According to Metalarchives.com Sweden has more metal bands per 100,000 of population than any other country in the world.
According to the study there are 53.2 metal bands per 100,000 inhabitants in Sweden. That's a whole lot of metal. Joacim Cans, the singer from Hammerfall, a metal band from the Swedish city of Gothernburg suggests the proliferation of metal music and in particular death metal as having come from the success of bands like In Flames and Opeth that have inspired younger generations of metal musicians to create their own bands. "When a music style becomes world leading, then young people listen and want to do the same thing themselves. It reverberates."
Second to this Cans also cites the fact that the ability to learn an instrument and practice is free in Sweden. In other countries the cost of studio space and lessons can be prohibitive to bands wanting to kick out the jams any time they want. He states " "In the US it's very expensive to rent a rehearsal studio. In Sweden we have the municipal school of music, where you can learn to play an instrument at no cost at all."
It would be great to see this level of commitent to the education of future musicians everywhere. Lucky Swedes.
