Keep Of Kalessin

Formed in 1994, inspired by the work of American fantasy writer Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series, violent Norwegian black metal outfit Keep of Kalessin released their debut Through Times of War in 1997 at the height of black metal's second movement. As black metal became trendy again, KoK took steps away from their seminal sound and experimented with thrash, death and Swedish styles on their sophomore release, 1999's Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark. But after appearing on a critically acclaimed Mayhem tribute album in 2000, KoK went back to black and underwent massive lineup changes. At points the band featured important black metal musicians like Attila Csihar of Mayhem and Frost from Satyricon and 1349 as part of the roster. In 2008, KoK's lineup holds steady with founding member and guitarist/synth player Obsidian C, vocalist Thebon, bassist Wizziac and drummer Vyl as they release their fourth studio album, Kolossus.