Svartsyn is a

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

band from

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

formed in 1991 by multi instrumentalist, singer and lyricist Ornias.

History

The band formed in 1991 as Chalice, but changed their name to Svartsyn in 1993 after the death of original drummer Tormentor. They recorded their first demo in 1994 and their first album in 1998. Draugen, ex-drummer of

Dark Funeral Dark Funeral is a Swedish black metal band from Stockholm, founded by guitarists Blackmoon and Lord Ahriman in 1993. They emerged during the second wave of black metal. Their lyrical themes have traditionally pertained to Satanism and anti-Chr ...

, teamed up with original founding member Ornias in 1996 and worked smoothly together until Draugen left the band in 2010. In 1996 Svartsyn signed to Folter Records and released their debut album ''The True Legend''. In May of the following year, a tour of 9 dates in the Netherlands and Germany with

Behemoth Behemoth (; he, בְּהֵמוֹת, ''bəhēmōṯ'') is a beast from the biblical Book of Job, and is a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the beginning of creation; he is paired with the other chaos-monster, Leviathan, and ...

and Desaster was made. After this tour, Kolgrim (of Unpure) replaced Surth. In June 1997 Svartsyn released ''Tormentor'' 7” EP. In September 1997 and October 1998 Svartsyn recorded their 2nd album entitled ''Bloodline'' at

Sunlight Studios Sunlight Studios is a recording studio in Stockholm, Sweden which is run by Tomas Skogsberg. It has been a popular choice for Swedish death metal bands such as Dismember, At The Gates, Entombed, Grave, Katatonia and Tiamat. Records 1989 *Treb ...

, which was released as a limited D-LP by End All Life Productions from Italy. In February 2000, Svartsyn recorded their 3rd album ''…His Majesty'' at Voisin Studios and they signed to

Sound Riot Records Sound Riot Records is an independent record label founded in March 1994 in Brazil. The company started as a small mailorder service for demo-tapes and 7"EPs. In the same year, the CD distribution started and Sound Riot Records became the offici ...

for the release of this album. In 2003, Svartsyn signed with

again for the release of their fourth album ''Destruction of Man'' and for the re-print of ''Bloodline'' album including the ''Tormentor'' 7” EP as bonus track. ''Destruction of Man'' was released in the summer 2003 and ''Bloodline'' in September 2005. Their fifth album ''Timeless Reign'' was released through Carnal Records from Sweden in September 2007. After the departure of Draguen in 2010, Ornias continued recording music for subsequent albums and EPs. After signing with Agonia Records the band released their sixth album ''Wrath upon the Earth'' in January 2011 with brothers Zoran van Bellegem and Baruch van Bellegem from the Belgian band "Satyrus" as session musicians playing bass and drums, keyboards and samples respectively. The following year a re-recorded, re-mixed and re-mastered version of the band's debut album ''The True Legend'' with new artwork by frequent collaborator Chadwick St. John and a slightly changed track listing was released. The band's eighth studio album ''Black Sacrament'' was released in May 2013 and featured Ignace "Hammerman" Verstrate as a session drummer. Ornias worked again with Hammerman to release Svartsyn's ninth studio album ''In Death'' in June 2017.

Members

Current

* Ornias - vocals, guitars, bass (1991 - present)

Former

* Draugen - drums (1996-2010) * Kolgrim - bass (1996-2004) * Whorth - bass (2001) * Surth - drums (1994-1996) * Tormentor - drums, vocals (1991 -1993; died 1993)

Live

* Henke Svegsjö - guitars (1997-1998)

Discography

Studio albums

* ''The True Legend'' (1998) * ''...His Majesty'' (2000) * ''Destruction of Man'' (2003) * ''Bloodline'' (2005) * ''Timeless Reign'' (2007) * ''Wrath Upon The Earth'' (2011) * ''The True Legend'' Re-recording (2012) * ''Black Testament'' (2013) * ''In Death'' (2017) * ''Requiem'' (2020)

EPs

* ''Tormentor'' (1998) lack Militia * ''Genesis of Deaths Illuminating Mysteries'' (2012) nferna Profundus Records* ''Nightmarish Sleep'' (2014) arnal Records

LPs

* ''Bloodline/His Majesty'' (2000) nd All Life Productions* ''A Night Created by the Shadows... and the Resuscitation of Unspoken Rituals'' (2019) omad Snakepit Productions

Split EPs

* ''Kaos Svarta Mar/ Skinning the Lambs'' with

Arckanum Arckanum was a Swedish black metal solo band formed in 1993 by Johan "Shamaatae" Lahger, who was the only constant member. Arckanum ranks among the most influential and popular in the Swedish black metal scene. Shamaatae is also an author of ...

(2004) arnal Records / Blut & Eisen Productions

Demos

* ''Rehearsal '94'' (1994) * ''A Night Created by the Shadows'' (1995) * ''Rehearsal '97'' (1997) * ''Skinning the Lambs'' (2003)

External links

Svartsyn at ''Myspace''
* Svartsyn at ''AllMusic'' {{Authority control Musical groups established in 1991 Swedish black metal musical groups 1991 establishments in Sweden