The 3rd and the Mortal
Encyclopedia
The 3rd and the Mortal were a Norwegian
experimental metal
-band, founded in the city of Trondheim
, Norway, in 1992 by Rune Hoemsnes, Finn Olav Holthe, Geir Nilssen, Trond Engum and singer Kari Rueslåtten
. The band started out as a doom metal
band mixing distorted guitars and heavy drumming with clean guitars and vocals from Kari Rueslåtten
. The band went on to experiment with genres such as progressive rock
, jazz
, ambient
, folk
, and electronica
. They have been cited as an influence by the experimental metal band Agalloch
.
, Flowing Tears
and Nightwish
. Their first EP Sorrow was released in 1993 followed by the album Tears Laid in Earth
in 1994. After Rueslåtten's departure in 1995 the band had Ann-Mari Edvardsen
join as vocalist. With her, the band released full length albums Painting on Glass
in 1996 and explored an even more experimental sound in 1997 with In This Room
.
After an absence of 5 years and the departure of Edvardsen, the band returned in 2002 with Memoirs, an album with recordings made during previous years. A new female vocalist was found in Kirsti Huke, who is present on the majority of songs, with second vocalist Andreas Elvenes backing her up on a couple of tracks. Memoirs differs from previous albums by being more electronics based. After Memoirs, the band did a small tour in Mexico City on July 19, 2002, along with eight shows in Germany and the Netherlands during September and October 2002.
In 2004, the band released EPs And Rarities. This is a compilation consisting of the Sorrow and Nightswan EPs + the b-side of the Stream single and the bonus-track from the Japanese In This Room
album. In 2005, the band released their last album Project Bluebook: Decade of Endeavour, which is a compilation EP with two new studio tracks, another unreleased song performed live in 1998 and four different live versions of Mortal classics recorded on the European tour in 2002.
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...
experimental 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...
-band, founded in the city of Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway, in 1992 by Rune Hoemsnes, Finn Olav Holthe, Geir Nilssen, Trond Engum and singer Kari Rueslåtten
Kari Rueslåtten
Kari Rueslåtten is a solo singer, who has also worked with other artists.-Musical History:After taking part of some local bands, she was only 19 when she joined the cult progressive doom metal band The 3rd and the Mortal with whom she recorded the demo The 3rd And The Mortal in 1993, the EP Sorrow...
. The band started out as a doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band mixing distorted guitars and heavy drumming with clean guitars and vocals from Kari Rueslåtten
Kari Rueslåtten
Kari Rueslåtten is a solo singer, who has also worked with other artists.-Musical History:After taking part of some local bands, she was only 19 when she joined the cult progressive doom metal band The 3rd and the Mortal with whom she recorded the demo The 3rd And The Mortal in 1993, the EP Sorrow...
. The band went on to experiment with genres such as progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, 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 :...
, 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....
, and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. They have been cited as an influence by the experimental metal band Agalloch
Agalloch
Agalloch is an American metal band formed in 1995 in Portland, Oregon. The band is led by vocalist and guitarist John Haughm and so far have released four limited EPs, four full-length albums, two demos, one split album, one compilation album and one live DVD....
.
History
The 3rd and the Mortal were one of the forerunners of the atmospheric metal scene having been one of the first to have a leading female singer, they inspired bands such as The GatheringThe Gathering (band)
The Gathering is a Dutch alternative rock band, founded in 1989 by brothers Hans and René Rutten and vocalist Bart Smits in the small city of Oss, North Brabant....
, Flowing Tears
Flowing Tears
Flowing Tears is a German gothic metal band. Their original band name was Flowing Tears & Withered Flowers, which they used for their first several releases.-History:The band formed in 1994 under the moniker Flowing Tears & Withered Flowers...
and Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
. Their first EP Sorrow was released in 1993 followed by the album Tears Laid in Earth
Tears Laid in Earth
Tears Laid in Earth is the first full-length album by the doom metal band The 3rd and the Mortal. This album was the release in which the band was first categorised as a doom metal act; however, they have since experimented with genres such as progressive rock, jazz and electronica, making this...
in 1994. After Rueslåtten's departure in 1995 the band had Ann-Mari Edvardsen
Ann-Mari Edvardsen
Ann-Mari Edvardsen is a Norwegian singer and keyboardist most notable for her stint as vocalist and keyboardist of The 3rd and the Mortal from 1995 to 1997. She has also been vocalist for Tactile Gemma and has been a guest vocalist for Novembre and session vocalist for Antestor. Along with a career...
join as vocalist. With her, the band released full length albums Painting on Glass
Painting on Glass
-Track listing:# "Magma" - 4:25# "Commemoration" - 5:41# "Crystal Orchids" - 2:59# "Persistent and Fleeting" - 5:58# "White Waters" - 2:50# "Aurora Borealis" - 1:32# "Dreamscapes" - 4:31# "Aurora Australis" - 2:39# "Azure" - 4:00# "Veiled Exposure" - 5:22...
in 1996 and explored an even more experimental sound in 1997 with In This Room
In This Room
- Track listing :# "Stream" - # "Monody" - # "So Pure" - # "The Wooden Lodge" - # "Sophisticated Vampires" - # "Harvest" - # "Did You" - # "Myriad of Peep-holes" - # "Sort of Invisible" -...
