Tristania's eponymous EP was released in 1997, and further albums such as Widow's Weeds (1998) and Beyond the Veil (1999), as well as the Angina EP followed in quick succession, and always through Austria's Napalm label. All fared incredibly well across Europe, with Beyond the Veil in particular earning rave reviews, gaining them inroads into North and South America (where they have since toured extensively) and elevating Tristania to headliner status to boot. The band was dealt a potentially crippling blow, however, when Veland departed to form a new band called Sirenia. Yet, they surprised cynical observers by immediately hiring new vocalist Kjetil Ingebrigtsen and rebounding in style via 2001's World of Glass. A longer hiatus followed but, after indulging in numerous side projects, Tristania reconvened in 2004 to record a new album called simply Ashes, then released it through new label Steamhammer/SPV in January of the following year. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi