Hailing from Linkoping in Sweden, Corporation 187 might have been expected to follow the traditional Swedish path and form a melodic death metal band like so many of their contemporaries. However, guitarist Magnus Pettersson, fellow axe-meister Olof Knuttsson and drummer Robert Eng came together in the early 90's via a love for all things thrash, and especially the thrash band to end all thrash bands, Slayer.
In homage to their heroes the three friends initially started out as a Slayer cover band in 1995 recruiting Pelle Severin on vocals and Filip Carlsson on bass. Though Filip would eventually quit the line up he would return later in the band's story.
After playing around Sweden as a Slayer tribute, the band members began to have grander ideas than just copying their heroes - therefore at the beginning of 1998 Corporation 187 was born, incorporating the nucleus of Magnus, Olof and , adding Pelle as a vocalist a few months later. With a mission to play the kind of speed and thrash metal they loved so much, the band set about constructing a sound that whilst respected and reflected their influences, also sounded up to date and contemporary enough to please newer and younger listeners. Although melodics were incorporated, Corporation 187 were never interested in being part of the In Flames cloning that produced a mass of similar sounding bands from Scandinavia - instead the key elements were high tempos and chunky riffs, overlaid with a powerful production
By the summer of 1998 Corporation 187 had recorded their "promo 98" demo, incorporting three tracks of proto-thrash, immediately distancing themselves from the melodic Death Metal scene. With a bass player still to be permannetly added to the line up, Magnus played bass on the recording. The demo was widely circulated and the band introduced themselves to a live audience during this period. BY the beginning of 1999 Wicked World had signed the band and preparations began for the recording of the debut album.
Adding bassist Johan Ekström in the spring of 1999, a man who had previously made his name with underground heroes Seance, the Corporation 187 line up was finally completed. In the summer the band found themselves dividing their recording time between Studio Underground and Studio Helltower, and emerging with the resulting 'Subliminal Fear' album, unleashing this piece of sonic barbarity in February 2000.
'Subliminal Fear' proved an exercise in precision modern-day thrash and earned them comparisons with the likes of The Haunted, Carnal Forge, Dew Scented and of course Slayer. Short, sharp shocks such as 'Caught Inside Your Mind' and 'Hypnotic Illusion' proved that the bands songwriting was up their with the best of them. Reception to the labum was good and led to the band's first shows outside of Sweden with label-mates Decapitated and grind super-group Lock Up around the UK in August 2000.
On their return home vocalist Pelle quit the band, and he was replaced by Satanic Slaughter's Filip Carlsson (the very same man who had played bass in the Slayer cover band days). New vocalist in tow Corporation 187 toured Germany and Holland in April 2002 with LOrd Belial and Satanic Slaughter as they geared up for the recording of their second album. Returning from Europe bassist Johan was replaced by Viktor Klint
July and August 2002 will see the recording of "Perfection in Pain", again utilising Studio Underground and Studio Helltower for recording, and this time enlisting Peter Tägtgren and Abyss Studios for the mix of what should prove to be another lesson in comtemporary thrash.
