Biography

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 that weave dark, epic, and desolate atmospheres. On November 18th, KHONSU release their second, upcoming new album "The Xun Protectorate" via Jhator Recordings/PHD.

The band name 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 and multi-instrumentalist S. Gronbech - brother of the more famous Arnt “Obsidian C.” Gronbech from KEEP OF KALESSIN - 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. The lyrics are written by Torstein Parelius, also from Manes. 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 occurrences on a space station, or cosmic city, in orbit around the sun several centuries into the future, and the band describe it as an hour-long journey into dark and strange soundscapes