Crimson Moonlight
Encyclopedia
Crimson Moonlight is a Swedish
Christian black metal
band which was formed in the summer of 1997 with the mere intention of recording a primitive old school black metal demo and playing one show before breaking up. However, the breakup never happened, and they have since recorded two EPs and two full length albums. They were previously signed to Rivel Records
, currently to Endtime Productions
. They have toured US twice, and have been featured in two metal documentary films.
, which presented a more keyboard-driven symphonic unblack metal style, in contrast to the more primitive, Horde
-inspired music found on their demo. In 1998, Crimson Moonlight released a live album titled Live in Varsås, and in 2001 released their second demo titled Heralding the Dawn.
, along with Per Sundberg, joined Crimson Moonlight as guitarists. In 2003, Crimson Moonlight recorded their first studio album titled The Covenant Progress
. Musically, the album took a more melodic unblack metal direction with less emphasis on symphonic keyboards. The album received positive reviews from metal music media, and by 2005 it had sold 2300 copies. During 2003, Crimson Moonlight played several tours around Europe to support The Covenant Progress.
In 2004, Crimson Moonlight recorded their second album titled Veil of Remembrance
. The album showcased several changes in the band's style: they left keyboards in order to achieve a far more brutal sound, and went to incorporate grindcore and brutal death metal influences into their sound, inspired by groups such as Nile, Origin, Rotten Sound, and Nasum. During the studio sessions, Jani Stefanivic (of Divinefire
, Renascent, and many other band's fame) was in Crimson Moonlight's line-up and had a notable role in creating their new style, now called death/unblack metal. Just like its predecessor, Veil of Remembrance was officially released on January 26, 2005 although it was already available since December 4, 2004. The album received positive reviews like its predecessor, but ended up selling less copies than The Covenant Progress. In an interview with Harm magazine, the band believed that p2p-filesharing affected the low sales. They toured Europe again to support the album. At the end of 2004, they also released a compilation album titled Songs from the Archives
, which included the Eternal Emperor EP, tracks from both albums, demo tracks, and live recordings.
Following this, the band went through some line-up changes. Both Hubertus Liljegren and Jani Stefanovic left, as did Erik Tordsson. Johan Ylenstrand joined as a bassist. Ylenstrand and Elowsson also play in a deathgrind band called Exhale, which has released one album and played at a US death metal festival called Maryland Deathfest. In 2006, Elowsson received endorsements of the drumming gear companies Sabian
, Pearl
, Remo
, and Vic Firth
.
. It featured two new songs and a re-recording of a song from their first demo. Musically, the EP continued on their death/black metal direction with a more melodic setting. The official release also contained an instrumental intro done by Swedish neoclassical group Arcana. In Depths of Dreams Unconscious was officially released February 1, 2007. In the summer of 2007, Crimson Moonlight played at the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, Illinois for the second time since 2006.
In late 2011, after a hiatus, the band launched an official Facebook site, played at Nordic fest and announced that they are working on a new album.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Christian black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band which was formed in the summer of 1997 with the mere intention of recording a primitive old school black metal demo and playing one show before breaking up. However, the breakup never happened, and they have since recorded two EPs and two full length albums. They were previously signed to Rivel Records
Rivel Records
Liljegren Records / CMSweden is a Swedish heavy metal music record label founded by Christian Liljegren in 1997. The label was originally titled C.L. Music and Distribution but was changed later...
, currently to Endtime Productions
Endtime Productions
Endtime Productions is an independent record label based in Scandinavia. The label focuses on extreme metal music and helped notable groups such as Norway's Extol to gain fame and get a record deal with Century Media Records. Notable groups on the label's roster include Antestor, Drottnar and...
. They have toured US twice, and have been featured in two metal documentary films.
Beginning
Crimson Moonlight was formed by Simon Rosén (vocals), Gustav Elowsson (drums), Petter Stenmarker (guitar, keyboards), Jonathan Jansson (guitar), and Simon Lindh (bass) in the summer of 1997. They recorded a demo called Glorification of the Master of Light. Originally, their intention was to split the band after recording that demo, but they decided to carry on. In the year 1998, they recorded their first studio EP titled Eternal EmperorEternal Emperor
Eternal Emperor is Crimson Moonlight's first EP. It was released in 1998 and introduced a more polished output that focuses on keyboard-driven symphonic black metal.-Track listing:#"Intro-Preludium" - 02:01#"Where Darkness Cannot Reach" - 03:30...
, which presented a more keyboard-driven symphonic unblack metal style, in contrast to the more primitive, Horde
Horde (band)
Horde is the single-album unblack metal project of Australian musician Jayson Sherlock, formerly of Mortification and Paramaecium. In 1994 the only album Hellig Usvart was released on Nuclear Blast. With a session line-up, Horde played live-shows in 2006, Norway, and in 2010 in Finland and Germany...
-inspired music found on their demo. In 1998, Crimson Moonlight released a live album titled Live in Varsås, and in 2001 released their second demo titled Heralding the Dawn.
The Covenant Progress and Veil of Remembrance
A few years later, Crimson Moonlight signed a record deal with Rivel Records, a small Swedish label held by Christian Rivel. During that time, Jonathan Jansson and Simon Lindh left the band. Hubertus Liljegren, formerly of the then-split-up group SanctificaSanctifica
Sanctifica was a Swedish unblack metal band, formed in 1996, disbanded in 2003. After releasing their EP, In the Bleak Midwinter, in 1997, they were considered to be one of the leading modern Christian black metal bands in the early 2000s with their album Spirit of Purity...
