GREAT KING RAT released a spectacular Melodic Hard Rock album in 1992 to universal acclaim. The Stockholm band adopted the GREAT KING RAT handle in 1991 after a period as SIN CITY. In an earlier incarnation the band were known as ODESSA. The band's original line-up included ex-RACEWAY vocalist Conny Lind alongside guitarist PONTUS NORGREN, ex-TRYKVÅG and BANG BANG members Mikael Höglund on bass and Tomas Bromann on drums. The band brought in ex-CIRCUS bassist Leif Sundin. The ousted Lind would later re-emerge as part of STATE OF MIND, TALK OF THE TOWN and later AMAZE ME.

The band split in 1993 and Mikael Höglund joined Brit Rockers THUNDER for a period before departing in 1995 prior to the recording of their 'The Thrill Of It All' album in order to relocate back to Sweden for personal reasons. For a period the bassist involved himself with Grunge outfit SUBCULTURE.

Höglund's former colleagues all drifted on to a variety of different projects since GREAT KING RAT split. Norgren formed DAMAGE DONE with former EUROPE man John Leven and would also become a member of JEKYLL & HYDE, whilst Tomas Broman joined ELECTRIC BOYS in 1994. 1998 found the man contributing guitar to TALISMAN's 'Truth' album. Guitarist Anders Nilsson was a member of TITANIC TRUTH, the band formed by ex-ELECTRIC BOYS frontman Conny Bloom.

Leif Sundin, meantime, joined a project with the JOHANSSON BROTHERS before uniting with ex-UFO guitarist Michael Schenker in his revitalised 1996 line-up of MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP appearing on the 'Written In Sand' album and the live 'Michael Schenker Story'.

Sundin and his GREAT KING RAT colleague Anders Nilsson would then join erstwhile EUROPE guitarist JOHN NORUM's live band for a 1997 Japanese tour captured on the 'Face It Live' album.

GREAT KING RAT reformed with the original line-up in 1998 to record 'Out Of The Can', although guitarist Anders Nilsson had changed his surname to Fästader. Leif Sundin was also operating a side project band BLA-GUL.

Norgren's DAMAGE DONE recordings, with vocals from YNGWIE MALMSTEEN man Mats Leven and GREAT KING RAT compatriot Tomas Broman contributing, emerged in 2000 credited simply to PONTUS NORGREN with 'Damage Done' becoming the album title. By early the following year Norgren and Broman joined forces with the TALISMAN duo of vocalist JEFF SCOTT SOTO and bassist Marcel Jacob to found HUMANIMAL. Broman also found employment as a member of ex-DEEP PURPLE star GLENN HUGHES' band.

Fästader and Höglund, together with Jonas Ȫstman of the YNGWIE MALMSTEEN band and ex-JAGGED EDGE, ALFONZETTI and SKINTRADE singer Matti Alfonzetti re-emerged in 2001 touting a band entitled ROOSTER.

During the summer Sundin revealed plans to assemble a further band endeavour billed as TYKOON. Included alumini would be RAINMAKER, PRISONER and RADIOACTIVE mentor TOMMY DENANDER, Lars Criss of LION'S SHARE band and GLORY's Andy Loos. 2002 found Tomas Broman manning the drums on international dates for the HUGHES TURNER PROJECT.

Norgren achieved national acclaim in in February 2006 when it was revealed he was a member of spoof Rock band THE POODLES. The band won one of the four qualifying rounds in Sweden's competition to find an entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest with their '80s styled track 'Night Of Passion'. THE POODLES in fact comprised a cast of seasoned veterans and, alongside Norgren, involved vocalist Jakob Samuel, of THE RING, TALISMAN and JEKYLL & HYDE, bassist Pontus Egberg of LION'S SHARE repute and drummer Christian Lundqvist.