Nocturnal Rites
Encyclopedia
Biography
The band started off under the name Necronomic playing heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, as can be heard on their demo (The Obscure, 1991). This attracted some independent labels' attention, but they turned them down in the hope of a better opportunity. On the 2-track promo that was recorded in 1992, their style had evolved into a slightly more melodic, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
-influenced sound, but was still unmistakably death metal.
The band initially consisted of Fredrik Mannberg (guitar/vocals) and Tommy Eriksson (drums), who then hired bassist Nils Eriksson. Following their change of style, the band hired vocalist Anders Zackrisson, whose voice was more adapted than Fredrik Mannberg's to power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
. Tommy Eriksson was soon after replaced by Ulf Andersson. The band also added a second guitarist, Mikael Söderström. By this time they had fully evolved into the Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
-style power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
sound of their first three albums.
In 1994, the band signed with Swedish
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....
label Dark Age, and the first album In a Time of Blood and Fire was released in collaboration with Megarock Records in 1995. After this, guitarist Mikael Söderström decided to leave the band and was replaced by Nils Norberg. Despite being a replacement for the band's rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
ist, Norberg became their lead
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
player, with Mannberg switching almost entirely to rhythm from then on. The second album, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, was first released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in late 1997. It was released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in March 1998 on Century Media. The band toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with Overkill
Overkill (band)
Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...
and Angel Dust
Angel Dust (band)
Angel Dust are a German heavy metal band. Initially active from 1984 to 1990 as speed and thrash metal band, they dropped their thrash roots in favor of a power/progressive metal sound upon reforming in 1998....
.
The third album, The Sacred Talisman was released in 1999 and featured a new drummer, Owe Lingvall due to a leg injury of Ulf Andersson. The album entered the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese charts at #83. Only 2 weeks after the release, the band toured Europe with Nevermore
Nevermore
Nevermore is an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in 1991, they are known to incorporate elements from styles such as thrash, power, progressive, and neo-classical metal into their songs, and also makes use of acoustic guitars and a wide range of vocal styles.-Early years...
, Morgana Lefay
Morgana Lefay
Morgana Lefay is a power/thrash metal band from the town Bollnäs in Sweden. It is named after Morgan Le Fay of the Arthurian cycle....
and Sacred Steel
Sacred Steel
Sacred Steel may refer to:* Sacred Steel , a German extreme power metal band* Sacred Steel , a musical tradition within certain African-American Churches...
and participated in Open air festivals such as 1999's Dynamo festival. After this, singer Anders Zackrisson was replaced by Jonny Lindqvist, a former band mate of Owe Lingvall. His voice was quite different from his predecessor's, which gave the band a new face on their next album, Afterlife, released in 2000. The band then toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
once again with Iron Savior
Iron Savior
Iron Savior is a German power metal band that formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1996. Following a period of several years working behind the scenes in music production, multi-instrumentalist and producer/engineer Piet Sielck joined with former Helloween bandmate Kai Hansen and then-drummer for Blind...
.
2004 saw the release of the album New World Messiah, followed by a 6 week tour with Edguy
Edguy
-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of...
and Brainstorm
Brainstorm
Brainstorm generally refers to brainstorming, a group or individual creativity exercise.Brainstorm may also refer to:-Film:* Brainstorm , directed by Douglas Trumbull* Brainstorm , directed by William Conrad...
. Two videos were also released in December, Awakening and Against the World, both of them produced by drummer Owe Lingvall.
In 2005, the 10th anniversary was celebrated with the re-release of the 2 first albums and some bonus material on the Lost in Time double CD. The band also played a live show, Demons at the Opera with a 55-piece orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
at the Umeå
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
Opera House. A documentary about the show was broadcast on Swedish
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....
national television.
The album Grand Illusion
Grand Illusion (album)
Released in 2005, Grand Illusion is the seventh album from Nocturnal Rites. The lyrical themes on this album focus on achieving freedom and overcoming tyranny...
, out in 2005, featured many special guests, including Jens Johansson
Jens Johansson
Jens Ola Johansson is a Swedish power metal keyboardist and pianist. He is notable for his high-speed neoclassical and fusion style.-Biography:...
(Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
), Henrik Danhage (Evergrey
Evergrey
Evergrey is a progressive metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was founded in 1995 and released its debut album The Dark Discovery in 1998. Their most recent album Glorious Collision was released in 2011.-Lyrical themes:...
), Kristoffer W. Olivius (Naglfar
Naglfar
In Norse mythology, Naglfar or Naglfari is a boat made entirely from the fingernails and toenails of the dead. During the events of Ragnarök, Naglfar is foretold to sail to Vígríðr, ferrying hordes that will there battle with the gods...
), Stefan Elmgren
Stefan Elmgren
Stefan Elmgren was the guitarist of the Swedish power metal band HammerFall from 1997 to 2008.- History :Before becoming a member of HammerFall, he was the guitarist in the band Highlander. Elmgren has also worked with his solo project Full Strike and released one album called "We Will Rise" which...
(HammerFall
HammerFall
HammerFall is a power metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak.- Early days :...
