The 3rd and the Mortal

The 3rd and the Mortal (alternative spelling The Third and the Mortal) is a Norwegian experimental metal-band. The band started out as a doom metal band mixing distorted guitars and heavy drumming with clean guitars and female vocals from Kari Rueslåtten. The band has since then experimented with genres such as ambient, progressive rock, jazz, electronica and trip-hop.

The 3rd and the Mortal were one of the forerunners of the atmospheric metal scene having been one of the first to have a leading female singer, they inspired bands such as The Gathering, Flowing Tears and Nightwish. Their first EP Sorrow was released in 1993 followed by the album Tears Laid in Earth in 1994. After Rueslåtten's departure in 1995 the band had Ann-Mari Edvardsen join as vocalist. With her the band released full length albums Painting on Glass in 1996 and explored an even more experimental sound in 1997 with In This Room.

After an absence of 5 years and the departure of Edvardsen, the band returned in 2002 with Memoirs, an album with recordings made during previous years. A new female vocalist was found in Kirsti Huke, who is present on the majority of songs, with second vocalist Andreas Elvenes backing her up on a couple of tracks. Memoirs differs from previous albums by being more electronics based and trip-hop inflenced. After Memoirs the band did a small tour in september and october 2002, playing eight shows in Germany and one in the Netherlands.

In 2004 the band released EP's and Rarities. This is a compilation consisting of the Sorrow and Nightswan EPs + the b-side of the Stream single and the bonus-track from the japanese In This Room album. In 2005 the band released Project Bluebook: Decade of Endeavour, which is a compilation album with two new studio tracks, another unreleased song performed live in 1998 and four different live versions of 'Mortal classics recorded on the European tour in 2002.

Line-up:

Current members:
* Finn-Olav Holthe - guitars, keyboards
* Trond Engum - guitars - (The Soundbyte)
* Geir Nilsen - guitars, keyboards
* Rune Hoemsnes - drums - (Manes)


Past members:
* Kari Rueslåtten - vocals - (Storm)
* Ann-Mari Edvardsen - vocals, keyboards - (Tactile Gemma, Antestor (session))
* Jarle Dretvik - bass
* Bernt Rundberget - bass
* Frank Stavem - bass
* Kirsti Huke - vocals - session musician
* Andreas Elvenes - vocals - session musician


Discography:
1993 - The 3rd And The Mortal (Demo)
1994 - Sorrow (EP)
1994 - Tears Laid in Earth
1995 - Nightswan (EP)
1996 - Stream (Single)
1996 - Painting on Glass
1997 - In This Room
2002 - Memoirs
2004 - EP's and Rarities (Compilation)
2005 - Project Bluebook: Decade of Endeavour (Compilation)