Susperia

Susperia was started by Tjodalv (Dimmu Borgir, Old Man's Child) and Cyrus (Satyricon, Old Man's Child) in October 1998. After Tjodalv left Dimmu Borgir in the middle of March 1999, he started to concentrate fully on Susperia together with old-time friend Cyrus. At Wacken Open Air Festival in 1999, Tjodalv met with singer Athera (Vanaheim), who joined the band subsequently, followed by bass player Memnock (Old Man's Child, Vanaheim) and guitarist Elvorn. They recorded a demo, Illusions of Evil, in December 1999 at Pitfire Studio outside Oslo, which was mixed and mastered by L. Argedick. Synthesizer and piano parts were played by Mustis (Dimmu Borgir). He was briefly an official member of the band before he left to fully concentrate on Dimmu Borgir. Mustis returned to the band in 2010, after being fired from Dimmu Borgir.

The demo was sent out to different record companies and gained some positive feedback. They received a few offers from mainly major record labels and signed in early 2000 with Nuclear Blast for four records. Susperia played their first live gig at John Dee in Oslo, following Ragnarok and Alsvartr; just a few months later, they played at the Scream Magazine 10-year anniversary party.

In March 2009, it was reported that vocalist Athera (real name Pål Mathisen) had suffered a heart attack.{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=115840|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914030316/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=115840|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 September 2012|title=SUSPERIA Vocalist Suffers Heart Attack|access-date=4 November 2009|date=10 March 2009|publisher=Blabbermouth.net}} It was later confirmed that he had been rushed into hospital in Lørenskog, suffering from acute stomach pain and heavy bleeding. He was expected to remain hospitalised for some time.{{cite web|url=http://www.idiomag.com/peek/69554/susperia|title=Susperia Frontman Suffers Heart Attack|accessdate=11 March 2009|date=11 March 2009|publisher=idiomag}} It was later announced that he would undergo a triple bypass operation on 16 March 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.idiomag.com/peek/70357/susperia|title=SUSPERIA: Athera Will Undergo A Triple Bypass Operation|accessdate=17 March 2009|date=16 March 2009|publisher=idiomag}}

Susperia joined Melodi Grand Prix in 2011, but lost before the semi-final.

Cyrus also played bass with Dimmu Borgir between 2010 and 2018,{{Cite web |last=Karagiannidis |first=Panagiotis |date=2018-04-03 |title=Singer: Dimmu Borgir Will ‘Never’ Consist Of More Than Three Members Again – Metalpaths.com |url=https://www.metalpaths.com/news/2010/10/22/singer-dimmu-borgir-will-never-consist-of-more-than-three-members-again/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Munro |first=Scott |date=2018-05-29 |title=Dimmu Borgir bring in bassist Victor Brandt |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/dimmu-borgir-bring-in-bassist-victor-brandt |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=louder |language=en}} having previously filled in on lead guitar in 2008.{{Cite web |last=BraveWords |title=SUSPERIA Guitarist Cyrus Joins DIMMU BORGIR For North American Tour; Work To Continue On Band's New Studio Album |url=https://bravewords.com/news/susperia-guitarist-cyrus-joins-dimmu-borgir-for-north-american-tour-work-to-continue-on-bands-new-studio-album |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=bravewords.com |language=en}}

In 2015, founding vocalist Athera left the band.{{Cite web |last= |date=2015-05-30 |title=Singer ATHERA Quits SUSPERIA; Band Vows To Carry On With New Vocalist |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/singer-athera-quits-susperia-band-vows-to-carry-on-with-new-vocalist |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en}}

On their early albums, the band experimented with a mixture of black and thrash metal. Testament, one of the members' favorite bands,{{Cite web |date=2007-06-05 |title=Susperia - interview |url=https://www.metal.de/interviews/susperia-36587/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=metal.de |language=de}} was a major influence, and by the time the album Unlimited was released, the black metal elements had disappeared. Instead, the band gave more space to influences from heavy metal. Today, Susperia are generally regarded as a melodic thrash metal band.

The lyrics written by singer Athera are personal and either purely fictional or autobiographical. Politics and religion are not dealt with, nor are certain concepts. Athera uses both guttural and clean vocals.

Susperia is not a Satanic band, though their lyrics tend to criticise and question the views and morals of Christianity.{{cite web|url=http://www.fourteeng.net/interviews/susperia.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807130518/http://www.fourteeng.net/interviews/susperia.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 August 2008|title=Susperia Interview|access-date=4 November 2009|date=29 September 2007|publisher=fourteeng.net}}{{cite web|url=http://www.live-metal.net/interviews_susperia|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907160222/http://www.live-metal.net/interviews_susperia|url-status=usurped|archive-date=7 September 2012|title=Interviews: Susperia|accessdate=4 November 2009|date=18 November 2007|publisher=Live-Metal.net}}

File:Susperia..jpg

Current members

• Terje "Cyrus" Andersen – guitars (1998–present)
• Christian "Elvorn" Hagen – guitars (1998–present)
• Ian Kenneth "Tjodalv" Åkesson – drums (1998–present)

Former members

• Håkon "Memnock" Didriksen – bass (1998–2019)
• Pål "Athera" Mathiesen – vocals (1998–2015; touring musician: 2019)
• Øyvind Johan "Mustis" Mustaparta – keyboards (1998–2000; touring musician: 2010–2011)
• Bernt "Dagon" Fjellstad – vocals (2015–2019; touring musician: 2009, 2014–2015)

Live musicians

• Lars "Tristhan" Fredriksen – bass (2019)

Timeline

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• Predominance (2001)
• Vindication (2002)
• Unlimited (2004)
• Cut from Stone (2007)
• Attitude (2009)
• The Lyricist (2018)

• Devil May Care (2005)
• Nothing Remains (single, 2011)
• We Are the Ones (2011)

• Illusions of Evil (2000)

{{reflist}}

{{cc}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160811085818/http://www.susperia.net/ Official website] (archived)
• {{allmusic}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050405023056/http://bnrmetal.com/groups/susp.htm BNR Metal Pages -- Susperia]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071024031219/http://deadfall.org/interviews.php?id=109 Susperia interview] (German and English)

{{Susperia}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Norwegian heavy metal musical groups

Category:Norwegian thrash metal musical groups

Category:Norwegian black metal musical groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1998

Category:1998 establishments in Norway

Category:Musical groups from Bærum

Category:Nuclear Blast artists

Category:Candlelight Records artists