Tsjuder

Biography

Tsjuder is a Norwegian black metal band founded in Oslo in 1993. The band has been a trio for most of its existence, including bassist and frontman Nag, guitarist Draugluin, and drummer Anti-Christian. When the latter left, the band continued as a duo. Nag and Draugluin are the longterm and primary members.

Name

The name Tsjuder came from the Norwegian movie Pathfinder (Veiviseren). The Tsjuder (or Chud) was a mythical Northern Finnic tribe. In the movie, the Tsjuder are the antagonists who appeared out of the arctic winter.

History

Bassist and vocalist Nag and guitarist Berserk formed Tsjuder in Oslo in 1993. Second guitarist Draugluin joined in 1994. After a year of rehearsing and writing, the band record their first demo tape, Ved Ferdens Ende. Shortly after, Berserk left the band. Tsjuder replaced him with drummer Torvus for their second demo tape, 1996's Possessed. The following year, Tsjuder fired Torvus and replaced with Desecrator. Along with American guitarist Diabolus Mort, they recorded the Throne of the Goat EP, released through Solistitium Records in 1997. Later in 1998, Diabolus Mort and Desecrator left the band due to "lack of interest". A full-length debut album was planned with drummer Blod from Gehenna, and Arak Draconiiz from Isvind, who joined the band as guitarist. The promo Atum Nocturnem was meant for Blod to rehearse, but indie labels were paying attention to Tsjuder's "totally uncompromising brand of brutal, speed-addicted black metal", and At War Records released it in 1999. Later that year, Tsjuder signed a two-album deal with Drakkar Productions, and recorded the debut album, Kill for Satan×Kill for SatanApril 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1The Daemon Gate3:392Necromancy2:573The Lord of Terror5:294Raping Christianity2:345Dying Spirits4:236Unleashed2:227Kill for Satan (The King's Birth)4:578Sodomizing the Lamb (The King's Conquering)3:259Beyond the Grave (The King's Reign)3:52. Because of time limits and that Blod was unable to join the band on the first planned tour in 2000, Christian "Anti-Christian" Svendsen joined instead on the drums.
After the release of Kill for Satan, Arak Draconiiz moved away from Oslo, and was replaced with Pål. In October 2001, Svendsen left the band because he got tendinitis in both arms. Guitarist Pål left the band due to his working hours. Svendsen was replaced with Jontho of Ragnarok. This line-up recorded the band's second studio album, Demonic Possession×Demonic Possession2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Eriphion Epistates4:032Demoner av Satans Rike5:013Ancient Hate6:514Bloodshedding Horror3:245Deathwish4:586A Twisted Mind4:297I-103:488Primeval Fear8:349Outro0:59, between December 2001 and January 2002. Drakkar Productions released it in 2002. Norwegian label Mester Productions re-released the Throne of the Goat EP on picture disc in a limited edition of 666 copies that year. In 2003, Svendsen returned to Tsjuder, replacing Jontho. The band signed to Season of Mist in April 2004, and released their third album, Desert Northern Hell×Desert Northern Hell1 November 2004 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Malignant Coronation3:112Ghoul6:303Possessed3:544Lord of Swords4:145Helvete3:146Mouth of Madness8:007Unholy Paragon5:398Sacrifice3:309Morbid Lust11:19, in November 2004. Tsjuder toured Europe with Carpathian Forest in early 2005.
The band split up in 2006 but reunited to play at Wacken Open Air in August 2011, and continued to tour afterwards. A fourth studio album, Legion Helvete×Legion Helvete14 October 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1The Daemon Throne3:402Fra en Råtten Kiste5:203Dauðir3:374Voldsherskeren4:495Slakt3:476Black Shadows of Hell3:297Blod og Aske4:598Vårt Helvete10:15 was released in October 2011 and a fifth, Antiliv×Antiliv18 September 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Kaos3:322Krater7:193Norge4:564Djevelens mesterverk4:285Demonic Supremacy6:296Slumber With the Worm5:577Ved ferdens ende5:358Antiliv8:03, in September 2015. The band's sixth album, Helvegr×Helvegr23 June 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Iron Beast3:372Prestehammeren4:013Surtr6:594Gamle-Erik3:465Chaos Fiend4:016Gods of Black Blood5:197Helvegr7:368Faenskap og Død3:079Hvit Død2:50, was released in June 2023.

Musical style and lyrical themes

The music in Tsjuder is mainly written by Nag and Draugluin, citing as main musical inspirations the black metal bands from the early 1980s and early 1990s such as Bathory, Celtic Frost, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, Immortal, Marduk, Mayhem, and "old" thrash metal and death metal bands: Destruction, Kreator, Possessed, Sepultura, Slayer, and Sodom.
Tsjuder's lyrics are written prior to the music, and are based on topics such as darkness, death, evil, hatred, demons, antireligious themes, Satanism, horror films, and the fictional book Necronomicon, that appears in the stories of horror novelist H. P. Lovecraft, considered as a "great source of inspiration" by frontman Nag.

Band members

Current
Nag (Jan-Erik Romøren) – vocals, bass guitar (1993–2006, 2010–present)
Draugluin (Halvor Storrøsten) – guitar, vocals (1994–2006, 2010–present)
Emil Wiksten - drums (2024 - present)
Former
Berserk – guitar (1993–1995)
Torvus – drums (1995–1996)
Desecrator – drums (1997–1998)
Diabolus Mort – guitar (1997–1998)
Blod – drums (1998–1999, died 2018)
Arak Draconiiz – guitar (1999–2000)
Pål – guitar (2000–2001)
Jontho – drums (2001–2003, died 2025)
Anti-Christian (Christian Svendsen) – drums (1999–2001, 2003–2006, 2010–2020)
Jon Rice – drums (2020-2024)