Solefald - the name taken from the Old Norse word for ‘sunset’ - was formed in Norway by members Lars Are "Lazare" Nedland and Cornelius Jakhelln in 1995. Possessing a strong penchant for experimentation, Solefald were classified as avant-garde black metal.
Neonism was originally released in 1999 and ventured even further into the realms of genre expanding diversity than the band's debut album (1997’s The Linear Scaffold) in what could be classified as an early example of ‘post black metal’. Prog metal, black metal, punk, classical, jazz, as well as multiple modern styles and influences such as drum & bass and electronica were combined to make an incredibly varied album both instrumentally and vocally. Lyrically the album deals with cultural and social themes, instead of more typical Black Metal topics. This wholly unconventional approach to songwriting marks Solefald out as a completely unique band in the Metal field.