Old Man's Child

Formed in Oslo, Norway, Old Man's Child emerged from the combined efforts of guitarist/vocalist Thomas "Grusom" Rune and guitarist Jardar, who sought to fuse the bleak lyricism typical of contemporary black metal with the sonic traits of early death metal. The project issued its first recordings in late 1993. A contract with the Norwegian label Hot Records followed in 1994, leading to the appearance of the debut album Born of the Flickering before the year ended. Following adjustments to the rhythm section, the original demo In The Shades of Life resurfaced in 1996 as a Mini-CD that incorporated a digital remix and revised artwork. Century Media Records subsequently licensed Born of the Flickering for release to listeners in the United States. The next studio effort, The Pagan Prosperity, coincided with a European tour alongside Rotting Christ and Sacramentum; by this point the lineup had stabilized around drummer Sarke and bassist Blodstrup, both formerly of Tulus. Rune adopted the stage name Galder and retained it thereafter. Amid the continued rise of black metal throughout Scandinavia, Old Man's Child delivered its third album, 1998's Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion, on which Galder performed nearly every part. Revelation 666: Curse of Damnation appeared two years afterward, just before Galder disclosed his intention to join Dimmu Borgir on guitar. Rather than disband Old Man's Child, he suspended activity to concentrate on songwriting and touring with his new group. Activity resumed at the close of 2002 when Galder, Jardar, and Dimmu Borgir drummer Nicholas Barker convened to prepare fresh material. Their collaboration yielded In Defiance of Existence, issued the following January.