Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band hailing from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death, in 1991, Darkthrone transitioned to a black metal style influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost and emerged as one of the leading bands in the Norwegian black metal scene.
Lake of Tears is a Swedish heavy metal band originally formed in 1994, generally considered to play gothic metal/gothic rock and doom metal. However, their sound has expanded to include psychedelic rock and progressive rock elements. The band broke up in 2000 amid creative differences, but reunited in late 2003, releasing the acclaimed album Black Brick Road. They released their eighth studio album, Illwill, in April 2011. In 2014 they released their first live album, By the Black Sea. The band's newest album, titled Ominous, was released on 18 February 2021.
Antestor is a Norwegian Christian extreme metal band formed in 1990 in Jessheim. Credited for starting the northern European Christian black metal scene, Antestor is the only Christian band to have an album released by Cacophonous Records, which has also released records by bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Sigh, and Cradle of Filth. The band's only release on Cacophonous, The Return of the Black Death, proved influential for the Christian black metal movement, and has sold over 10,000 copies.
Unblack metal is a religious philosophy and subgenre within black metal, inheriting several characteristics of it, such as the melody, the lyrics and the aesthetics, whose artists either directly oppose the Satanism prevalent in most black metal, or promote Christianity in their lyrics and imagery. Unblack metal artists are controversial within the black metal subculture, because black metal's pioneers, especially those of the Second Wave, were anti-Christian. It is also suggested that Christianity contradicts black metal's dark nature and the individualistic and misanthropic ideals of many bands.
Divinefire is a Christian metal group founded in the spring of 2004 by Finnish guitarist Jani Stefanovic, and Swedish singer Christian Liljegren. Liljegren is the current frontman of the band Narnia.
Per Christian Liljegren is a Swedish musician.
Sadist is an Italian death metal band formed in Genoa, Italy, in January 1991. It debuted with Black Screams in 1991, then released three albums. The band went on hiatus after releasing the album Lego in 2000. They reunited in 2005 and released their self-titled album in 2007. Sadist has released three more albums since then. In total, the band has released nine albums and one EP. They are currently signed to Scarlet Records. Guitarist and keyboardist, Tommy Talamanca, has been a constant member throughout the band's existence, as the main composer and co-producer of their musical output. Trevor Nadir has been the main singer of the band since 1996.
Jani Stefanovic is a Swedish multi-instrumentalist who primarily plays Swedish death metal. He started playing around the age of 13–14 years old.
Twilightning was a Finnish power metal band from Imatra, which formed in 1998. They disbanded in June 2009.
Veil of Remembrance is the second full-length album by the Swedish group Crimson Moonlight. Veil of Remembrance was officially released on January 26, 2005 although it was already available since December 4, 2004.
The Covenant Progress is the first full-length album by the Swedish group Crimson Moonlight. The album was released in 2003 on Rivel Records. In 2010, HM Magazine ranked it #52 on the Top 100 Christian metal albums of all time list with Beck stating that it is "Well-produced symphonic black metal that rivals the best any other band in this subgenre can offer."
In Depths of Dreams Unconscious is an EP by the Swedish death/black metal group Crimson Moonlight, released in 2007 on Endtime Productions.
Drottnar is an extreme metal band from Fredrikstad, Norway. Formed in 1996, the band has released four albums, Spiritual Battle (2000), Welterwerk (2006), Stratum (2012) and Monolith (2019) and an EP titled Anamorphosis (2003). The first album was released on UK label Plankton Records. They are currently signed to Swedish label Endtime Productions.
Vaakevandring was a Norwegian unblack metal band that was active from 1996 to 2007. The name in Norwegian is a reference to the resurrection of Jesus. Vaakevandring played symphonic black metal with influences from Norwegian folk music.
Sanctifica was a Swedish unblack metal band, formed in 1996, and disbanded in 2003. After releasing their EP, In the Bleak Midwinter, in 1997, they were considered to be one of the leading modern Christian black metal bands in the early 2000s with their album Spirit of Purity. Signed to Swedish Rivel Records and Finnish Little Rose Productions, the band played progressive death metal on their second and last album Negative B. They did a tour through Scandinavia to support that album, performing at some of the best known rock clubs in big cities. Hubertus Liljegren went to join Crimson Moonlight, while the rest formed a rock group called As a Reminder.
Spirit of Purity is the debut album by the Swedish Christian black metal band Sanctifica, released on Little Rose Productions and Rivel Records in March 2000. With this album the band established itself as one of the leading Christian black metal bands of the early 2000s (decade), representing technical and chaotic style. Considered by many as the band's best album, Spirit of Purity was well received by both the press and fans, although the style quickly earned Sanctifica their "Emperor clone" label, which the band later tried to escape by switching the music style. Music videos were shot for the songs "The Dark Desires" and "Spirit of Purity," released on the video compilation Power from the Sky.
Negative B is the second and last album by the Swedish band Sanctifica, released on Rivel Records in 2002. This album saw the band abandoning their previous black metal style for a more alternative, electronic, avantgarde, experimental, progressive death metal sound. The album received mixed reviews: some found the album too bizarre, unfocused and unbalanced, while others praised it for its unique style. Many fans of Sanctifica's old style were disappointed on the drastic style change, but Negative B brought the band a new group of fans from the progressive metal crowd.
Admonish is a Swedish unblack metal band formed in 1994. They were one of the first bands in the Christian black metal movement and the first Christian black metal group in Sweden. While the band did not release anything until 2005, the magazine Metal Hammer called Admonish "One of the leading Christian black metal bands" in a 1990s issue which focused on black metal. In 2006 Admonish achieved some mainstream notice when the twins Emil (guitar) and Jonas Karlsson (bass) both appeared on the MTV Europe show Pimp My Ride International on 6 October. On that show, in which their car was modified, the twins advertised their band and Admonish's music was played. The former Admonish member Per Sundberg was also a guitar-player in Crimson Moonlight.
Johan Reinholdz is a Swedish musician best known for his work with the progressive metal band Andromeda, Dark Tranquillity, death metal band NonExist and the melodic death metal band Skyfire. He composed Andromeda's debut album, Extension of the Wish as well as much of its other material. He has also released four more studio albums with Andromeda and two live-album. In 2004 he joined Skyfire and made his album debut on Esoteric in 2009. Since early 2017 he plays with Dark Tranquillity.
Pantokrator is a Swedish Christian metal band that was formed in 1996. The band's name means "Lord Almighty" in Ancient Greek. Several members have been in Crimson Moonlight and Sanctifica.
