Extol are a

Christian metal Christian metal, also known as white metal, Jesus metal or heavenly metal, is heavy metal music distinguished by its Christian themed song lyrics and the dedication of the band members to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by ...

band from Bekkestua, Norway that was formed in 1993. The band is known for playing a variety of different styles of

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typi ...

which include progressive metal,

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, fe ...

black metal Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw ( lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an em ...

and

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

. Over the course of their career, the band has released five studio albums and two EPs. The band are noted for their precise, technical musicianship. The fourth album, ''

The Blueprint Dives ''The Blueprint Dives'' is the fourth studio release by the Norwegian Christian metal band Extol. Recorded at the end of 2004 at Top Room Studios and produced by Børge Finstad and Extol, ''Blueprint'' was released on 21 February 2005 on Century M ...

'', received a Spellemannsprisen nomination for Best Metal Album of 2005. Extol has toured the United States and Europe several times with such bands as

Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of th ...

God Forbid God Forbid is an American heavy metal band formed in East Brunswick, New Jersey in 1996. History Early career (1999-2004) Building up a following in the late 1990s by touring with bands such as GWAR, Nile, Cradle of Filth and Candiria, God ...

and Opeth. Collectively, Extol has sold over 500,000 albums worldwide. The last line-up before the hiatus included vocalist Peter Espevoll, guitarists Tor Magne Glidje and Ole Halvard Sveen, drummer

David Husvik David Husvik is a Norwegian drummer who has played in metal bands Extol, Absurd², Twisted Into Form and InSection and Aperture, a jazz and acoustic rock project. David Husvik helped to start Pirates N 'Thieves in 2007. He also performed in a sid ...

, and bass player John Robert Mjåland. Notable original guitarists were Ole Børud (of Schaliach fame) and

Christer Espevoll Christer Espevoll (born October 18, 1977) is a Norwegian guitarist who has been active since 1993. He has performed with notable acts such as Extol and Benea Reach. Christer's brother is Peter Espevoll. Background Espevoll started his musical car ...

, who contributed significantly to the band's songwriting. After reforming in 2012, the band consists of Peter Espevoll, Husvik, and Børud. The band released its fifth album, '' Extol'', in 2013. All the band members share the Christian faith, which is apparent in their lyrics and themes. The band is currently on hiatus, while Børud released an album with a new project known as Fleshkiller.

History

1993–1999: Formation and ''Burial''

Extol was formed in Bekkestua, Norway by cousins drummer

and guitarist

, who were both 16 at the time. The two had jammed together since fall 1993 and wanted to start a band. Christer's brother Peter, 14 was recruited for vocal duties. Bassist Eystein Holm joined on 17 May 1994 as the band was rehearsing for a show that day. In an interview, Peter explained the band's name: "Extol means to exalt, to lift up what you give glory to, and that's what's we're all about. We want to give God all the glory with our lives and with our music." Extol wanted to expand their musical style beyond regular heavy metal music—according to

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

writer Mike DaRonco, the band intended to show "more of a progressive side; rather than a typical run of the mill group of burnouts who focused more on their image." The style change necessitated another guitarist, a position

Emil Nikolaisen Emil Nikolaisen (born 4 February 1977 in Moi, Norway) is a musician and producer from Norway. He is frontman, bandleader, songwriter, guitarist & singer of the well-known Norwegian alternative rock band Serena-Maneesh. Nikolaisen has previously ...

of the band Royal filled in 1995. The group soon garnered a reputation in the local scene. In January 1996, Extol made their first record appearance on a Norwegian metal compilation called ''Northern Lights''. The album featured other local Christian artists

Antestor Antestor () is a Norwegian Christian extreme metal band formed in 1990 in Jessheim. Credited for starting the northern European Christian black metal scene,Bryzak, Michael. Liner notes of ''The Defeat of Satan'' album. 2003. Endtime Productions ...

, Schaliach, and Groms.

