LENGSEL

Lengsel biography
Lengsel are a Norwegian unblack metal trio from Oslo, founded in 1995 by guitarist/vocalist Tor Magne Glidje, bassist John Robert Mjåland and drummer/keyboardist Ole Halvard Sveen.

The group took its first steps with an independently-released demo cassette in 1997, and three years later, Lengsel's debut LP, Solace, was released through Christian labels Endtime Productions and Solid State Records. The LP demonstrated a progressive and melodic take on buzzing second-wave black metal, taking cues from Emperor, Mayhem, Arcturus and the acoustic guitar breaks of Opeth (with the album later cited as an influence by Panegyrist's Elijah Tamu). Harsh shrieks and cleanly-sung vocals trade off singing English and Norwegian lyrics of despair and social/spiritual alienation, fitting for a band whose name translates to "longing" or "yearning."

2000 also saw Lengsel enter hiatus, with the trio later forming proggy hard rock band Ganglion in 2002 with vocalist Peter Espevoll and drummer David Husvik of tech-death group Extol. Glidje was Extol's bassist from 1999 to 2001, ultimately trading spots with Mjåland and rejoining as guitarist in 2004, with Sveen the last to jump aboard the same year, the latter two replacing the (temporarily) departed Christer Espevoll and Ole Børud. After writing and performing on Extol's 2005 LP The Blueprint Dives, Lengsel reactivated in 2006 with their follow-up album The Kiss - The Hope, issued on Whirlwind Records. The LP was a significant stylistic detour from Solace, with black metal only one component in a mélange of post-hardcore, sludge and jazz flourishes which critics compared to Mike Patton, Neurosis and Ephel Duath, and featured guest vocals from Ilkka Viitasalo of fellow Oslo prog-metallers Benea Reach. While Glidje, Mjåland and Sveen were keen on moving Extol in the direction showcased on The Blueprint Dives, the band broke up for the first time in 2007, leaving the three to put Lengsel to rest once again in favour of starting the more metalcore-oriented Mantric which, as of this writing, is still active with three albums and an EP to their name.

Lengsel regrouped one more time to play their sole live performance at Oslo's 2011 Nordic Fest, at which the band released an eponymous CDR compilation of demos and alternative mixes. In a late 2015 interview, Glidje mentioned Lengsel are still an ongoing concern and that a third LP is a distinct possibility.


- Gordy, November 2024