Ephel Duath
Italy · formed 1998 · last active 2013
Ephel Duath was an Italian avant-garde metal band from Padua, active 1998-2014 and led throughout by guitarist Davide Tiso. Their sound is 'an unorthodox combination of hardcore punk and jazz fusion,' recruiting players from jazz, blues, funk and progressive backgrounds. Later lineups featured vocalist Karyn Crisis and drummer Marco Minnemann, and the band released through Code666, Earache and Agonia Records.
SCORE PROFILE
Accent numbers counted towards the index. Hover an axis — or hold it on a phone — for what it means.
WHY THOSE SCORES
- Jazzy 7 — Wikipedia and Bandcamp describe an 'unorthodox combination of hardcore punk and jazz fusion'; jazz is the band's defining trait.
- Hardcore 3 — Frames the fusion as hardcore punk crossed with jazz.
- Death 3 — Metal heaviness and harsh vocals across the discography.
- Black 4 — Early era carried black-metal elements before the fuller jazz-fusion pivot.
- Technical 6 — Progressive, compositionally complex avant-garde metal recruiting jazz/fusion players.
- Ambient 2 — Atmospheric/textural passages within the fusion approach.
MEMBERS
- Davide Tisoguitar, bass, keyboards, backing vocals· also in Howling Sycamore
- Karyn Crisisvocals
- Marco Minnemanndrums· also in Felix Martin, The Pitts Minnemann Project
- Bryan Bellerbass· also in Dethklok
- Steve Di Giorgiobass (2012)· also in Testament
CONNECTIONS
- Deathpath →
Bassist Steve Di Giorgio played on Ephel Duath's 'On Death and Cosmos' (2012) and was Death's bassist 1991-1993 ('Human', 'Individual Thought Patterns'). source ↗
- Dethklokpath →
Bryan Beller in both — bass, backing vocals in Dethklok, bass in Ephel Duath. source ↗
- Felix Martinpath →
Drummer Marco Minnemann played on Felix Martin's The Scenic Album (2013) and is a credited member of Ephel Duath. source ↗
- Howling Sycamorepath →
Guitarist Davide Tiso has been a member of Ephel Duath since 1998 source ↗
- Testamentpath →
Steve Di Giorgio, Ephel Duath's bassist in 2012, is also Testament's bassist (from 'The Gathering', 1999 onward). source ↗
- The Pitts Minnemann Projectpath →
Drummer Marco Minnemann of the Pitts Minnemann Project also played drums (and engineered) on Ephel Duath's 'Through My Dog's Eyes' (2008), 'On Death and Cosmos' (2012), and 'Hemmed by Light, Shaped by Darkness' (2013). source ↗
- Dillinger Escape Planpath →
Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan composed "electronics" on Ephel Duath's "Bark Loud," from Through My Dog's Eyes (2009), which also featured drummer Marco Minnemann. source ↗
- Metallic Taste of Bloodpath →
Eraldo Bernocchi (with Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari) produced and remixed the entirety of Ephel Duath's Pain Necessary To Know as the full-length "electronic deconstruction" release Pain Remixes The Known (Earache, 2007), credited Producer/Remix on all nine tracks. source ↗
- 6:33path →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: 6:33's "Orphan Of Good Manners" (2011) and Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Acid Mothers Templepath →
Both bands' cover art was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt (Discogs id 652485): Acid Mothers Temple's "Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under The Stars" (2007) and this band's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7); AMT joins the Seldon Hunt cluster as its 19th atlas client. source ↗
- Arcturuspath →
Both bands' cover art/design/photography work was done by freelance artist Kim Sølve (Discogs artist id 340792, distinct from the 'Trine + Kim Design Studio' duo entity): Arcturus's "The Sham Mirrors" (2002, Design, Photography By [Photos]) and Ephel Duath's "Pain Necessary To Know" (2005, Artwork), same Discogs artist id confirmed on both releases. Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7) — Kim Sølve is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. source ↗
- Blind Idiot Godpath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Blind Idiot God's "Before Ever After" (2015) and Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Blut aus Nordpath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Dehn Sora: Blut Aus Nord's "Memoria Vetusta III – Saturnian Poetry" (2014, Layout/Illustration credit) and Ephel Duath's "Hemmed by Light, Shaped by Darkness" (2013, cover artwork with Aeron Alfrey, per the band's own Wikipedia article). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Dehn Sora is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Burning Witchpath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Burning Witch's "Crippled Lucifer" (2008) and Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Decline of the Ipath →
Both bands' cover art was done by freelance artist Dehn Sora: Ephel Duath's cover art (per Ephel Duath's own Wikipedia page, no Discogs extraartists match) and Decline of the I's "Wilhelm" (2025, "Artwork By"). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Dehn Sora is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Earthpath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Earth's "Live Europe 2006" (2007) and Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defectspath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects's "Sol Niger Within" (2016). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Goatsnakesatellitepath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Goatsnake's "1" (2022). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Godfleshpath →
