1349 will for sure make its mark upon the world of Black Metal. Our music is genuine, black, grim, cold, filled with spirit and of the very highest quality. A rare combination indeed in the Black Metal scene of today! Those listeners being receptive to Black Metal with edge will notice our ability to seamlessly combine atmospheric and harmonic (but not "nice") themes with relentless brutality and old school influenced parts.
Frost / 1349 interview, Voices from the Darkside, 2003
1349 released their first major release, the self-titled mini-CD, on this day in 2001 through US label Holycaust Records.
1349 is the first recording to feature Frost (SATYRICON) - as a session member - on drums.
I was asked to do the drums on a recording for 1349 some time in between the SATYRICON tours two years ago; from what I understood the intention was to get the songs on tape to get a reference. We rehearsed only for half an hour before the recording was done in a hurry the day after, and it need to be said that the recording sounded horrible! Anyway, the three songs plus a cover version of 'The Usurper' by CELTIC FROST (on which I did not contribute) was later released on a mini CD by Holycaust Records. To those having heard about this mini CD: forget all about it! That release is not representative of what 1349 later turned into. So you see, the material for this mentioned release did not motivate me to join forces with the band. What did was the material I heard a bit later, that was intended for a full-length album. What a change! The new songs truly blew me away; their enormous intensity and grimness touched my black heart, and I found out that this was a band I wanted to put my soul into.
Frost / 1349 interview, Voices from the Darkside, 2003
2001 biography from the old Holycaust page:
1349 started out in 1994 as Hqfdingi Myrkra with Ravn on drums and vocals and Seidemann on bass and guitar. This band had a long break during which Ravn played in a band called Alvheim. When Alvheim split in 1998 Ravn recruited guitarists Tjalve and Balfori from Alvheim and formed 1349. Balfori left due to musical differences after 1349's first demo (never to be released, recorded January '99) Sometime during the following summer 1349 entered the studio to record a new demo entitled "Chaos Preferred" with Tjalve handling all the guitars. This demo was faster, darker and rawer than the older material and more in accord with Ravn's vision of true, synth-free old school Black Metal.
After this demo 1349 started looking for another guitarist, and in September '99 they found Archaon whose excellent technique and blistering speed took 1349's music to a new level of extremity... 1349 continued to rehearse and write new songs while sending the demo to labels, and were recording new material when they landed a deal with Holycaust records.
The new material was faster, heavier and more complex and 1349 borrowed Frost of Satyricon as a session drummer in the studio. Frost was impressed by the material and was welcomed as a permanent member of 1349. The eponymous mini-cd will soon be out, and 1349 is busy making & rehearsing material for the full-length album "Liberation".