Steve Rowe Steve Rowe (born 19 January 1965) is the founder, bass guitarist, and vocalist of the Australian Christian death metal band Mortification which was considered to be a major pioneer in the genre. Prior to forming Mortification he was in a trad ...

of Australian Christian metal band

Mortification Mortification can refer to: * Mortification (theology), theological doctrine *Mortification of the flesh Mortification of the flesh is an act by which an individual or group seeks to mortify or deaden their sinful nature, as a part of the proc ...

released the compilation on his record label, Rowe Productions. The band ventured to Stockholm, Sweden two months later for their first show outside their homeland. At the end of 1996, Nikolaisen departed so he could devote more time to Royal, and was replaced by Ole Børud of Schaliach and Arnold B Family. In 1997, Extol released an independent three-song demo: ''Embraced''. A studio album was recorded at the end of the year even though a record label had not signed them. Almost a year passed before Endtime Productions picked up the band. Their debut album, ''

Burial Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

'', was released in December 1998. The album was licensed in the United States on Solid State Records, and in Japan on

Avalon Records Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

. Critical reception was very positive from Christian and secular publications. DaRonco commented that it was "a breath of fresh air among a genre that relies on satanic gimmicks." Shortly after, the band played their first shows in the US at

Cornerstone Festival Cornerstone Festival was a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around July 4 near Bushnell, Illinois, drawing some 20,000 attendees each year. In a given year, many artists that played at Cornerstone also pl ...

and Texas Rockfest. Extol conducted a four-week tour with Swedish rock band

Blindside Blindside, Blind Side or The Blind Side may refer to: Books * ''The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game'', a 2006 book about American football ** The Blind Side (film), ''The Blind Side'' (film), a 2009 film based on the book starring Sandra Bullock ...

in summer 1999. An EP, '' Mesmerized'', was released in November. It featured three remixed tracks from ''Burial'', which were reworked by Swedish industrial groups Raison d'être and

Sanctum Sanctum may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Sanctum (band), a Swedish band * ''Sanctum'' (film), a 2011 3D action-thriller film * ''Sanctum'' (1998 video game), a digital collectible card game * ''Sanctum'' (2011 video game), a first-perso ...

, and three other songs; a recently recorded one, an outtake, and a track from the Japanese release. The reception from fans was generally negative. Holm soon left the band and was replaced by Tor Magne Glidje, who played guitar in the Norwegian metal band Lengsel.

2000–2003: ''Undeceived'' and ''Synergy''

Extol returned to the studio in December 1999 to record a follow-up album. In June 2000, their second studio album, ''

Undeceived ''Undeceived'' is the second LP and third studio release by Norwegian Christian metal band Extol. It was released in 2000 on Solid State Records and re-released in 2002 on Century Media; all releases of the album other than the Solid State version ...

'', was released. The release saw their music become "harder and darker" than their previous work, opting to move towards a

sound. The song "Ember" proved to be a popular song among their fans. Børud then left the band, so Glidje switched over to guitar, and John Robert Mjåland joined as bassist. In 2001, another EP, ''Paralysis'', was recorded; it was only released in Sweden. This EP featured a cover of "Shadow of Death" by the American thrash metal group

Believer Believer(s) or The Believer(s) may refer to: Religion * Believer, a person who holds a particular belief ** Believer, a person who holds a particular religious belief *** Believers, Christians with a religious faith in the divine Christ *** Bel ...

, whom the band considers to be a great influence. After ''Paralysis'', Glidje left the band to focus on his other project, Ganglion, and Børud returned to the line-up. After ''Undeceived'' was released, Extol was no longer obligated to Endtime Productions, and they signed with Century Media in 2002. Their album, ''

Synergy Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The term ''synergy'' comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία ' from ', , meaning "working together". History In Christi ...

'', released in 2003, showed an even greater appreciation of the band Believer and their style of thrash metal. Following the release, Extol toured Europe and US with the Swedish progressive death metal group Opeth.

2004–2008: ''The Blueprint Dives'' and hiatus

In June 2004, Børud and Christer Espevoll left Extol to "invest their time and energy elsewhere". Taking their place as permanent members in the band were Tor Magne Glidje and Ole Halvard Sveen, both from Ganglion, which merged with Extol when four out of five band members ended up playing in both bands. In 2005, the band released what could be considered their most diverse album, ''The Blueprint Dives''. A music video was shot for the song "Pearl". The album was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy,

Spellemannprisen Spellemannprisen, often referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards in English, is a Norwegian music award presented to Norwegian musicians. The award was established by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an organizati ...