Both bands' cover art/design/photography work was done by freelance artist Kim Sølve (Discogs artist id 340792, distinct from the 'Trine + Kim Design Studio' duo entity): Ephel Duath's "Pain Necessary To Know" (2005, Artwork) and Godflesh's "Long Live The New Flesh" (2021, Photography By [Band Photo]), same Discogs artist id confirmed on both releases. Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7) — Kim Sølve is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. source ↗
- House of Low Culturepath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and House of Low Culture's "Live From The House Of Low Temperature!" (2003). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Howling Sycamorepath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Dehn Sora: Ephel Duath's "Hemmed by Light, Shaped by Darkness" (2013, with Aeron Alfrey, per the band's own Wikipedia article) and Howling Sycamore's self-titled 2018 album (Artwork/Layout credit). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Dehn Sora is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band; kept alongside the existing member edge for this pair rather than replacing it. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Ihsahnpath →
Both bands' cover art/design/photography work was done by freelance artist Kim Sølve (Discogs artist id 340792, distinct from the 'Trine + Kim Design Studio' duo entity): Ihsahn's "The Adversary" (2006, Design) and Ephel Duath's "Pain Necessary To Know" (2005, Artwork), same Discogs artist id confirmed on both releases. Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7) — Kim Sølve is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. source ↗
- Jarboepath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Dehn Sora: Ephel Duath's "Hemmed by Light, Shaped by Darkness" (2013, with Aeron Alfrey, per the band's own Wikipedia article) and Jarboe's "Illusory" (2020, Artwork credit). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Dehn Sora is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Jesupath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Jesu's "Sun Down / Sun Rise" (2007). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- KK Nullpath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and KK Null's "Extropy" (2009). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Lotus Eaterspath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Lotus Eaters's "Lotus Eaters" (2002). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Made Out of Babiespath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Made Out of Babies's "The Ruiner" (2008). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Nadjapath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Nadja's "Thaumogenesis" (2007). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Neurosispath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Neurosis's "A Sun That Never Sets" (2001). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Orthodoxpath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Orthodox's "Amanecer En Puerta Oscura" (2007). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Pelicanpath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Pelican's "Live In Chicago 6/11/03" (2005). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Shining (Sweden)path →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Kim Sølve (Discogs artist id 340792, distinct from the 'Trine + Kim Design Studio' duo entity): Shining (Sweden)'s "Redefining Darkness" (2012, credited to both Kim Sølve [Art Direction] and Trine + Kim Design Studio [Artwork] on the same release) and Ephel Duath's "Pain Necessary To Know" (2005, Artwork), same Discogs artist id confirmed on both releases. Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7) — Kim Sølve is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. source ↗
- Solefaldpath →
Both bands' cover art/design/photography work was done by freelance artist Kim Sølve (Discogs artist id 340792, distinct from the 'Trine + Kim Design Studio' duo entity): Solefald's "Black For Death - An Icelandic Odyssey Part II" (2006, Design, Photography By) and Ephel Duath's "Pain Necessary To Know" (2005, Artwork), same Discogs artist id confirmed on both releases. Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7) — Kim Sølve is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. source ↗
- Sunn O)))path →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and Sunn O)))'s "Black One" (2005). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- The Kovenantpath →
Both bands' cover art/design/photography work was done by freelance artist Kim Sølve (Discogs artist id 340792, distinct from the 'Trine + Kim Design Studio' duo entity): Ephel Duath's "Pain Necessary To Know" (2005, Artwork) and The Kovenant's "In Times Before The Light 1995" (2005, Design, Illustration), same Discogs artist id confirmed on both releases. Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7) — Kim Sølve is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. source ↗
