History Music / Tristania

!! Current Members:

On September 17, 2022 the band announced via social media that they would be disbanding due to "[[https://blabbermouth.net/news/norwegian-gothic-metal-pioneers-tristania-call-it-quits a serious medical situation in near family within the band, which will make it impossible to pursue both short and long-term plans with the band". Mariangela shared the post via her social media as well, writing "I am not coming with good news today unfortunately… I will spend some more words on this matter later.. excuse me for now, but this is not an easy post to make".

Tristania are a GothicMetal band from UsefulNotes/{{Norway}} that was active from 1995-2022, and often considered one of the pioneers of the genre. The band was formed in 1995 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Ølsson, with Anders Høyvik Hidle and Rune Østerhus joining shortly afterwards. Vibeke Stene was initially recruited as a guest singer for the demo recording, but she later joined as a regular member. During the summer of 1997 different labels showed interest in the demo. Tristania signed with Napalm Records and released their first EP, ''Tristania.''

Tristania are a GothicMetal band from UsefulNotes/{{Norway}} that was formed in 1995 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Ølsson. Anders Høyvik Hidle and Rune Østerhus joined shortly afterwards. Vibeke Stene was initially recruited as a guest singer for the demo recording, but she later joined as a regular member. During the summer of 1997 different labels showed interest in the demo. Tristania signed with Napalm Records and released their first EP, ''Tristania.''

* Anders Høyvik Hidle – Guitars (1995–) / Harsh Vocals (2006–)
* Einar Moen – Synth, programming (1995–)
* Mariangela Demurtas – Vocals (2007–)
* Gyri Smørdal Losnegaard – Guitars (2009–)
* [[Music/GreenCarnation Ole Vistnes]] – Bass, backing vocals (2009–)
* Tarald Lie Jr. – Drums (2010–)
* [[Music/GreenCarnation Kjetil Nordhus]] – Vocals, acoustic guitars (2010–)

Tristania's first full length album: ''Widow's Weeds,'' was recorded at the end of 1997 and released early 1998. The album is Gothic Metal with elements from a large variety of genres including [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly Symphonic Metal, Death Metal, Classical Music, and Black Metal.]]

* BaldOfAwesome: Kjetil Nordhus.

* SymphonicMetal

* MohsScaleOfLyricalHardness: Usually 7-8 as their lyrics often have themes of despair and hopelessness. "Ab Initio" and "Deadlands" might be able to scrape a 6 for having somewhat bittersweet lyrics but they certainly don't get any happier than that. Most of the songs on ''Ashes,'' and possibly "Fate," are a 9.
* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Usually 7-8, but varies greatly -- ranges from a 2 ("Ab Initio") to a 9 ("The Wretched").

* OneWordTitle: Especially common from ''Ashes'' onward. ''Ashes'' only has [[DefiniteArticleTitle "The Wretched" (and bonus track "The Gate")]] as exceptions, and ''Darkest White'' only has exceptions in the title track and "Night on Earth."

* OneWordTitle: Especially common from ''Ashes'' onward. ''Ashes'' only has [[TheTheTitle "The Wretched" (and bonus track "The Gate")]] as exceptions, and ''Darkest White'' only has exceptions in the title track and "Night on Earth."

* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Ashes'' lyrically and musically, with the harsh vocals having a bigger role and the symphonic elements of the previous albums gone.

** ''Ashes'' dialed back the symphonic elements and removed choirs altogether. Vibeke did not use her classical register as much, and the songs were more vocal-driven and focused on the guitar, bass and percussion with only light keyboards.

* TokenMinority: Mariangela Demurtas is actually Italian.

* VocalTagTeam: Played with. The earlier albums balanced the dynamics more evenly, but from ''World of Glass'' onward there is usually at least one song where not all the singers are featured. "Cypher," for example, is Kjetil Nordhus only.

* WomanInBlack: Both Stene and Demurtas.

Tristania are a GothicMetal band from UsefulNotes/{{Norway}} that was formed in 1995 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Olsson. Anders Hoyvik Hidle and Rune Osterhus joined shortly afterwards. Vibeke Stene was initially recruited as a guest singer for the demo recording, but she later joined as a regular member. During the summer of 1997 different labels showed interest in the demo. Tristania signed with Napalm Records and released their first EP, ''Tristania.''

The band's second full length album: ''Beyond the Veil,'' was released in 1999. In December 2000 Veland and the rest of the band agreed on going separate ways, due to musical and personal differences. ''World of Glass'' was released in September 2001, with guest contributions from [[Music/BloodRedThrone Ronny Thorsen,]] Pete Johansen, and Jan Kenneth Barkved. Osten Bergoy, who did guest vocals on the previous albums, became a full time member at this point. The album added Classical and IndustrialMetal elements to Tristania's sound, and included the band's only cover version: "The Modern End," originally by ''Seigmen.'' "Ashes" was released on SPV / Steamhammer Records in February 2005 and featured a stripped down sound that de-emphasized the classical and operatic elements of the previous albums.

