Bellatrix

Bellatrix is an Icelandic rock group from Keflavík, active from 1992 to 2001. The band begins in 1992 under the name Kolrassa krókríðandi, a name that translates as “Blackassed motherfuckers”, and forms with four sixteen-year-old members: Eliza Geirsdóttir on vocals and violin, Sigrún Eiríksdóttir on guitar, Ester Bíbí Ásgeirsdóttir on bass guitar, and Birgitta Vilbersdóttir on drums.

Early releases and line-up changes

The group releases its mini-album Drápa in 1992. By the time of the 1994 album Kynjasögur, Birgitta Vilbersdóttir has been replaced by Anna Margrét Hraundal on guitar and Karl Ágúst Guðmundsson on trumpet and keyboard. In 1995, the band issues Stranger Tales, which includes English versions of some Icelandic songs and is their first CD released under the name Bellatrix.

Later albums and style

In 1996, Bellatrix releases Köld eru kvennaráð, translated as “Cold are the Petticoat Government”. The album develops the band’s sound further, refining its punk elements and adding a poppier side.

Label release and later activity

The band signs to Fierce Panda in 1999 and releases It’s All True in 2000, also under the name Bellatrix. They then co-headline a British tour with Coldplay before splitting in 2001.