Tristania (band)
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Tristania is a goth metal band from Norway, formed in the end of 1996 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Olsson.
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Music
Tristania's music can be classified "scandinavian goth metal". Tristania's music can be described as black metal combined with opera, gregorian chants and medieval gothic music.
Tristania puts a lot of focus around operatic female vocals, haunting choruses and classical instruments such as pipe organ, flutes and violins. Those gothic elements enrich their fast-paced heavy black metal riffing and giving it a new depth.
On the side of metal Tristania uses heavy black metal riffs with dominant eerie keyboard and powerful drums. The leading voice on most of its songs is the menacing death vocals of Morten Veland.
Their combination of death vocals with gentle female opera and majestic gothic choruses have reached a degree of almost perfection in their album Beyond the Veil which is considered by many as a masterpiece in the goth metal genre.
Tristania are using 3 types of vocals:
- Operatic female vocals - provided by Vibeke Stene.
- Death Vocals (grunts, growls and screams) - were provided by Morten Veland and now provided by Hidle and Ingebrethsen.
- Clean vocals (hollow bariton) - provided by Bergøy.
Biography
Tristania was formed in the end of 1996 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Olsson, the former two of whom were in the band Uzi Suicide together. Later Anders H. Hidle and Vibeke Stene joined the band, along with bassist Rune Osterhus. In May 1997 their first EP, titled Tristania, was released. The same year Tristania released its first full length album, Widow's Weeds. A year later, they recorded their second full length album titled Beyond the Veil, which is considered by many fans to be not only the best Tristania project but also the best album to represent the band. The music is very atmospheric and full of deep melodic passion. Morten Veland, who was by then almost like a leader to the group, as he composed most of their works, wrote lyrics, played guitar and sang growling vocals, was fired (according to his version) from the band after the release of Beyond the Veil due to what the remaining members refer to only as "musical and social differences".
After Beyond The Veil the band released the Angina single, and in 2001 their new album, World of Glass was released. This album was a little different in style and the departure of Veland was noticed, as the sound of this album was a combination of typical "tristanian" sound, that included choirs, violins, pianos and more modern, industrial influences, most notably the industrial/electronica band Seigmen (now known as Zeromancer), of which Tristania did a cover on the song "The Modern End". The growling vocals on this album were sung by Ronny Thorsen, member of Trail of Tears, and the clean vocals were sung by Jan Kenneth Barkverd and Østen Bergøy. Bergøy then joined the band as a permanent member, so as Kjetil Ingebrethsen, who is in charge for singing growling vocals.
Tristania is still carrying its path: creating art; music that many fans believe will be considered as masterpieces, and the new album, titled Ashes has been released in January 2005
The newest album, Ashes, was the first of Tristania's albums on their new label, SPV, after their contract with Napalm Records expired. This new album takes the once heavily atmospheric gothic sound of the band and replaces it with a decidely more progressive, though still worthwhile, style. The choirs are gone, as are the more challenging vocal bits remiscent of World of Glass and Beyond the Veil. Hidle and Einar Moen add their vocals to certain tracks of the album, and two of the songs are actually written by the Tristania.com webmaster, Kjartan Hermansen (Libre, Circus)while the song The Wretched is based on a poem by Hermansen, "Ascending: Descending." Also on this album the haunting violins of Pete Johansen of the Skar, which so often accompanied the previous Tristania albums, were replaced by the cello melodies of Hans Josef Groh. This album marked a lyrical and musical simplification of the band from the days of Morten Veland, more so than the first Veland-less album, World of Glass. The Ashes Tour in Europe (minus Einar Moen, who remained at home to work on more material for the band, but is still an active member) brought about another change for the band, the addition of a second guitarist, Svein Terje Solvang, who previously played with the band for touring purposes. His addition to the band as a permanent member in May 2005 is the first time Tristania has had a double-guitarist team since Beyond the Veil.
Discography
- Tristania (EP) (1997)
- Widow's Weeds (1998)
- Beyond the Veil (1999)
- World of Glass (2001)
(Napalm Record)
(SPV)
Band members
- Vibeke Stene - female vocals
- Kjetil Ingebrethsen - death vocals
- Østen Bergøy - clean vocals
- Anders Høvyvik Hidle - guitars
- Rune Østerhus - bass
- Einar Moen - keyboards/programming
- Kenneth Olsson - drums
- Svein Terje Solvang - guitars
Former members:
- Morten Veland - vocals/guitars (left to new band Sirenia)
Similar bands
External link
- Official Website (http://www.tristania.com/)
- Official Forum (http://www.crusheddreams.net/)nl:Tristania