Asgard

Established during 1997 in the French-Canadian scene, black metal outfit Asgard took shape when ex-Gorguts drummer Steve McDonald joined forces with rhythm guitarist Jeffrey Plamondon. The pair briefly enlisted vocalist Patrick Guérin and guitarist Stéphane Dussault, both drawn from the regional act Respectable, solely to capture the four-track self-titled EP. That release generated little notice beyond Québec City’s confines, and McDonald’s subsequent return to Gorguts triggered a revolving-door period of interim players that echoed the chaos of Spinal Tap. Stability finally arrived in 2002 with the band’s first full-length album, Cold Season, featuring Jeffrey Plamondon handling both guitar and vocals, Raynald Clavet on lead guitar, and Luc Gaulin behind the drums.