Ethereal Woods began in 2002 as the solo project of Mark Britton formerly the main composer behind Excarnation. The main idea behind the band was to get back to the traditional ethos of black metal whilst creating an original sound. Too many bands out there today are focussed on being seen as heavy, technical or cool, Ethereal Woods wanted to get away from this.

The first compositions for Ethereal Woods were introverted, bleak and minimalistIc and were eventually released by Supernal Music in 2004 under the title Thickthorn. The album was focussed on Thickthorn wood in Mark’s home town of Kenilworth in England and marked the beginning of the bands affiliation with nature.

A year down the line and Ethereal Woods were ready to release their second album, In the Forest of Arden. By this point Ethereal Woods had moved away from the harsh minimalism of Thickthorn with the help of their new drummer, Adam Yarnall. In the Forest of Arden marked a significant change for Ethereal Woods with more varied compositions and a more powerful and organic sound.

By 2006 Ethereal Woods had recorded a new song for Supernal Music’s long-awaited Anti-Geldof Compilation. This song was showcased in September at the bands first live performance in Coventry. This performance also saw the introduction of Mark’s twin brother, Andrew Britton, on live guitars and backing vocals.

And so to 2007… a third album has been written with an intended release by 2007. This album will mark a further change in direction for Ethereal Woods. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.