Extol
Encyclopedia
Extol is a Christian progressive
extreme metal
band from Bekkestua
, Norway
, that was formed in 1993. In 2007, they announced they were splitting up to work on separate projects. The band is known for playing a variety of different styles of metal
which include progressive death metal, melodic death metal
and thrash metal
. It is mainly described as a progressive / melodic death metal band, having gained popularity primarily through its earlier works in that genre.
Signed to Century Media Records
, the band has released four studio albums and two EPs. The band is noted for its precise, technical musicianship. The fourth album, The Blueprint Dives
, received Spellemannsprisen nomination for best metal album of 2005. Extol has toured the US and Europe several times with such bands as Mastodon
, God Forbid
and Opeth
. Collectively, Extol has sold over 500,000 CDs worldwide.
Currently not working together, the recent line-up included vocalist Peter Espevoll, guitarists Tor Magne Glidje and Ole Halvard Sveen, drummer David Husvik, and bass player John Robert Mjåland. Notable original guitarists were Ole Børud (of Schaliach fame) and Christer Espevoll, who contributed significantly to the band's virtuoisic songwriting. All the band members share the Christian faith, which is apparent in their lyrics and themes.
, Norway
by drummer David Husvik, 16 and guitarist Christer Espevoll, 16. 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 right before their first gig in May 1994. 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 metal music
—according to Allmusic writer Mike DaRonco, the band intended to show "more of a progressive side
; rather than a typical run of the mill group of burnout's who focused more on their image." The style change necessitated another guitarist, a position Emil Nikolaisen
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
, Schaliach, and Groms. Steve Rowe
of Australian Christian metal band Mortification
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. He would later form an alternative rock
band called Serena Maneesh
and release a critically acclaimed self-titled album
in 2005.
In 1997, Extol released an independent three song demo entitled 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, entitled Burial
, was released in December 1998. The album was licensed in the United States on Solid State Records
, and in Japan on Avalon Records. 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
and Texas Rockfest. Extol conducted a four week tour with Swedish rock band Blindside
in summer 1999. An EP was released in November entitled Mesmerized. It featured three remixed tracks from Burial, which were reworked by Swedish industrial
groups Raison d'être
and Sanctum
, 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 bass in the Norwegian metal band Lengsel
.
, was released. The release saw their music become "harder and darker" than their previous work, opting to move towards a death metal
sound. The song "Ember" proved to be a popular song among their fans. Then Ole left the band, so Tor 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 reputive American thrash metal group Believer, whom the band considers to be a great influence. After Paralysis, Tor Magne left the band to focus on his other project, Ganglion, and Ole returned to the line-up. After Undeceived was released, Extol was no longer obligated to Endtime, and they signed with Century Media in 2002. Their album Synergy
, released in 2003, showed an even greater appreciation of the band Believer. The music on the album is very similar to Believer's style of thrash metal. Following the release, Extol toured Europe and US with the Swedish progressive death metal group Opeth
.
In 2005, the band released what could be considered their most diverse album; The Blueprint Dives, or "Blueprint" for short. A music video was shot for the song "Pearl." The album was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy, Spellemannprisen
, for best Norwegian metal album in 2005. Also, Blueprint was voted for the Top 5 metal albums of the year list by the reades of the biggest newspaper in Norway, Dagbladet
. Afterwards, Extol toured Europe with Mastodon
, God Forbid
, and Opeth, and US with Haste the Day
, Becoming the Archetype
, and The Showdown
. The album received rave reviews: For example, 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!". On August 9, 2007 the band announced through their MySpace page that they are currently on a hiatus. Tor, John and Ole are now active with Mantric
signed to Prosthetic Records
, and are currently working on their second album. David is playing with Dr. Midnight and The Mercy Cult including members from Turbonegro
, Apoptygma Berzerk
and Satyricon
.
Past members
EPs
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band from Bekkestua
Bekkestua
Bekkestua is a town in the municipality of Bærum, Norway, with a busy bus terminal and a station on one of Oslo's westbound T-bane lines, Kolsåsbanen. It also has its own library, McDonalds, police station and fire station...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, that was formed in 1993. In 2007, they announced they were splitting up to work on separate projects. The band is known for playing a variety of different styles of metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
which include progressive death metal, melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
. It is mainly described as a progressive / melodic death metal band, having gained popularity primarily through its earlier works in that genre.