, for best Norwegian metal album in 2005. The album was voted among the top five metal albums of the year by readers of Norway's largest newspaper, ''

Dagbladet ''Dagbladet'' (lit.: ''The Daily Magazine'') is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally ''Dagbladet'' is considered the main liberal newspa ...

''. Afterwards, Extol toured Europe with

, and Opeth, and the US with Winter Solstice, Becoming the Archetype, and The Showdown. The album received rave reviews: Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic gave the album 4.5/5 and writes that "to Extol's greatest credit, offhand comparisons to other bands are almost impossible!" According to Glidje, a majority of the songs on ''The Blueprint Dives'' had previously been written as Ganglion songs. On 9 August 2007 the band announced through their MySpace page that they were taking a hiatus. Glidje, Mjåland and Sveen went on to form Mantric, signed to

Prosthetic Records Prosthetic Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal recordings, founded in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald. Prosthetic Records released the first two albums by Lamb of God and Animals ...

. Husvik joined Dr. Midnight and the Mercy Cult, which includes members from

Turbonegro Turbonegro (Turboneger in Norway) is a Norwegian rock band, active from 1989 to 1998 and from 2002 to the present. The band combines glam rock, punk rock, and hard rock into a self-described "deathpunk" musical style. History Early years ( ...

, Apoptygma Berzerk and

Satyricon The ''Satyricon'', ''Satyricon'' ''liber'' (''The Book of Satyrlike Adventures''), or ''Satyrica'', is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as Titus Petr ...

2012–present: Documentary, ''Extol'' and hiatus

In 2012, Extol reformed as a trio consisting of Peter Espevoll, Husvik, and Børud, and announced that a documentary about the band, titled ''Extol: of Light and Shade'', was being produced. On 23 April 2013, Extol announced that their fifth album, '' Extol'', was to be released in June. Upon this announcement, the single "Open the Gates" was released for streaming on YouTube. Indie Recordings released the album on 21 June in Norway, Germany, and Austria, and on 24 June worldwide. Facedown Records released the album on 25 June for North America. The album debuted at No. 23 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Top Christian Albums Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the ''Billboard'' 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly ...

chart. In July 2014, the band performed their first live concert since 2006. On 17 July, they introduced the names of the additional two touring members: Marcus Bertilsson (

Inevitable End Inevitable End are a Swedish death metal band from Jönköping, who are signed to Relapse Records. History Inevitable End started out in 2003 as a group that was highly influenced by thrash metal and has evolved over time to be securely rooted ...

, Miseration) on guitar and Ole Vistnes ( Shining, Tristania, Fleshkiller) on bass. The documentary was later released. The band made it onto a list of the top 20 best Norwegian progressive metal bands in 2017. Currently the band is on hiatus. During the hiatus, Espevoll quit the band due to other commitments, leaving Husvik and Børud as sole members. Husvik went on to play in a project called Azusa with Christer Espevoll, one of the original members, while Børud went on to perform in Fleshkiller.

Influences

During the early 2000s, the band cited influence from

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

, Galactic Cowboys,

Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1985. Originally, the band's name was Metallien. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, drummer To ...

, early

, Rush, and early

Tourniquet A tourniquet is a device that is used to apply pressure to a limb or extremity in order to stop the flow of blood. It may be used in emergencies, in surgery, or in post-operative rehabilitation. A simple tourniquet can be made from a stick an ...

. Christer Espevoll stated in an interview that the primary influences for his guitar playing were bandmates Emil Nikolaisen and Ole Børud. In an interview after the release of 2005's ''

'', the band cited influences from

A-ha A-ha (usually stylised as ''a-''h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ...

Anathema Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a ...

, Believer,

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, C ...

, The Crucified,

The Cure The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...

, Cynic, Death,

Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, k ...

Kings X King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instru ...

, Joni Mitchell,

Refused Refused (also known as the Refused) is a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå and formed in 1991. Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge. G ...