- The Oceanpath →
Both bands' cover art/design work was done by freelance artist Seldon Hunt: Ephel Duath's "Through My Dog's Eyes." (2009) and The Ocean's "Pelagial" (2013). Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7, the exception to hub-and-spoke) — Hunt is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. One representative Discogs credit cited; the companion credit is logged in research/edge-taxonomy-ledger.json. source ↗
- Ved Buens Ende.....path →
Both bands' cover art/design/photography work was done by freelance artist Kim Sølve (Discogs artist id 340792, distinct from the 'Trine + Kim Design Studio' duo entity): Ved Buens Ende's "Written In Waters" (2003, Photography By, Artwork, Design) and Ephel Duath's "Pain Necessary To Know" (2005, Artwork), same Discogs artist id confirmed on both releases. Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7) — Kim Sølve is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. source ↗
- Viruspath →
Both bands' cover art/design/photography work was done by freelance artist Kim Sølve (Discogs artist id 340792, distinct from the 'Trine + Kim Design Studio' duo entity): Virus's "Carheart" (2003, Design, Illustration) and Ephel Duath's "Pain Necessary To Know" (2005, Artwork), same Discogs artist id confirmed on both releases. Pairwise artwork tie per the 2026-08-07 ruling (PROTOCOL rule 7) — Kim Sølve is not an atlas band member so there is no anchor band. source ↗
- Aenaonpath →
Code666 Records artist (Cendres et Sang, 2011; Extance, 2014; Hypnosophy, 2016) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Akphaezyapath →
Code666 Records artist (Anthology IV: The Tragedy of Nerak, 2012) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Ashenspirepath →
Code666 Records artist (Speak Not of the Laudanum Quandary, 2017; Hostile Architecture, 2022) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings (Phormula, 2000). source ↗
- Atroxpath →
Code666 Records artist (Orgasm, 2003) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Blutmondpath →
Code666 Records artist (Thirteen Urban Ways 4 Groovy Bohemian Days, 2010; The Revolution Is Dead!, 2012) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Carnival in Coalpath →
Shared label roster: Earache Records, per MusicBrainz. source ↗
- Damned Spirits' Dancepath →
Code666 Records artist (Weird Constellations, 2009) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Devarpath →
Code666 Records artist (Alternate Endings, 2009; later albums moved to Gymnocal Industries) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Eibon la Furiespath →
Code666 Records artist (The Blood of the Realm, 2010; The Immoral Compass, 2013) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Hail Spirit Noirpath →
Code666 Records artist (Pneuma, 2012; Oi Magoi, 2014) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Imperial Triumphantpath →
Code666 Records artist (Shrine to the Trident Throne, 2014; Abyssal Gods, 2015) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Non Serviampath →
Shared label roster: Code666, per MusicBrainz. source ↗
- Rakothpath →
Code666 Records artist (Planeshift, 1999/2000; Jabberworks, 2001) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Thee Maldoror Kollectivepath →
Code666 Records artist (New Era Viral Order, 2002; Pilot (Man with the Meat Machine), 2006) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Vampilliapath →
Code666 Records artist (Rule the World + Deathtiny Land, 2011) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
- Wormfoodpath →
Code666 Records artist (France, 2005) — anchored at Ephel Duath, one of the label's first-wave signings. source ↗
FURTHER LISTENING
Nearest score profiles in the atlas.
- UnaffiliatedEI 14Hoplites (Ὁπλίτης)TechnicalJazzyBlack
One-man project of linguist Liu Zhenyang (born in Ningbo, China; studying in Paris), Hoplites fuses dissonant black and death metal with mathcore and zeuhl-style repetition, topped with squealing saxophone. All song and album titles are rendered in Greek despite lyrical content addressing Chinese social themes. The project debuted with an EP in 2021, released three full-lengths in 2023, and put the project on an open-ended hiatus in mid-2024 as Zhenyang shifted focus to a new project, Dgra.
- Post-metalEI 15YakuzaJazzyTechnicalHardcore
Yakuza is a Chicago avant-garde metal band formed in 1999, led by saxophonist/vocalist Bruce Lamont. They build a metal base with progressive flair, folding in free jazz saxophone and clarinet, world music, doom, grind, and post-rock ambience into a jazz-metal hybrid sometimes tagged 'jazzcore.' Their discography spans Way of the Dead (2002, Century Media), Samsara (2006) and Transmutations (2007, Prosthetic), Of Seismic Consequence (2010) and Beyul (2012, Profound Lore), and Sutra (2023, Svart Records).
- Dissonant tech-deathEI 10ZeviousTechnicalJazzy
Brooklyn/NYC instrumental trio blending prog, jazz, and metal into knotty, polymetric compositions; began as an acoustic jazz unit before electrifying into an aggressive math-rock/tech-metal power trio. Drummer Jeff Eber doubles in Dysrhythmia, and the band's Cuneiform-era records were engineered by Dysrhythmia's Colin Marston, tying them into the Brooklyn tech-metal underground.
