Crucified Barbara

Lore & Background

Crucified Barbara started out in 1998 as a punk rock band, but soon changed their primary style to hard rock. They signed in 2003 with GMR Music Group of Stockholm. Recordings for their debut album took place in Kristianopel, Sweden at Pama Studios/Blakk Records with producer-engineer Mankan Sedenberg during the spring of 2004. Their advance debut single "Losing the Game" was released on 8 December 2005 and went straight to No. 8 on the Swedish music charts. The album In Distortion We Trust was released in Sweden on 19 January and is available outside Sweden in several countries including the UK, the US, France, Germany, and Benelux. In 2006, they contributed two songs to St. Valentines Day Massacre, a tribute album to Motörhead.

Their second album, Til Death Do Us Party, was released in Scandinavia on 11 February 2009 and in the rest of Europe on 27 February. It was produced in part by Mats Levén, who also sang vocals on the song "Jennyfer". In November 2009, the band went on a six-week European tour to promote the album, playing in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Sweden. A documentary film about the tour was made by Mats Lundberg from Doom Films and released in 2010. The band competed in Melodifestivalen 2010 with the song "Heaven or Hell", making it to the Second Chance round.

The band announced their split on June 2, 2016. A few days later, Karlsson announced her solo project under her real name. In April 2017, Fors, Stenbacka and Lindström announced their new band, The Heard, on Facebook. In September 2024, they announced their reunion, with their first show scheduled at Sweden Rock 2025.

Reader's Guide

Crucified Barbara were a notable all-female Swedish hard rock and heavy metal band active from 1998 to 2016, with a reunion announced in 2024. They achieved chart success in Sweden with their debut single "Losing the Game" and released two studio albums. The band toured extensively in Europe and supported Motörhead in 2006. They also participated in Melodifestivalen 2010, Sweden's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Their legacy includes contributing to the visibility of women in hard rock and heavy metal, and their reunion in 2024 indicates continued interest in their music. The band's members went on to form other projects after the split, including The Heard and a solo project by Karlsson.

Did You Know?

• Crucified Barbara's debut single "Losing the Game" reached No. 8 on the Swedish music charts in 2005.
• They contributed two songs to a Motörhead tribute album in 2006.
• The band competed in Melodifestivalen 2010 with the song "Heaven or Hell".
• They announced a reunion in September 2024, with their first show at Sweden Rock 2025.