Persuader is a Swedish power metal band from the city Umeå in the Swedish province of Västerbotten Norrland. The band was formed in 1997, and they have since released five full-length albums. They have a sound similar to bands including early Blind Guardian, Iron Savior, and Nocturnal Rites, although Persuader includes influences of thrash metal also. Members Jens and Emil joined the band Savage Circus in 2005, started by Thomen Stauch after he left Blind Guardian. The band's fourth studio album, The Fiction Maze, was released January 2014 in the US. History Formation and The Hunter (1997–2000) Persuader was formed in August 1997 by friends Pekka Kiviaho and David (full name unknown). Jens Carlsson and Efraim Juntunen joined shortly thereafter. Fredrik Hedström was eventually recruited on bass, who had played with Pekka in a band named Shallow. In January 1998, David left the band due to musical differences. In November 1998, the band released a demo titled Visions and Dreams, which was recorded at Garageland Studios. The band was signed to Loud 'n' Proud (LNP) records, a Swedish metal label. The band's debut studio album, The Hunter, was released on July 16, 2000. Evolution Purgatory and When Eden Burns (2001–2006) The band's label, Loud 'n' Proud, went out of business leaving them without proper label support. In early 2001, guitarist Pekka Kiviaho left the band and they broke up for brief period of time. According to Jens, the band "needed a pause to find a new guitarist and a new label" and "would never cancel Persuader." The band reformed in the spring/summer of 2001 with the addition of new guitarist Emil Norberg, who attended the same school as Jens. The band started working on their next studio album, and submitted a demo of their unsigned music to Noise Record's Young Metal Gods contest. They won, and released Evolution Purgatory through Noise Records on February 2, 2004. After the release of the album, Jens and Emil became involved with Savage Circus, releasing their debut album Dreamland Manor in 2005. Jens also became involved with New Jersey based Dark Empire, after being asked by Matt Moliti to contribute vocals to their 2006 debut Distant Tides. The band released their third studio album, When Eden Burns, on May 15, 2006. The Fiction Maze (2007–2014) Persuader had been at work on their next studio album for several years since the release of When Eden