V28 (band)

V:28 was an industrial black metal band from Norway.

Biography
V28 was founded by Kristoffer Oustad and Eddie Risdal the spring of 2002, and raised from the ashes of their previous band V:O:I:D. V:28 is a half-human half-machine band, with an apocalyptic and cold atmosphere to it. The concept of the band is based upon a prophecy about the deconstruction and transformation of Earth, thereof the V:28 - the voice of innovative deconstruction. The first V:28 demo "time is empty" was recorded in April 2002, and received very good critics in the metal press. In addition to this, V:28 played their debut concert as support for Enslaved in May 2002. Later the same year a drummer, Børre Iversen, joined forces with V:28. And a support concert for Red Harvest and Cadaver Inc, was played with this line-up in October 2002. But due to different interests in further developments V:28 split with the drummer, and returned to the use of programmed drums.

In June 2003 V:28 entered Subsonic Society Studios to record their debut album, "NonAnthropogenic", with LRZ, known from Red Harvest, as producer. The album features a special appearance from Grutle Kjellson from Enslaved with vocals on two tracks. In September V:28 signed a contract with the American label Vendlus Records. The debut album "NonAnthropogenic" was released on Halloween 2003, October 31. Atle Johansen was officially recruited as a full-time bass player of V:28 in the end of 2003. He had been playing session bass with V:28 for a while and on some gigs, and it seemed right to expand to a trio. After the recording of the "NonAnthropogenic" album V:28 played at the Hole In The Sky metal festival 2003 in Bergen. This was a great experience for V:28, and to play with bands such as Samael, Enslaved and Arcturus was really an honour.

V:28 started to record their second album, entitled "SoulSaviour" in November 2004, and it was finished in January 2005. The recordings were done in Forbidden Frequencies, their own studio. As the job LRZ did on the first album was so amazing, V:28 asked him to produce and mix the "SoulSaviour" album as well. On this album V:28 worked with some other bands as well, such as the legendary industrial acts Deutsch Nepal and Raison D'Être and the Norwegian cult band When. That was a great experience, and the result turned out amazing. Once again Vendlus Records was chosen to release the album. The release of the "SoulSaviour" album was marked with a release party, held in Arendal, Norway, May 20. A show that turned out to be the best concert ever done by the band, thanks to the amazing fans. "SoulSaviour" was officially released on Tuesday May 24.

2006 was a rather quiet year for V:28, doing only one concert and a special box release for the "Time Is Empty" demo and the "Promotion CD 2003". In January 2007 V:28 started to record their third and final album in the trilogy they had been working on since their debut in 2003. The writing process had taken about two years. Once again the album was recorded in Forbidden Frequencies, and LRZ was chosen as producer. The final album in the trilogy was entitled "VioLution" and featured guest appearances from a wide range of artists, like Kristoffer Garm Rygg (Ulver), G.G.F.H, MZ.412, Negru Voda, and Mike VanPortfleet (Lycia). The album was released on Vendlus Records September 28, 2007. For this release V:28 also worked with a film crew to make a professional video for the album.

In March 2008, the band posted a statement regarding the future of V:28 on their website, in which they announce that having released their trilogy, they are officially disbanded. However, they kept on touring until the end of the year. Meanwhile, in September a remix album was released by Cold Meat Industry, featuring remixes by many artists from both the metal and the dark ambient scene, such as Negru Voda, Beyond Sensory Experience, Nordvargr (from MZ.412), Manes, LRZ (from Red Harvest), Origami Galaktika, des Esseintes (The Protagonist), Shinjuku Thief, Desiderii Marginis and Thrawn Hellspawn (from the bands Paradigma, and Dødheimsgard). It also includes two covers by V:28, One Last Breath, originally by the US darkwave act Bleak (a side-project of Lycia musicians Mike VanPortfleet and David Galas), and All Lined Up, originally by Swans (the latter cover being a co-production with Coph Nia). V:28 finally disbanded on 2008, December 21.

Line-up

 * Kristoffer Oustad (lead and rhythm guitar and programming)
 * Eddie Risdal (vocals and rhythm guitar)
 * Atle Johansen (bass and distortion)

Albums
NonAnthropogenic (November 14, 2003)

Tracklist:
 * 01 consumed by schizophrenia
 * 02 dead shining star
 * 03 the human element
 * 04 to be tuned
 * 05 perspective
 * 06 everything but life
 * 07 soldier of the neverending war
 * 08 purity
 * 09 the fall of science
 * 10 zero nothing

SoulSaviour (May 24, 2005)

Tracklist:
 * 11 the brightest light
 * 12 unleash the energy
 * 13 a prophecy written in uranium
 * 14 infected by life
 * 15 the purifying flames
 * 16 solid structure unknown
 * 17 as the sky opens
 * 18 deConstructor
 * 19 dead men's choir

VioLution (November 14, 2007)

Tracklist:
 * 01 exequor
 * 02 shut it down
 * 03 the absolute
 * 04 pattern of the weak
 * 05 surrender to oblivion
 * 06 world wide bombing day
 * 07 desert generator
 * 08 can you see the light now?
 * 09 when entropy decreases

Demos and Promos
time is empty (2002)

Tracklist:
 * 01 execute schizophrenia
 * 02 dead shining star
 * 03 the human element
 * 04 perspective
 * 05 the fall of science

promotion cd 2003

Tracklist:
 * 01 dead shining star
 * 02 deConstructor
 * 03 cosmic infinity

promotion cd 2006

Tracklist:
 * 01 unleash the energy
 * 02 deConstructor
 * 03 dead shining star
 * 04 zero nothing (live)