Bio
SHADOW DANCERS was formed in Norway in 1993. S. Culto Occultus (aka Cultoculus, Satan, The Cowboy and a whole lot of other names) had before this time been in several Deathrash bands (THYABHORRENT and PERDITION HEARSE to name a few) and had started to get interested in other music genres and wanted to create something different. He talked with a couple of persons who used to hang out at his place and as a 3-piece they started to put some songs together. From 93 till 96 several KZs were recorded and towards the ending of the 90s a couple of different CDs were released in The Netherlands and Italy (see Discography for more info about these recordings and releases).
SHADOW DANCERS didn't show much interest in playin live, but the band had whatsoever done a couple of performances during the 90s that were considered unexpected and ususual among those attending these shows. Some videos had also been made to make their ways of appearance to be recorded to make the future generation be able to go back in time and see for themselves some examples of what was happening in the 90s.
When Rym and Jontho (both from RAGNAROK) joined SHADOW DANCERS it seemed like the band had found a sound-picture that would represent them in the right way and even re-recordings of old songs bear a proof of that. The music style had during the 90s been described as Obscure and Melancholic Indie Rock with Gothic and Metal Influence, but to make things a bit shorter and easier the style is now, in 2025, described as Dark Metal Dep Rock. The people who have heard some test-recordings of new songs say it is a great variation still in both the music and vocals, and that's what's the most appreciated about the SHADOW DANCERS band, to not be stuck in one special genre box.
Vocalist S.C.O. has approximately 20 songs he wanted to record in a proper way and involved the Italian Prog Metal guitar-player Gabriele Pala for this in the year 2023. S.C.O. was singing on one song of Pala's GOLDENSEED «The War Is In My Mind» 2012 CD and they have now made recordings of several songs, original SHADOW DANCERS material and some cover-songs. In the summer of 2024 a drummer based in Switzerland was introduced to the new SHADOW DANCERS. He is known for his participation in and with several Extreme Metal bands before and in this time of writing he is recording drums on new SHADOW DANCERS material. His name is M:A Fog (MORTUARY DRAPE, OPERA IX, BLACK FLAME, GLORIOR BELLI). SHADOW DANCERS aim to have a new full-length album recorded and released. When it all will be finished and which songs will be chosen we yet do not know. More info will follow soon and if things go as planed it will probably be a pre-release of some of the songs out some time in 2025.
S. Culto Occultus
Vocals
Started as Vocalist in various Extreme Metal bands in Norway in the late 80s. Has been apart of more than 30 releases, incl THYABHORRENT and PERDITION HEARSE. His great variation in singing style varies from incredible melancholic, crying to the most intense, brutal and sharp underground screams..with dirty Rock'n'Roll sounds in between. Editor of SEPULCHRAL NOISE zine.
Gabriele Pala
String-instruments
Prog Metal guitar player located near the Trieste area, Italy. Has been apart of a whole lot of releases of various genres ever since the mid 90s, including KARNAK and GOLDENSEED. Masters playing on various instruments, from 4-Strings to 12-Strings and Synth. He even creates some of his own instruments and is also a graphic artist.
M:A Fog
Drums
Drummer from Italy, now located in Switzerland. Has played in and with a long range of Extreme Metal bands in Italy and Norway, live and in studio, and appeared on a long list of releases the last 25 years. Some bands he's been involved with are OPERA IX, MORTUARY DRAPE, BLACK FLAME, GLORIOR BELLI, SLAVIA and DEAD TO THIS WORLD.
Shadow Dancers Regional
Activities In The Past
Even the band was only located in Norway in the 90s, quite a few different members have been in the band, and the band-history used to be refered to with various chapters, bearing a reference to the things that happened of variation.
Join our mailing list
Be the first to get all upcoming news from The Shadow Dancers.
Photos: J. Lorentz S. and Eric Da Roit and more.