Thorns

Thorns is a Norwegian black metal band. They made two highly influential demos in the early 1990s, Grymyrk and Trøndertun, but has only officially released one recording since it was founded in 1989. Thorns mastermind

Thorns is a Norwegian black metal band. They made two highly influential demos in the early 1990s, Grymyrk and Trøndertun, but has only officially released one recording since it was founded in 1989. Thorns mastermind Blackthorn alias Snorre W. Ruch was also convicted for being accomplice to the infamous murder of Euronymous.

Formed by Blackthorn (Snorre W. Ruch), Marius Vold and Faust (Bård G. Eithun) in 1989 under the moniker "Stigma Diabolicum". After the first demo was done, Stigma Diabolicum began dissolving, and after "Trøndertun" Snorre W. Ruch continued Thorns as a solo project, with help from several prominent personas in the black metal scene. The "release" of the now legendary demos/rehearsal tapes "Grymyrk" and "Trøndertun" in the early 1990's, had a great impact on the black metal scene, and Thorns is, by many, considered as one of the forefathers of black metal. When Ruch was sentenced to eight years in jail in 1994 as an accomplice to the 1993 murder of Øystein Aarseth (Mayhem) committed by Varg Vikernes the band was put on ice. After a long period of silence, Thorns reappeared in 1999 with the split album Thorns Vs Emperor, consisting mainly of old Thorns songs performed by Emperor and the other way around. Thorns Vs Emperor was meant to introduce Thorns to the scene and to a newer audience, unaware of Thorns earlier efforts. Then, in 2001, the long awaited debut album Thorns was released.