Spiral Architect
Encyclopedia
Spiral Architect is a Norwegian
progressive metal
band from Oslo
, Norway
. They have recorded one acclaimed demo and one album, A Sceptic's Universe
, since they began in 1993, as well as a Fates Warning
cover "A Prelude to Ruin" for the tribute album
Through Different Eyes - A Tribute to Fates Warning. Singer Øyvind Hægeland was lead vocalist
of Norwegian progressive metal band Manitou during the 90s, symphonic
avant-garde metal band Arcturus
from 2003–2005 and Scariot
for their latest studio album. Drummer
Asgeir Mickelson played drums for Norwegian heavy metal
band Borknagar
from 2000–2008, as well as performing session and live drums for a variety of bands including Testament
, Sturmgeist
, Vintersorg
, Enslavement of Beauty
, Ihsahn
and Lunaris. Guitarist
Steinar Gundersen has since 2000 been working as session musician for Norwegian black metal
band Satyricon
. Steinar Gundersen and Lars K. Norberg are members of the black metal
band System: Obscure. Asgeir Mickelson and Lars K. Norberg are members of the death metal
band Thornbound.
Even though the band got together for a couple of songwriting sessions, a second album is long from the making at this point, mainly due to the band members' other projects.
song of the same title from their 1973 album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
. According to Norberg, the name "reflects the ‘spirit’ of the band, musically as well as ideologically".
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. They have recorded one acclaimed demo and one album, A Sceptic's Universe
A Sceptic's Universe
A Sceptic's Universe is the debut album by Norwegian progressive metal band Spiral Architect. It was recorded and mixed by Neil Kernon, who called the end result "crystal clear for everything to be heard properly." The album was also praised for his production by Sea of Tranquility webzine.-Track...
, since they began in 1993, as well as a Fates Warning
Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut. Fates Warning has experienced numerous line-up changes...
cover "A Prelude to Ruin" for the tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
Through Different Eyes - A Tribute to Fates Warning. Singer Øyvind Hægeland was lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
of Norwegian progressive metal band Manitou during the 90s, symphonic
Symphonic metal
Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...
avant-garde metal band Arcturus
Arcturus (band)
Arcturus is an avant-garde metal band formed in Norway in 1987. They named it Arcturus , after the Behenian fixed star Arcturus.-Biography:The band has released four official full-length albums...
from 2003–2005 and Scariot
Scariot
Scariot is a Norwegian progressive metal band founded by Daniel Olaisen in 1997. The band has been through several lineup changes, and Olaisen is the only original member still remaining....
for their latest studio album. Drummer
Drummer
A 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...
Asgeir Mickelson played drums for Norwegian heavy metal
Heavy 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...
band Borknagar
Borknagar
Borknagar is a progressive black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines folk metal and black metal with progressive and melodic elements...
from 2000–2008, as well as performing session and live drums for a variety of bands including Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Sturmgeist
Sturmgeist
Sturmgeist is an experimental black/thrash metal formed by Cornelius Jakhelln in 2002.-Beginnings:In 2002, Cornelius Jakhelln began working on a new band. The name chosen was Sturmgeist . The music was an experimental mix of black/thrash metal with lyrics sung in English, Norwegian, and German...
, Vintersorg
Vintersorg
Vintersorg is a Swedish band from Skellefteå, formed in 1994 under the name Vargatron . Musically, Vintersorg has covered a wide number of heavy metal genres; while the band is mostly rooted in extreme metal styles, particularly black metal and Viking/folk metal, it has also expanded into...
, Enslavement of Beauty
Enslavement of Beauty
Enslavement of Beauty is a symphonic black metal band from Norway. Enslavement of Beauty was formed in January 1995 by Ole Alexander Myrholt and Tony Eugene Tunheim . The band spent the subsequent years composing and recording material and thereby developed their expression...
, Ihsahn
Ihsahn
Ihsahn is a Norwegian composer, guitar, bass, keyboard player and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor. He has appeared in Thou Shalt Suffer, up until March 4, 2006, played in Peccatum with his wife Ihriel , and now devotes himself to his solo project,...
and Lunaris. Guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Steinar Gundersen has since 2000 been working as session musician for Norwegian 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 Satyricon
Satyricon (band)
Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band, and the first one in the genre to join a multi-national record label .-Biography:Satyricon was formed in 1990 by Czral and Wargod. Ulver and Satyr soon joined them...
. Steinar Gundersen and Lars K. Norberg are members of the 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 System: Obscure. Asgeir Mickelson and Lars K. Norberg are members of the death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Thornbound.
Even though the band got together for a couple of songwriting sessions, a second album is long from the making at this point, mainly due to the band members' other projects.
Current members
- Øyvind Hægeland − 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...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Steinar GundersenSteinar GundersenSteinar Gundersen, born September 16, 1970, is a guitarist from the small village of Oklungen, Norway. He plays live with the black metal band Satyricon as well as also having played lead guitar in the progressive metal band Spiral Architect...
− leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, rhythmRhythm guitarRhythm 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...
and acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s - Lars K. Norberg − bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Asgeir MickelsonAsgeir MickelsonAsgeir Mickelson is a Norwegian musician, artist, photographer and music reviewer. Although primarily a drummer, Mickelson has stated that he considers himself a musician above a drummer, and is also a guitarist and bassist....
− 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 ....
Former members
- Andreas Jonsson − rhythm guitar
- Kaj Gornitzka − rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Leif Knashaug − vocals
Band name
In a 2005 post on the band's Ultimate Metal forum by co-founding member Lars K. Norberg, the band name is unrelated to the Black SabbathBlack Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
song of the same title from their 1973 album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the fifth studio album by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in December 1973. With this album, the band expanded upon their slow, crunching style of music by strings, keyboards and more complex orchestral arrangements.-Recording:Following the 1972–1973...
. According to Norberg, the name "reflects the ‘spirit’ of the band, musically as well as ideologically".