by Cosmo Lee
Throne of Katarsis formed in Norway in 2003 with a simple mission: to play cold, grim black metal in the classic '90s style. The lineup is just as basic: Vardalv on drums, and Grimnisse (aka Thor Erik Helgesen) on vocals and all other instruments (bassist Lord Imalas and guitarist Godhate round out the live lineup). While Throne of Katarsis hews to black metal's buzzsaw riffing, droning blastbeats, and croaky rasps, liberal doses of acoustic guitar add depth to its sound. Lyrically, the band explores blasphemous themes typical for its genre, with inspiration from the natural settings of its homeland.

In March 2004, Throne of Katarsis debuted with the Unholy Holocaustwinds demo, which was recorded in three days on a four-track cassette recorder. Popular demand led to the demo, at first limited to 40 copies, being reissued on cassette and vinyl by German label Warfront Productions, and on CD by English label Paradigms Recordings. Notably, the demo's final track utilized field recordings of Grimnisse's footsteps while walking through a snowy forest. A second demo, Blodslakt, followed later that year. However, it never saw official release due to inclusion of its tracks on the band's full-length debut, An Eternal Dark Horizon, on Candlelight Records in 2007. In October 2007, Throne of Katarsis played at Waltershausen in Germany, its first live appearance outside of Norway.