Clawfinger was formed in Stockholm in 1991 and has established itself internationally as a Swedish-Norwegian crossover/rap metal band. The founding members are Zak Tell (vocals), Jocke Skog (keyboards, guitar), Bård Torstensen (rhythm guitar) and Erlend Ottem (lead guitar, until 2003). The line-up is completed by André Skaug (bass, live) and Micke Dahlén (drums). The band celebrates its first breakthrough with the debut album Deaf Dumb Blind (1993), which reaches number 5 in Sweden, number 32 in Germany, number 16 in Austria and number 19 in Switzerland and sells over 600,000 copies. Clawfinger received a Swedish Grammy in the "Hard Rock/Metal" category in 1994. This was followed by Use Your Brain (1995, European Top 100 position), with singles such as "Pin Me Down" and "Do What I Say". The eponymous third album Clawfinger was released in 1997 and reached number 5 in the British rock & metal charts. "Biggest & the Best" is one of their most popular songs. A Whole Lot of Nothing followed in 2001 with the single "Out to Get Me" in the German charts (number 68). Further albums: Zeros & Heroes (2003), Hate Yourself with Style (2005) and Life Will Kill You (2007). The band disbanded in 2013, playing occasional reunion shows since 2014 and continuing to release online singles such as Save Our Souls (2017), Tear You Down (2019) and Environmental Patients (2022). The style is characterized by sharp sawing guitars, rap-heavy vocals and socially critical lyrics. Clawfinger are considered pioneers of the European rap-metal scene and are often cited as the counterpart to Rage Against the Machine. In early 2026, Clawfinger returned with a new studio album entitled Before We All Die.
