Keep Of Kalessin: New Lineup and New Video "Introspection"

Norwegian Melodic Black/Death Metal Keep Of Kalessin, released a music video for their new single "Introspection". The song marks the debut of guitarist Arnt "Obsidian C." Gronbech as the band`s new lead singer, replacing Torbjorn "Thebon" Schei, who left the band without giving much explanation. Check it out below!

These are Keep Of Kalessin's and Thebon's official statements on him being fired from the band (2013):

Keep of Kalessin:

"We haven't heard from him in 5 months. He went to South Africa with his girlfriend and we received no life sign or answers to our messages." comments guitarist and now also front man Obsidian C.

"Instead of waiting it out we just had to move on and I started testing the vocals in the studio myself, realizing my vocals were far from bad. I've always been the driving force of the band and I found it to be easier if I just managed to handle the vocals from now on instead of replacing Thebon with someone else. The worst part of this will of course be to do both vocals and guitars live, but it's all a matter of practice, really. We now feel that this is the way to go and that the band is in fact stronger than ever!"

Thebon:

"I´m not missing in the jungle, I went to study and relax for three months and did not hear anything from the band in that time. I got a message about a band meeting a week ago,but did´t reply because I was preoccupied with other projects, and I was deciding if I wanted to continue with KOK.

Today I read in a press release that they have recorded new music, and even made a video,and fired me in public at the Inferno Festival. Clearly this proves that they have made their decision about me quite some time ago. This kind of loyalty and friendship is exactly one of the reasons I have been considering leaving the band for quite some time now. I wish them all the best."

The name Keep of Kalessin comes from Ursula K. Le Guin's novel "The Farthest Shore", which is book 3 of the Earthsea Trilogy. It is an island home to the eldest dragon of all of Earthsea, named Kalessin, and is, "an island like a tower. Its cliffs were black and made up of many cylinders or great pillars pressed together, with straight edges and plane surfaces, rising three hundred feet sheer from the water". Many of their lyrics revolve around this book series.

KEEP OF KALESSIN Direct Support of Dying Fetus

Norwegian Black Metallers KEEP OF KALESSIN just were confirmed to be direct support of Dying Fetus on their upcoming European Tour in February/March!

KEEP OF KALESSIN released their new record called „Reptilian“ mid of 2010 and again hit the official Norwegian album charts.

Tourdates with Dying Fetus:

18.02.11 DE Aschaffenburg - Colos Saal 

19.02.11 DE Essen - Turock 

20.02.11 NL Utrecht - Tivoli 

21.02.11 DE Hamburg - Logo 

23.02.11 DE Berlin - K17 

24.02.11 CZ Prague - Exit Chmelnice 

25.02.11 DE Leipzig - Theater-Fabrik 

26.02.11 DE München - Feierwerk 

27.02.11 SL Bratislava - Randal Club 

28.02.11 AT Wien - Arena 

01.03.11 SI Ljubljana - Kino Siska 

02.03.11 DE Nürnberg - Hirsch 

03.03.11 IT Schio (VI) - Mac2 Club 

04.03.11 IT Rome Blackout - Rock Club 

05.03.11 CH Luzern - Schüür 

06.03.11 DE Ludwigsburg - Rockfabrik 

07.03.11 FR Paris - Trabendo 

08.03.11 UK London - O2 Academy Islington 

09.03.11 UK Birmingham - O2 Academy 2 

10.03.11 BE Hasselt - Muziekodroom 

11.03.11 DE Kassel - Kulturfabrik Salzmann 

Website | Myspace

KEEP OF KALESSIN - REPTILIAN LIMITED PACKAGE DEAL AVAILABLE

Norwegian extreme metal hordeKEEP OF KALESSIN have made their new album, Reptilian, available as a limited package deal at the Nuclear Blast USA Web Shop.

Reptilian was recorded once again at the band's own studio in Trondheim, Norway.

Final mixing duties were handled by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, Behemoth, In Flames).

Reptilian was released on May 14, 2010 (Europe) and will be released on June 8, 2010 (North America).

"The Awakening" and a rough mix/shortened version of "The Dragontower" can be streamed on the band'sMySpace page player.

KEEP OF KALESSIN will join label mates NILE on the 21-date 'Those Whom The Gods Detest Tour II' through the United States beginning October 31st in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Also on the bill are Roman-themed arsenal EX DEO, Tazmanian tech-death masters PSYCROPTIC, and brutal death grinders Pathology. Tickets available here.

GET ALBUM AT:

iTunes

Amazon

Amazon MP3

Nuclear Blast USA

Nuclear Blast EUROPE

Keep of Kalessin Reptilian - Judgement

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KEEP OF KALESSIN

KEEP OF KALESSIN - COVER ART + TRACK LISTING REVEALED FOR, REPTILIAN

Norwegian extreme metal horde KEEP OF KALESSIN will release their new album, Reptilian, in North America on May 14th (Europe) and June 8th (N. America) via Nuclear Blast Records.