, along with Per Sundberg, joined Crimson Moonlight as guitarists. In 2003, Crimson Moonlight recorded their first studio album titled The Covenant Progress
The Covenant Progress
The Covenant Progress is the first full-length album by the Swedish group Crimson Moonlight. The album was released in 2003 on Rivel Records...
. Musically, the album took a more melodic unblack metal direction with less emphasis on symphonic keyboards. The album received positive reviews from metal music media, and by 2005 it had sold 2300 copies. During 2003, Crimson Moonlight played several tours around Europe to support The Covenant Progress.
In 2004, Crimson Moonlight recorded their second album titled Veil of Remembrance
Veil of Remembrance
Veil of Remembrance is the second full-length album by the Swedish group Crimson Moonlight. Veil of Remembrance was officially released on January 26, 2005 although it was already available since December 4, 2004.-Overview:...
. The album showcased several changes in the band's style: they left keyboards in order to achieve a far more brutal sound, and went to incorporate grindcore and brutal death metal influences into their sound, inspired by groups such as Nile, Origin, Rotten Sound, and Nasum. During the studio sessions, Jani Stefanivic (of Divinefire
Divinefire
Divinefire is a Christian Symphonic Power metal group founded in the spring of 2004 by Finnish guitarist Jani Stefanovic, and Swedish singer Christian Liljegren. Liljegren is the former frontman of the band Narnia....
, Renascent, and many other band's fame) was in Crimson Moonlight's line-up and had a notable role in creating their new style, now called death/unblack metal. Just like its predecessor, Veil of Remembrance was officially released on January 26, 2005 although it was already available since December 4, 2004. The album received positive reviews like its predecessor, but ended up selling less copies than The Covenant Progress. In an interview with Harm magazine, the band believed that p2p-filesharing affected the low sales. They toured Europe again to support the album. At the end of 2004, they also released a compilation album titled Songs from the Archives
Songs from the Archives
Songs from the Archives is Crimson Moonlight's 1st compilation album.Tracks 1-5 are taken fron the Eternal Emperor EP, tracks 15-18 are taken from a 2001 demo, and tracks 19-20 are taken from The Covenant Progress...
, which included the Eternal Emperor EP, tracks from both albums, demo tracks, and live recordings.
Following this, the band went through some line-up changes. Both Hubertus Liljegren and Jani Stefanovic left, as did Erik Tordsson. Johan Ylenstrand joined as a bassist. Ylenstrand and Elowsson also play in a deathgrind band called Exhale, which has released one album and played at a US death metal festival called Maryland Deathfest. In 2006, Elowsson received endorsements of the drumming gear companies Sabian
Sabian (company)
Sabian is a Canadian cymbal designer and manufacturer. It is a leading manufacturer of cymbals along with other top companies such as Zildjian, Paiste, and Meinl.-History:...
, Pearl
Pearl Drums
Founded in 1952, the is a multinational corporation based in Japan with a wide range of products, predominately percussion instruments.-History:Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946...
, Remo
Remo
Remo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...
, and Vic Firth
Vic Firth
Vic Firth is an American musician and is the founder of Vic Firth Company , a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that he started in 1963. The company bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets...
.
In Depths of Dreams Unconscious
In 2006, Crimson Moonlight's deal with Rivel Records had come to an end and the band began searching for new label. On June 17, 2006, the extreme metal label Endtime Productions announced that they signed Crimson Moonlight. Crimson Moonlight had recorded an EP in profound secrecy. During the summer, Crimson Moonlight played their first tour in the United States and sold the pre-release pressings of their new recording, which was entitled In Depths of Dreams UnconsciousIn Depths of Dreams Unconscious
In Depths of Dreams Unconscious is an EP by the Swedish death/black metal group Crimson Moonlight, released in 2007 on Endtime Productions.-Recording:...
. It featured two new songs and a re-recording of a song from their first demo. Musically, the EP continued on their death/black metal direction with a more melodic setting. The official release also contained an instrumental intro done by Swedish neoclassical group Arcana. In Depths of Dreams Unconscious was officially released February 1, 2007. In the summer of 2007, Crimson Moonlight played at the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, Illinois for the second time since 2006.
In late 2011, after a hiatus, the band launched an official Facebook site, played at Nordic fest and announced that they are working on a new album.
Current line-up
- Simon "Pilgrim" Rosen - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1997—Present) - Gustav Elowsson - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1997—Present) - P - guitar
- J - guitar
- ? - bass
Former members
- Nicholas Barker - Session DrummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
- Johan Ylenstrand - BassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
(?—Present) - Joakim Malmborg - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s (2006—Present) - Per Sundberg - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s (?—Present) - Hubertus Liljegren - Guitars/Bass
- Samuel Lundberg - Guitars (2000?)
- David Sieving - Bass (1999?—?)
- Petter Stenmarker - Guitars/Keyboards (1997—200?)
- Erik Tordsson - Bass/Guitars
- Jani Stefanovic - Guitars
- Jonas Arvidsson - Guitars
- Jonathan Jansson - Guitars (1997—2000)
- Simon Lindh - Bass (1997—1999?)
External links
- Crimson Moonlight Official Facebook page
- Crimson Moonlight at Encyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...