Signed to Century Media Records
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
, the band has released four studio albums and two EPs. The band is noted for its precise, technical musicianship. The fourth album, The Blueprint Dives
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 February 21, 2005, on Century Media...
, received Spellemannsprisen nomination for best metal album of 2005. Extol has toured the US and Europe several times with such bands as Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
, God Forbid
God Forbid
God Forbid is an American heavy metal band formed in 1996 in East Brunswick, New Jersey.-Biography:Building up a following in the late 1990s by touring with bands such as GWAR, Nile, Cradle of Filth and Candiria, God Forbid's first full album Reject the Sickness was released by 9 Volt Records in 1999...
and 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...
. Collectively, Extol has sold over 500,000 CDs worldwide.
Currently not working together, the recent line-up included vocalist Peter Espevoll, guitarists Tor Magne Glidje and Ole Halvard Sveen, drummer David Husvik, and bass player John Robert Mjåland. Notable original guitarists were Ole Børud (of Schaliach fame) and Christer Espevoll, who contributed significantly to the band's virtuoisic songwriting. All the band members share the Christian faith, which is apparent in their lyrics and themes.
1993–1999: Formation and Burial
Extol was formed in BekkestuaBekkestua
Bekkestua is a town in the municipality of Bærum, Norway, with a busy bus terminal and a station on one of Oslo's westbound T-bane lines, Kolsåsbanen. It also has its own library, McDonalds, police station and fire station...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
by drummer David Husvik, 16 and guitarist Christer Espevoll, 16. 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 right before their first gig in May 1994. 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 metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
—according to Allmusic writer Mike DaRonco, the band intended to show "more of a progressive side
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
; rather than a typical run of the mill group of burnout's who focused more on their image." The style change necessitated another guitarist, a position Emil Nikolaisen
Emil Nikolaisen
Emil Nikolaisen is a musician and producer from Norway. He is frontman, bandleader, songwriter, guitarist & singer of the well-known Norwegian alternative rock band Serena-Maneesh....
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
Antestor is an extreme metal band formed in 1990 in Jessheim, Norway. Credited for starting the whole northern European Christian extreme metal scene, Antestor is the only Christian band to have an album released by Cacophonous Records, which has also released records by bands such as Dimmu Borgir,...
, Schaliach, and Groms. Steve Rowe
Steve Rowe
Steve Rowe 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 traditional heavy metal styled Christian band known as LightForce...
of Australian Christian metal band Mortification
Mortification (band)
Mortification is an Australian Christian extreme metal band which was formed in 1987 as a heavy metal group, Lightforce, by mainstay Steve Rowe on bass guitar and vocals. By 1990, in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin, they were renamed as Mortification with the line-up of Rowe, Michael Carlisle on...
released the compilation on his record label, Rowe Productions
Rowe Productions
Rowe Productions is a Christian record label. It was founded by Mortification vocalist Steve Rowe. The label mainly focuses on thrash/unblack metal artists.-Former Artists:*16 Stitch *Fearscape...
. The band ventured to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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. He would later form an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band called Serena Maneesh
Serena Maneesh
Serena-Maneesh is an alternative rock band from Oslo, Norway.- Significance of the Name:...
and release a critically acclaimed self-titled album
Serena Maneesh (album)
Serena Maneesh is the debut self-titled album by Serena Maneesh. The album was partly recorded in Steve Albini's respected Electrical Audio Recordings studio in Chicago as well as in various facilities in New York and Oslo...
in 2005.
In 1997, Extol released an independent three song demo entitled 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
Endtime Productions
Endtime Productions is an independent record label based in Scandinavia. The label focuses on extreme metal music and helped notable groups such as Norway's Extol to gain fame and get a record deal with Century Media Records. Notable groups on the label's roster include Antestor, Drottnar and...
picked up the band. Their debut album, entitled Burial
Burial (Extol album)
Burial is the first album by the Norwegian Christian metal band Extol. It was released on Endtime Productions and then Solid State Records the following year. According to Allmusic, Burial was "a breath of fresh air among a genre that relies on satanic gimmicks", and marked a renewal in the...
