1349

Musically and visually, Oslo's 1349 have roots deeply implanted in the second wave of Norwegian black metal. Their sound, complete with buzzing (rather than roaring) guitars, abundant blastbeats, Satanic lyrics, unclean vocals, etc., is appended by ghastly corpse-paint, leather, spikes, fire breathing, and more, on-stage. Early recordings like Liberation and Beyond the Apocalypse were drenched in lo-fi production, but won fans because of their overwhelming physicality and aggression. Though hardly prolific -- they've issued less than ten albums in 27 years -- they are one of the few surviving entities from the era who continue releasing material and touring, while remaining close to their sonic and aesthetic origins, as evidenced by 2014's Massive Cauldron of Chaos. Following long tours, overseeing reissues, and a break, 1349 returned with The Infernal Pathway in 2019. Following the pandemic, they started touring again, and in 2024 the band released The Wolf & The King.