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Antestor is one of Norway's earliest Christian dark metal groups. Antestor is the only Christian band to have an album released by Cacophonous Records, which also released records by bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Sigh and Blood Storm, and was actually dropped from Cacophonous Records after the label discovered that Antestor held Christian beliefs. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... Cacophonous is an independant record label, specializing in metal, black metal, death metal, and gothic metal. ... Dimmu Borgir (pronounced Di-moo bore-gear) is an extreme symphonic metal band from Norway. ... Sigh is an avant garde metal band from Tokyo, Japan that was formed in 1989. ...

Biography

Antestor formed in 1990 in Norway under the name "Crush Evil". They released two demos early in their career, and in 1994 they recorded their debut album, Martyrium, although not released until 2000. They dubbed the style of their early work as "sorrow metal" rather than black metal. MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

The Defeat Of Satan was their first demo, containing three songs and an outro. The demo was originally released under their first band name "Crush Evil". The band is Christian and over the course of their career have received serious death threats because of this.^{[citation needed]} Euronymous, guitarist/vocalist from the seminal black metal band Mayhem, once said, "The Militants of Norwegian black metal will force this band to split up." That never happened: Antestor was never forced to split apart and in an almost ironic twist of fate, Jan Axel Blomberg (better known as Hellhammer, the drummer for Mayhem) was Antestor's session drummer on their latest two releases. Dead and Euronymous Øystein Aarseth (March 22, 1968 - August 10, 1993) was a guitarist for the infamous Norwegian black metal band Mayhem who went by the stage name Euronymous. ... Mayhem is a black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway. ... // Jan Axel Blomberg (known as Hellhammer, , Hauptman Hammer, Jan Axel Von Blomberg, and Von Blomberg) born August 2, 1969 [1], is a black and avant-garde metal drummer from Oslo, Norway. ... // Jan Axel Blomberg (known as Hellhammer, , Hauptman Hammer, Jan Axel Von Blomberg, and Von Blomberg) born August 2, 1969 [1], is a black and avant-garde metal drummer from Oslo, Norway. ... Mayhem is a black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway. ...

Despair was their first self-released demo, and was released under the band name Antestor. The demo starts with an intro and ends with a cover of an old Norwegian hymn, called Jesus, Jesus, Ver Du Hjå Meg ("Jesus, Jesus, Be With Me").

Martyrium was their first full-length album, but was not actually released in 1994 due to problems with their record label. However tape copies circulated in up to fifth generation copies and their audience grew fast. Antestor did not release a full-length album until 1998, when they released The Return of the Black Death on Cacaphonous Records. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

The Return of the Black Death was actually dropped from Cacophonous Records after the label discovered that Antestor held Christian beliefs. Because of this, there are not many pressings of the album, and it is now rare. It is still sold at some internet-based Christian underground music stores.

However, The Return of the Black Death was well-received by both Christian and non-Christian black metal fans. Antestor was soon signed by Endtime Productions, a metal record label that also helped start the career of Extol. In 2000, Endtime released Martyrium. Extol is a Christian metal band from Bærum in Norway. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Over the next several years, the band remained somewhat quiet; they did not release any more albums until 2003, when they re-released their two earliest demos on one CD, titling it The Defeat of Satan. By then, they had replaced several of their members as well. Their original vocalist, Martyr, left the band, as did several others. Fortunately for Antestor, the breakup of another Christian metal band in Norway, Vaakevandring, led to several former Vaakevandring members joining Antestor. Namely, Ronny Hansen, adopting the new moniker Vrede, became Antestor's new vocalist, and Morten Sigmund Mageroy (known in Antestor as Sygmoon) stepped in as the new keyboardist. Ann-Mari Edvardsen joined the band as a female vocalist. The drummer, Svein Sander (in Antestor, Armoth), left the band during this time also, and Antestor would not find a new full-time drummer for several more years. 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2004, Antestor released their first set of new songs since The Return of the Black Death, in an EP called Det Tapte Liv ("The Lost Life"). Det Tapte Liv concentrated less on the black metal aspects of Antestor's style and more on instrumental songs. However, it did show that the band was preparing for their 2005 full-length, The Forsaken. Hellhammer played all drums on both of these releases, with new drummer Tony Kirkemo joining the band later in 2005 as live session drummer. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Extended play (EP) is the name typically given to vinyl records or CDs which contain more than one single, but are too short to qualify as albums. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Jan Axel Blomberg (known as Hellhammer, , Hauptman Hammer, Jan Axel Von Blomberg, and Von Blomberg) born August 2, 1969 [1], is a black and avant-garde metal drummer from Oslo, Norway. ...

