Vintersorg is a Swedish band from Skellefteå, formed in 1994 under the name Vargatron. Musically, Vintersorg has covered a wide number of heavy metal genres; while the band is mostly rooted in extreme metal styles, particularly black metal and Viking/folk metal, it has also expanded into progressive metal and avant-garde metal. Lyrically, the band deals with topics on fantasy, mythology, nature, the cosmos, and metaphysics. Vintersorg means "Winter Sorrow," but the name was taken from The Legend of the Ice People series by Margit Sandemo, where the character Vintersorg is the son of a great pagan leader.
Borknagar is a Norwegian heavy metal band from Bergen, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines black metal and folk metal with progressive and melodic elements. Borknagar's lyrics often deal with philosophy, paganism, nature and the cosmos.
Otyg are a folk metal band from Sweden, featuring Andreas Hedlund, the frontman for Vintersorg.
The Olden Domain is the second studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar, and their first to feature English lyrics. It also marks the beginning of the band's transition to their trademark progressive/folk/black metal sound featured on later records.
The Archaic Course is the third studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar. It is the first album to feature Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs on vocals following the departure of Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg, and the first with guitarist Jens F. Ryland. The album also features contributions from Enslaved guitarist Ivar Bjørnson, although he was not credited as part of the band in the album's liner notes. This is also the last album to feature drummer and founding member Erik "Grim" Brødreskift, who died of a deliberate drug overdose shortly after its release.
Quintessence is the fourth studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar. It was recorded at The Abyss Studios in January 2000 and mixed by Peter Tägtgren.
Epic is the sixth studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar. It was released in 2004 on Century Media Records.
Simen Hestnæs, better known by his stage name ICS Vortex or simply Vortex, is a Norwegian musician. He is the vocalist of the similarly named band ICS Vortex, the avant-garde metal band Arcturus and the doom metal band Lamented Souls. He is also the vocalist and bass guitarist to the heavy metal band Borknagar, and the former bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir.
Visions from the Spiral Generator is the fourth full-length album by Swedish progressive/folk metal band Vintersorg. It was released on 24 June 2002. This album saw a drastic shift in style in the band that was foreshadowed on the band's prior album, Cosmic Genesis. The lyrics continued to be mixed between English and Swedish, and the music continued to be even more progressive and technical, moving farther away from the band's original folk influences.
Andreas Hedlund, better known by his stage names Vintersorg and Mr. V, is a Swedish vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who has played in several heavy metal bands.
Sturmgeist is an experimental black/thrash metal band formed by Cornelius Jakhelln in 2002.
Asgeir Mickelson is a Norwegian musician, artist, photographer and music reviewer. Although primarily known as a drummer, he is also a skilled guitarist and bassist.
Origin is the seventh studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar. Origin explores the band's more progressive and traditional elements and is primarily an acoustic effort.
Cronian is a progressive/avant-garde metal band from Norway and Sweden founded in 2004 by Øystein Brun and Andreas Hedlund, also known as Vintersorg. The band's music is heavily symphonic and programmed, combining melodic singing and harsh vocals, all aiming to create a cold and cinematic feeling.
Terra is the debut full-length album by Norwegian/Swedish progressive metal band Cronian. The album was sporadically recorded through 2004 and 2005, with the two members of the band separated by their countries most of the time. The album was released in Europe on March 27, 2006, and on April 18, 2006 in North America.
Jan Erik Tiwaz, aka Tyr is the former bassist for the Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar. He is known for his progressive playing style in black metal and his use of extended range basses. He also made of use of these in his later work with Borknagar, namely a 6 string fretless on 'Origin' and a custom 8 string fretless on 'Universal'. Tyr has also been a touring bassist for Satyricon, as featured in their live video Roadkill Extravaganza (2001) and with Emperor as seen in Emperial Live Ceremony (2000). He currently resides in Drammen, Norway.
Universal is the eighth studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar. It marks the return of guitarist Jens F. Ryland. The band's former vocalist Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs performs vocals on the track "My Domain". The album was intended to be released in the fall of 2009, but the release date was postponed as a result of a label decision. It was released on 22 February 2010 in four formats: a regular jewelcase CD, a limited digipack which includes a bonus disc, a CD box with extras, and a gatefold LP with double vinyl.
Storm Seeker is the debut album by Norwegian musician ICS Vortex, released on 22 August 2011 in Europe and 23 August 2011 in North America.
Urd is the ninth studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar. Released on March 26, 2012, it is the first album to feature Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs and Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund sharing lead vocals. It is also the final album with drummer David Kinkade, who joined Soulfly after recording sessions were completed and subsequently retired from music.
Winter Thrice is the tenth studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Borknagar. This is the only album to feature drummer Baard Kolstad and the last to feature longtime members Vintersorg and Jens F. Ryland.
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