Neptune (Swe) - Legends From The North: 40 Years of Swedish Steel (1980-2020) (2022)

Released as a 3 x Cassette boxset (black with silver print) limited to 200 copies.

- Join the Battle [#JAW-038-1]: 11 of Neptune’s finest demo recordings, recorded between 1982 and 1985.  Contains many never before heard songs and recordings.

- Land of Northern [#JAW-038-2]: The songs that were intended to constitute Neptune's never materialized debut album. Recorded between 1984 and 1987. First time on cassette.

- Northern Steel [#JAW-038-3]: The comeback album from 2020. First time on cassette. Includes 2 bonus tracks not available on any other versions of the album.

This release is dedicated to the memory of original vocalist Reine "Ray Alex" Alexandersson, who unexpectedly passed away in 2019. In Valhalla we will hear your voice once again!



Join The Battle infos
Recorded and Produced by Neptune
Cover artwork by Rowland Alexandersson
Layout by Linni Lindström

"The Battle", "Nightmare Special", "Breaking It Up", "What Is Life" Recorded 1982
"Enemies", "I Want You To Know", "Burglary Man" Recorded fall 1984
"Protector", "A Child", "I Can Feel The Power", "Love Game" Recorded late summer 1985

In the later part of the 70's and in the beginning of the 80's there was a band called Warriens. The band was a young constellation of three heavy rockers southwest from Stockholm, Sweden. The two brothers Ray and Row Alexandersson, and Tommy Mikk. Tommy smashed the drums, Row Alex thundered on the bass and Ray Alex played guitar and also handled the vocals. To give Ray total free- dom to do what he does best, they decided to recruit another guitarist – Johnny Östergren. The music was some kind of rock inspired by the 60's and 70's. One day in the rehearsal studio, they had just discussed the continuation of Warriens. An idea that took shape was switching to a slightly harder sound and style of music.

When the band started writing new heavier and harder songs, the Old Norse mythology and the Nordic warriors, the Vikings, were already great role models for the band and their lyrics, but the name of the band wasn't decided yet. Not long after, Row Alex found what he thought was some kind of jewelry, but which later turned out to be a trident that our Swedish coastal hunters have on their berets. This caused the band to spin loose in their thoughts.

They got a vision, that an Old Norse warrior had taken the jewelry from one of the voyages from the Mediterranean in the belief that it was the Vikings' powerful symbol Algiz and in a mead drunk he dropped it in Lake Mälaren outside the large trading town Birka, which was not far from where Row Alex found this piece of jewelry a few weeks earlier. The name Njord came up as a band name suggestion, which belonged to the God of the Sea in the Norse Mythology. However, the corresponding god in Roman religion with a different name suited better as a band name - and Neptune was born.

Late in 1981 or early 1982, Neptune went into the local studio to get the first songs on tape. Robert Wellerfors, known for working with Axewitch, Roxette, KSMB and others, were chosen as recording technician and producer. You can hear some of their early influences at the same time as their Viking theme starts to take shape. That is most prominent in the song "The Battle". This demo has not been spread significantly even though a small number of cassettes were printed. The naming of the 4-song tape was 'Join the Battle'.

We are now entering the summer of 1984. Jan Granwik had joined, and it was once again time to record a few songs, this time "live" in the rehearsal room. "I Want You to Know" is an early song that was not really finished at the time of the 'Join The Battle' tape, but you can hear that the band have started to go for a slightly harder style which is heard in the songs "Enemies" and "Burglary Man".

Just before the band entered the studio to record what later became the basis of 'Land of Northern', they booked a studio for a weekend to record about 12 songs, once again "live". From that session Neptune recently found demo versions of the songs "I Can Feel the Power", "Protector", "Love Game" and "The Child". Now collected on this very tape in your hand, to be enjoyed and played loud.



Land of Northern infos
Cover artwork by Rowland Alexandersson
Layout by Linni Lindström

"Protector", "The Horse", "A Child", "Life Power", "Love Game", "Land of Northern"
Original 'Land of Northern', fall 1985. Produced by Alar Surna, Co-Produced by Neptune (in Soundtrade Studios).

"Ready To Fight", "Hard To Be Right"
Single, spring 1986. Produced by Johnny Thunquist, Co-Produced by Neptune (in studio Svängrummet).

"East Side of Town"
Demo by Ray Alex, 1987. Produced by Mats Lindfors (in Stockholm Recording).

"Afraid Of The Beast"
Original Gotham City demo 1984. Written by Björn Melander. Recorded in Umeå.

"Poem"
Original Gotham City demo 1984. Written by Jonas Östman. Drums and bass recorded in Umeå. Vocals and guitars recorded in rehearsal room in Rosenlund.

"Enemies", "Burglary Man"
Demo 1984. Rehearsal recordings.

Through the years, Neptune has had a couple of different lineups. Not long after guitarist Jan Granwik left the band, Tommy Mikk was called into the army to do his military service, which meant that Neptune temporarily was put on hold. Jan who had been outside the band for a short while contacted Ray. They decided to start the band once again but with other members. On drums, they hired Mats Förare, on bass Björn Melander (Gotham City, Mogg) and on the second guitar Ralph Thornberg. The band recorded a demo with two Neptune songs "Enemies" and "Burglary Man" - along with two Gotham City songs - "Poem" and "Afraid of the Beast". Jonas Östman (drums) and Björn (bass) from Gotham City had recorded the basis for those two songs just after they quit the band and moved to Stockholm. This version of Neptune wasn't active for long and Jan, Björn and Mats soon left for the band Glory North.



Northern Steel infos
The songs on this album have a background story that runs from start to finish. Northern Steel is about Vikings' hunt for the invincible steel needed to forge the strongest sword the world had ever seen.

Produced by Jan Tosh Ason. Co-Produced by Neptune.
All music and arrangements by Neptune.
Mastered by Hoffe Stannow / Cosmos mastering.
Cover artwork by Jan Adsjö / Spoil.
Photos by Anders Olsson / Life Photography.
Layout by Linni Lindström.