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Keep of Kalessin

Norwegian group Keep of Kalessin are a pioneering force in extreme metal, helping to define the metal subgenre with their fusion of stunning technical playing with an intensity at the same level as black metal's more powerful acts. Founded by onetime Satyricon guitarist Arnt Obsidian Grønbech (aka Obsidian C), the band went through different phases of activity as their sound took shape. In addition to traditional metal instrumentation, Keep of Kalessin experimented with synths, keyboard instruments, and complex vocal arrangements, exploring new sounds on increasingly epic albums like 2010's Reptilian and 2023's Katharsis. Keep of Kalessin was founded in Trondheim in 1993, comprised of Grønbech on guitar and keyboards, vocalist Ghâsh, bassist Warach, and drummer Vyl. Their initial sound was a more standard take on Scandinavian black metal, and the group released 1997's Through Times of War and 1999's Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark before disbanding in 2000. Grønbech accepted a position as touring guitarist with Satyricon, while continuing to write his own songs on the side. He eventually recorded them with the help of Satyricon drummer Frost and black metal vocalist-for-hire extraordinaire Attila Csihar (Mayhem, Aborym, etc.) and released them under the Keep of Kalessin name as 2003's Reclaim EP, featuring three lengthy tracks of eclectically spiced black metal. Keep of Kalessin solidified with their third album, 2006's Armada, featuring new cohorts Thebon on vocals, Wizziac on bass, and Vyl (aka Vegard Larsen) on drums. Both Armada and its 2008 follow-up, Kolossus, were nominated for Norwegian Grammys, and the band toured extensively with other metal institutions like Exodus, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, and many others. In 2010 they entered entered a song in the Melodi Grand Prix, the competition that ultimately decides Norway's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Though they didn't win, the group got third place and became the first metal band to compete in a contest usually dominated by pop acts. Unbothered by this loss, Keep of Kalessin released their fifth, more experimental album, Reptilian, in May 2010, and it rose to the number two position on Norway's charts. Epistemology followed five years later with production being handled by the bandmembers themselves. Their seventh studio full-length, Katharsis, arrived in 2023, adding a deeper melodic sense to the group's already epic take on extreme metal.
© Eduardo Rivadavia & Fred Thomas /TiVo
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Discography

12 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller

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