By 2006, Black Metal in Norway had become somewhat stagnant, and dismayed by that, Fredrik Rex began his own band to answer that challenge and bring back strength in both music and philosophy to the genre which is tied so closely to his native soil.
In 2008, the full-length demo “Nuclear Extinction” was created in limited supply specifically as a response to public demand. 2011 saw Blodsgard releasing their second demo under the title “Solve et Coagula”, written and recorded by Fredrik Rex and welcoming Stein Akslen into the fold as lyricist. The positive response Blodsgard garnered after the release of “Solve” not only from their dedicated fans, but also from the press and their peers, hardened the resolve of the band to continue to spread their music and the anti-theistic war they bring with it.
Blodsgard continued to write and record, and in 2013 the music coalesced into the opus “Monument”. Rex states, “We knew exactly how we wanted it to sound before we started working. “Monument” is in my honest opinion, a brilliant album that is both a wall of sound and an experimental dark-jazzy album. We have always had a thing for combining monotony and melodies, a special unique blend that doesn’t really resemble any other band in particular. I think the reason for this is because we make our music from scratch every single time.”
The two creative forces behind Blodsgard, the outspoken and well-educated Fredrik Rex and Stein Akslen, truly interject their own personalities into the band. Fredrik is a student of societal planning and politics who resides above the Arctic Circle in the far reaches of Northern Norway. He embraces the bitter cold and long winter nights there with extreme sports like climbing and night skiing. The passion, strength, and fearlessness he demonstrates in his personal life are clearly visible in his playing style and amazing songwriting skills. Stein, the band’s lyricist, is an author and currently pursuing his Masters degree in the History of Religions. He brings with him a vast knowledge of both past and present religions and their impact on modern culture, as well as a very impressive grasp of his own pagan past. Stein combines this wealth of knowledge with his own brooding personal darkness when writing Blodsgard’s lyrics.
The members of this band are very motivated and proud to be representing something exciting and innovative, while at the same time remaining true to the darkest roots of their Norwegian heritage.
Lineup:
Fredrik Rex – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Music
Stein Akslen – Lyrics, Horns (V0id&Khaos)
Kenneth Mellum – Drums (Mistur/Voluspaa)
