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Tristania (band)

From Alfawiki
Tristania
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1996
FounderMorten Veland, Einar Moen, Kenneth Olsson
Defunct2022
Headquarters
Stavanger
,
Norway
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsGothic metal music
Websitewww.tristania.com

Tristania was a Norwegian gothic metal ensemble established in 1996 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen, and Kenneth Olsson. Their sound merged gothic metal with death metal elements, earning them a prominent place in the gothic metal scene. Their lyrics frequently delved into somber topics such as melancholy, despair, suicide, love, loss, and rage.

Following a period of inactivity from 2016 until October 2018, Tristania revealed plans to perform at 70000 Tons of Metal in early 2019. The group officially ceased operations in 2022.

Origins

In 1992, Morten Veland and Kenneth Olsson created the band Uzi Suicide. Veland’s growing fascination with the UK gothic movement influenced his increasingly darker songwriting approach. This early project laid the groundwork for what would become Tristania.

Formation and Widow's Weeds, 1996–1998

Tristania was formed in Stavanger, Norway in 1996 by Einar Moen (keyboards), Morten Veland (vocals/guitar), and Kenneth Olsson (drums). Soon after, Anders Høyvik Hidle (guitar/vocals) and Rune Østerhus (bass) joined the lineup. Initially appearing as a guest vocalist on their 1997 demo, Vibeke Stene soon became a permanent member. The band recorded their demo at Klepp Lydstudio in May 1997, which attracted record label attention. They signed with Napalm Records and released the EP Tristania.

Their first full-length album, Widow's Weeds, was recorded late in 1997 and launched in early 1998. Contributions came from guest vocalist Østen Bergøy (who later joined permanently) and violinist Pete Johansen. Tristania’s initial live appearances outside Norway included supporting Lacrimosa in Belgium and performing at Austria’s Mind over Matter festival in August 1998. This was followed by a European tour alongside Solefald and Haggard.

Beyond the Veil, 1999–2000

Their sophomore album, Beyond the Veil, released in 1999, featured primary songwriting contributions from Moen and Veland, with Moen and Hidle becoming an important creative duo. Tristania headlined tours supported by The Sins of Thy Beloved, Trail of Tears, and Antichrisis, as well as sharing stages with Tiamat and Anathema. The band maintained an extensive touring schedule through 2000. Veland left the group in December 2000 due to both musical disagreements and personal conflicts.

World of Glass, 2001–2002

Released in September 2001, World of Glass featured guest performances by Ronny Thorsen, Johansen, and Barkved. This album incorporated classical influences alongside industrial sounds and included their sole cover track: "The Modern End" originally by Seigmen. Østen Bergøy became the principal lyricist after joining as a full member. Kjetil Ingebrethsen was added on harsh vocals prior to the World of Glass tour, which saw support slots for acts such as Rotting Christ, Vintersorg, and Madder Mortem. Touring continued across Europe and Latin America throughout 2002.

Hiatus, 2003–2004

During the years 2003 to 2004, the band suspended live concerts to concentrate solely on composing new material.

Ashes 2005–2006

Released in February 2005 through SPV/Steamhammer Records, Ashes showcased a more minimalistic approach, scaling back the classical and operatic influences present in earlier works. The group embarked on tours across Europe and Latin America, sharing stages with Nightwish, Gothminister, and Kreator. During some of these tours, Moen remained at home focusing on songwriting. After these tours concluded, Ingebrethsen departed to pursue a quieter path within the music industry.[1] Instead of recruiting a new member, Hidle took over the growling vocal duties.

Illumination 2007

Tristania's fifth studio release, Illumination, arrived in January 2007 and marked the official addition of touring guitarist Svein Terje Solvang to the lineup. The album featured guest contributions from Vorph of Samael as well as a string quartet. Shortly after its release, lead singer Vibeke Stene exited the band to dedicate time to her family and teaching career,[2] which resulted in the postponement of planned tours. Rumors circulated linking her to Finnish symphonic metal group Nightwish as a possible replacement for Tarja Turunen; however, Stene publicly denied these claims.[3]

Following auditions aimed at finding a vocalist with a different style, Mariangela Demurtas from Sardinia was brought into the band in October 2007.

