In 1993, Taake mastermind Hoest formed the band under the name Thule, releasing two demos; 'Der Vinterstormene Raste' in 1993 and 1994's 'Omfavnet Av Svarte Vinger'. Shortly afterwards, Thule became Taake (meaning 'Fog' in English), a name which better reflected the band's music and the area where Hoest was from; the mountains of Bergen, Norway.
The first full-length album, 'Nattestid Ser Porten Vid', was originally released in 1999. The album was written entirely by Hoest, who was joined by a session musician, Tundra, to perform bass and drums. It was recorded 1997/98 at the legendary Grieghallen Studios (Immortal, Mayhem, Gorgoroth) with Pytten.
?Nattestid'' was a stellar introduction to Taake's unusual brand of cold and yet surprisingly melodic, at times complex composition - Both grim and clean vocals and icy riffs and atmospherics combining for a truly dark experience. The lyrics were also written and sung in old Norwegian and with an execution compared to the likes of earlier Darkthrone, Immortal or Satyricon, 'Nattestid'' quickly became a highly regarded classic album of True Norwegian Black Metal.