Sixteen Horsepower 16 Horsepower was an American band based in Denver, Colorado, United States. Their music often invoked religious imagery dealing with conflict, redemption, punishment, and guilt through David Eugene Edwards's lyrics and the heavy use of traditi ...

Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

, and Tourniquet, among others. After the reformation of the band in 2012, Børud stated in one interview that his influences range "from Death to

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...

to Steely Dan to Jason Falkner and so forth." In another interview, he cited the band's influences as "old stuff such as Rush,

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book o ...

or Yes. But it could as easily be an old church

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...

or a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

tune from Chris Potter. Or it might even be just a mood from a certain day that will trigger a certain melody. As far as groove and beat goes we are all fans of the old school death metal approach such as old Death, Pestilence and all of those guys."

Band members

Current members * Peter Espevoll – lead vocals * Ole Børud – guitar, sung vocals , bass , flute *

– drums Former members * Eystein Holm – bass *

– guitar *

– guitar * Tor Magne Glidje – bass , guitars * John Robert Mjåland – bass * Ole Halvard Sveen – guitar, vocals Live musicians * Ole Vistnes – bass * Marcus Bertilsson – guitar Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:80 top:0 right:0 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1993 till:12/31/2018 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1993 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1993 Colors = id:Growls value:claret legend:Harsh_vocals id:Vocals value:red legend:Clean_vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:album value:black legend:Studio_album id:EP value:gray(0.55) legend:Other_release id:bars value:gray(0.95) Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 BackgroundColors=bars:bars LineData = layer:back at:01/01/1996 color:EP at:01/01/1997 color:EP at:12/22/1998 color:album at:11/02/1999 color:EP at:06/20/2000 color:album at:01/01/2001 color:EP at:08/12/2003 color:album at:02/21/2005 color:album at:06/21/2013 color:album at:05/29/2015 color:EP BarData = bar:Peter text:"Peter Espevoll" bar:Christer text:"Christer Espevoll" bar:Emil text:"Emil Nikolaisen" bar:Ole text:"Ole Børud" bar:Ole2 text:"Ole Sveen" bar:Eystein text:"Eystein Holm" bar:Tor text:"Tor Magne Gildje" bar:John text:"John Robert Mjåland" bar:David text:"David Husvik" PlotData= width:11 bar:Peter from:start till:01/01/2007 color:Growls bar:Peter from:01/01/2012 till:09/01/2013 color:Growls bar:Christer from:start till:01/01/2004 color:Guitar bar:Emil from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/1996 color:Guitar bar:Ole from:01/01/1996 till:07/01/2000 color:Guitar bar:Ole from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2004 color:Guitar bar:Ole from:01/01/2012 till:end color:Guitar bar:Ole2 from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2007 color:Guitar bar:Eystein from:01/01/1994 till:01/01/1999 color:Bass bar:Tor from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2001 color:Bass bar:Tor from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2007 color:Guitar bar:John from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2007 color:Bass bar:David from:start till:01/01/2007 color:Drums bar:David from:01/01/2012 till:end color:Drums width:7 bar:Ole from:01/01/2012 till:end color:Bass width:3 bar:Ole from:01/01/1996 till:07/01/2000 color:Vocals bar:Ole from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2004 color:Vocals bar:Ole from:01/01/2012 till:end color:Vocals bar:Peter from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2007 color:Vocals

Discography

Studio albums * 1998: ''

'' * 2000: ''

'' * 2003: ''

'' * 2005: ''

'' * 2013: '' Extol'' EPs * 1999: '' Mesmerized'' * 2001: ''Paralysis'' Compilations * 1996: Northern Lights / Norwegian Metal Compilation (Rowe Productions 012) Videos * 2015: ''Of Light and Shade''

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* *
Extol discography
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

{{Authority control Facedown Records artists Norwegian unblack metal musical groups Norwegian melodic death metal musical groups Norwegian progressive metal musical groups Technical death metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1993 1993 establishments in Norway Musical groups disestablished in 2007 2007 disestablishments in Norway Century Media Records artists Musical quintets Musical groups from Bærum Solid State Records artists Rowe Productions artists