Rubicon 2008–2012

In 2008, both Østerhus and Solvang departed and were succeeded by bassist Ole Vistnes and later guitarist Gyri Losnegaard. The refreshed ensemble featuring Demurtas made their live debut on 29 February 2008 at a festival held in Kyiv, Ukraine. Drummer Kenneth Olsson was replaced by Tarald Lie; meanwhile, vocalist Østen Bergøy scaled back his involvement due to personal reasons related to family, with Kjetil Nordhus joining to provide clean vocals. Their sixth album, Rubicon, was released on 25 August 2010.

After performing at the Out of the Dark Festival on 2 October 2011, the Hungarian group Lambda Team developed and distributed a freeware PC game entitled Tristania 3D.

On 15 December, the band revealed plans for a forthcoming album called Darkest White, scheduled for release in late May 2013.

Darkest White, inactivity, and disbandment 2013–2022

Recorded in January 2013, Darkest White received positive critical acclaim and was regarded as a significant comeback following former vocalist Vibeke Stene's exit in 2007. Reviews from sources such as Sputnikmusic highlighted it as an improvement over their prior album Rubicon. The record was praised for its "dark, desolate beauty" and emotional resonance, especially emphasizing the expertly executed three-vocal dynamic that combined Anders H. Hidle's harsh vocals with Kjetil Nordhus' clean singing and Mariangela Demurtas' female voice—an "intelligent" and carefully crafted fusion.

Between 2016 and 2018, the band entered a period of inactivity during which members engaged in separate projects. Tristania resumed sporadic live shows starting in 2018 but did not release new material.

On 17 September 2022, Tristania officially announced their dissolution due to an unspecified "medical situation in near family within the band," which also led to the cancellation of their planned Latin American tour scheduled for December.

Music

Tristania set itself apart in the goth metal scene by incorporating three unique vocal techniques: the operatic soprano of Vibeke Stene, the smooth baritone of Østen Bergøy, and the aggressive black metal screams delivered by Morten Veland. Their 1999 release Beyond the Veil included a ten-member choir alongside violin performances by Pete Johansen from The Sins of Thy Beloved, receiving extensive praise throughout Europe. By this stage, Tristania had established itself as a prominent figure in goth metal, known for their richly layered, symphonic soundscapes. The exit of key songwriter Veland, who went on to create Sirenia, represented a considerable obstacle. Despite this, Tristania persisted and flourished with subsequent albums, maintaining their status as one of the foremost goth metal groups worldwide.

Final lineup

  • Einar Moen – keyboards, programming (1996–2022)
  • Anders Høyvik Hidle – lead guitar (1996–2022), harsh vocals (2006–2022)
  • Mariangela Demurtas – female vocals (2007–2022)
  • Ole Vistnes – bass, backing vocals (2009–2022; toured 2008–2009)
  • Gyri Smørdal Losnegaard – rhythm guitar (2009–2022)
  • Tarald Lie Jr. – drums (2010–2022; toured 2005–2010)
  • Kjetil Nordhus – clean vocals, acoustic guitar (2010–2022; toured 2009–2010)

Past members

  • Morten Veland – harsh vocals, rhythm guitar (1996–2000)
  • Rune Østerhus – bass (1996–2009)
  • Kenneth Olsson – drums, backing vocals (1996–2010)
  • Vibeke Stene – female vocals (1997–2007)
  • Kjetil Ingebrethsen – harsh vocals, acoustic guitar (2001–2005)
  • Østen Bergøy – clean vocals (2001–2010; session 1998–2001)
  • Svein Terje Solvang – rhythm guitar, harsh vocals (2005–2008; toured 2004–2005)

Touring musicians

  • Kjell Rune Hagen – bass (2005–2008)
  • Jonathan A. Perez – drums (2005–2006, 2010)
  • Pete Johansen – violin (2010–2011)

