Summoning

Summoning emerged from Vienna in 1993 as an Austrian black metal group whose sound alternates between aggressive passages and ambient textures, all set against lyrics drawn from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth mythology. The project originated with Michael Gregor, Richard Lederer, and Alexander Trondly, known onstage as Silenius, Protector, and Trifixion. Their first release, Lugburz, appeared on Napalm Records in 1995 and was followed the same year by Minas Morgul; that debut marked the sole appearance of Trondly. Thereafter Gregor and Lederer operated strictly as a duo, enlisting a changing roster of guest musicians for Dol Guldur (1996), Stronghold (1999), Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame (2001), Oath Bound (2006), Old Mornings Dawn (2013), and With Doom We Come (2018).