Ondskapt were formed in Stockholm in 2000 by vocalist Acerbus and drummer Nabemih. Their EP Slave Under His Immortal Will was released through Shining vocalist Kvarforth's label Selbstmord Services in 2001, followed by their début album Draco Sit Mihi Dux in 2003, Fredric Gråby aka Wredhe was brought to the band to play bass and additional guitars on that album. Their second albumDödens Evangelium was released through Next Horizon Records and Norma Evangelium Diaboli in 2005. The band completed their lineup with bassist Siavosh Bigonah and guitarist Nattdal. In 2006 Acerbus joined guitarist Nattdal's band IXXI, which, according to Acerbus, rendered Ondskapt "basically dead" for 2 years, since around the same time the band's co-founder and drummer Nabemih had moved out of Stockholm and guitarist Wredhe left the band to join Shining which meant the band wasn't able to record new music or perform live since all other members weren't available to do so, however both Acerbus and Nabemih kept writing new music for their next album and by 2008 had assembled a new lineup to record and perform live with members of fellow Swedish bands Valkyrja and Mortuus, the most notable being future Amon Amarth drummer Jocke Wallgren. The band signed to Osmose Productions, who released the band's third albumArisen From the Ashes in 2010. Guitarist Nattdal left Ondskapt in 2007 to focus on his bands IXXI and Lifelover but passed away due to an accidental prescription drug overdose in September 9th, 2011. Co-founder and drummer Nabemih left the band after the recording and eventual release of their third album, since then Acerbus has been the sole constant member and the band has had a rotating line up which delayed recording any new material for a decade, however and in spite of it the band continued to regularly tour and perform live. In 2017 the band posted their new line up on their official Facebook and announced that this line up will record their fourth album, however in 2019 guitarist Draugr left the band, leaving the line up as a trio that consisted of frontman and guitarist Acerbus, bassist Gefandi Ör Andlät and drummer Daemonum Subeunt, the band later announced that J. Megiddo and J. A. had joined as session guitarists. On May 17th, 2019 the band announced that they would "enter the studio" in mid June to start working for seven weeks on their long-awaited fourth full-length album for a tentative 2020 release, recording was completed in mid October, 2019. They also added guitarist C. B. as another session and live member while J. Megiddo was made an official member of the band.
Style and ideology
Ondskapt are supposedly inspired by Ofermod. Their lyrical themes deal mostly with Theistic Satanism and Death Worship. Ondskapt are, according to their first release Slave Under His Immortal Will, ″merely an instrument of religious Devilworship, thus, the music and lyrics never would exist without the doctrinal as well as spiritual inversion of orthodox faith″. They released a manifesto referring to their Devil worship on their first album and their homepage. They are a part of a newer generation of Swedish Satanic bands like Watain, also supposedly inspired by Ofermod, who put this scene "into a new light" and became the leaders of the Swedish scene. Kvarforth said, "t seems like people actually afraid again".
