Vardøger was a Christian extreme metal band from Hamar, Norway. Formed in 1994 as Hidden Paradise, the band members were involved in other musical projects, and treated Hidden Paradise as a side project. Several songs were written between 1995 and 1997, almost enough for an entire album, and the band changed its name to Vardøger, but disbanded before an album was released. In 2000, the band contributed the symphonic black metal song "Footprints of Thunder" to the compilation album In the Shadow of Death: A Scandinavian Extreme Music Compilation. The song was covered in 2019 by Irgalom on their Meditate I album.
Vardøger reformed and released the EP Whitefrozen in 2003 through Endtime Productions. The recording was well received and is considered a classic. The style on that album was described as unblack metal, black metal mixed with folk music, black and folk metal, atmospheric black metal, and Viking metal. The band was compared to Amorphis and Schaliach, the latter being Vardøger member Peter Dalbakk's main focus, as well as Antestor and Pospolite Ruszenie. That year, the band played at Nordic Fest in Oslo, Norway.
In 2006, Vardøger disbanded due to lack of interest. The band did play at Endtime Festival in 2007. The band reformed the next year, and began writing. After a major lineup change in 2010, the band started recording full-length album Ghost Notes, released in 2015 through Starbreather Productions. Though the band is known for black metal, that release expanded its sound to progressive metal, extreme metal, and melodic death metal. Ghost Notes was compared to Kekal, Extol, Gojira, and Opeth. In 2018, Vardøger announced that it would disband.
Discography
Studio albums
Ghost Notes (2015)
Extended plays
Whitefrozen (2003)
Compilation appearances
In the Shadow of Death: A Scandinavian Extreme Music Compilation (2000) - Contributed "Footprints of Thunder" Come Armageddon - Endtime Productions V Years (2 Disc) (2003) Disc 1: LP version contains "Footprints of Thunder", CD version contains "Silent Witness"Liner notes to Come Armageddon (CD and LP versions) Disc 2: Contains "Almighty";
Band members Final Line-up Robert Bordevik – guitar (1994–1997, 2003–2006, 2007, 2008–2018), lead vocals (2017–2018) Alexander Dalbakk – guitar (2010–2018) Henning Ramseth – bass, keyboard (2010–2018) Jo Henning Børven – drums (2003–2006, 2007, 2017–2018) Jørn Øyhus – sung vocals (2017–2018) Knut Anders Sørum – vocals, keyboard (1994–2006, 2007), vocals (2018)
Former Members
Peter Dalbakk – lead vocals (1994–1997, 2003–2006, 2007, 2008–2017)
Tom Arne Fossheim – drums (1994–1997, 2003–2006, 2008–2010) Johannes Baumann – drums (2010–2017) Stian Aarebrot – guitar (1994–1997, 2003–2006, 2007, 2008–2010) Magnus Westgaard – bass (2003–2006, 2007, 2008–2010) (also of Absurd²) Johanne B. Bordevik – sung vocals (2010–2017) Bedevaart – sung vocals (2017)
References