Celestiial
Encyclopedia
Celestiial is a one-man funeral doom metal band from Minnesota
. The band consists of Tanner R. Anderson, who has been, and still is, a member of several other bands. Celestiial is known for making use of numerous instruments in its music, combining traditional folk instruments with more modern ones, as well as sampling the sounds of the natural world. The primary imagery of music by the band is that of nature.
Currently, Celestiial has one full length album released, Desolate North
, and is signed to Bindrune Recordings. A second album, named Where Life Springs Eternal, is in production.
rehearsal space, and the three additional songs on Desolate North were recorded later. One of them was in early 2005, and was recorded in the same place as the first five, but the other two, the songs featuring the harps, were recorded at Anderson's home, with his microphone literally tucked under his chin. Desolate North received numerous positive reviews, along with comparisons to bands such as Disembowelment
. However, it also received negative reviews. Bindrune is due to release Celestiial's second album in Summer 2007. By comparison, it is due to be recorded in a studio, which Anderson feels will give it a different sound. Also, the album will be produced with the intention of producing an album, something that was never the case with Desolate North.
Celestiial's music was used by Ballet Deviare
in their performance Forged in January 2007. In this, tracks by Celestiial was used alongside pieces by Arsis, Gwybleidd, Opeth
, My Dying Bride
, Swallow the Sun
and Japanische Kampfhörspiele
as backing tracks to the dancing
. The music was also used on May 24, 25 and 26, 2008 as part of the newest Ballet Deviare production, Memento Mori. Ballet Deviare's performances to Celestiial's music have also appeared on the MTV Two show Headbangers Ball
.
In 2008, it was announced that Celestiial was due to release a split album with Blood of the Black Owl on Bindrune Recordings. The final mastering came from Mel Detmer, and the release (titled only as Celestiial / Blood of the Black Owl Split 12"LP) is limited to only 500 copies. Each band contributed one song, with "White Depths Dove the Red-Eyed" from Celestiial.
band, Azrael
, and Autumnal Winds. Anderson is currently involved with several other projects. He is part of "an obscure death metal band" as well as several other small bands, which he has no desire to reveal details about. He is also involved in a long term project called Where Rivers End with A. Tolonen, from Nest
and Shape of Despair
, and Oscar Strik, formally of Pantheist. Anderson has also mentioned that he plays drums in Goatlust and plays guitars and provides vocals for Sidhe.
profiles or websites, Anderson says that he has no desire to promote Celestiial, and beyond answering e-mails and chatting on message boards, desires no Internet presence, and only allows himself to be interviewed through devotion to Bindrune Recordings. He has said that he plays in a band where "anonymity is important/understood by all involved". Anderson stated in the same interview that Celestiial is not a band, and so he did not intend to ever do live performances, but said that it was certainly possible. However, since then, it has been announced that he will be working with a drummer on his new album.
, makes use of minimal vocals, instead relying on electronics, guitar
s and syncopated drums
(with liberal use of cymbal
s). Also, these are backed up by more traditional instruments, such as harp
s and Native American
flutes. Also, there is the use of sampled sounds of footsteps, water, birdsong, wind and the like.
Celestiial is a funeral doom metal band. However, Desolate North has been described as taking the genre in new directions with comparisons to ambient
, goth
, experimental
and dark folk music being made. The music has also been described as meditative
and medieval.
Anderson admits that there may be death metal
influences in the vocals, but says that it was not a conscious design, and that the music does not have any other similarities to death metal. He claims that there are no black metal
influences. He says that describing Celestiial's music as folk
is a bad idea, as folk is such a broad, vague description as to make it meaningless. He says that what he is creating is neither folk, nor traditional, and even the harp songs are not traditional works, though they are influenced by the traditional music of the United Kingdom and traditional Irish music
.
s and nyckelharpa
s are due to be used, as well as more powerful guitars.
The music of Celestiial is very much based around nature, with natural sounds sampled, and imagery involving woodland, and, as one reviewer put it, "the scary places that we all fear when the lights are out". Bindrune recordings describes this affinity for nature by saying that "Celestiial was created to mirror mysticism
in nature."
Some critics have talked of a black metal
influence in imagery and naming. For instance, the name Celestiial has been compared to that of Mütiilation
. Anderson responded to this by claiming that he doesn't know why people compare his music to black metal; hypothesising that it is simply the raw production of the music, or the double 'i' in the band name. He has instead described the double 'i' as being present in the name "to give it character."
