At least two artists: 1) Black Metal from the US 2) KrautWave Duo from Germany. 1) Formed in January 2006, Afar began as Alx (bass) and Slaughterfaust (guitar) playing with a drum machine. After a long search, a competent drummer was found, and a vocalist followed shortly after. The musical style changed from symphonic black metal to include technical elements in 2007, with experimentation with odd timings, inspired by the band's musical diversity. The band is based out of Lowell, Massachusetts.