Slagmaur is a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

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

Brekstad Brekstad is a town in the municipality of Ørland in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along the Trondheimsfjord at the entrance to the Stjørnfjorden. The town is located about south of the village of Uthaug and about west of the villag ...

and

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

, formed in 1997 and originally named ''Norske Synder''.

History

Slagmaur was formed in 1997 under the name ''Norske Synder'' ("Norwegian Sins" in Norwegian) before changing name in 2006. An official band statement claimed them to be "the darkest and scariest black metal band to ever set foot on planet earth". The band is quite secretive and little is known about the band members, although it is known that Mehimoloth from Celestial Bloodshed was a member of the band until his death in 2009. They have described their sound as "twisted and sinister Black Metal, multi layered and complex". The band have also attracted interest for their conceptualized, unusual imagery and live shows which display a

theatrical Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

horror aesthetic and bizarre live antics. Their set at the 2017 edition of the

Inferno festival Inferno Metal Festival is an annual extreme metal festival that takes place every year during Easter in Oslo, Norway. The festival was founded by Borknagar guitarist Jens F. Ryland in cooperation with Radar Booking in 2001 and takes place at Rockef ...

, which quickly generated controversy, featured staged

executions Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

as well as a model/stuntman tied to an upside-down cross which was set on fire at the end of the show, while band members "prowled around the stage, looking genuinely psychotic and to be gaining pleasure from the on-stage executions". The concert reportedly induced strong discomfort among the audience and has been described as "one of the most extreme live acts ever performed", with renowned heavy metal magazine

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

reporting "It's not easy to shock in black metal today, but Slagmaur did it".

Personnel

Current line up

* Lt. Wardr – Drums and keyboards (2006–present) * General Gribbsphiiser - Vocals (lead & choirs), Guitars, Bass, Drums, Piano, Synths, Cello, Music, Lyrics (2006–present) * Aatselgribb - Vocals (lead), Bass, Piano (2006–present) * Dr. Von Hellreich - Vocals (lead) (2016–present)

Past members

Mehimoloth (Steingrim Torson) - Vocals (2007-2009)

Live/session members

Mr. Unt Zilla - Bass, Guitars, Programming (2006–present)

Discography

* ''Svin'' (Demo) (2006) * ''Skrekk'' (Demo) (2006 * ''Domfeldt'' (Demo) (2007) * ''Skrekk Lich Kunstler'' (2007) * ''Von Rov Shelter'' (2009) * ''Thill Smitts Terror '' (2017) * ''Hulders Ritualet'' (to be released in 2020)

References

{{Authority control Norwegian black metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1997 1997 establishments in Norway