MISTRA call themselves “The most unlikely duo to come out of Norway”. Here, two extremes in the Norwegian music industry collide: pop and metal.

Benedicte Adrian should be a familiar name to most people who follow MGP/ESC. With “Lenge Leve Livet” (“Life was made for Living”) she and Ingrid Bjørnov (Dollie de Luxe) won the national final and represented Norway in ESC 1984. They followed up the success with Rock vs Opera and later the two musicals “Which Witch” and “Henriette VIII – and her six men”. As a solo artist Benedicte has, among other things, played the role of The Queen of the Night in “The Magic Flute”  at The Norwegian Opera House, released the solo album “Desember” and appeared in various productions both as a pop artist and a classical singer.

Anders Odden has a life behind him as a pioneer in Norwegian metal. His musical journey began in 1986 when he attended a rehearsal with black metal leading pioneers Mayhem and decided to create his own universe of dark musical landscapes. In 1990, his band Cadaver released Norway’s first ever death metal LP “Hallucinating Anxiety” on Earache Records (UK). Since then, Cadaver has released 6 albums and gained cult status worldwide. Anders has also toured the world as a musician with other bands such as Celtic Frost etc. He has also collaborated with musicians like Ronni Le Tekrø, Ledfoot, Hank Von Hell and Tony Harnell to name a few.

The album Waltz of Death was written and recorded through 2023 after Benedicte Adrian and Anders Odden found their common ground, mixing extreme metal guitars with lush melodies and alternative instrumentation. All the songs on the album represent a unique trip through this new musical landscape they found together, and the inspiration and intensity is easy to hear. The album is produced and mixed by the renowned US-based producer Adair Daufembach in Studio Tomb, Norway.

“The sound of extreme metal usually repels many who otherwise might have liked it, with its ultra-fast drums and vocals that alienate people with “normal ears”. If we keep the guitars and use different musical elements, a new sound is created that works well on telephone speakers. I have long had the idea of creating something completely new together with an artist I admire from a different genre. When Benedicte Adrian was ready to explore completely new musical landscapes with me, our creativity just exploded.” Anders Odden says in a comment. Benedicte Adrian comments: “I love the way the heavy guitar sounds calm me down and get my creativity going.”

The album Waltz of Death will be released digitally on February 26th 2023 – the day before participating in the Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest – and on CD & LP in April.
The title track will also be released as a limited edition 7″ single on March 1st, with a demo version as an exclusive B-side.

More information at https://www.facebook.com/mistramusic