Give Me Beauty... Or Give Me Death! is the debut studio album by Swedish post-rock band EF. It was released through And The Sound Records in the UK and through Thomason Sounds in Japan. The UK pressing comes as a digipak while the Japanese version comes as a standard jewel case.
The album was remixed and remaster by Magnus Lindberg (of Cult of Luna) for a reissue in 2012 (2013 digitally). The re-release incorporated the bonus track "Misinform the Uniformed", which required additional recording in 2011, as it was originally recorded in 2006 but never finished, bringing the track total to seven.
A completely new re-recording was released as the 20th Anniversary Edition in November 2025, with the current band members, plus many additional musicians. An eighth song "Noll" was added, based on an old outro from a song on the original 2006 album, and lyrics that deal with mental illness. "Noll" was also released as a single.
Contents
Personnel
Original release (2006) and reissue (2012)
EF
The noise and melodies of electric guitars, drums, electric bass, organ, synthesizers, cello, accordion, melodica, effect pedals, trumpet, glockenspiel, bells, acoustic guitars was all made by the members of the band. The vocal parts were made by Tomas, Daniel and Karin Gren.
Tomas Torsson – guitar, vocals
Daniel Öhman – guitar; additional recording, original mix
Jonatan Hammar – cello
Mikael Hillergård – electric bass
Niklas Åström – drums; cover design
Additional musician
Karin Gren (Gréen) – vocals
Production
Emanuel Olssen – recording engineer; original mix and mastering (2006 release)
Kristian Anttilas – recording engineer ("Ett")
Victor Åström – cover design
Mikal Månsson – cover design
Magnus Lindberg – remix and remaster (2012 reissue)
20th Anniversary Edition (2025)
EF
Tomas Torsson – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lead vocals, choir
Daniel Juline (née Öhman) – electric guitar, organ, melodica, piano, Rhodes electric piano, accordion, vocals, choir, orchestration
Erik Jardestig – electric guitar
Kim Ruiz – electric bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, choir; producer, engineer
Niklas Åström – drums, percussion, melodica
Additional musicians
János Alexander Madaras – cello, glockenspiel, choir, orchestration producer
Ron David Alvarez – violin
Jonathan Kronevik – trumpet
Arno Tri Pramudia – trombone
Maja Milner – vocals, choir
Jonathan H. Råsmark – choir
Aurora Alänge – choir
Karin Gréen – poem
Production
Björn von Känel – assistant producer, assistant engineer
Magnus Lindberg – mixing, mastering
Phillip Janta - cover illustration
Robert Samsonowitz – packaging design