Inspired by Scandinavian one-man black metal entrepreneurs like Bathory's Quorthon, Burzum's Count Grishnackh, and the ubiquitous Mortiis, San Francisco native Jef Whitehead adopted the nom de guerre Wrest in 1998 and soon began self-recording and releasing demos under the Leviathan heading. Within five years, these already numbered more than a dozen and were partly compiled on 2002's Verräter collection; but Leviathan continued to favor short-form demos, EPs, and split releases (with the likes of Crebain, Xasthur, and Sapthuran) in the years that followed, only committing to ...