One of the more unique heavy music journeys,
The 3rd And The Mortal started life as a doom band, though not
in the traditional sense.
Indeed, their first two releases epitomize the phrase
"atmospheric doom", with frequent quiet moments and a compelling
songwriting style -- really more an atmospheric band with doom
influences rather than the other way around.
Tears Laid In Earth is a classic, a BNR top album of the decade,
simply outstanding.
With the switch of vocalists (Kari Rueslatten leaving to pursue
a pop career, replaced by the jazzier Ann-Mari Edvardsen) came
a shift in direction, the band somewhat predictably wandering off
in several experimental directions, gradually losing what little
metal influences they originally had, though they continued to release
excellent, extremely original music.
By 2002 the band was down to a foursome (Edvardsen leaving to
join her sister Monika, late of
Atrox,
in another project), and the Memoirs album sheds any last
vestiges of heavy music, delving into electronica and trip-hop.
They are working on new songs, said to be darker than the
Memoirs material.
