Khonsu is a groundbreaking and innovative extreme metal band hailing from Bergen, Norway that features guest appearances by members of Keep Of Kalessin and Manes. Their music has a distinctive dark futuristic twist and delivers a sinister blend of metal and electronic elements.
On November 18th, Khonsu release their second, upcoming new album ‘The Xun Protectorate‘ via Jhator Recordings/PHD.
“In our opinion this is an extraordinary album, which demonstrates that the extreme metal scene in Norway is very much alive and still strong as hell”, says bandleader and multi-instrumentalist S. Gronbech, brother of the more famous Arnt “Obsidian C.” Gronbech (Keep Of Kalessin). “Expect a monumental record that will challenge even the most open minded listeners. It should be enjoyed without prejudice and mental limitations, and it’s an hour-long journey of dark, strange, and desolate atmospheres where you never will be able to predict what’s coming next.”
The band name Khonsu is taken from the ancient Egyptian god of the moon and literally means “he who travels across the night sky”, which fits perfectly with it’s suggestion to mystery, darkness, and the cosmic. In 2012, Khonsu signed with French label Season of Mist – sharing the roster with bands like Mayhem and Rotting Christ – and released their debut album ‘Anomalia‘, which had Thebon from Keep Of Kalessin on vocals, the year after. The album was praised for its high level of creativity, originality, and musicianship and was considered a fresh breath into a genre that kept repeating itself. Two years later, Khonsu self-released an EP entitled ‘Traveller‘, which will soon be reissued on a limited vinyl edition.
Today Khonsu consists of two main members: The masked and mysterious mastermind S. Gronbech and vocalist T’ol from Norwegian Death Metal acts Chton and Killing For Company. Before creating his own dark and twisted world with Khonsu, S. Gronbech had contributed on the highly acclaimed Keep Of Kalessin EP ‘Reclaim‘ back in 2003, which had Atilla Csihar from Mayhem on vocals. In addition to these two main members, the new album also has Rune Folgerø from Manes and Atrox on clean vocals and the abovementioned Arnt Gronbech on solo guitar on several tracks. Khonsu has been working on and perfecting their new album for three years and are now extremely excited to present it to the world. It’s a concept album about mysterious occurrences on a space station, or cosmic city, in orbit around the sun several centuries into the future. “The diversity of ideas on this album is probably unlike anything heard before in the metal world”, commented Gronbech. “One moment one may be listening to the most hellish Black Metal with screams of torture, while in the next beautiful and mystic passages inviting melancholic contemplation.”
The artwork was created by Adrien Bousson and reflects the many faces of Khonsu.