Some of the members still play in the Black metal band Vaakevandring, who played a reunion gig 2007 together with Antestor at the Endtime Festival.

Members

Current members

• Ronny Hansen - vocals (aka Vrede)
• Lars Stokstad - guitar (aka Vemod)

Left: Rosa Hurricane, a heavy metal-style solid body guitar. ...

Former members

• Jan Axel Blomberg (Hellhammer) - session drummer on "Det Tapte Liv" and "The Forsaken"
• Morten Sigmund Mageroy - keyboard (aka Sygmoon)
• Vegard Undal - bass (aka Gard)
• Tony Kirkemo - drums
• Kjetil Molnes - vocals (aka Martyr)
• Svein Sander - drums (aka Armoth)
• Erling Jorgensen - guitar (aka Pilgrim)
• Stig Rolfsen - guitar (aka Erkebisp)
• Paul W - drums
• Tora - session vocals on "Martyrium"
• Ann-Mari Edvardsen - session vocals on "The Forsaken"

// Jan Axel Blomberg (known as Hellhammer, , Hauptman Hammer, Jan Axel Von Blomberg, and Von Blomberg) born August 2, 1969 [1], is a black and avant-garde metal drummer from Oslo, Norway. ...

Discography

• The Defeat of Satan (1992, Self-Released Demo Tape (Crush Evil))

1. The Defeat Of Satan
2. New Life
3. Jesus Saves
4. Knus Ondskapen

http://www.firestream.net/custom/rateimages/146_11_30_2006_3_24_25_Crush%20Evil.jpg 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

• Despair (1993, Self-Released Demo Tape)

1. Preludium
2. Demonic Seduction
3. Message from Hell
4. Lost Generation
5. Human
6. Jesus, Jesus, Ver Du Hj¥ Meg

http://www.firestream.net/custom/rateimages/146_11_30_2006_3_26_27_despair.jpg 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

• Martyrium (1994, Recorded but Released in 2000, Endtime Productions)

1. Spiritual Disease
2. Materialistic Lie
3. Depressed
4. Thoughts
5. Under the Sun
6. Inmost Fear
7. Searching
8. Martyrium
9. Mercy Lord

http://a216.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/44/l_a5a0fced45acb141a8d884b0c6451eff.jpg 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Kongsblod (1998, Self-Released Demo, Same tracks as The Return of the Black Death)

1. Vinterferden
2. A Sovereign Fortress
3. Svartedauens Gjenkomst
4. Sorg
5. The Bridge of Death
6. Gamlelandet
7. Kilden - Lik En Endeløs Elv
8. Kongsblod
9. Battlefield
10. Ancient Prophecy
11. Ildnatten

http://a646.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/20/l_7e50f310a111d7996659ab6f997ab8cd.jpg 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

• The Return of the Black Death (1998, Cacaphonous Records)

1. Vinterferden
2. A Sovereign Fortress
3. Svartedauens Gjenkomst
4. Sorg
5. The Bridge of Death
6. Gamlelandet
7. Kilden - Lik En Endeløs Elv
8. Kongsblod
9. Battlefield
10. Ancient Prophecy
11. Ildnatten

http://a489.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/2/l_588d6a8243f8a83a95216dc6f614ffc0.jpg 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

• The Defeat of Satan/Despair (2003, Momentum Scandinavia)

1. Preludium
2. Demonic Seduction
3. Message from Hell
4. Lost Generation
5. Human
6. Jesus, Jesus, Ver Du Hjõ Meg
7. The Defeat Of Satan
8. New Life
9. Jesus Saves
10. Knus Ondskapen

http://a781.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/23/l_f30b2a8a21026341af2eadcfb6e1c2dc.jpg 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Det Tapte Liv (ep) (2004, Endtime Productions)

1. Rites of Death
2. Sorrow
3. Last Season
4. Med Heverde Sverd
5. Det Tapte Liv

http://a471.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/34/l_10b64eb6f26f5cf425173df1a2676cb6.jpg 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• The Forsaken (2005, Endtime Productions)

1. Rites Of Death
2. Old Times Cruelty
3. Via Dolorosa
4. Raade
5. The Crown I Carry
6. Betrayed
7. Vale Of Tears
8. The Return
9. As I Die
10. Mitt Hjerte

http://a138.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/30/l_edf7c8282544c28b1bdd9b0dd665b671.jpg 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Unofficial website
• Official website (listed as "website coming soon")
• Antestor lyrics
• BlogCritics review of The Defeat of Satan - clarifies confusion surrounding the releases of The Return of the Black Death and Martyrium
• Antestor at Firestream.net