Osterhus and Solvang both quit the band in 2008. Ole Vistnes joined as the new bassist and Gyri Losnegaard later joined as second guitarist. The new line-up featuring Demurtas on vocals debuted on 29 February 2008 at a festival appearance in Kiev, UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}. The next member to depart was drummer Kenneth Olsson, who was replaced by Tarald Lie; while singer Osten Bergoy scaled back to part time status with the band due to family commitments. Kjetil Nordhus was added to the lineup on clean vocals. The band's sixth album: ''Rubicon,'' was released on 25 August 2010.

The demo for the seventh album that gave birth to the final version of the songs in ''Darkest White'' were produced between June and September 2012. Soon after, the band re-adjusted the songs by themselves, in an improvised studio at Ole Vistnes' apartment, between September and December 2012. On January 2013, the band entered the studio to make the definitive recordings of the album, finishing in less than a month, the band's shortest recording period so far, and released the album in May 2013. The album was critically well received, and often considered the "real come back" for the band after Vibeke Stene's departure.

* Anders Hoyvik Hidle – Guitars (1995–) / Harsh Vocals (2006–)

* Gyri Smordal Losnegaard – Guitars (2009–)

* Kjetil Nordhus – Vocals, acoustic guitars (2010–)

* [[Music/{{Sirenia}} Morten Veland]] – Harsh Vocals, guitars (1995–2000)

* Osten Bergoy – Vocals (2001–2010)

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Mariangela.

* IAmTheBand: Anders Hoyvik Hidle.

* SopranoAndGravel Vibeke and Mariangela (Soprano), Morten and Anders (Harsh), and Kjetil and Osten (Tenor).
* SpecialGuest: Vorph of ''Samael'' provides guest vocals on "Mercyside," "The Ravens," and "In the Wake" off ''Illumination.''

Tristania are a GothicMetal band from Norway that was formed in 1995 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Ølsson. Anders Høyvik Hidle and Rune Østerhus joined shortly afterwards. Vibeke Stene was initially recruited as a guest singer for the demo recording, but she later joined as a regular member. During the summer of 1997 different labels showed interest in the demo. Tristania signed with Napalm Records and released their first EP, ''Tristania''.

Tristania's first full-length album, ''Widow's Weeds'', was recorded at the end of 1997 and released early 1998. The album is gothic metal with elements from a large variety of genres including [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly symphonic metal, death metal, classical music, and black metal.]]
The band's second full length album ''Beyond the Veil'' was released in 1999. In December 2000 Veland and the rest of the band agreed on going separate ways, due to musical and personal differences. ''World of Glass'' was released in September 2001, with guest contributions from [[Music/BloodRedThrone Ronny Thorsen]], Pete Johansen, and Jan Kenneth Barkved. Østen Bergøy, who did guest vocals on the previous albums, became a full-time member at this point. The album added classical and industrial elements to Tristania's sound, and included the band's only cover version: "The Modern End," originally by Seigmen. "Ashes" was released on SPV/Steamhammer Records in February 2005 and featured a stripped-down sound that de-emphasized the classical and operatic elements of the previous albums.

Tristania's fifth album, ''Illumination'', was released in January 2007, with touring guitarist Svein Terje Solvang added as an official member. Vorph of Samael appeared as a guest singer and a string quartet appeared on several songs. Shortly after the release of the album, Vibeke Stene suddenly decided to quit her musical career in order to focus on family and her work as a teacher. After holding auditions for a singer with a voice different than Stene's, Tristania recruited singer Mariangela Demurtas from Sardinia, Italy, who officially joined the band in October 2007.

Østerhus and Solvang both quit the band in 2008. Ole Vistnes joined as the new bassist and Gyri Losnegaard later joined as second guitarist. The new line-up featuring Demurtas on vocals debuted on 29 February 2008 at a festival appearance in Kiev, Ukraine. The next member to depart was drummer Kenneth Olsson, who was replaced by Tarald Lie; while singer Østen Bergøy scaled back to part-time status with the band due to family commitments. Kjetil Nordhus was added to the lineup on clean vocals. The band's sixth album, ''Rubicon'', was released on 25 August 2010.

The demo for the seventh album that gave birth to the final version of the songs in ''Darkest White'' were produced between June and September 2012. Soon after, the band readjusted the songs by themselves, in an improvised studio at Ole Vistnes' apartament, between September and December 2012. On January 2013, the band enetered the studio to make the definitive recordings of the album, finishing in less than a month, the band's shortest recording period so far, and released the album in May 2013. The album was critically well received, and often considered the "real come back" for the band after Vibeke Stene's departure.

