Tristania was founded in 1996, by Einar Moen (synth & programming), Kenneth Olsson (drums) and former singer/guitarist Morten Veland. Moen and Veland decided to leave the band Uzi Suicide, which they were a part of. They managed to get Olsson to join them in their new band, Tristania. Shortly after, Rune Østerhus (bass) and Anders H. Hidle (guitar) joined the band.
In May 1997 the band entered the studio for the first time and recorded their demo in Klepp Lydstudio. In the meantime, Vibeke Stene had been recruited. She was supposed to contribute on the demo as a session musician, but the rest of the band were convinced on that her voice matched the band perfectly, and she became the 6th member.
During the summer of 97 the demo was distributed to different labels, and Napalm Records came up with the best offer. Tristanias first release on Napalm was the MCD named Tristania, which was the demo, but with a new mix and artwork.
Inspired by good reviews for the MCD all over Europe, the band was eager to record the debut album. After some months, Moen and Veland had the songs ready.
Before the end of 97, their first full-length album Widow's Weeds was recorded and released in the beginning of 1998. Widow's Weeds is a symphonic metal album with elements from different genres, such as gothic rock, death metal, classical music and black metal. Essential for the album were 2 session musicians, which both have been important on the bands later albums. Østen Bergøy (Morendoes), who today is a regular member of the band, contributed with clean male vocals on the song Angellore. Violins were plaid by Pete Johansen (The Scarr), who also has been contributing on the later albums of Tristania.
After doing their first live shows outside of Norway as a support act for Lacrimosa in Belgium and on the Mind Over Matter Festival in Austria during the summer of 98, Tristania went on their first European tour in the autumn same year, together with Solefald and Haggard.
In 1999, the 2nd full-length album, Beyond The Veil, was released. The songs on the album are built around the same elements as the previous one, but all in all the album is a bit more extreme, compared to Widow's Weeds. Moen/Veland were still writing most of the music, but Moen and Hidle also composed a couple of the tracks together this time.
Østen Bergøy and Pete Johansen were once again contributing on a Tristania album, in addition to yet another singer; Jan Kenneth Barkved (Elusive).
The band followed up the album with their first headlining tour, together with The Sins Of Thy Beloved, Trail of Tears and Antichrisis as support acts.
1999 was also the year for Tristania to appear at the Wacken Festival, and joining Tiamat on the Skeleton Skeletron Tour together with Anathema.
In 2000, Tristania continued the extensive touring, and went on a new European headliner tour, in addition to several of the European summer festivals.
2000 was also the year that the band got their first opportunities to tour outside of Europe, with festival shows in Mexico in August and the US in November.
In the end of 2000, Veland and the rest of the band decided to go on separate ways, due to musical and social differences.
The band was eager to go on with the composing, and Moen and Hidle continued to work on their new song material for the 3rd album, World of Glass. The album was recorded in Sound Suite Studio, France during the spring of 2001. Since the replacement for Veland wasn't ready yet, Ronny Thorsen (Trail of Tears) contributed on the extreme vocals, while Bergøy and Barkved contributed with clean vocals. Pete Johansen did the violins for his 3rd time on a Tristania release.
After returning to Norway, Kjetil Ingebrethsen (Blindfolded) joined the band as a replacement for Veland. At the same time it was a natural thing that also Østen Bergøy became a regular member of the band, after participating at all the 3 full-length albums. He had become more and more important as a singer, and on World of Glass also as a lyricist.
World of Glass was released in September 2001, and the album represents the natural next step for the band, after Widow's Weeds and Beyond The Veil, and the band managed both to keep the "tristanian" sound and the basic elements in the music, as well as to have development and natural progress. The musical diversity that always has been important for the band became even clearer with World of Glass. This album also included the first ever cover-version recorded by Tristania, called The Modern End, originally recorded by the legendary Norwegian band Seigmen.
Just days after the album was released, the band started the World of Glass Tour in Europe, supported by Rotting Christ, Vintersorg and country-mates Madder Mortem.
The touring continued in 2002, with more European gigs as well as shows in Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Columbuia.
