Ragne Wahlquistpioneer in the Swedish metal world, has passed away.
Heavy Load was formed by brothers Ragne and Styrbjörn Wahlquist in the mid-70s and is considered to have started the first wave of Swedish heavy metal, mainly with their debut album “Full speed at high level” from 1978.
They also ran the studio Thunderload, where artists such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Hammerfall have recorded music.
In 2018, the band reunited after 33 years, during a gig at the Sweden Rock Festival.
The brothers were recording Heavy Load’s fifth album. The intention is still to complete the record, the family tells Kulturnyheterna.
Ragne Wahlquist was 69 years old.