Swedish drummer Martin "Axe" Axenrot is best known as drummer with metal acts Witchery, Bloodbath and Opeth.



Though Axenrot has a classical background, he switched to extreme metal drumming with Nephenzy (later renamed to Nepehenzy Chaos Order or NCO), Triumphator, Nifelheim and Satanic Slaughter. The latter band was formed in 1985 with Peter Svedenhammar as their first sticksman who stayed longer than several months. Trough the years the band has had multiple line-up changes: to this day there have been over 30 different members.



Despite popular believe it was not Martin Axenrot who recorded all drum tracks for Satanic Slaughter's 2000 album "Afterlife Kingdom" (Martin is on the band photo on this release) but Robert Eng of Corporation 187 repute. Martin is featured on the next one though, the 2002 album "Banished To The Underworld".



Axenrot replaced original Witchery drummer Micke "Mique" Pettersson after the release of "Dead, Hot And Ready" in 1999.



Since early 2004 Axenrot has also been playing in a renewed line-up of Bloodbath, the Swedish death metal supergroup featuring Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström (Katatonia, Diabolical Masquerade, Bewitched), Jonas Renkse (Katatonia, October Tide) and Dan Swanö (Nightingale, Edge of Sanity, Infestdead, and others). Following the departure of Opeth singer Mike Åkerfeldt the new line-up is completed by vocalist Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain).



2005 saw Opeth drummer Martin Lopez get seriously ill during the the Sounds of the Underground tour. A temporary replacement was found in drummers Gene Hoglan and Martin Axenrot, who took over Lopez' duties until he was fully recovered.