Taming the beast

The story of Aegir, 2000 - 2006

In the fall of 2000 in Västerås, Sweden, the foundation of the band is laid by David Hjortsberg [Guitar], Hampus Holmén [Guitar] and Fredrik Wörmke [Bass] under the name Aeolian Winds. The style is old school black metal with a melodic approach.

After six months of rehearsing, the band is joined by Henrik Sjöström, a friend of Holmén, who agrees to handle the drums permanently. The band has their first gig in Västerås in May, 2001 at an underground music club called the Black Orange. Realising that the name Aeolian Winds is used by an american woodwinds orchestra, the band decides to change their name to the more suiting Bereaved.

In June, the band plays six songs at the Decibel festival in Västerås and receives a recording of the live show by the organizers. The recording is never released to the public. In August the band decides that they have enough material for a demo and Studio 116 is booked for the recording of four songs.

As the staff at the studio is not used to producing heavy music and the band is inexperienced, they run into some problems and the sound comes out less than satisfactory. The whole recording is rushed and the lyrics are written by Hjortsberg the day before the recording of the vocals. The demo, entitled Frostnatt is released under the new name Aegir and is distributed in around fifty copies and the band runs out of them fairly quickly.

Later that same year, Holmén and Wörmke are called in to sign up for their swedish military service and therefore all activity with the band ceases. Some new acoustic material is written by Hjortsberg and Holmén during this time but nothing materialises into new songs.

The band reunites in 2004 and go on to rehearse from time to time until the summer of 2005 when Hjortsberg leaves for Australia to study at the university. During his time in Australia, Hjortsberg writes some new music and for the first time female vocals and a violin is used.

In 2006, Hjortsberg returns to his motherland and Aegir is once again resurrected. The band is currently writing new music and will record again. The current line-up is a bit different from the 2001 demo.

Current Line-Up

• David Hjortsberg (guitars, vocals)
• Hampus Holmén (guitars, vocals)
• Petter Körnemark (violin, noise & atmosphere)
• Anneli Olander (female vocals)
• Henrik Sjöström (drums & percussion)

2000

David Hjortsberg, Hampus Holmén and Fredrik Wörmke set the foundation of the band under the name Aeolian Winds.

2001

Henrik Sjöström joins as the permanent drummer. The band changes the name to Bereaved.

The band record their first demo and release it as Frostnatt. As the musical direction had changed into something that resembled viking metal, the band decided to release the demo under the name Aegir.

Later the same year, Holmén and Wörmke are called in to serve 1 ½ years in the swedish army.

2004

The band is reunited and rehearse a few months until Hjortsberg leaves to study in Australia.

2006

Hjortsberg returns from his studies and the band is resurrected.