.
Living out this hell from year to year
I'm trapped in a purgatory of my own making, where I'm forced to relive my crimes and suffer from my mental illness.
So many voices down the hallway
I'm constantly surrounded by the tormented cries of other inmates who are also struggling with their own demons.
Screaming out in paralyzing fear
Their fear and pain are so intense that they immobilize them, leaving them unable to move or think clearly.
[Chorus]
Despite my suffering, I don't understand why I have to go through this torment. I'm plagued by dark forces, and I can't seem to get rid of them.
White coats surround me, they inject anxiety
The doctors and nurses who are supposed to be treating me are only making things worse by giving me medications that amplify my anxiety and paranoia.
Nothing but a memory
The life I used to have is gone, and I'm left with nothing but a shattered, fragmented memory of it.
Bright lights above, so fascinating
The only thing that gives me any sense of hope or relief are the bright lights above me that shine down from the ceiling.
Is that a scalpel coming for me?
But even that hope is fleeting, as I'm constantly haunted by the fear that the doctors will come and perform operations on me against my will.
[Chorus]
I'm still plagued by dark forces, and I can't seem to escape them. I'm desperate for some kind of relief, but it never seems to come.
I am the light, I am the way
In my delusion, I believe that I can be a source of hope and guidance for others who are struggling like me.
Just reach out and touch me
All anyone has to do is ask for my help, and I'll be there for them.
Come take my hand, you'll understand
I want to help others realize that there is a way out of this darkness, and I can be their guide.
You know you can trust me
Despite my own struggles and the torment that I'm experiencing, I'm still trustworthy and dependable.
Come back to me, come back to me
I'm imploring those who are lost and struggling to come back to the light and follow me towards a better life.
Just follow the bright white light
If they can focus on the light and stay on course, they can escape the darkness and find freedom.
I feel no pain, but it's not the same
Even though I'm deluded and in a state of bliss, I know that something is still wrong and that I'm not truly free from my demons.
Something is just not right
I'm still haunted by my past and my present, and I don't know if I'll ever be truly free from my torment.
Waking up, what the hell have you done to me?
I've been knocked out or sedated, and I'm afraid of what the doctors might have done to me while I was unconscious.
Blackened figures roam about the room
I'm experiencing a hallucination or a vision of dark forces that are seemingly taking over the room.
I cannot breathe, I'm sliding underground
The darkness is engulfing me, and I'm suffocating under its weight.
They've buried me in my own tomb
I feel like I've been buried alive, trapped with my demons in my own personal hell.
[Chorus]
I'm still questioning why I have to suffer like this, and I'm still struggling to find a way out of the darkness that haunts me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WATERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jesterheadbanger
"Shadowminds" lyrics:
One side of this watershed moment
Left the fair and true objective far behind
For fear of facing what rationale resigns to
The thought of you alone with demons on your mind
Ravaging the nerves
Overtaking consciousness
What was said and what was done
Now haunt the witching hour
Let the now begin today
To the past a swift farewell
Innocence is nothing
When shadowminds prevail
Let the fear be gone today
To oblivion we cast it down
When shadowminds prevail
Let go of this, the embers of the day
Bring not the fire to the combustible night
Rather have the anger extinguish the flames
Than numbing chemicals to keep it at bay
Ravaging the nerves
Overtaking consciousness
What was said and what was done
Now haunt the witching hour
Let the now begin today
To the past a swift farewell
Innocence is nothing
When shadowminds prevail
Let the fear be gone today
To oblivion we cast it down
When shadowminds prevail
Let the now begin today
To the past a swift farewell
Innocence is nothing
When shadowminds prevail
Let the fear be gone today
To oblivion we cast it down
When shadowminds prevail
Let the now begin
To oblivion we cast you down
Innocence is nothing
Don't let shadowminds prevail
@metalbladerecords
Extremely exciting that these absolute legends will be on tour with Amon Amarth and Machine Head in Europe next year!
@Fleepers-lh2tu
Absolute legends that nobody has heard of or likes.
@antoniobuendiacano287
@Fleepers 2053 They are 5 formers of In Flames, and I think that there is people who has heard of or likes the old In Flames
@user-lj6ts6pg8o
@Fleepers 2053 You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. These are the gods of melodic death metal.
@guitarmaniac83
@Fleepers 2053 all the best former members of In Flames. How can you not hear about them.
@dongh1217
@Николай Вътков haters will hate and let’s ignore those scums and head banging along!
@Riddlein.Mp3
As a massive fan of Dark Tranquility and In Flames this makes me so fucking happy bro!
@apathtrampledbydeer8446
It really confuses my brain, is it DT or IF I'm hearing, it's all good though!
@junaidjoji
Personally agree \m/ \m/
@brandonyeung7838
Exactly!! 🤘🤘 Well said brother!