Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
Oslo, Norway’s Spiral Architect was formed in 1993 by a group of like-minded, forward-thinking Progressive Metal musicians. Although most people assume or incorrectly attribute the band’s name being inspired by the Black Sabbath song of the same from 1973’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, the band claims it isn’t so.
According to band co-founder Lars K. Norberg, the name “reflects the ‘spirit’ of the band, musically as well as ideologically”. Norberg, the band’s bassist, was part of the original quartet that recorded the band’s 1995 self-titled Demo. Rounding things out on the two-song effort were rhythm guitarist/vox Kaj Gornitzka, guitarist Steinar Gundersen, and drummer Asgeir Mickelson.
It would take another five years before the technically proficient collective would release their one and only official full-length album, ‘A Skeptic’s Universe’ in 2000. Released through Sensory Records, by that time the band had added vocalist/keyboardist Øyvind Hægeland to the band. The album is a fantastically futuristic ensemble of amazing songs derived from culling elements from jazz, metal, rock, electronica, and more.
This would be Spiral Architect‘s one and only official album release, although they did also contribute a single track to a tribute compilation. That happened to be their amazing rendition of Fates Warning’s ‘A Prelude To Ruin‘ for the ‘Through Different Eyes – A Tribute to Fates Warning’ record.
Since that time, the various group’s members have moved on to other bands and musical projects. Even though the group got together for a couple of songwriting sessions, a second album has never materialized.
A post on the band’s Facebook page (from January of this year) eludes to the band itself still being an active entity, saying: “Contrary to what some people think – we never disbanded (but went into hibernation) and we like to think we will make another album. One day…“