), and, more surprisingly, the Swedish
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....
world champion of cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
(three times world cup gold winner), Per Elofsson
Per Elofsson
Per Eilert Elofsson is a Swedish cross-country skier who competed from 1997 to 2004. He won a bronze medal in the 10 km + 10 km combined pursuit at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City....
who comes from the same town as the band, Umeå
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
.
The band also toured with such acts as Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
, Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray (band)
Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent...
, HammerFall
HammerFall
HammerFall is a power metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak.- Early days :...
and Labyrinth
Labyrinth (band)
Labyrinth is a power metal band formed in 1991 in Massa, Italy. The band underwent a change in style and themes after the departure of Olaf Thorsen in 2002.-1990s:...
, and played in festivals such as Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
, Sweden Rock, Gates Of Metal, etc.
A new studio album, "The 8th Sin", was released in 2007. Nils Norberg left the band the following year due to personal reasons. He was replaced by Christoffer Rörland.
Mannberg and Erikson are also members of the thrash metal band Guillotine.
Current members
- Jonny Lindqvist - Vocals
- Fredrik Mannberg - Rhythm Guitar
- Nils Eriksson - Bass
- Owe Lingvall - Drums
- Christoffer Rörland - Guitar
Former members
- Anders Zackrisson - Vocals
- Mikael Söderström - Rhythm Guitar
- Nils NorbergNils NorbergNils Norberg is a heavy metal guitarist from Umeå in northern Sweden.He played in the band Nocturnal Rites from 1996-2008. His playing can be heard on the albums Tales of Mystery and Imagination, The Sacred Talisman, Afterlife, Shadowland, New World Messiah, Grand Illusion, and The 8th Sin...
- Lead Guitar - Ulf Andersson - Drums
- Mattias Bernhardsson - Keyboards
- Tommy Eriksson - Drums (on the demo only)
Albums
| Title | Released |
|---|---|
| In a Time of Blood and Fire In a Time of Blood and Fire In a Time of Blood and Fire is the debut album by Swedish power metal band Nocturnal Rites, released in 1995.-Track listing:#"Sword of Steel" – 3:21#"Skyline Flame" – 5:30#"Black Death" – 4:08#"In a Time of Blood and Fire" – 5:01#"Dawnspell" - 5:38... |
1995 |
| Tales of Mystery and Imagination Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Nocturnal Rites album) Tales of Mystery and Imagination is the second album by Swedish power metal band Nocturnal Rites, their first on Century Media. It received distribution in Europe in February 1998 after being initially released only in Japan.-Track listing:... |
1997 |
| The Sacred Talisman The Sacred Talisman The Sacred Talisman is the third album by Swedish power metal band Nocturnal Rites, their second on Century Media.-Track listing:#"Destiny Calls" - 3:58#"The Iron Force" - 4:20#"Ride On" - 3:16#"Free at Last" - 3:49#"Hold On to the Flame" - 4:08... |
May 11, 1999 |
| Afterlife Afterlife (Nocturnal Rites album) Afterlife is the fourth studio album by Swedish power metal band Nocturnal Rites, released in 2000.-Track listing:All music and lyrics by Nocturnal Rites# "Afterlife" – 5:26# "Wake Up Dead" – 3:48# "The Sinner's Cross" – 3:47... |
November 13, 2000 |
| Shadowland Shadowland (Nocturnal Rites album) Shadowland is the fifth studio album by Swedish power metal band Nocturnal Rites, released in 2002.-Track listing:# "Eyes of the Dead" - 4:53# "Shadowland" - 4:23# "Invincible" - 4:57# "Revelation" - 4:44# "Never Die" - 4:23# "Underworld" - 4:27... |
May 27, 2002 |
| New World Messiah New World Messiah New World Messiah is the sixth studio album by Nocturnal Rites.-Track listing:# "New World Messiah" - 4:08# "Against the World" - 4:19# "Avalon" - 4:20# "Awakening" - 5:28# "Egyptica" - 5:53# "Break Away" - 4:34# "End of Days" - 4:47... |
March 24, 2004 |
| Grand Illusion Grand Illusion (album) Released in 2005, Grand Illusion is the seventh album from Nocturnal Rites. The lyrical themes on this album focus on achieving freedom and overcoming tyranny... |
September 19, 2005 |
| The 8th Sin | May 28, 2007 |
Videos
- Still Alive
- Awakening
- Against the World
- Avalon
- Fools Never Die
- Demons At The Opera
- Never Again
- Eyes Of The Dead
Other
- Lost in Time - The Early Years of Nocturnal RitesLost in Time - The Early Years of Nocturnal RitesA double-disc re-issue of the first two albums from the power metal band Nocturnal Rites, featuring previously unreleased demo tracks and acoustic/piano re-recordings of classic songs by members of the band's current line-up.-Bonus material:*Lay Of Ennui...
(Best-of/Compilation, 2005) - Nocturnal Rites/Falconer - Split (2005)
External links
- Official Homepage
- Nocturnal Rites at Encyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...
- Nils Eriksson interviewed by Highwire Daze (2006)