The fact is that there are over a hundred internationally viable heavier rock bands in Sweden, and the music is starting to achieve the same status it had in the heyday of the 1980s, when Europe, Yngwie Malmsteen and Electric Boys spread their music across the world.

On their home turf, however, Swedish bands are a fairly rare sight. Their status in regions like North and South America, Central Europe and Japan means that many bands spend their time abroad rather than in Sweden. The fans in Sweden tend to be divided equally among children, teens and adults. The annual Sweden Rock Festival is more a family affair than a meeting place for drunken teenagers, and the old controversies associated with the genre have long died down.