Thorns (band)
Encyclopedia
Thorns is a Norwegian
black metal
band that formed in 1989 and was part of the early Norwegian black metal scene. They made two highly influential demos in the early 1990s, Grymyrk and Trøndertun, but have only released one full-length album.
in 1989, initially under the moniker Stigma Diabolicum. After the first demo was recorded, Stigma Diabolicum began to fall apart, and following the Trøndertun demo, Ruch continued Thorns as a solo project, with the help of several prominent members of the Norwegian black metal scene. The demos / rehearsal tapes Grymyrk
and Trøndertun had a great impact on the black metal scene.
In 1994, Snorre was sentenced to 8 years in prison for "being an accomplice" in the murder of Øystein Aarseth. However, according to Aarseth's killer, Varg Vikernes
, Ruch was merely "in the wrong place at the wrong time".
After a long period of silence due to Ruch's imprisonment, Thorns reappeared in 1999 with the split album Thorns vs. Emperor
, consisting mainly of old Thorns songs performed by Emperor and vice versa. Thorns Vs Emperor was meant to introduce Thorns to the scene and to a newer audience, unaware of Thorns' earlier efforts. Then, in 2001, the long awaited debut album Thorns was released, which featured famed Norwegian drummer Hellhammer
, as well as vocals by Satyricon
's Satyr
and Dødheimsgard
's Aldrahn.
In October 2007, Greek label Kyrck Productions released the Stigma Diabolicum compilation, which featured both the Grymyrk and Trøndertun demos, as well as material from the Stigma Diabolicum demos Lacus de Luna and Luna des Nocturnus and two tracks ("Thule" and "Fall") from a 1991 Thorns rehearsal.
A follow up to the 2001 debut was announced in September 2008. Snorre had this to say:
The band line up has undergone significant changes since the 2001 album. Snorre is still handling the guitars and Aldrahn will be performing all the vocals on the upcoming album. Bassist Jon Wesseltoft, guitarist Christian Broholt, and drummer Kenneth Kapstad have joined the band.
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...
black metal
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 that formed in 1989 and was part of the early Norwegian black metal scene. They made two highly influential demos in the early 1990s, Grymyrk and Trøndertun, but have only released one full-length album.
Biography
Thorns was formed by Snorre W. Ruch, Marius Vold and Bård G. EithunBård Faust
Bård Guldvik "Faust" Eithun is a Norwegian drummer. He is best known for his work with early black metal band Emperor, especially on the releases As the Shadows Rise and In the Nightside Eclipse...
in 1989, initially under the moniker Stigma Diabolicum. After the first demo was recorded, Stigma Diabolicum began to fall apart, and following the Trøndertun demo, Ruch continued Thorns as a solo project, with the help of several prominent members of the Norwegian black metal scene. The demos / rehearsal tapes Grymyrk
Grymyrk (album)
Grymyrk is an influential demo by the black metal band Thorns, recorded in June 1991. The songs comprise parts played by electric guitar and bass only.-Track listing:# "Lovely Children" – 3:29# "Fall" – 2:20# "Thule" – 6:52# "Fairytales" – 4:02...
and Trøndertun had a great impact on the black metal scene.
In 1994, Snorre was sentenced to 8 years in prison for "being an accomplice" in the murder of Øystein Aarseth. However, according to Aarseth's killer, Varg Vikernes
Varg Vikernes
Varg Vikernes is a Norwegian black metal musician, writer, philosopher, religious and political activist, arsonist and convicted murderer.Vikernes was born near Bergen, Norway. In 1991, he founded the one-man music project Burzum, which quickly became popular within the early Norwegian black metal...
, Ruch was merely "in the wrong place at the wrong time".
After a long period of silence due to Ruch's imprisonment, Thorns reappeared in 1999 with the split album Thorns vs. Emperor
Thorns vs. Emperor
Thorns vs. Emperor is a split album by the Norwegian black metal bands Thorns and Emperor. The album features a mixture of covers and originals, as well as re-recorded versions of older tracks....
, consisting mainly of old Thorns songs performed by Emperor and vice versa. Thorns Vs Emperor was meant to introduce Thorns to the scene and to a newer audience, unaware of Thorns' earlier efforts. Then, in 2001, the long awaited debut album Thorns was released, which featured famed Norwegian drummer Hellhammer
Jan Axel Blomberg
Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg is a three time Spellemannprisen award-winning heavy metal drummer. He is most well known for his drumming with the band Mayhem, with which he began his career...
, as well as vocals by Satyricon
Satyricon (band)
Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band, and the first one in the genre to join a multi-national record label .-Biography:Satyricon was formed in 1990 by Czral and Wargod. Ulver and Satyr soon joined them...
's Satyr
Sigurd Wongraven
Satyr is the vocalist, lead and rhythm guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Norwegian black metal band Satyricon. He was a founding member of Satyricon and have so far released 7 albums, 2 demos and a live DVD...
and Dødheimsgard
Dødheimsgard
Dødheimsgard is a Norwegian heavy metal band formed in 1994. Dødheimsgard was originally a black metal band, but 1999's 666 International saw them change into an experimental and avant-garde / industrial metal band. In 2000, they shortened their name to DHG...