.
After an absence of 5 years and the departure of Edvardsen, the band returned in 2002 with Memoirs, an album with recordings made during previous years. A new female vocalist was found in Kirsti Huke, who is present on the majority of songs, with second vocalist Andreas Elvenes backing her up on a couple of tracks. Memoirs differs from previous albums by being more electronics based. After Memoirs, the band did a small tour in Mexico City on July 19, 2002, along with eight shows in Germany and the Netherlands during September and October 2002.
In 2004, the band released EPs And Rarities. This is a compilation consisting of the Sorrow and Nightswan EPs + the b-side of the Stream single and the bonus-track from the Japanese In This Room
In This Room
- Track listing :# "Stream" - # "Monody" - # "So Pure" - # "The Wooden Lodge" - # "Sophisticated Vampires" - # "Harvest" - # "Did You" - # "Myriad of Peep-holes" - # "Sort of Invisible" -...
album. In 2005, the band released their last album Project Bluebook: Decade of Endeavour, which is a compilation EP with two new studio tracks, another unreleased song performed live in 1998 and four different live versions of Mortal classics recorded on the European tour in 2002.
Former members
- Kari RueslåttenKari RueslåttenKari Rueslåtten is a solo singer, who has also worked with other artists.-Musical History:After taking part of some local bands, she was only 19 when she joined the cult progressive doom metal band The 3rd and the Mortal with whom she recorded the demo The 3rd And The Mortal in 1993, the EP Sorrow...
– vocals, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
(1992–1994) - Jarle Dretvik – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1992–1994) - Finn-Olav Holthe – acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1992–2005) - Trond Engum – electric and acoustic guitars (1992–2005)
- Geir Nilsen – electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards (1992–2005)
- Rune Hoemsnes – drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
(1992–2005) - Ann-Mari EdvardsenAnn-Mari EdvardsenAnn-Mari Edvardsen is a Norwegian singer and keyboardist most notable for her stint as vocalist and keyboardist of The 3rd and the Mortal from 1995 to 1997. She has also been vocalist for Tactile Gemma and has been a guest vocalist for Novembre and session vocalist for Antestor. Along with a career...
– vocals, keyboards (1995–1997) - Bernt Rundberget – bass (1995–2002)
- Frank Stavem – bass (2002–2005)
- Kirsti Huke – vocals (2002–2005)
Studio albums
- Tears Laid in EarthTears Laid in EarthTears Laid in Earth is the first full-length album by the doom metal band The 3rd and the Mortal. This album was the release in which the band was first categorised as a doom metal act; however, they have since experimented with genres such as progressive rock, jazz and electronica, making this...
(1994) - Painting on GlassPainting on Glass-Track listing:# "Magma" - 4:25# "Commemoration" - 5:41# "Crystal Orchids" - 2:59# "Persistent and Fleeting" - 5:58# "White Waters" - 2:50# "Aurora Borealis" - 1:32# "Dreamscapes" - 4:31# "Aurora Australis" - 2:39# "Azure" - 4:00# "Veiled Exposure" - 5:22...
(1996) - In This RoomIn This Room- Track listing :# "Stream" - # "Monody" - # "So Pure" - # "The Wooden Lodge" - # "Sophisticated Vampires" - # "Harvest" - # "Did You" - # "Myriad of Peep-holes" - # "Sort of Invisible" -...
(1997) - Memoirs (2002)
Compilations
- EP's and Rarities (2004)
- Project Bluebook: Decade of Endeavour (2005)
Various artist compilations
- "All Sewn Up - A Tribute To Patrik Fitzgerald" (2009) - The 3rd and the Mortal feat. Attila the StockbrokerAttila the StockbrokerAttila the Stockbroker is a punk poet, and a folk punk musician and songwriter. He performs solo and as the leader of the band Barnstormer...
: "Paranoid Ward/All My Friends Are Dead"
External links
- The 3rd and the Mortal website
- Ann-Mari and Monika Edvardsen
- Tactile Gemma - project from Ann-Mari and Monika Edvardsen
- Atrox - Schizo-metal with Monika, a sister of Ann-Mari Edvardsen
- The Soundbyte - solo project of guitarist Trond Engum
- Calmcorder - solo project from Rune Hoemsnes
- The 3rd and the Mortal @ Encyclopaedia Metallum