!!!Current Members
* Anders Høyvik Hidle – guitars (1995–) / harsh vocals (2006–)
* Einar Moen – synth, programming (1995–)
* Mariangela Demurtas – vocals (2007–)
* Gyri Smørdal Losnegaard – guitars (2009–)
* [[Music/GreenCarnation Ole Vistnes]] – bass, backing vocals (2009–)
* Tarald Lie Jr. – drums (2010–)
* Kjetil Nordhus – vocals, acoustic guitars (2010–)

!!!Notable Past Members:
* [[Music/{{Sirenia}} Morten Veland]] – harsh vocals, guitars (1995–2000)
* Vibeke Stene – vocals (1997–2007)
* Østen Bergøy – vocals (2001–2010)


!!!Discography

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!!This band displays the examples of these tropes:
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Mariangela
* BaldOfAwesome: Kjetil Nordhus
* CostumePorn: Vibeke and Mariangela wear some truly beautiful outfits live.
* CoverVersion: "The Modern End" by Seigmen
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Ashes'' lyrically and musically, with the harsh vocals having a bigger role and the symphonic elements of the previous albums gone

* GenreBusting: No one seems to agree on what genre they fit into - variations on GothicMetal, SymphonicMetal and [[DoomMetal Death/Doom]] seem to be the most common classifications for their music but they also have elements of BlackMetal, {{Industrial}} and AlternativeMetal
* GothicMetal: The poster band for the Norwegian GothicMetal scene.
* HarshVocals: Generally range between blackened screams or higher-pitched growls.
* IAmTheBand: Anders Høyvik Hidle
* LighterAndSofter: ''Illumination'', particularly musically
* MohsScaleOfLyricalHardness: Usually 7-8 as their lyrics often have themes of despair and hopelessness. "Ab Initio" and "Deadlands" might be able to scrape a 6 for having somewhat bittersweet lyrics but they certainly don't get any happier than that. Most of the songs on ''Ashes'', and possibly "Fate", are a 9.
* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Usually 7-8, but varies greatly - ranges from a 2 ("Ab Initio") to a 9 ("The Wretched")
* ReligionRantSong: Quite a few, the most blatant being [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Sacrilege"]], "Illumination" and "Cathedral".

* SopranoAndGravel Vibeke and Mariangela(Soprano), Morten and Anders(Harsh), and Kjetil and Osten (Tenor)
* SpecialGuest: Vorph of Samael provides guest vocals on "Mercyside", "The Ravens" and "In The Wake" off ''Illumination''.

* WomanInBlack: Both Stene and Demurtas.

* EpicRocking: A lot of their earlier songs are quite long, typically being 7 to 8 minutes long, with "Midwintertears" being the longest at 8:32.

* MohsScaleOfLyricalHardness: Usually 7-8.

* ReligionRantSong: Quite a few.

* EpicRocking: A lot of their songs are quite long, the longer songs on average, being 7 to 8 minutes, with "Midwintertears" being the longest, at 8:32.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Usually around 7-8, but varies greatly - ranges from a 2 (''Ab Initio'') to a 9 (''Libre'')

* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Ashes'' lacked the symphonic elements and was overall moreso on a lyrical level as well as a musical one.

* GenreBusting: No one seems to agree on what genre they fit into - variations on GothicMetal, Symphonic Metal, [[DoomMetal Death/Doom]] seem to be the most common classifications for their music but they also have elements of BlackMetal, {{Industrial}}, and AlternativeMetal

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Varies greatly, but it generally ranges from a 2 to a hard 8

Tristania are a GothicMetal band from Norway that was formed in 1995 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Ølsson. Anders Høyvik Hidle and Rune Østerhus joined shortly afterwards. Vibeke Stene was initially recruited as a guest singer for the demo recording, but she later joined as a regular member. During the summer of 1997 different labels showed interest in the demo. Tristania signed with Napalm Records and released their first EP, "Tristania".

Tristania's first full-length album, "Widow's Weeds", was recorded at the end of 1997 and released early 1998. The album is gothic metal with elements from a large variety of genres including [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly symphonic metal, death metal, classical music, and black metal.]]
The band's second full length album "Beyond the Veil" was released in 1999. In December 2000 Veland and the rest of the band agreed on going separate ways, due to musical and personal differences. "World of Glass" was released in September 2001, with guest contributions from [[Music/BloodRedThrone Ronny Thorsen]], Pete Johansen, and Jan Kenneth Barkved. Østen Bergøy, who did guest vocals on the previous albums, became a full-time member at this point. The album added classical and industrial elements to Tristania's sound, and included the band's only cover version: "The Modern End," originally by Seigmen. "Ashes" was released on SPV/Steamhammer Records in February 2005 and featured a stripped-down sound that de-emphasized the classical and operatic elements of the previous albums.

