*how Röyksopp could miss out on the top 5 is astonishing to me, but that’s how strong those that made it are! Also it turns out I really like Space Disco.
Emperor (1st two LPs anyway, the 1st being one of the best BM albums ever)
Darkthrone - saved themselves from being edgelords after an early mistake and have been one of the most interesting black metal bands from the era to keep an eye on over the years. The last three albums have been very enjoyable in particular.
Wits End - some brilliant Normo. Strained vocals to make you weep. Great great emo.
Biosphere - one of my early windows into ambient and he still delivers. Not only that Substrata still sounds fresh 20 odd years later.
Enslaved - again. Renmarkably interesting band who have just had a new album out and still sound great. More prog than black metal these days. Blew me away a couple of years back when i saw them.
Interesting how my answer would have been very similar 20 years ago (probably wouldn’t have expected enslaved and darkthrone at least to have released as many interesting albums though)
Special shout to Jenny Hval and Ulver who don’t make the 5 but were in and out like some thursday filth
I keep waiting for Denmark. Hopefully next time! And also didn’t think that I knew/liked as much music from Norway, but there are still a fair few I really like:
Team Me
St Thomas
The White Birch
Farao
Philco Fiction
The Electones
Drivan
Hanne Hukkelberg
Gold Celeste
Therese Aune
Mr Little Jeans
ffs, I thought Studio were Norwegian but turns out they are Swedish. I’ve just checked and I didn’t vote for them in the Swedish poll either, so I am an idiot. Been waiting for the Norway thread for ages so I could put them at number one, but denied.
Don’t think I’ve ever been into any, unless there are some that I don’t know are from Norway. I used to pretend to like the first Immortal album but don’t think I ever got through the whole thing
Think they’re one of the best bands ever. Glad they have some fans on here. Like their indie/alt rock stuff a bit better than the more prog / space rock stuff they’re doing now, but they’ve barely put a foot wrong for 30 years and their 90s run from Demon Box onwards is untouchable.
Turbonegro
I know a lot of people think they’re a bit sketchy, but when you appreciate the main part of their schtick is taking the piss out of the massive macho strain that ran through 90s punk, they’re hilarious. They’re also absolutely brilliant. Had tickets to see them on the Ass Cobra tour and missed it, which I still regret now.
Svart Framtid
Seems a bit strange to put in a band that’s only released one 7", but that record is one of the top 10 hardcore 7"s of the 80s, which is really saying something. Wish they’d done an album.
Molested
Dreadful name aside, amazing death metal band who put out one incredible album before changing their name, going black metal and turning shit (not saying all Norwegian black metal is shit, but Borknagar definitely are). Really interesting band who used traditional Norwegian folk instruments alongside the blast beats and ultra downtuned guitars. Sounds awful written down but they totally pull it off.
Jaga Jazzist
Love pretty much everything they’ve done. New album this year was great.
To be honest the only one I really found to get into was Madrugada, I’d thought I’d found a Norwegian band that was a bit like kent with their first album, sort of doing that 90s-Radiohead era thing but it was just for that album.
I’ll for sure listen to Motorpsycho, I thought they were a metal band for some reason but some of this more alt stuff from them sounds intriguing. I’ll give Jenny Hval a listen too as she seems alright but have a feeling I’ll just end up liking her singles and not the albums like similar American female artists.
I’ve had CC Cowboys, Savoy, and Gazpacho on my wishlist on RYM for a while.