Who We Are: Clawfinger, Rap Metal from Stockholm
We're Clawfinger, a rap metal band from Stockholm. If you've found your way to our store, here's who's behind the designs.
How did Clawfinger start?
It started in Stockholm in 1989. Zak Tell and Jocke Skog met while working at Rosenlund Hospital, and out of that came a band that put rap vocals on top of heavy guitars. Four years later, in 1993, our debut album Deaf Dumb Blind came out. It sold over 600,000 copies worldwide and went gold in Germany, Sweden and Norway.
What does Clawfinger sound like?
Rap metal: heavy riffs, keyboards and vocals that are rapped as much as shouted. From the start we've used it to say what we think, and the single from our debut that took on racism became a controversial hit.
Who's in the band today?
Five of us:
- Zak Tell: vocals
- Jocke Skog: keyboards and backing vocals
- Bård Torstensen: guitar
- André Skaug: bass
- Micke Dahlén: drums
Erlend Ottem played lead guitar with us from 1990 to 2003, and over the years Morten Skaug, Ottar Vigerstøl and Henka Johansson all sat behind the drums.
How many albums have we made?
Eight studio albums so far, from Deaf Dumb Blind in 1993 to Before We All Die in 2026, plus the compilation The Biggest & the Best. We split in 2013 and have been back since 2017. There's more on both in the other posts on this blog.
What's in the store?
Our designs, from the Rapmetal Since 1993 crest to the red hand, on unisex tees, long sleeves, crewnecks and hoodies, plus kids' tees and youth crewnecks and hoodies. Every design comes on black and on white, and every product page has its own size chart.
Have a look around the shop.