Tristania is at the moment having a break from touring, focusing solely on the next album, which is expected to be recorded late 2003. |
Style: Black Metal Progressive Death Me Black / Death Metal Black metal Death atmospheric black Melodic Black Metal Death / Doom Metal black-grind raw black atmospheric black Power / Progressive trash metal war black avantgarde death; sympho black black progressive rock Black Metal Black Metal / Pagan Metal Melodic Death Metal Black / Death Melodic Doom Death Metal Progressive Metal Black Metal / Death Metal Black Metal Melodic Metal Power Metal Black Metal Heavy Metal Sympho Black Metal Black Metal Black Metal Viking BlackThrash Metal Black / Death Metal Celtic Pagan Black Metal Black Metal Brutal Death / Black Metal Black Metal Black Metal Black / Thrash Metal Black / Doom / Death Metal Hardcore Heavy Metal Black Metal Black / Doom / Gothic metal Black Metal Black metal Speed / Power / Heavy Metal Black / Thrash Metal Black / Death Metal Black / Death Metal Grindcore / Death Black / Death Metal Thrash Metal Black Metal Death Metal Progressive Black Metal Power Metal Doom / Gothic / Progressive Brutal Death Metal Death Metal Death / Grind Black Metal Death Metal Melodic Death Metal Heavy / Power Metalcore Ambient Black Pagan Metal Progressive Metal Brutal Death / Gore Metal Black Metal Melodic Black Metal doom Doom / Stoner Metal Black / Death Metal Blues / Heavy Metal Black Metal Gothic Metal folk metal Black Technical death / grind Sympho Black Progressive Death Melodic death Black Black Thrash Black Metal Black Melodic Death Melodic Death Gothic Metal Black Metal Black Metal Grindcore Melodic Death Metal Hard Rock Death Black Death Black Melodic Death / Folk Metal Sympho Black Metal Heavy, Power Gore Death Metal Black Metal Avantgarde Doom Black / Thrash Metal Progressive Metal Power Viking Metal Melodic Black / Death Metal Black Heroic-Folk-Metal Black / viking metal Funeral Doom Heavy / Black / Death Doom Thrash Symphonic Death / Black Metal Heavy Power metal Viking Death / Industrial Folk / Black Metal fast black Anglo-Saxon pagan-black Sympho Power Metal Black / Doom Metal Power Black Metal Black Metal Power / Speed Metal Black Metal Industrial / Death / Grindcore Black Metal Black Metal Progressive Metal / Rock Heavy / Trash Doom / Sympho Black Metal Death / Grind Nu Metal heavy / power metal Brutal Death Metal Pagan Black Metal Power Heavy Black Metal Brutal Death Metal Brutal death metal Brutal Death Power / Thrash Metal Melodic Black Death / Black Death / Black Metal Black / Death Metal Grindcore / Death Folk Metal Melodic Death Metal Heavy Gothic Rock / Doom Metal Black Metal Heavy Symphonic progressive rock Melodic Death Metal Power / Progressive Death Metal Doom / Death / Suicide Rock Symphonic progressive rock Heavy / Black Hard Rock Progressive Power Metal Thrash Metal Hard `n` Heavy Gothic / Doom Metal Gothic Gothic Gothic Metal Groove metal / Metalcore Hard Rock Black Metal Sympho Black Metal Progressive Rock / Metal Death / Thrash Metal Black Metal Heavy / Thrash / Industrial AOR Ebmient / Industrial Death Metal Black Metal Thrash / Death / Grind Metal Black / Gothic Metal Harsh Grind / Death Thrash Metal Atmospheric Dark Metal Melodic Death / Gothic Black Metal Melodic Black Metal Progressive / Neoclassical Folk / Celtic Metal Heavy Metal Melodic Death Metal Industrial Power Metal Black Metal Thrash / Speed Metal Black / Doom / Thrash Metal Melodic Death / Black Metal Black Metal Viking / Folk Metal Grind-Noise Black / Folk Metal Gothic Doom Death Doom-Death Black Metal Death Metal ambient / darkwave / gothic Heavy metal Death / Doom / Gothic Doom Gothic Metal Thrash Black Black Metal Death / Melodic Black Metal Grindcore / Brutal Death Black Black Black / Grind / Death / Trash death metal Death Death / Thrash Power metal Sympho black-death / dark Black Thrash Metal melodic death Progressive Death / Doom Raw Black Metal Doom Death Heavy Industrial Metal Thrashcore Doom Melodic Metal Progressive / Hard-rock Doom Heavy / Power Industrial Heavy Metal Doom Power / Progressive Black Symphonic Power Metal Black / Death Heavy Doom Death Techno Death Black Hard Rock Heavy / Hard rock Death Thrash / Death Metal Funeral doom Heavy / Power Heavy Death Pagan Metal Thrash Nu Thrash Death Thrash Power Melodic Black Metal Power Black Punk rock Atmospheric pagan black Nu Folk Thrash Gothic / Doom Melodic Death / Post-Thrash Metal Black / Industrial Gothic / Industrial / Doom Death Metal / Symphonic Folk / Black Gothic / Hard rock Gothic / Doom Gothic