Epic Extreme Metal - Norway
As one of the pioneers of Epic Extreme Metal, Norway’s Keep Of Kalessin have collected an impressive number of milestones.
Since forming in 1993, Keep of Kalessin have established a reputation for releasing high-quality albums. Their first two albums, Through Times of War (1997) and Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark (1999) paired the band’s sense for melody and virtuoso playing with the harshness traditionally expected from black metal.
After the band’s original lineup split up, founding member and guitarist Arnt Obsidian served as Satyricon’s live guitarist from 2002 until 2007. He played hundreds of shows with the Norwegian black metal legends, including headlining Wacken Open Air in 2004.
It was through this fortuitous partnership that Keep of Kalessin reunited. Obsidian was joined by Frost for the 2003 Reclaim EP, which also features Atilla Csihar from Mayhem. Like all good things, this lineup did come to an end, but the band was far from done.
In fact, Keep of Kalessin came back in a big way during the mid-2000s. Experimenting with piano, keyboards and synthesizers earned the band’s next two albums, Armada (2006) and Kolossus (2008), nominations in the metal category at the Norwegian Grammy Awards.
Then in 2010, Keep of Kalessin shocked the world by becoming the first metal band to compete for Norway’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song “The Dragontower” finished third during the national final. That same year, the band released their fifth album Reptilian, which peaked at #2 on the Norwegian national charts.
After 30 years, Keep of Kalessin have built themselves into an enduring live force. They’ve toured with Satyricon, Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Exodus and many other acclaimed acts. After five years of extensive touring, the band put out another impressive album in 2015’s Epistemology.
While Keep of Kalessin soon faced the challenge of replacing their longtime drummer Vyl Larsen, the Internet helped them find an excellent replacement. Wanja Gröger is a long-time fan of the band whose amazing drumming skills are recognized all across the globe thanks to his popular YouTube channel. After an initial tour in 2019, Gröger became a full-time member of the band ahead of their latest album.
Metalheads may have written Keep of Kalessin off after receiving no album from them in eight years, but 2023’s Katharsis was named Album of the Month in Norway’s prestigious Scream Magazine. The band premiered the whole album during a rocking mainstage performance on board 70,000 Tons of Metal.
This year, Keep of Kalessin signed with Season of Mist, who will release their next album in 2025.
While they’re busy sharpening their blades in the studio, Keep of Kalessin are taking stock of their treasured discography. The Norwegian pioneers of epic extreme metal are reissuing several albums through their new label Season of Mist. And they’re starting with one of their most decorated crown jewels.
Norway is known for pioneering a legendary branch of extreme metal, but no band embodies the scene’s epic resolve quite like Keep of Kalessin.
