Manes

Manes never matched the critical standing or sales figures earned by fellow Norwegian innovators Ulver, yet the group followed an equally unpredictable trajectory. Emerging in the early 1990s as part of Trondheim’s black-metal circle, the duo of guitarist, keyboardist and programmer Tor-Helge Skei (Cernunus) and vocalist Thomas Berglie (Sargatanas) soon veered into electronica, drum’n’bass and jazz. Although their debut album Under Ein Blodraud Maane did not appear until 1998, earlier demo tapes—“Maanens Natt” (1993), “Ned I Stillheten” (1994) and “Til Kongens Grav de Dode Vandrer” (1995)—had already built a strong reputation for a frigid, synth-heavy strain of “trve” black metal that recalled Thorns, Limbonic Art and Burzum. Shortly afterward the two founders parted ways creatively. When Vilosophe finally surfaced in 2003, Skei had assembled a complete lineup—vocalist Tommy Sebastian Halseth, guitarist Eivind Fjoseide, bassist Torstein Parelius and drummer Rune Hoemsnes—to steer the music toward an eclectic fusion of metal, prog rock, trip-hop and electronics. The abrupt shift startled most listeners, and only a minority remained willing to follow further experiments. Those experiments continued on the 2006 [View] EP and the 2007 album How the World Came to an End, the latter introducing second vocalist Asgeir Hatlen and incorporating rap passages in both English and French. Consequently, any prediction about Manes’ next direction remains speculative, though further surprises seem inevitable.