Very few bands can lay claim to having their demo tapes lay the foundation for an entire, enduring genre of music. Thorns is one of those bands. In 1989, Snorre Ruch and Marius Vold formed a band called Stigma Diabolicum. That project yielded two demos before the Latin moniker was dropped in favor of the more memorable name Thorns. Three more demos were recorded and ended up being circulated amongst the “inner circle” of the burgeoning Norwegian black metal scene. The guitar techniques and tones that Snorre utilized on these tapes were widely imitated and are often cited as the very genesis of the second wave of black metal.

Unfortunately, Thorns would enter an extended hiatus before their debut full-length album could be recorded. Snorre had the misfortune of being present the night that Varg Vikernes murdered his Mayhem bandmate Euronymous. Snorre’s silence about the events and lack of cooperation with the authorities led to a conviction for being an accomplice to murder and an 8-year prison sentence.

Swiss avant-garde metal gods Triptykon have just released a brand new video for the eight-minute-long epic opening track of their masterpiece album Melana Chasmata.

The track is called “Tree of Suffocating Souls” and is the second video from the album, following up the outstanding “Aurorae.” Much like its predecessor, this video is shot entirely in black and white, but this one stands as more of a straight ahead performance clip.

Watch the video for “Tree of Suffocating Souls” here below.

Triptykon, the band led by former Hellhammer and Celtic Frost front man Thomas Gabriel Warrior (aka Thomas Gabriel Fischer, aka Tom G. Warrior), has just released the official video for the song “Aurorae.”

Watch the video for “Aurorae” here below.

The song is the fifth track off the band’s epic album Melana Chasmata, which is currently my frontrunner for album of the year. For my full review of the album, click here.