Tristania's fifth album, "Illumination", was released in January 2007, with touring guitarist Svein Terje Solvang added as an official member. Vorph of Samael appeared as a guest singer and a string quartet appeared on several songs. Shortly after the release of the album, Vibeke Stene suddenly decided to quit her musical career in order to focus on family and her work as a teacher. After holding auditions for a singer with a voice different than Stene's, Tristania recruited singer Mariangela Demurtas from Sardinia, Italy, who officially joined the band in October 2007.

Østerhus and Solvang both quit the band in 2008. Ole Vistnes joined as the new bassist and Gyri Losnegaard later joined as second guitarist. The new line-up featuring Demurtas on vocals debuted on 29 February 2008 at a festival appearance in Kiev, Ukraine. The next member to depart was drummer Kenneth Olsson, who was replaced by Tarald Lie; while singer Østen Bergøy scaled back to part-time status with the band due to family commitments. Kjetil Nordhus was added to the lineup on clean vocals. The band's sixth album, "Rubicon", was released on 25 August 2010.

The demo for the seventh album that gave birth to the final version of the songs in "Darkest White" were produced between June and September 2012. Soon after, the band readjusted the songs by themselves, in an improvised studio at Ole Vistnes' apartament, between September and December 2012. On January 2013, the band enetered the studio to make the definitive recordings of the album, finishing in less than a month, the band's shortest recording period so far, and released the album in May 2013. The album was critically well received, and often considered the "real come back" for the band after Vibeke Stene's departure.

* DespairEventHorizon: The main lyrical theme.

* GenreBusting: Symphonic GothicMetal with touches of DeathMetal and BlackMetal.

* RevolvingDoorBand: To the point where only two members that found the band are still around.

Tristania are a GothicMetal band from Norway that was formed in 1995 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Ølsson. Vibeke Stene was initially recruited as a guest singer for the demo recording, but she later joined as a regular member. 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. The album is symphonic metal with elements from a large variety of genres including [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly gothic metal, death metal, classical music, and black metal.]]
The band's second full length album Beyond the Veil was released in 1999. In December 2000 Veland and the rest of the band agreed on going separate ways, due to musical and personal differences. World of Glass was released in September 2001, with guest contributions from [[Music/BloodRedThrone Ronny Thorsen]], Johansen, and Barkved. The album added classical and industrial elements to Tristania's sound, and included the band's only cover version: "The Modern End," originally by Seigmen. Ashes was released on SPV/Steamhammer Records in February 2005 and featured a stripped-down sound that de-emphasized the classical and operatic elements of the previous albums.

Tristania's fifth album, Illumination, was released in January 2007, with touring guitarist Svein Terje Solvang added as an official member. Vorph of Samael appeared as a guest singer and a string quartet appeared on several songs. Shortly after the release of the album, Vibeke Stene suddenly decided to quit her musical career in order to focus on family and her work as a teacher. After holding auditions for a singer with a voice different than Stene's, Tristania recruited singer Mariangela Demurtas from Sardinia, Italy, who officially joined the band in October 2007.

Østerhus and Solvang both quit the band in 2008. Ole Vistnes joined as the new bassist and Gyri Losnegaard later joined as second guitarist. The new line-up featuring Demurtas on vocals debuted on 29 February 2008 at a festival appearance in Kiev, Ukraine. The next member to depart was drummer Kenneth Olsson, who was replaced by Tarald Lie; while singer Østen Bergøy scaled back to part-time status with the band due to family commitments. Kjetil Nordhus was added to the lineup on clean vocals. The band's sixth album, Rubicon, was released on 25 August 2010.

The demo for the seventh album that gave birth to the final version of the songs in Darkest White were produced between June and September 2012. Soon after, the band reajusted the songs by themselves, in an improvised studio at Ole Vistnes' apartament, between September and December 2012. On January 2013, the band enetered the studio to make the definitive recordings of the album, finishing in less than a month, the band's shortest recording period so far

* CreativeDifferences: One of the reasons Morten left.
** Averted with Vibeke, who left to become a singing teacher, and Østen Bergøy, who became a father.

** When Stene decided that she would be returning to the music industry, she would be joining the new band God Of Atheists, featuring Ihsahn and Trym of Music/{{Emperor}} and ICS Vortex, formerly of Music/DimmuBorgir.
*** Vibeke has also announced that she will be releasing a solo album.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: There were rumors 2007 about Vibeke joining Music/{{Nightwish}}, around the same time original Nightwish singer Music/TarjaTurunen was fired. She quickly dispelled this rumor though.

Tristania are a GothicMetal band from Norway.

The lovely Vibeke Stene was initially recruited as a guest singer for the demo recording, but she later joined as a regular member. During the summer of 1997 different labels showed interest in the demo. Tristania signed with Napalm Records and released the EP Tristania.