Cor Scorpii
Encyclopedia
Cor Scorpii is a Black metal
band from Sogndal
, Norway
, founded in 2004 by Gaute Refsnes, the former keyboardist of Windir
. Cor Scorpii is an alternative name of Antares
, the 15th brightest star in the sky. The name was chosen because the band members felt that it conveyed a mysterious and atmospheric feeling, corresponding to the musical and lyrical content.
, the lead singer and founder of Windir. Following a farewell concert, the band was dissolved. At that point, Gaute Refsnes implemented the long-standing idea of creating his own band. Two other former Windir members, Stian Bakketeig and Jørn Holen, joined the band. Holen, however had to leave in 2005 due to family reasons and his obligations to Vreid
, another band created by the former Windir members. The line-up was competed by Thomas S. Øvstedal, Rune Sjøthun, and Inge Jonny Lomheim, who have all been involved in the local metal scene for years. The band's first demo
, Attergangar, was released in 2005, receiving much praise from the musical critics and fans and winning the Demo of the Month award from the Metal Hammer Germany
magazine. Shortly after, the band signed a record deal with the Dutch label Descent Productions. A new drummer, Ole "Vargon" Nordsve, joined the band by the end of 2006. In July 2007, the band commenced to record its début full-length album, Monument, which was released on March 26, 2008.
In 2009, Cor Scorpii was signed by the Norwegian label Dark Essence Records, which will re-release the band's début album, as well as the earlier demo. Work on Monuments follow-up is currently in progress.
influences, characteristic of Windir, were replaced with classical
influences. Such classical composers as Sergei Prokofiev
, Edvard Grieg
, Sergei Rachmaninov, and Erik Satie
are stated as sources of inspiration for the band.
. In 2009, the band was able to perform outside their native country for the first time, playing in the Netherlands
and then at the Ragnarök Festival
in Germany
.
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band from Sogndal
Sogndal
Sogndal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Sogndalsfjøra is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other main villages include Kaupanger, Kjørnes, and Fjærland...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, founded in 2004 by Gaute Refsnes, the former keyboardist of Windir
Windir
Windir was a black metal band from Sogndal, Norway. The band combined black metal with folk music and mythology. The band was formed in 1994 and released its debut album in 1997...
. Cor Scorpii is an alternative name of Antares
Antares
Antares is a red supergiant star in the Milky Way galaxy and the sixteenth brightest star in the nighttime sky . Along with Aldebaran, Spica, and Regulus it is one of the four brightest stars near the ecliptic...
, the 15th brightest star in the sky. The name was chosen because the band members felt that it conveyed a mysterious and atmospheric feeling, corresponding to the musical and lyrical content.
Biography
Cor Scorpii was formed in late 2004 after the death of Terje BakkenTerje Bakken
Terje "Valfar" Bakken was the lead singer and founder of the Norwegian black/folk metal band Windir. Windir was started as a one-man project, but it was expanded into a full band with the release of their 3rd album, 1184...
, the lead singer and founder of Windir. Following a farewell concert, the band was dissolved. At that point, Gaute Refsnes implemented the long-standing idea of creating his own band. Two other former Windir members, Stian Bakketeig and Jørn Holen, joined the band. Holen, however had to leave in 2005 due to family reasons and his obligations to Vreid
Vreid
Vreid is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 2004 after the break up of Windir following the death of lead singer and founder Valfar. The remaining members along with new guitarist Ese formed Vreid...
, another band created by the former Windir members. The line-up was competed by Thomas S. Øvstedal, Rune Sjøthun, and Inge Jonny Lomheim, who have all been involved in the local metal scene for years. The band's first demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, Attergangar, was released in 2005, receiving much praise from the musical critics and fans and winning the Demo of the Month award from the Metal Hammer Germany
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
magazine. Shortly after, the band signed a record deal with the Dutch label Descent Productions. A new drummer, Ole "Vargon" Nordsve, joined the band by the end of 2006. In July 2007, the band commenced to record its début full-length album, Monument, which was released on March 26, 2008.
In 2009, Cor Scorpii was signed by the Norwegian label Dark Essence Records, which will re-release the band's début album, as well as the earlier demo. Work on Monuments follow-up is currently in progress.
Musical style
Compared to Vreid, the legacy of Windir in Cor Scorpii's music, which is melodic and sombre, is much more pronounced, even though no band member was actually involved in songwriting for Windir. There are notable differences as well, however. The folkFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
influences, characteristic of Windir, were replaced with classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
influences. Such classical composers as Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
, Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
, Sergei Rachmaninov, and Erik Satie
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
are stated as sources of inspiration for the band.
Live performance
Cor Scorpii's first concert took place in their hometown in October 2007 during the Støy Festival; the band continued to tour Norway the following year, participating in larger events, such as the Inferno Metal FestivalInferno Metal Festival
Inferno Metal Festival is an annual extreme metal festival in Oslo, Norway. The festival was founded by Borknagar guitarist Jens F. Ryland in cooperation with Radar Booking in 2001 and take place at Rockefeller Music Hall.-2011:...
. In 2009, the band was able to perform outside their native country for the first time, playing in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and then at the Ragnarök Festival
Ragnarök Festival
Ragnarök Festival is a pagan metal festival held annually in Germany since 2004 founded by Ivo Raab. It started out as a small one night festival with only regional bands in the town hall of Hollfeld. In 2005 it was decided to go for a festival featuring mostly Viking and pagan metal with the...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Current
- Thomas S. Øvstedal – vocals
- Erlend Nybø – guitars
- Rune Sjøthun – rhythm guitars
- Inge Jonny Lomheim – bass
- Gaute Refsnes – keyboards
- Ole "Vargon" Nordsve – drums