The founding line-up of Sala, Västerås Thrashers CARNAL FORGE in 1997 comprised DELLAMORTE man Jonas Kjellgren, drummer Stefan Westerberg of IN THY DREAMS and STEEL ATTACK personnel guitarist Jari Kuusisto and bassist Dennis Vestman. This unit cut a 1997 demo dubbed 'Sweet Bride' then contracted with WAR Music, laying down tracks in February 1998 with producer Pelle Saether for a September album 'Who's Gonna Burn'. Relapse Records gave the album a North American release. Following the debut album Vestman departed to be replaced by another IN THY DREAMS man Petri Kuusisto. Vocalist Jonas Kjellgren was temporary guitarist with CENTINEX between 1999 and September 2000.

Switching labels to German imprint Century Media, the group released sophomore outing 'Firedemon' in November 2000.

In 2001 guitarist Johan Magnusson made his exit prompting bassist Petri Kuusisto to switch over to guitars whilst former SLAPDASH and ROSICRUCIAN man Lars Lindén assumed bass duty. Lindén already had a CARNAL FORGE connection being responsible for the band's website as well as providing artwork for second album 'Firedemon'

A fresh CARNAL FORGE album 'Please Die!' would be cut during the January 2001.The band would land a valuable European tour on a strong package billing with NILE, THE HAUNTED and THE FORSAKEN. Drummer Stefan Westerberg stepped in as a temporary replacement in the ranks of CENTINEX for theie winter European dates in 2002.

In October Guitarist Jonas Kjellgren and drummer Stefan Westerberg along with ex-S.I.B. and TURABUS frontman Mikael Danielsson allied themselves in a new Progressive Doom Metal venture WORLD BELOW, bowing in with a demo 'Sacrifices To The Moon'. The following year yet another CARNAL FORGE side project emerged as Westerberg and guitarist Petri Kuusisto founded ASPERITY working alongside vocalist/bassist Peter Kronberg and guitarist Johan Jahlonen for the album 'The Final Demand'.

CARNAL FORGE's fourth record, 'The More You Suffer', emerged in April 2003. Kuusisto would also act as session guest on the 2004 debut album from VICIOUS ''Vile, Vicious & Victorious'.

CARNAL FORGE made a return in April of 2004 with the 'Aren't You Dead Yet' opus, released by Century Media in Europe and Soundholic in Japan. They also entered the DVD age with 'Destroy Live', featuring concert footage from a January 2004 Krakow, Poland show and 2003 New York and Tokyo dates. European dates for the Spring in alliance with MISERY INDEX were cancelled due to "economic difficulty as well as an unsolvable schedule". The band drafted LEECH, ex-REVOLVER and SLAPDASH man Jens C. Mortensen as their new singer in August. This new line-up would be inauguerated with September European dates partnering with PRO-PAIN and France's DISTURB.

Meantime, Jonas Kjellgren proved industrious throughout 2004, acting as producer for TORCHBEARER's album 'Yersinia Pestis' and forging a brand new melodic Death Metal combo, fronted by the INCAPACITY, UNMOORED, SOLAR DAWN and TORCHBEARER credited Christian Älvestam, entitled SCAR SYMMETRY for an album 'Symmetric In Design'. That same year Petri Kuusisto would be found as guitarist in another side act, SOULSKINNER.

In January 2007 CARNAL FORGE signed a worldwide deal with Candlelight Records. That same year Jari Kuusisto initiated side act SOUR SYSTEM, being joined by drummer Fredrik Ahlin, of SLIP INTO SILK, RADIOPLAN and VILDA HJÄRTAN, lead vocalist Daniel Samuelsson, from SLIP INTO SILK and TWINBALL, guitar player Rikard Holmgren and bassist Fredrik Dahlberg, also of SLIP INTO SILK, and RADIOPLAN. SOUR SYSTEM made its live debut at Sala Stadshotell on 6th September 2008 as the support act for CARNAL FORGE.