The Encyclopaedia Of Swedish Punk 1977- 1987
by Peter Jandreus

Top quality on every count

There are labours of love throughout the publishing industry and this falls deeply into that category. The author’s obvious knowledge and passion for the subject is evident throughout a book which took around a decade to compile. Any undertaking such as this must have boundaries, and the selection of which groups qualified for inclusion is explained thoroughly in the introduction. It’s scary to think that even this 320-page offering could have been double the size were, for example, tape release-only bands included.

With biographies on the major bands, discographies, top-quality artwork scans and contemporary photos, the book itself is wonderfully-designed, where even if these bands are new to you (frankly, most will be) the aesthetic is familiar. It’s clearly modelled, in part, on the likes of Martin C Strong’s Great Rock Discography and, thanks to its niche subject matter, its friendliness is at the fore while it’s also incredibly easy to navigate. From the high-quality paper to the excellent photo reproductions, superb writing and classy design, this is an outstanding piece of work by all concerned. The only challenge for the author and his publishers now is how on earth they’re going to better this one when they move onto the subsequent two decades.

ISBN 9789197271233

Reviewed by Joe Shooman
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