The band Ljå was formed in the city of Stavanger, Norway, in 2002. Ljå creates works rooted in Norwegian black metal, fused with acoustic guitar and repetitive, melodic rhythms. Their music is often compared to bands such as Ulver, Marduk, and Gorgoroth. The ultimate beauty of extreme metal music, expanded through black metal, is evident in Ljå’s works.
Ciekals, the founder of the band, serves as lead and acoustic guitarist alongside Neievrut (vocalist), Natael (drummer), Rebnord (electric guitarist – rhythm and lead), and Hallwar (bassist). Before forming Ljå, the members had been active in various bands during the 1990s. Ciekals, also known as Darktrond, was involved in bands such as Neetzach and Malice. Neetzach was a band led by Sanrabb from Gehenna, and in 1993, Darktrond collaborated on the demo Pinselstronen with them. However, they later parted ways over undisclosed disagreements.
Neievrut, Askeland, and Rebnord had collaborated for several years in the band Knøfflihei, recording numerous demos and tracks together, and generally had a great time working as a team. Hallwar was one of the founders of the well-known band Black Lodge and was responsible for releasing Covet through HNF Records.
In June 2002, Darktrond joined Knøfflihei, and soon after, they united to form Ljå. The band’s first demo EP, Vedderbaug, was recorded over two hours on Friday the 13th to 15th. In December of the same year, the band received their first review of the demo, and pleased with the outcome, they continued working underground, eventually securing sponsorship and moving forward with their music.
In spring 2003, Hallwar joined the band, completing the lineup and initiating a deadly serious start for Ljå. The band became fully independent and established. Ljå means “scythe” in Norwegian and represents underground black metal and authentic Norwegian music. The band’s lyrical themes revolve around epic tales of war, sorrow, disillusionment, and injustice in this world.
Ljå’s discography includes two demos, one split release, and one full-length album. The first demo was essentially a recording of a studio rehearsal, later released as a demo. The second demo, titled Vedderbaug, contains seven tracks and runs for approximately 30 minutes. The split release with Koldbrann, titled Skamslaadte Engler/Fredløs (the names of one track from each band), was recorded in 2003 and released as an EP in 2004 by Aftermath Records. That same year, Vedderbaug was re-released as a seven-track cassette.
Their latest work, Til Avsky For Livet, was a ten-track album that showed a significant step up in quality from their previous releases. It was released in 2006 by Aftermath Records, and the EP version of the album was also re-released by the same label a few months later.
Currently, the band is writing lyrics for a new album and working on new ideas and material.