, was released in December 1998. The album was licensed in the United States on Solid State Records
Solid State Records
Solid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,...
, and in Japan on Avalon Records. 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
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
and Texas Rockfest. Extol conducted a four week tour with Swedish rock band Blindside
Blindside
Blindside is a post-hardcore band from Tumba, Sweden. They formed in 1994 as Underfree and kept that name for two years before releasing their debut EP in 1996.-A Thought Crushed My Mind:...
in summer 1999. An EP was released in November entitled Mesmerized. It featured three remixed tracks from Burial, which were reworked by Swedish industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
groups Raison d'être
Raison d'être (band)
Raison d'être is a Swedish industrial ambient music project formed by Peter Andersson.The name of the band was taken from a sentence in a book by Carl Gustav Jung: "the individuation is the raison d’être of the self"....
and Sanctum
Sanctum (band)
Sanctum is a band from Sweden formed in 1994. Their music is often classified as industrial or electronic, and combines elements of orchestral and contemporary music. Lately experimental music has become a dominant influence. Sanctum originally consisted of four members, Jan Carleklev, Marika...
, 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 bass in the Norwegian metal band Lengsel
Lengsel
Lengsel is a progressive black metal band that formed in 1995 in Norway. They released one album, called Solace, on Endtime Productions in 2000, which was subsequently licensed to Solid State Records for an American release. The second album The Kiss, The Hope was released on 2007...
.
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, entitled UndeceivedUndeceived
Undeceived is the second LP and third studio release by the Norwegian Christian metal band Extol. It was released in 2000 on Solid State Records and re-released in 2002 on Century Media....
, was released. The release saw their music become "harder and darker" than their previous work, opting to move towards a 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....
sound. The song "Ember" proved to be a popular song among their fans. Then Ole left the band, so Tor Glidje switched over to guitar, and John Robert Mjåland joined as bassist.
In 2001, another EP, Paralysis
Paralysis (album)
Paralysis is the second EP by the Norwegian metal band Extol. It was released only in Sweden in 2001 by Endtime Productions. Paralysis was the band's last record on that label as they were signed to Century Media afterwards. It was also the band's last album to feature their technical and melodic...
, was recorded; it was only released in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. This EP featured a cover of "Shadow of Death" by the reputive American thrash metal group Believer, whom the band considers to be a great influence. After Paralysis, Tor Magne left the band to focus on his other project, Ganglion, and Ole returned to the line-up. After Undeceived was released, Extol was no longer obligated to Endtime, and they signed with Century Media in 2002. Their album Synergy
Synergy (Extol album)
Synergy is the third studio album by the Norwegian Christian extreme metal band Extol. It was released in 2003 on Century Media, but was licensed to Solid State Records....
, released in 2003, showed an even greater appreciation of the band Believer. The music on the album is very similar to Believer's style of thrash metal. Following the release, Extol toured Europe and US with the Swedish progressive death metal group 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...
.
2004–2005: The Blueprint Dives
In June 2004, Ole Børud and Christer Espevoll left Extol to "invest their time and energy elsewhere". Taking their place as permanent members in the band are the return of Tor Magne Glidje and Ole Halvard Sveen, both from Ganglion, that merged with Extol when four out of five bandmembers ended up playing in both bands.In 2005, the band released what could be considered their most diverse album; The Blueprint Dives, or "Blueprint" for short. A music video was shot for the song "Pearl." The album was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy, Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
, for best Norwegian metal album in 2005. Also, Blueprint was voted for the Top 5 metal albums of the year list by the reades of the biggest newspaper in Norway, Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
. Afterwards, Extol toured Europe with Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
, God Forbid
God Forbid
God Forbid is an American heavy metal band formed in 1996 in East Brunswick, New Jersey.-Biography:Building up a following in the late 1990s by touring with bands such as GWAR, Nile, Cradle of Filth and Candiria, God Forbid's first full album Reject the Sickness was released by 9 Volt Records in 1999...