Guitarist Obsidian C. commented: “The music on Reptilian is more in your face and direct than before so we chose this cover and the title to emphasise that directness as well as focusing even more on the fantasy elemement in the band. This beast of an album is staring at you and it's going straight for your throat!”

Track List:

1. Dragon Iconography

2. The Awakening

3. Judgement

4. The Dragontower

5. Leaving The Mortal Flesh

6. Dark As Moonless Night

7. The Divine Land

8. Reptilian Majesty

A shortened version and rough mix of the new song "The Dragontower" can be heard on the bands Myspace page.

Reptilian is the follow up to KEEP OF KALESSIN’s 2008 release,Kolossus and was recorded once again at their own studio in Trondheim, Norway. Final mixing duties were handled this time around by Daniel Bergstrand (IN FLAMES, BEHEMOTH, MESHUGGAH).

Studio Report #1: Watch here

Studio Report #2: Watch here

SickDrummerMagazine.com Pre-Production Blog: Watch here

Keep of Kalessin Facebook Page

Keep of Kalessin MySpace Page

KEEP OF KALESSIN - Ascendant

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KEEP OF KALESSIN

KEEP OF KALESSIN - w/ SICK DRUMMER MAGAZINE

SickDrummerMagazine.com has uploaded footage of KEEP OF KALESSIN drummer Vyl performing new material from their forthcoming record here.

The footage of the epic Norwegian black metallers was taken while recording pre-production for the follow up to their 2008 releaseKolossus.

During the pre-production and recording stages of their yet to be titled release, the band will also upload footage from the sessions on their official YouTube channel www.youtube.com/KalessinTV

KEEP OF KALESSIN will head to Dug Out Studio in Sweden this October to record the drums with Daniel Bergstrand (IN FLAMES, BEHEMOTH, MESHUGGAH). The band will then go back home to their own studio in Trondheim, Norway where they recorded both Armadaand Kolossus, to record all the other instruments and vocals. The tracks will then immediately be sent back to Daniel Bergstrand who will be mixing the entire record.

After several successful tours in N. America with such bands as DIMMU BORGIR, BEHEMOTH, KATAKLYSM and DYING FETUS, the members are eager to write an album which according to them is "stronger, heavier, more brutal and yet more beautiful at the same time."

Purchase Kolossus at:

BUY - NB USA

BUY - NB EUROPE

BUY - eMusic

BUY - Napster

BUY - Rhapsody

BUY - iTunes

BUY - Amazon

BUY - Amazon MP3

BUY - FYE

Sick Drummer Magazine - Drum Cam Footage

Keep of Kalessin MySpace Page

Keep Of Kalessin - Studio report #1 2009

Keep of Kalessin

Keep of Kalessin

Genre(s)

Black Metal

Lyrical theme(s)

War, darkness, anti-religion, dominance, evil

Origin Formed in Current label Status

Norway (Trondheim) 1993 Indie Recordings/Nuclear Blast Active

Current line-up

Thebon (Torbjørn Schei) - Vocals (2004-) (Subliritum, Twinsoul, Powdr)

Obsidian Claw (A.O Gronbech) - Guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (Headspin)

Wizziac - Bass (2004-) (Eternal Silence (Nor), Sage, Headspin)

Vyl (Vegard Larsen) - Drums (1995-2000, 2004-) (Subliritum, Chton, Aptorian Demon, Goat the Head, Headspin)

Former/past member(s)

Vocals:

Ghâsh (1994-2000) (Aptorian Demon, Mare (Nor), Antares Predator)

Attila Csihar (2003-2004) (Mayhem (Nor), Tormentor (Hun), Korog, Plasma Pool, Burial Chamber Trio, Current 93, Grave Temple, Aborym, Pentemple, Jarboe)

Guitars:

Cernunnus (Tor-Helge Skei) (Session) (Atrox (Nor), Manes, Suffocation (Nor))

Bass:

Warach (Øyvind Westrum) (1995-2000) (Wolf 327, Aptorian Demon, Antares Predator)

Kesh (2003-2004)

Drums:

Frost (Kjetil Vidar Haraldstad) (2003-2004) (1349, Zyklon-B (Nor), Gorgoroth, Gehenna (Nor), Satyricon)

Additional notes

Formed under the monicker of "Ildskjaer ".

Keep of Kalessin participated in the Mayhem tribute "Originators Of The Northern Darkness", released by Avantgarde Music in 2001, covering the song "Buried By Time And Dust".

In December 2004, A.O Gronbech, along with Steinar Gundersen, who were playing live for Satyricon in their North American tour, were arrested in Canada and accused of drugging and raping a woman in their tour bus after a show in Toronto. The remainder of the tour was cancelled. The two members were released from jail on bail and later the charges for rape were dismissed.

http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=2845