Extol

Extol are a Christian metal band from Bekkestua in Norway who came up alongside Norway's notorious black metal scene and went their own way. Over more than 30 years they've broken up, come back, broken up again and come back once more. On 6 November 2026 they'll release Aura of Decay, their first album in 13 years, on Solid State Records.

Cousins from the same church

Extol formed in 1993. Singer Peter Espevoll and drummer David Husvik are cousins who grew up in the same church, and Peter's older brother Christer joined them on guitar. Guitarist Ole Børud, who grew up in a musical family singing from the age of five, became the other key member. He joined after the name had been picked, he told the Dutch site The Metal Resource in 2012. "Extol means to lift up," he said, and as believers in Jesus, the name reflects "our wish to promote his name through our music."

Peter was 14 when it started. "Extol has been a huge part of my life since I was 14," he told No Clean Singing in 2012.

Their US label, Facedown Records, describes the early days this way. Extol came together "during a period of time when heavy metal was commercially dead," alongside "the emerging Norwegian underground black metal scene." While other bands were chasing nu metal and post-grunge, Extol wanted to bring death metal back, but with a lot more melody and freedom.

Burial and Undeceived

Their first full-length album, Burial, came out in 1998 on Endtime Productions in Norway and Solid State Records in the US. Facedown says it "challenged the genre's traditional structures," with an approach to tonality, harmony and atmosphere more common to bands from the 1970s. The band's own Bandcamp bio says it was recorded by the Espevoll brothers, Husvik, Børud and bassist Eystein Holm, and that Kristian Wåhlin painted the cover. That same year Extol played Cornerstone Festival in the US, a show Børud still counted as a highlight. "It was a gig we never knew we'd have, but it sure was a blast," he said.

The Mesmerized EP followed in 1999, and Undeceived came out in 2000, followed by the Paralysis EP in 2001. The band's bio says Undeceived showed the pull of progressive bands like Rush, King's X and Cynic, and that Børud left soon after it came out.

Those early records were built on Peter's death metal growls, and fans still love them. When Extol finally played the US again in 2024, six of the eight songs they played came from Burial and Undeceived.

Synergy and The Blueprint Dives

Børud was back for Synergy, which came out in 2003 on Century Media and Solid State with cover art by Hugh Syme. Christer explained the title on the band's Bandcamp page. "The Synergy concept refers to the musical and spiritual unity between each individual in the band," he said. It closes with "Nihilism 2002." The band toured the US with Demon Hunter and The Agony Scene and Europe with Opeth. About six months later both guitarists, Christer and Ole, left, saying the commitment had become too demanding. It was Christer's last record with the band for 20 years.

Guitarists Tor Magne Glidje and Ole Halvard Sveen came in, and The Blueprint Dives followed in 2005. It earned a nomination for a Norwegian Grammy. Facedown says the band's albums were backed by touring around the world with bands such as Mastodon and Opeth.

Then, in 2007, Extol simply disappeared. There was no announcement and no farewell tour. When No Clean Singing asked Peter why, he said only, "It had to do with some quite personal matters." He spent the quiet years raising two boys, moving out of Oslo and trying to live a quiet life. "Fishing and sauna are 2 key words for the past years," he said. "When it comes to music, I haven't done much really. Except for making lullabies for my kids."

The 2012 return

In 2012 Extol came back as a trio, with Peter, Husvik and Børud. Christer had been part of the early talks, Peter said, but couldn't find the time. They crowdfunded a documentary, Extol: of Light and Shade, directed by Åsmund Janøy, which promised to cover the band's history, explain why they vanished and look at their Christian faith "in a genre more known for anti-religious and morbid ideas," as Blabbermouth put it. The fundraiser blew past its goal of $20,000. "We never dreamt of this kind of response," Peter said.

He'd been nervous about whether he could still scream. "It seems like doing death metal vocals for me is like riding a bike," he said. "Once you've learned, you never forget."

The self-titled Extol came out in June 2013 on Indie Recordings in Europe and Facedown in North America, mixed by Jens Bogren with artwork by Travis Smith. Husvik called it "the album that was planned all the way, but never materialized," and "the recap of 20 years of Extol-history, both musically and lyrically." Then the band went quiet again.

The classic lineup returns

In October 2023, Extol released two new songs, "Labyrinth of Ill" and "Exigency." They were the first new music in a decade and the first in 20 years to feature Christer Espevoll. "I'm really stoked about the fact that Christer is on board again," Peter said. "It kind of feels like the good old days!"

Husvik put it in terms his church friends would appreciate. "'Labyrinth of Ill' has definitely renewed my faith in Extol and our ability to play rock music once again," he said. "Who doesn't wanna go to church when they hear the 'Patience' passages play ping pong with Ole's guitar solo?"

A planned return to the US at Furnace Fest in Alabama in 2023 fell through when their visas didn't arrive in time. Peter wasn't going to make that trip either, and Elisha Mullins had been lined up to sing. "We can hardly believe this surreal situation," the band said. They finally made it in October 2024, with Living Sacrifice's Bruce Fitzhugh filling in on vocals for Peter. It was their first US show since 2005.

Aura of Decay

In August 2026 Extol announced Aura of Decay, their sixth full-length, with the classic lineup of Peter and Christer Espevoll, Husvik and Børud. It'll arrive on 6 November with 11 songs, mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren and with artwork by Hugh Syme, who also did the Synergy cover. The label's announcement promises echoes of the black metal tinged atmosphere of Burial. The first single, "The One and the Many," takes on what the band calls modern tribalism. "We are living in an era where truth feels relative, yet tribal dogmas seem to be strengthening," Christer said. "We wanted the song to mirror that confusion."

The band still describes itself as an experimental death metal band "known for fusing sonic violence with spiritual and philosophical lyrical themes." After more than 30 years, that hasn't changed.

Watch

Five official uploads cover the band's whole run. "Burial" is the title track of their 1998 debut and "Undeceived" the title track of their 2000 album. "Nihilism 2002" closes Synergy. "A Gift Beyond Human Reach" is from the 2013 comeback album Extol, and "Exigency" is one of the two 2023 singles that brought Christer Espevoll back.

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