Tristania (band)
| Tristania | |
|---|---|
Tristania live in Germany, 2005
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Dalane, Norway |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | Mariangela Demurtas Kjetil Nordhus Anders Høyvik Hidle Gyri Smørdal Losnegaard Ole Vistnes Einar Moen Tarald Lie Jr. |
| Past members |
Morten Veland Kjetil Ingebrethsen Vibeke Stene Svein Terje Solvang Rune Østerhus Østen Bergøy Kenneth Ølsson |
Tristania is a band from Norway, formed in 1995 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Ølsson. Tristania's music is usually classified as Gothic metal with death/doom influences, due to its strong tie and legacy within the gothic metal history. Their songs largely deal with dark and sentimental topics, including depression, sadness, suicide, love, absence, and anger.
In 1992, Morten Veland and Kenneth Ølsson formed Uzi Suicide. Since Veland was getting more interested in the UK gothic scene, his songwriting began to take a darker feel. Fragments of the band later became Tristania.
Tristania was founded in Stavanger, Norway by Einar Moen (keyboards), Morten Veland (vocals/guitar), and Kenneth Ølsson (drums) in 1995. A few weeks later Anders Høyvik Hidle (guitars/vocals) and Rune Østerhus (bass) joined the band. Vibeke Stene was initially recruited as a guest singer for the demo recording in 1996, but she later joined as a regular member. According to Stene, she did not know she was in the band until she read an interview after Widow's Weeds was released. In May 1997, the band entered the studio for the first time and recorded their demo in Klepp Lydstudio. During the summer of 1997 different labels showed interest in the demo. Tristania signed with Napalm Records and released the EP Tristania.
Tristania's first full-length album, Widow's Weeds, was recorded at the end of 1997 and released early 1998. Two guest performers who were involved in Widow's Weeds would later get more prominent roles on Tristania’s albums; singer Østen Bergøy (who would later become a full band member) and violinist Pete Johansen. Tristania got to do their first shows outside of Norway as support act for Lacrimosa in Belgium and at the Mind over Matter festival in Austria in August 1998. Later the same year Tristania went on their first European tour, with Solefald and Haggard.
The band's second full-length album Beyond the Veil was released in 1999. As on the debut album, Moen and Veland wrote the majority of the music, but Moen and Hidle emerged as a songwriting team. Tristania went on their first headlining tour with The Sins of Thy Beloved, Trail of Tears and Antichrisis as support acts. The band also toured with Tiamat and Anathema in 1999. The band continued touring extensively in 2000. In December 2000 Veland and the rest of the band agreed on going separate ways, due to musical and personal differences.
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