's Aldrahn.
In October 2007, Greek label Kyrck Productions released the Stigma Diabolicum compilation, which featured both the Grymyrk and Trøndertun demos, as well as material from the Stigma Diabolicum demos Lacus de Luna and Luna des Nocturnus and two tracks ("Thule" and "Fall") from a 1991 Thorns rehearsal.
A follow up to the 2001 debut was announced in September 2008. Snorre had this to say:
The band line up has undergone significant changes since the 2001 album. Snorre is still handling the guitars and Aldrahn will be performing all the vocals on the upcoming album. Bassist Jon Wesseltoft, guitarist Christian Broholt, and drummer Kenneth Kapstad have joined the band.
Members
- Snorre Ruch - guitars/keyboards/programming
- Jon Wesseltoft - bass/baritone guitar
- Aldrahn - vocals
- Christian Broholt - guitars
- Kenneth Kapstad - drums
Former members
- Bård G. EithunBård FaustBård Guldvik "Faust" Eithun is a Norwegian drummer. He is best known for his work with early black metal band Emperor, especially on the releases As the Shadows Rise and In the Nightside Eclipse...
- drums - Marius Vold - vocals, bass
- Harald Eilertsen - bass on GrymyrkGrymyrk (album)Grymyrk is an influential demo by the black metal band Thorns, recorded in June 1991. The songs comprise parts played by electric guitar and bass only.-Track listing:# "Lovely Children" – 3:29# "Fall" – 2:20# "Thule" – 6:52# "Fairytales" – 4:02...
- Terje Kråbøl - drums on Trøndertun
- Ronny K. Prize - bass on Trøndertun
- SatyrSigurd WongravenSatyr is the vocalist, lead and rhythm guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Norwegian black metal band Satyricon. He was a founding member of Satyricon and have so far released 7 albums, 2 demos and a live DVD...
- vocals on Thorns - Aldrahn - vocals on Thorns
- HellhammerJan Axel BlombergJan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg is a three time Spellemannprisen award-winning heavy metal drummer. He is most well known for his drumming with the band Mayhem, with which he began his career...
- drums on Thorns
Discography
- 1989 – Luna De Nocturnus (demo as Stigma Diabolicum)
- 1990 – Lacus De Luna (demo as Stigma Diabolicum)
- 1991 – GrymyrkGrymyrk (album)Grymyrk is an influential demo by the black metal band Thorns, recorded in June 1991. The songs comprise parts played by electric guitar and bass only.-Track listing:# "Lovely Children" – 3:29# "Fall" – 2:20# "Thule" – 6:52# "Fairytales" – 4:02...
(demo) - 1992 – Trøndertun (demo)
- 1998 – Thorns vs. EmperorThorns vs. EmperorThorns vs. Emperor is a split album by the Norwegian black metal bands Thorns and Emperor. The album features a mixture of covers and originals, as well as re-recorded versions of older tracks....
(split with EmperorEmperor (band)Emperor was a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991. They dissolved in 2001, but reunited in 2006 and again in 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours. The group was founded by Samoth and Ihsahn .-Biography:...
) - 2001 – Thorns (studio album)
- 2007 – Stigma Diabolicum (compilation)
- ???? - upcoming album (studio album)
Related bands
- Thorns Ltd.Thorns Ltd.Thorns Ltd. is a Norwegian experimental/drone/art-circuit offshoot of the black metal band Thorns. The project was started in 2003 by Finn Olav Holthe , Jon Wesseltoft and Snorre Ruch to explore the aesthetics of sound and its influence on the listener, using multichannel playback systems and...
- experimental/drone/art-circuit offshoot of Thorns featuring Snorre Ruch and Jon Wesseltoft. - MayhemMayhem (band)Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
- band in which Snorre played guitars for a short while. He also wrote some of the riffs on De Mysteriis Dom SathanasDe Mysteriis Dom SathanasDe Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is an album by Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. Songwriting began as early as 1987, but due to the suicide of vocalist Dead and murder of guitarist Euronymous , the album's release was delayed until May 1994...
. Also Hellhammer's main band. - SatyriconSatyricon (band)Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band, and the first one in the genre to join a multi-national record label .-Biography:Satyricon was formed in 1990 by Czral and Wargod. Ulver and Satyr soon joined them...
- Satyr's primary band. - DødheimsgardDødheimsgardDødheimsgard is a Norwegian heavy metal band formed in 1994. Dødheimsgard was originally a black metal band, but 1999's 666 International saw them change into an experimental and avant-garde / industrial metal band. In 2000, they shortened their name to DHG...
- band for which Aldrahn performed vocals until 2003.
External links
- Thorns official website
- Thorns on Moonfog Productions
- Thorns on Rockdetector
- [ Thorns] on Allmusic
- Interview with Snorre Ruch
- Interview with Bjørn Dencker aka Aldrahn
- Official Myspace