Oslo, Norway (1997-2008)
Band members:
Torgrim Torve - Guitar and Lead vocals
Ronny Flissundet - Guitar and Backing vocals
Håvard Gjerde - Bass and Backing vocals
Erlend Gjerde - Drums
Though their debut album Arrows was first released in Scandinavia in January 2005, the four guys in Stonegard have been hard at work on their music for a long time. They first met in 1997 when three of them were enrolled at "Trøndertunet" a boarding school which in the last 15-20 years has been a breeding ground for many of Norway's most successful "pop musicians" of all genres.
In 2000 they came together as Stonegard and have been loved and lauded by Norwegian fans and media ever since. Their followers have really only had one problem; agreeing on a definition of the music. "Dirty testosterone rock?". "Groovy trash metal?". "Rock 'n' roll with strong leanings to doom- and black metal?". Or how about this one: "Sabbath-meets-Slayer-on-the-way-to-a-jam-session-with-Metallica-in-the-best- speed-metal-era-(around 1983)-rock?".
Well, the obvious explanation is that these guys are constantly developing. So even though they have been in the studio on several occasions during, they have avoided any public release until they were absolutely sure they could live up to their own expectations. Now the time is finally right.
Stonegard's debut album is entitled Arrows. It was created in the summer of 2004 during six weeks in the two studios that top dog metal producer Daniel Bergstrand operates in the Swedish university town of Uppsala. Bergstrand has previously worked his wonders for the Norwegian group El Caco and the Swedish bands Meshuggah and In Flames. To name but a few.
The result is stronger than anyone had dared to hope for. The ten best songs from Stonegard's five years as a band have been taken apart, analyzed, fine-tuned, put together and built into a record that is nothing less than a revelation. An album that all at once manages to be mighty yet melodic, aggressive yet mature, complex yet cohesive.
Arrows was released in Norway the 24th of January on Bonnier Amigo's new label Bells Go Clang. Sweden, Finland and Denmark released it the following months. Reviews have been overwhelming. Touring has been constant, from small clubs to supporting monster acts such as Slipknot, System of A Down and Black Sabbath! During the spring of 2006 Arrows was released throughout Europe, and the band is doing Festival and club-shows to promote the album. Hope to see you on tour!
From Stonegard's Myspace:
The Darkest Hour has arrived..
Due to internal conflicts and disagreements Stonegard has
decided to cease as a band. In the best Rock N..Roll tradition we could not
find a way to continue our work together, and therefore chose to put an end
to things right away. Stonegard will not join Enslaved for the announced
European tour in November/December, and we are truly sorry to disappoint
everyone that was looking forward to seeing the band live this fall. Mostly
it has been an incredible joyride, and we hope you all appreciated what we
added to the scene. We will most definitely be back in different shapes and
constellations so keep your eyes and more importantly ears open. A special
thanks to all our fans that has been with us throughout the years - you made
this special for us - Thank you!
R.I.P. - STONEGARD
Erlend, Torgrim, Håvard & Ronny
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