Johnossi

by Stewart MasonAs vocalist/guitarist John Engelbert somewhat sheepishly admits in Johnossi's online bio, "We're not one of those bands that has been struggling in a basement for ten years, dying to catch a break. Things came easily for us." Indeed, after Engelbert and drummer Oskar "Ossi" Bonde formed the pop/rock duo in their native Stockholm, Sweden, in 2004, they played only four gigs before signing with a local label and recording a debut album. Although Engelbert plays an acoustic guitar exclusively, his arsenal of effects and overdriven amplifiers puts Johnossi in the same stylistic ballpark as other guitar-and-drum duos like the Black Keys, White Stripes, and Mr. Airplane Man. A successful tour with the Soundtrack of Our Lives and critical acclaim for Johnossi's 2006 debut brought the duo to the attention of The Control Group, which reissued the album in America during the fall of 2007. Johnossi supported the release with an American tour alongside the Shout Out Louds. Returning home, Engelbert and Bonde retreated to a studio in the outskirts of Stockholm to record All They Ever Wanted in eight days. The album was released in 2008, displaying the band's growth as a fierce, aggressive rock act.