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:130 bottom:80 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1995 till:09/17/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1995 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1995

Colors = 

id:CVocals     value:red         legend:Clean_vocals  
id:UVocals     value:claret      legend:Unclean_vocals  
id:LGuitar     value:teal        legend:Lead_guitar  
id:RGuitar     value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar  
id:Bass        value:blue        legend:Bass_guitar  
id:Keyboard    value:purple      legend:Keyboards  
id:Drums       value:orange      legend:Drums  
id:BVocals     value:pink        legend:Backing_vocals

LineData = 

 at:03/09/1998 color:black layer:back  
 at:09/08/1999 color:black layer:back  
 at:09/25/2001 color:black layer:back  
 at:02/01/2005 color:black layer:back  
 at:01/22/2007 color:black layer:back  
 at:08/25/2010 color:black layer:back  
 at:05/31/2013 color:black layer:back

BarData = 

 bar:Stene text:"Vibeke Stene"  
 bar:Bergøy text:"Østen Bergøy"  
 bar:Demurtas text:"Mariangela Demurtas"  
 bar:Nordhus text:"Kjetil Nordhus"  
 bar:Hidle text:"Anders Høyvik Hidle"  
 bar:Veland text:"Morten Veland"  
 bar:Kjetil text:"Kjetil Ingebrethsen"  
 bar:Solvang text:"Svein Terje Solvang"  
 bar:Gyri text:"Gyri Smørdal Losnegaard"  
 bar:Østerhus text:"Rune Østerhus"  
 bar:Vistnes text:"Ole Vistnes"  
 bar:Moen text:"Einar Moen"  
 bar:Olsson text:"Kenneth Olsson"  
 bar:Lie text:"Tarald Lie Jr."

PlotData= 

 width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)  
 bar:Hidle from:01/01/1995 till:end color:LGuitar  
 bar:Hidle from:01/01/2000 till:01/01/2002 color:RGuitar width:7  
 bar:Hidle from:01/01/2000 till:01/01/2002 color:UVocals width:3  
 bar:Hidle from:01/01/2006 till:end color:UVocals width:3  
 bar:Hidle from:01/01/2008 till:01/01/2009 color:RGuitar width:7  
 bar:Stene from:01/01/1996 till:02/27/2007 color:CVocals  
 bar:Bergøy from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2010 color:CVocals  
 bar:Demurtas from:10/01/2007 till:end color:CVocals  
 bar:Kjetil from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2006 color:Rguitar  
 bar:Kjetil from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2006 color:UVocals width=3  
 bar=Veland from=01/01/1995 till=01/01/2000 color=RGuitar   
 bar=Veland from=01/01/1995 till=01/01/2000 color=UVocals width=3   
 bar=Veland from=01/01/1995 till=01/01/1996 color=CVocals width=7   
 bar=Solvang from=01/01/2006 till=01/01/2008 color=RGuitar   
 bar=Solvang from=01/01/2006 till=01/01/2008 color=UVocals width=3   
 bar=Gyri from=01/01/2009 till=end color=RGuitar   
 bar=Nordhus from=01/01/2010 till=end color=CVocals   
 bar=Nordhus from=01/01/2010 till=end color=RGuitar width=3   
 bar=Østerhus from=01/01/1995 till=01/01/2009 color=Bass   
 bar=Vistnes from=01/01//2009 till=end color=Bass   
 bar=Vistnes from=01//2009 till=end color=BVocals width=3   
 bar=Olsson from=1995-1-1 till=2010-1-1 color=Drums   
 bar=Olsson from=1995-1-1 till=2010-1-1 color BVocals width=3   
 bar Lie from:=2010-1-1 till:end color Drums   
  Moen from:=1995-1-1 till:end color Keyboard

</timeline>

Studio albums

  • Widow's Weeds (1998)
  • Beyond the Veil (1999)
  • World of Glass (2001)
  • Ashes (2005)
  • Illumination (2007)
  • Rubicon (2010)
  • Darkest White (2013)

External links

  1. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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