Anderson was once asked about whether there were any pagan beliefs in Celestiial. Anderson responded that Celestiial "is romanticized
Paganism with very real pagan values behind it." He talked of how Celestiial celebrated paganism and the natural world, but that paganism is often viewed as something that it is not.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The band consists of Tanner R. Anderson, who has been, and still is, a member of several other bands. Celestiial is known for making use of numerous instruments in its music, combining traditional folk instruments with more modern ones, as well as sampling the sounds of the natural world. The primary imagery of music by the band is that of nature.
Currently, Celestiial has one full length album released, Desolate North
Desolate North
Desolate North is the debut studio album by the funeral doom metal band Celestiial, released by Bindrune Recordings in 2006. It comprised the five tracks from Celestiial's demo, Ashen, combined with three more tracks recorded separately...
, and is signed to Bindrune Recordings. A second album, named Where Life Springs Eternal, is in production.
Celestiial
Marty Rytkonen, of Bindrune Recordings, was one of the "maybe six or so" people to receive Celestiial's demo Ashen, but that he was the only person associated with a label. He and Scott Candey agreed to take on the band, and in 2006, Desolate North was released on Bindrune Recordings. However, the album had not been studio recorded. Five of the songs — the five that composed Ashen — had been recorded one evening in the corner of the AzraelAzrael (band)
Azrael is a black metal band from Minnesota, USA, formed by Lord Samaiza and Algol in 1999. In 2000, their first demo tape entitled "Virulent Darkness" was self-released by the band. In 2001, their second demo tape "Unto Death" was self-released. In early 2002 Azrael released an extremely limited...
rehearsal space, and the three additional songs on Desolate North were recorded later. One of them was in early 2005, and was recorded in the same place as the first five, but the other two, the songs featuring the harps, were recorded at Anderson's home, with his microphone literally tucked under his chin. Desolate North received numerous positive reviews, along with comparisons to bands such as Disembowelment
Disembowelment
Disembowelment is the removal of some or all of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract , usually through a horizontal incision made across the abdominal area. Disembowelment may result from an accident, but has also been used as a method of torture and execution...
. However, it also received negative reviews. Bindrune is due to release Celestiial's second album in Summer 2007. By comparison, it is due to be recorded in a studio, which Anderson feels will give it a different sound. Also, the album will be produced with the intention of producing an album, something that was never the case with Desolate North.
Celestiial's music was used by Ballet Deviare
Ballet Deviare
Ballet Deviare was founded in 2003 and is located in New York City. It is the brainchild of Laura Kowalewski and Andrew Carpenter. It is a truly unique ballet company due to its use of heavy metal music. Classical dance styles are mixed with the music of such bands as Opeth, My Dying Bride, Swallow...
in their performance Forged in January 2007. In this, tracks by Celestiial was used alongside pieces by Arsis, Gwybleidd, Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
, My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in 1990. To date, My Dying Bride have released eleven full-length studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. The band released their tenth studio album, For Lies I Sire,...
, Swallow the Sun
Swallow the Sun
Swallow the Sun is a Finnish melodic death / doom metal band.- Biography :Swallow the Sun was formed in early 2000 by Juha Raivio, joined soon by Pasi Pasanen came along . They rehearsed a couple of songs, one of them being "Through Her Silvery Body" which would end up on their first demo,Out of...
and Japanische Kampfhörspiele
Japanische Kampfhörspiele
Japanische Kampfhörspiele, formed in 1998, was a grindcore band from Krefeld, Germany. Their name translates to "Japanese Combat Radio Plays." On later releases, they incorporated some death metal influences, but the band referred to their sound as "grindpunk"...
as backing tracks to the dancing
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
. The music was also used on May 24, 25 and 26, 2008 as part of the newest Ballet Deviare production, Memento Mori. Ballet Deviare's performances to Celestiial's music have also appeared on the MTV Two show Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...
.
In 2008, it was announced that Celestiial was due to release a split album with Blood of the Black Owl on Bindrune Recordings. The final mastering came from Mel Detmer, and the release (titled only as Celestiial / Blood of the Black Owl Split 12"LP) is limited to only 500 copies. Each band contributed one song, with "White Depths Dove the Red-Eyed" from Celestiial.
Tanner Anderson
The sole member of the band, Tanner R. Anderson, is a former member of a black metalBlack metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band, Azrael
Azrael (band)
Azrael is a black metal band from Minnesota, USA, formed by Lord Samaiza and Algol in 1999. In 2000, their first demo tape entitled "Virulent Darkness" was self-released by the band. In 2001, their second demo tape "Unto Death" was self-released. In early 2002 Azrael released an extremely limited...
