Naglfar

Originally founded under the name Uninterred, the Swedish black metal outfit Naglfar emerged in 1992 when vocalist Jens Rydén and bassist Kristoffer Olivius assembled the group amid the tangled post-thrash landscape of that period. Guitarists Morgan Hansson and Andreas Nilsson soon completed the lineup, while Nocturnal Rites drummer Ulf Andersson contributed temporarily before the 1994 Stellae Trajectio demo was tracked using programmed percussion instead. By the release of the 1995 debut Vittra on Wrong Again Records, Mattias Holmgren had taken over on drums, earning generally favorable notices. Yet neither that effort nor the delayed 1998 successor Diabolical—now featuring Mattias Grahn behind the kit—managed to cut through the crowded field, prompting the band to focus on live work, including a European run alongside American death metal act Deicide. The following five years brought sporadic activity, limited to scattered festival slots and tribute projects amid extended stretches of dormancy. In 2000 Marcus “Vargher” Norman, formerly of Bewitched, stepped in to replace Hansson on guitar. These interruptions notwithstanding, Naglfar secured a fresh contract with Century Media in 2002, reactivating with the Ex Inferis EP before issuing their third full-length, Sheol, the next year. Pariah followed in 2005 and Harvest arrived in 2007.