Insense

Something of an anomaly in their native Norway, where black metal rules the roost, Oslo's Insense made a conscious decision to diverge into other extreme metal subgenres by fusing influences like Pantera, Meshuggah, Slipknot, and the Dillinger Escape Plan into their songwriting. Originally formed in 1999 by vocalist/guitarist Tommy Hjelm and drummer Håvard Iversen, the group's lineup was rounded out by singer Eigil Dragvik, guitarist Martin Rygge, and bassist Magnus Rønneberg throughout the early portion of its career, but splintered shortly after the release of Insense's eponymous debut album in 2002. By the time the band finally re-emerged with its sophomore effort, Soothing Torture, in 2005, Hjelm had taken on lead vocals and Iversen had been substituted by new drummer Truls Haugen, while longstanding bass player Rønneberg was on the verge of departing after becoming a born-again Christian. His replacement, Ola S. Hana, performed on Insense's third long-player, 2007's The Silent Epidemic, which was released by Black Balloon Records and boasted the most multifaceted amalgam yet of the band's wide-ranging inspirations.