User:KasperNielsen88/sandbox

History
Essence was originally formed back in 2005 by four 16-year-old aspiring musicians. The band released their first EP "Art in Imperfection" by the fall of 2007 and the EP was very well-received by both fans and critics. The group began to refine their craft and stage presence by playing national shows and begin to demonstrate a level of expertise far beyond their years. Their determination was rewarded with opportunities to support some of Denmark’s most influential metal bands, including the Aalborg Metal Festival 2009 alongside Satyricon, Dark Funeral and The Haunted.

In February of 2010, Essence completed their debut album Lost in Violence. The band opted to avoid the use of software plug-ins and other advanced studio technology, recording their music with the brutal force of a live performance. The debut release of Lost in Violence was quickly followed by a supporting music video for the track "Blood Culture".

By March 2011, the band was touring Denmark as a co-headliner of MTV and 3rd Tsunami Agency’s NEW ERA TOUR. In May, Live Nation invited the band to support In Flames for a sold out show in Aarhus, Denmark. The group toured Europe with Vader and Krisiun on Massive Music’s Summer Campaign 2011 and after the tour ended, delivered a massive show for 2500 eager attendees as the closer of Roskilde Festival's warm-up days.

In August, the band performed in Portugal at Vagos Open Air where over 6000 Portuguese music lovers showed up to party with the band. The 2011 concert year ended with Essence playing a few headliner shows and appearing at the Aalborg Metal Festival 2011 where they filled-in for Decapitated, who cancelled their show in the very last hour. By the end of 2011, Essence had played nearly 90 shows (festival, support and tour) during their career.

In February and March 2012 the group was working inside the infamous Abyss Studio with the legendary Swedish producer and multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren. Hailed by many as the "Rick Rubin of Scandinavian Metal", Peter Tägtgren is well-known for his contributions to the extreme metal movement. His production credits include an extensive list of black and death metal outfits including Marduk, Immortal, Dimmu Borgir, Amon Amarth and Children of Bodom, to name only a few. Besides his work as a music producer he is also known as mastermind and front man of Hypocrisy and PAIN.

In May 2012 Essence revealed their new songs as special guests at an exclusive sold out show in Copenhagen with Swedish metal legends Entombed. During the summer season of 2012 the band played several mainstream festivals in Denmark while working on getting their 2nd album signed and released. Also, they toured Denmark on the MTV Headbangers Ball, presented by Red Bull Studio and Jägermeister, as last band on the bill and co-headliner, in November.

October 2012 holds one of the most exciting achievements in the history of the band. This month is not only important for the band, but also for the three members personally. After rocking hard for almost 7 years Essence signs not one but two massive worldwide contracts. The first is with one of Europe’s leading booking agencies, Rock the Nation, which holds bands like Kreator, Sabaton and Exodus in their roster. The other contract is with the fast rising record label NoiseArt Records, who will release the bands 2nd album in early 2013. Essence wins the Rock the Nation Award in this month. Previous winners for this award include e.g. Suicidal Angels and Steel Wing.

Current members

 * Lasse Skov – Vocals and rythm guitars (2005 – present)
 * Mark Drastrup – Lead guitar, backup vocals (2005 – present)
 * Martin Haumann – Drums(2005 – present)

Past members

 * Tobias Nefer – Bas, bagvokal (2006–2011)

Demo tapes

 * 2009: Hits From the Bunker
 * 2010: Absolute War: 1939-1945
 * 2011: Front Towards Enemy

EP

 * 2007: Art in Imperfection

Albums

 * 2011: Lost in Violence
 * 2013: TBA

Live DVDs

 * 2011: Live in Violence @ Roskilde Festival 2011

Singles

 * 2011 Blood Culture