Origin:	Norway
Genres:	Black Metal, Eclectic Metal

Manes

Originally a duo, Manes emerged from the Norwegian scene in the early 90's, releasing a string of demos up until 1995, at which time they disappeared from public view for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was a serious medical condition suffered by guitarist Cernunnus. The band's first full-length album, Under Ein Blodraut Maane finally was released in 1999. Blodraut features that classic Thorns-approved cold guitar tone synonymous with old-school black metal, alongside distant tortured vocals from Sargatanas. Though the production is a bit thin, the album itself is quite good for the style. Four years later the band emerged again, but with substantial changes, as guitarist Tor-Helge Skei (the real name of Cernunnus) had recruited an all-new lineup, resulting in 2003's release, Vilosophe. A stark contrast to their past, Vilosophe finds the band undergoing a transformation of near-Ulver-like proportions, as the album contains no black metal and only some elements of metal at all. What Vilosophe is, though, is an intriguing foray into a variety of styles, featuring trip-hop, jazz and electronica elements married with a somewhat melancholic rock/metal feel, and distinctive high clear vocals. Reviews on the album are sharply divided, with some disappointed with their leaving the black metal scene and finding the new approach pretentious, while others appreciate the experimentalism and freshness of the new direction. To these ears, Vilosophe is an excellent album, and heartily recommended to those with an open mind to new influences in hard music. Several years after that came How The World Came To An End, furthering the band's cause towards avant-garde metal, and a year later the band was done, as Skei decided to start up a new project, even more eclectic and avant-garde, by the name of kkoagulaa. It's likely that some posthumous Manes works will be released in the coming year.