, and Autumnal Winds. Anderson is currently involved with several other projects. He is part of "an obscure death metal band" as well as several other small bands, which he has no desire to reveal details about. He is also involved in a long term project called Where Rivers End with A. Tolonen, from Nest
Nest (band)
Nest is a Finnish neofolk / ambient band. The band's inspiration comes from the old folk and animal tales, as well as from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and the Grimm Brothers. Kantele, a traditional Finnish musical instrument, is very prominent in the band's music...
and Shape of Despair
Shape of Despair
Shape of Despair is an Atmospheric/Funeral Doom metal band from Finland that was formed in 1995 as Raven until 1998, when the band decided to change their name to the current one.-History:...
, and Oscar Strik, formally of Pantheist. Anderson has also mentioned that he plays drums in Goatlust and plays guitars and provides vocals for Sidhe.
Anonymity
Despite the fact that other bands signed to Bindrune Recordings have MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profiles or websites, Anderson says that he has no desire to promote Celestiial, and beyond answering e-mails and chatting on message boards, desires no Internet presence, and only allows himself to be interviewed through devotion to Bindrune Recordings. He has said that he plays in a band where "anonymity is important/understood by all involved". Anderson stated in the same interview that Celestiial is not a band, and so he did not intend to ever do live performances, but said that it was certainly possible. However, since then, it has been announced that he will be working with a drummer on his new album.
Desolate North
The music of Celestiial's debut album, Desolate NorthDesolate North
Desolate North is the debut studio album by the funeral doom metal band Celestiial, released by Bindrune Recordings in 2006. It comprised the five tracks from Celestiial's demo, Ashen, combined with three more tracks recorded separately...
, makes use of minimal vocals, instead relying on electronics, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s and syncopated drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(with liberal use of cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s). Also, these are backed up by more traditional instruments, such as harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
s and Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
flutes. Also, there is the use of sampled sounds of footsteps, water, birdsong, wind and the like.
Celestiial is a funeral doom metal band. However, Desolate North has been described as taking the genre in new directions with comparisons to ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
, experimental
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
and dark folk music being made. The music has also been described as meditative
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
and medieval.
Anderson admits that there may be death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
influences in the vocals, but says that it was not a conscious design, and that the music does not have any other similarities to death metal. He claims that there are no black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
influences. He says that describing Celestiial's music as folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
is a bad idea, as folk is such a broad, vague description as to make it meaningless. He says that what he is creating is neither folk, nor traditional, and even the harp songs are not traditional works, though they are influenced by the traditional music of the United Kingdom and traditional Irish music
Music of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
.
Unnamed second album
Although released in 2006, the music of Desolate North was much older. Anderson has said that he intends to incorporate ideas that he has had over the last few years into his new album, but that it will keep the same feel as Desolate North. However, the new album is due to sound "full and cavernous", as opposed to the "raw" sound the original had. This is because it will now be more professionally produced, (by Chet Scott) as well as having a real drummer. As well as the harps and flutes, new instruments such as hammered dulcimerHammered dulcimer
The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
s and nyckelharpa
Nyckelharpa
A nyckelharpa , sometimes called a keyed fiddle, is a traditional Swedish musical instrument. It is a string instrument or chordophone. Its keys are attached to tangents which, when a key is depressed, serve as frets to change the pitch of the string.The nyckelharpa is similar in appearance to a...
s are due to be used, as well as more powerful guitars.
Imagery
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
in nature."
Some critics have talked of a black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
influence in imagery and naming. For instance, the name Celestiial has been compared to that of Mütiilation
Mütiilation
Mütiilation is a French one-man black metal band that was affiliated with the Black Legions. Since parting from the The Black Legions in 1996, Meyhna'ch has continued to create music under the band's name.-The Beginning and The Black Legions:...
. Anderson responded to this by claiming that he doesn't know why people compare his music to black metal; hypothesising that it is simply the raw production of the music, or the double 'i' in the band name. He has instead described the double 'i' as being present in the name "to give it character."
Anderson was once asked about whether there were any pagan beliefs in Celestiial. Anderson responded that Celestiial "is romanticized
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
Paganism with very real pagan values behind it." He talked of how Celestiial celebrated paganism and the natural world, but that paganism is often viewed as something that it is not.
Discography
- Ashen (demo) (2004) (Self released as sample)
- Desolate NorthDesolate NorthDesolate North is the debut studio album by the funeral doom metal band Celestiial, released by Bindrune Recordings in 2006. It comprised the five tracks from Celestiial's demo, Ashen, combined with three more tracks recorded separately...
(2006) (Bindrune Recordings) - Celestiial / Blood of the Black Owl Split 12" LP (Bindrune Recordings)
- Where Life Springs Eternal (Bindrune Recordings)