A Finnish funeral doom/black metal trio with ties to fellow Scandinavian gloomcasters Amorphis, Trees of Eternity, Swallow the Sun, and HIM, Hallatar was founded by guitarist Juha Raivio after the death of his partner and Trees of Eternity bandmate Aleah Stanbridge, who passed away in 2016 after battling cancer. Shortly after forming, Raivio, along with vocalist Tomi Joutsen (Amorphis) and ex-HIM drummer Gas Lipstick, were picked up by Finnish indie Svart Records, and began laying down tracks for what would be their debut LP under the new moniker -- the project is considered an extension of Trees of Eternity. The resulting No Stars Upon the Bridge, which is based on the lyrics and poems of Aleah Stanbridge,, was released in December 2017. ~ James Christopher Monger