Red Harvest

Red Harvest was a Norwegian extreme industrial metal band from Oslo. Their 2002 album Sick Transit Gloria Mundi was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy and an alternative Grammy in the “Best Metal Album” category. Formed in 1989, they have released eight albums, two EPs, one live DVD, a split album with Zyklon and a compilation album.

Formed in 1989 as a Slayer tribute band, the band released their first demo Ocultica that year, followed up by a second Psychotica before releasing their debut album Nomindsland in 1992 which had distinctly thrash metal influences & aesthetics. From 1994, the band moved towards an experimental hybrid of progressive metal, gothic rock, industrial and doom metal on There’s Beauty in the Purity of Sadness which spawned a video for the opening track “Wounds”, gaining the band exposure on MTV despite its violent imagery, The Maztürnation, and Hybreed In 1997, the band reached a wider audience supporting US gothic metal act Type O Negative.

With 1998’s EP New Rage World Music – re-released in 2001 which contains the original EP track list from 1998 and four bonus tracks with minor alterations under the altered title of New World Rage Music. After the original EP release, the band perfected their progressive industrial-tinged sound, and their follow-up Cold Dark Matter album was released in 2000 In 2002, Sick Transit Gloria Mundi was nominated for a Spellemannprisen The Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy Award and an alternative Grammy in the “Best Metal Album” category. In 2004, Red Harvest released the Harvest Bloody Harvest DVD and the album Internal Punishment Programs. The band released, A Greater Darkness, in early 2007# In 2008, they released The Redline Archives: a compilation album of various remixes and alternate versions of previously released tracks along with a number of unreleased songs.

From New Rage World Music to Internal Punishment Programs, their sound drew elements from industrial metal bands such as Godflesh and Ministry, the experimental doom of Neurosis, Voivod, Voivod-influenced prog-thrash, fellow Norwegian black metal bands like Emperor and Darkthrone, and certain styles of electronica, such as drum’n’bass, industrial and gabber. As of 2007, they have largely retained these influences, but have moved towards a slightly slower and more organic style as evidenced by songs like “Hole in Me” from A Greater Darkness, though they still retain their ability to throw up-tempo numbers into the fray.

The band played a show on 24 October 2009 in Oslo, the band’s home city, to mark the twentieth anniversary of the band’s formation.

According to their official website, Red Harvest disbanded in May 2010, stating no specific reasons for the breakup.

EPs and demos
Ocultica demo, 1989
Psychotica demo, 1990
The MazTürnation MCD, 1995
New Rage World Music EP, 1998
New World Rage Music EP, 2001

New World Rage Music is a reissue of NewRage World Music with a bonus four tracks and minor alterations to the artwork Its release came about when Relapse Records began US distribution for the bands releases, although a European version of New World Rage Music was also pressed at the same time and released by Nocturnal Art Productions, Red Harvest’s label at the time As such some versions of New World Rage Music come in a combination 2CD package with the full-length album Cold Dark Matter

Studio albums
Nomindsland 1992
There’s Beauty in the Purity of Sadness 1994
Hybreed 1996
Cold Dark Matter 2000 2001 US
Sick Transit Gloria Mundi 2002
Internal Punishment Programs 2004
A Greater Darkness 2007

Compilations
The Red Line Archives 2008

Split EP
Zyklon/Red Harvest 2003available only on limited 7″, featuring one track from each band.

Videos
Harvest Bloody Harvest Live DVD, 2006

Members
Jimmy Ofu Kahn Ivan Bergsten – guitars, vocals
Thomas Brandt – bass
Kjetil TurboNatas Eggum – guitars
Lars LRZ Sørensen – samples, programming & synths
Erik Wroldsen – drums

Past members
Cato Bekkevold – drums 1989–1997
Jan Nygaard – guitars 1989–1994