, and Opeth, and US with Haste the Day
Haste the Day
Haste the Day was an American Christian metalcore band signed with Solid State Records that was formed in Carmel, Indiana 2001. Their band is named after a lyric in the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul." The band released their debut release, an extended play titled That They May Know You, in 2002,...
, Becoming the Archetype
Becoming the Archetype
Becoming the Archetype is a Christian progressive death metal band signed to Solid State Records and Century Media Records formed in 1999 in Dacula, Georgia. They have released four albums on Solid State Records. Dichotomy, released in November 2008, sold around 2,300 copies in the United States...
, and The Showdown
The Showdown (band)
The Showdown is a southern metal/metalcore band based in Elizabethton, Tennessee. While the members of the band are Christian and the band is signed to a Christian record label, the band does not consider itself a Christian act, according to guitarist Josh Childers...
. The album received rave reviews: For example, 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!". On August 9, 2007 the band announced through their MySpace page that they are currently on a hiatus. Tor, John and Ole are now active with Mantric
Mantric
Mantric is a progressive metal band from Oslo, Norway that formed in 2007. When the last remaining founding members of Extol left the band in 2007, the remaining members, John Mjaaland, Tor Glidje, Ole Sveen, who had previously played together in Lengsel and Ganglion, decided to continue the...
signed to Prosthetic Records
Prosthetic Records
Prosthetic Records is a record label specializing in heavy metal recordings. Founded by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald both former employees of Columbia Records, in Los Angeles, California in 1998...
, and are currently working on their second album. David is playing with Dr. Midnight and The Mercy Cult including members from Turbonegro
Turbonegro
Turbonegro is a Norwegian punk rock band that was initially active from 1989 to 1998, and later reformed in 2002. Their style combines glam rock, punk rock and hard rock into a style the band describes as "deathpunk"....
, Apoptygma Berzerk
Apoptygma Berzerk
Apoptygma Berzerk is a Norwegian musical group. They have achieved success with a brand of synthpop, and ballads backed with electronic rhythms, commonly known within the scene and referring to themselves as "futurepop". Apop has won awards and top-10 spots in Germany and Scandinavia...
and Satyricon
Satyricon
Satyricon is a Latin work of fiction in a mixture of prose and poetry. It is believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as a certain Titus Petronius...
.
Members
Most recent members- Peter Espevoll - vocals, acoustic guitar (1993–2007)
- Tor Magne Glidje - bass guitar, guitar (1999–2001); guitar (2004–2007)
- Ole Halvard Sveen - guitar (2004–2007)
- David Husvik - drums (1993–2007)
- John Robert Mjåland - bass guitar (2001–2007)
Past members
- Christer Espevoll - guitars (1993–2004)
- Ole Børud - guitars, flute, vocals (1996–2000) (2001–2004)
- Eystein Holm - bass guitar(1994–1999)
- Emil Nikolaisen - guitars (1995–1996)
Discography
Studio albums- 1998: BurialBurial (Extol album)Burial is the first album by the Norwegian Christian metal band Extol. It was released on Endtime Productions and then Solid State Records the following year. According to Allmusic, Burial was "a breath of fresh air among a genre that relies on satanic gimmicks", and marked a renewal in the...
- 2000: UndeceivedUndeceivedUndeceived is the second LP and third studio release by the Norwegian Christian metal band Extol. It was released in 2000 on Solid State Records and re-released in 2002 on Century Media....
- 2003: SynergySynergy (Extol album)Synergy is the third studio album by the Norwegian Christian extreme metal band Extol. It was released in 2003 on Century Media, but was licensed to Solid State Records....
- 2005: The Blueprint DivesThe Blueprint DivesThe 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 February 21, 2005, on Century Media...
EPs
- 1999: Mesmerized
- 2001: ParalysisParalysis (album)Paralysis is the second EP by the Norwegian metal band Extol. It was released only in Sweden in 2001 by Endtime Productions. Paralysis was the band's last record on that label as they were signed to Century Media afterwards. It was also the band's last album to feature their technical and melodic...
External links
- Extol discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...