- UnaffiliatedEI 20Ex EyeJazzyTechnicalBlack
Ex Eye are an instrumental NYC quartet formed in 2016, led by experimental saxophonist Colin Stetson with Greg Fox (Liturgy) on drums, Shahzad Ismaily (Secret Chiefs 3, Ceramic Dog) on synth and Toby Summerfield on guitar. Grown out of Stetson's Gorecki-reimagining sessions, they fuse black metal's hypnotic repetition and blast beats with free-jazz saxophone and drone, releasing a self-titled debut on Relapse Records in 2017. It is one of the more successful jazz-metal syntheses of its era.
- Dissonant tech-deathEI 8Howling SycamoreTechnicalBlackJazzy
A prog-extreme-metal supergroup uniting Jason McMaster (Watchtower, Dangerous Toys) on vocals, Davide Tiso (Ephel Duath, Botanist) on guitar, and Hannes Grossmann (ex-Necrophagist, Alkaloid) on drums, Howling Sycamore melts thrash, black metal, and old-school prog-metal singing into dense, riff-heavy epics. Their two albums draw a deep guest bench — Marty Friedman and Kevin Hufnagel (Gorguts, Dysrhythmia) on lead guitar, Bruce Lamont on baritone sax — that pulls the sound toward technical/progressive metal more than cross-genre experimentalism. Jamie King of Between the Buried and Me mixed and mastered the sophomore record, Seven Pathways to Annihilation.
- UnaffiliatedEI 8Tear Light From MatterJazzyTechnical
Tear Light From Matter is a Massachusetts-based instrumental act pairing saxophone with a standard metal rhythm section, self-tagged on Bandcamp as experimental/jazz metal/fusion/prog metal. Their debut, "In Statu Nascendi" (released 25 January 2019, recorded and mixed by Jerry MacDonald at Odd Fellows Recording), sits alongside a further release, "Fœtal Præyers", in a small but pointed discography. The saxophone-led interplay places them in the lineage of jazz-inflected heavy bands rather than straightforward metal songwriting.
- UnaffiliatedEI 9VirusTechnicalJazzyBlack
Norwegian avant-garde metal band formed in Oslo in 2000 by Carl-Michael Eide (Czral), who considered it a continuation of his earlier band Ved Buens Ende. Their angular, dissonant sound folds jazz and death-metal elements into an idiosyncratic avant-rock framework across albums like 'Carheart' (2003) and 'The Black Flux' (2008, Season of Mist). The band disbanded in 2018.
- Norwegian avant-blackEI 17Shining (Norway)JazzyTechnicalBlack
Shining is a Norwegian band formed in Oslo in 1999 by saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Jørgen Munkeby (not to be confused with the Swedish black-metal band Shining led by Niklas Kvarforth). Starting life as an acoustic jazz quartet influenced by Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, they mutated across the 2000s into extreme avant-garde metal, coining the term 'blackjazz' with their 2010 album of that name — a Frankenstein blend of free jazz, blackened industrial metal, growled vocals and raw electronic noise that won the 2011 Spellemannspris. Munkeby is a prolific session player, contributing saxophone (most prominently on 'Moon') to Devin Townsend's Casualties of Cool.
- UnaffiliatedEI 14Black Heart SutraTechnicalJazzyHardcore
Black Heart Sutra is a New York experimental/mathcore project centered on composer-violinist Earl Maneein (SEVEN)SUNS) and drummer Kenny Grohowski (Imperial Triumphant, Secret Chiefs 3, frequent John Zorn collaborator), expanded on record with guest vocalists including Jessica Pimentel. Their 2017 debut album "Zersetzung" (Still Water Recordings) mixes progressive-jazz harmony with mathcore's chaotic, Locust-like structural shifts.
- UnaffiliatedEI 16KekalJazzyTechnicalBlack
Kekal is an Indonesian avant-garde/experimental act formed in Jakarta in 1995, one of the first Southeast Asian extreme-metal bands to reach an international audience. Beginning in black/death metal, they transformed across their discography into a genre-collapsing project spanning progressive metal, jazz fusion, trip-hop, electronic/IDM, ambient and post-rock — the 2003 breakthrough 1000 Thoughts of Violence being the pivot. Since August 2009 the band has operated as a 'memberless' collective, with former members and volunteer contributors assembling new albums.