The Black League

Taneli Jarva, who had helped bring the melodic approach of British metal acts such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden into new circles, exited the Finnish underground metal group Sentenced once their 1995 album and EP were complete. A prior member of the death metal band Impaled Nazarene, Jarva reached out to former colleague Sir K Luttinen, who played drums and keyboards while then affiliated with Legenda, and the two resolved to launch a fresh project called the Black League. Three years elapsed before the rest of the lineup solidified around guitarists Maike Valanne and Alexi Ranta plus bassist Florida. With that roster in place the band secured a contract from Spinefarm and entered the studio for their debut album in December 1999. Nuclear Blast acquired U.S. rights, so Ichor reached listeners in the fall of 2000.