Ragnarok, a Norwegian black metal band, was established in 1994 by drummer Jontho and bassist Jerv, who had recently departed from their previous band, Thoth. They were soon joined by vocalist Thyme and guitarist Rym, leading to the recording of their first demo, "Pagan Land." Unfortunately, the demo, recorded at Haga Audio—lacking experience in black metal—did not receive a favorable response.
In 1995, the band recorded the track "Et Vinterland I Nord" for a compilation CD featuring local bands from Sarpsborg. The song gained positive feedback, prompting the band to send it to various labels and media outlets. This led to a re-recording of their demo at X-Ray Studios, which yielded much better results. Shortly thereafter, Ragnarok signed with Head Not Found Records and recorded their debut album, "Nattferd," which was released the same year. They performed their first live show shortly after the album's release.
By 1996, the band felt dissatisfied with their label, leading them to consider leaving. However, after negotiations, they were offered a better deal and re-signed for two additional albums. They played at the notable Elm Street bar in Oslo alongside Old Man's Child, and shortly after, Century Media expressed interest in signing them, but they were unable to accept due to their existing contract. In 1997, they recorded their second album, "Arising Realm," which featured Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir on keyboards. The following year, Ragnarok embarked on their first tour with Swedish band Siebenbürgen and German group Atanatos, performing one show in Denmark and seven in Germany, including a performance at the Hellraiser Festival in Leipzig.
At the end of 1998, they began recording their third album, "Diabolical Age," at Endless Studio in Oslo. During the mixing process in 1999, which required five attempts, Thyme left the band to pursue other interests. Rym proposed bringing in a new guitarist, leading to Sander from Shadow Dancers joining the group. In 2000, the band found a replacement for Thyme in Astaroth. Following the release of "Diabolical Age," they performed at the Under the Black Sun Festival in Germany. Discontent with Sander's performance, the band dismissed him upon returning home. Lord Arcamous was then invited to join them for a tour with Satanic Slaughter from Sweden. This self-financed tour proved challenging, particularly as Rym had to stay behind. Following the tour, it became clear that Astaroth was not a suitable fit, resulting in his departure as well.
In 2001, Lord Arcamous became a full-time member, taking over vocal duties. The band began sending material to labels and soon signed with the Swedish label Regain Records. They entered Abyss Studio to record the album "In Nomine Satanas," engineered by Tommy Tägtgren. Released in 2002, the album was followed by a tour with Dark Funeral, Anorexia Nervosa, Occult, and Tidfall. However, this tour was fraught with issues and was ultimately one of the band's most challenging experiences, leading to Lord Arcamous's departure after its conclusion.
During this period, Jontho contributed drums to Tsjuder’s album "Demonic Possession" and performed with them at the Under the Black Sun Festival. Impressed by Høst's performance in Taake, he invited him to join Ragnarok. After the tour, Høst recorded vocals for a Celtic Frost cover, which was well received, leading to his official membership in the band.
With new material in the works, Ragnarok participated in a European tour dubbed the "X-mass Festivals," alongside bands such as Six Feet Under, Exodus, Marduk, Macabre, Impaled Nazarene, Immolation, Hate Eternal, and Antaeus. In 2003, they entered Abyss Studio to record their fourth album, and they also performed at the Inferno Festival in Norway. The album "Blackdoor Miracle" was released in 2004.
