Kristoffer Rygg

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Kristoffer Rygg (September 9, 1976), also known as Garm, G. Wolf, Trickster G., Fiery G. Maelstrom and recently also God Head is a Norwegian vocalist, musician and producer widely known in the underground metal community for his multi-range singing styles in black metal, experimental music, and other genres.

Born in Oslo, Rygg was 16 years old when he formed Ulver, which was considered one of the more experimental bands of the genre as well as an instigator for related subcategories such as folk metal and avant garde metal.

In addition, Rygg had also been a vocalist for Borknagar (1995-1997) and Arcturus (1993-2003), both of which comprise many notable musicians from the early Norwegian Black Metal scene. He was also the one responsible for introducing Borknagar to the singer who replaced him, ICS Vortex, when he parted ways with the band.

Rygg possesses a wide range of vocal textures and styles, ranging from falsettos, baritone, and even black metal style rasps and shrieks. Through methods of audio mixing, he has blended his voice to create dense male choirs on albums such as the majority of the vocals on Kveldssanger. He often records multiple vocal tracks of himself when recording to create dynamic, layered vocals.

He currently runs Jester Records, an underground label specializing in experimental and strange music, including Ulver, which has since changed to a musical style almost impossible to classify. He has also performed as a guest for a very large list of other artists, including Gehenna, Hagalaz Runedance, Aphrodisiac, Kåre João, Magenta, The Gathering, Emperor, Merzbow, Solefald and Sunn O))) among others.

Most recently Rygg has been collaborating with multi-talented musician/ producer Daniel Cardoso (ex-SiriuS and Re:aktor among others) in a band previously called SinDRomE (i.e. Severe Damage of Reason and Equilibrium) until recently when the two of them decided to change the band name to Head Control System. The music is heavy rock/metal, described by the band as "heavy rock with progressive edges, alternative feeling and a strong visual cinematic component." Their first full-length was released April 4th, 2006 under the name Murder Nature through The End Records, home to such bands as Ulver, Voivod, Dissection, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Estradasphere and many other bands.

Contents 1 Discography 1.1 With Arcturus 1.2 With Borknagar 1.3 With Head Control System 1.4 With Ulver 1.5 As guest musician/producer/etc.

[edit] Discography

[edit] With Arcturus

1. Constellation (1994)
2. Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1995)
3. La Masquerade Infernale (1997)
4. Disguised Masters (1999)
5. Aspera Hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel (2002)
6. The Sham Mirrors (2002)

[edit] With Borknagar

1. Borknagar (1996)
2. The Olden Domain (1997)

[edit] With Head Control System

1. Murder Nature (April 4th, 2006)

[edit] With Ulver

1. Vargnatt (1993)
2. Split 7" w/Mysticum (1994)
3. Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler (1995)
4. Kveldssanger (1996)
5. Nattens Madrigal - Aatte Hymne Til Ulven I Manden (1997)
6. Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1998)
7. Metamorphosis (1999)
8. Perdition City (2000)
9. Silence Teaches You How to Sing (2001)
10. Silencing the Singing (2001)
11. Lyckantropen Themes (2002)
12. A Quick Fix of Melancholy (2003)
13. Teachings in Silence (2003)
14. Svidd Neger (Original Soundtrack) (2003)
15. Ulver 1993-2003: 1st Decade In The Machines (2003) (Ulver remix themselves on the first track)
16. Blood Inside (2005)
17. UNO (2005) (OST, Jester Records has not yet released their own version, but the movie corp. version is already out)

[edit] As guest musician/producer/etc.

1. 1349 Rykkinn: Appearance on the Brown Ring of Fury album.
2. Aphrodisiac: Contributed with the track Children, it is I on the Nonsense Chamber album.
3. Aura Noir: Handwriting on the backcover for the Dreams Like Deserts MCD. He also engineered/produced the album Deep Tracts of Hell.
4. Dødheimsgard aka DHG: Mastered the Monumental Possession album, he was also involved in the mastering of the Satanic Art MCD.
5. Emperor: Ulver did a remix on the track Sworn. Rygg also mastered the album Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk.
6. Forlorn: Mastered the The Crystal Palace debut album.
7. Fleurety: Features Rygg on Last Minute Lies off the Department of Apocalyptic Affairs album. He also engineered and co-produced said album.
8. Darkthrone: Wrote the lyric Earth's Last Picture for the Total Death album.
9. The Gathering: Rygg sings a duet with Anneke van Giersbergen on A Life all Mine off the Souvenirs album. He also co-wrote a number of songs on the band's 2006 release, Home.
10. Gehenna: Features Rygg on Vinterriket off the Seen through the Veils of Darkness album.
11. Hagalaz Runedance: Ulver did a remix on the track The Falcon Flies off the Urd: That which was MCD.
12. Ihsahn: Rygg sings Homecoming off The Adversary.
13. Kåre João: Rygg sings on the Sideman album.
14. Magenta: Features Rygg on the two tracks Vandalistvirgin and Backstabber Nation for a demo/single. Rygg is also featured on the tracks I need my Love, Vandalistvirgin and Mermaid off the Little Girl Lost album.
15. Mayhem: Produced the Wolf's Lair Abyss MCD.
16. Merzbow: Ulver did a remix of Denki No Numa for the Frog: Remixed and Revisited album.
17. SCN: Features Rygg on Rise Above off the Inside Out album.
18. Solefald: Rygg plays the role of Loki on the song Loki Trickster God from the 2006 album Black For Death: An Icelandic Odyssey Part 2.
19. Star of Ash: Features Rygg on the two tracks The Nudity of Light and In the Throws of Guilt of the Iter.Viator. album.
20. Virus: Rygg is credited with "Backyard barks" on the song Queen Of The Hi-Ace of the Carheart album.
21. Zyklon: Features Rygg on the two tracks Chaos Deathcult and Transcendental War - Battle between Gods of the World ov Worms album.
22. Professor Fate: For the forthcoming album Inferno, Rygg will perform vocals on the track "Limbo."