Thy Serpent became one of the few Finnish black-metal bands to make a name for themselves in the European underground. The group was formed in 1996 by guitarist/vocalist Sami Tenetz, the only constant amid a series of personnel fluctuations. Thy Serpent recorded two demos before getting a shot at a full-length album; Forest of Witchery was issued by Spinefarm in 1996. Settling on a lineup of Tenetz, Agathon (synth, drums), and Azhemin (synth, bass, vocals), Thy Serpent made their international debut in 1998 with Christcrusher, released on the Nuclear Blast America label. ~ Steve Huey