Trail of Tears is a Norwegian gothic/symphonic black metal band originally formed in 1994 by Terje Heiseldal, Kjell Rune Hagen, Jonathan A Perez, Michael Krumins, and Ronny Thorsen, under the name of Natt. Through most of their career the band emphasised the use of contrasting soprano and death grunt vocals, except for the release of Free Fall into Fear in 2005, in which the band switched this contrast mostly to tenor and growls, with less frequent soprano passages. The band disbanded in 2013, being succeeded by Thorsen's project Viper Solfa. In 2020, they reformed with old and new members, including previous Sirenia vocalist Ailyn. History Formation and Disclosure in Red (1994 – 2000) Formed in 1994, the band's initial name was Natt; the band recorded a self-titled demo with that name. In 1997 their name was switched to Trail of Tears, in order to reflect the evolution of their sound and the changes that had been made from their initial line-up. The first demo the band recorded was When Silence Cries..., which contained three tracks and was released in April 1997. Guitarist Michael Krumins left the band and was replaced by Runar Hansen shortly thereafter. The release of the demo lead the band to sign a contract for two albums with Dutch label DSFA Records. Their debut — Disclosure in Red — was released in that same year, and touring through Europe followed, alongside Tristania and The Sins of Thy Beloved. Profoundemonium, A New Dimension of Might, and Free Fall into Fear (2000 – 2004) Their second album, Profoundemonium, was released in 2000, and female vocalist Helena Iren Michaelsen left the band soon after, being replaced by Cathrine Paulsen in May of that year. The band proceeded to play in Europe several times during 2000. In the following year they signed a three-album deal with Napalm Records. Their third release, released in 2002, was entitled A New Dimension of Might and was produced by Terje Refsnes (producer of Tristania, Sirenia and Green Carnation). 2003 marked the band's first international concert, in Mexico. Female vocalist Catherine Paulsen left the band, and male vocalist Kjetil Nordhus (Green Carnation) joined Trail of Tears. This move prompted several changes in the band's sound, ultimately resulting in the 2004 album Free Fall into Fear, which was markedly heavier than their previous albums. A tour with Tristania and Therion followed the album's release. Existentia and line-up