Oslo's RED HARVEST kicked off their career with distinct Thrash Metal leanings but had introduced Industrial elements with each successive release. The band held its roots in the late eighties Heavy Metal band ARCTIC THUNDER, formulated in February 1987 by vocalist / guitarist Jimmy, bassist Thomas Brandt and with drummer Cato Bekkevold, also having credits with DEMONIC. ARCTIC THUNDER persevered until 1989, after which the members formulated RED HARVEST, pulling in second guitarist Jan Nygård.

The band debuted with the demos 'Occultia' in December 1989 and 'Psychotica' in 1990. The following year RED HARVEST performed its inaugural concert outside of Norway, at Sveadale in Sweden. Recording for the Black Mark label the band had its commercial debut, the album 'Nomindsland', issued in April 1992. Touring to promote this release included UK support gigs to CADAVER, one or two of these gigs also seeing a fledging CRADLE OF FILTH on the billing.

Contracting to new record label Voices Of Wonder the group, utilising studio keyboards from Lars R. Sørensen, crafted a second album 'There's Beauty In The Purity Of Sadness'. A promotional video was filmed for the track 'Wounds' but promptly banned from Norwegian television due to its explicit content, depicting executions and human suffering. Strangely, MTV in the USA did air the clip. Further product included the donation of three tracks to the 'The Reincarnation Of The Sun' compilation on Dunkel Records. Gigs in Norway were to be capitalised on by a series of German dates but these would be cancelled due to illness on Bekkevold's part.

In 1994 RED HARVEST guitarist Jan F. Nygaard departed and the group had added guitarist Ketil Eggum of DUNKELHEIT and keyboard player Lars R. Sørensen, their former studio colleague. This version of RED HARVEST laid down the 1995 EP 'The Maztür Nation', promoted by a video clip for the track 'Enlighten The Child' and touring across Europe. Third album'Hybreed' emerged in 1996, once again bolstered by a video, to 'The Burning Wheel', and gigs across Europe.

Drummer Cato Bekkevold would bow out upon completion of support gigs with TYPE O NEGATIVE during 1997, subsequently scoring credits with ENSLAVED and ASHES TO ASHES. Under the pseudonym 'CA-2' Bekkevold had also sessioned on the 2002 SIRIUS album 'Spectral Transition - Dimension Sirius'. New man behind the drum kit would be TRIVIAL ACT's Erik Wroldsen. The band soon egaged themselves in the studio yet again, producing the EP 'New Rage World Music' in 1998. A label switch to the Nocturnal Art imprint the following year would be marked by the delivery of the fourth album opus 'Cold Dark Matter', featuring DARKTHRONE's Fenriz as guest musician, in 1999. RED HARVEST supported MAYHEM on their September 2000 European dates, which saw the band traversing ten countries. 'Cold Dark Matter' found a North American outlet via Relapse Records, this variant adding bonus material culled from 'New Rage World Music'.

RED HARVEST's 1999 album 'New Rage World Music' would be re-issued in 2001 by Nocturnal Art Productions with a bonus live version of 'Absolut Dunkel:Heit' recorded in Vienna and studio tracks which included a guesting Maniac from MAYHEM on vocals. That Summer work on a follow up album commenced and in December producer Neil Kernon travelled to Norway to commit 'Sick Transit Gloria Mundi' (a slight bastardisation of Latin for 'Thus Passes The Glory Of The World') to tape. Norwegian and UK gigs ensued and such was the acclaim garnered by the band that RED HARVEST found themselves nominayed for Norwegian Grammy awards.

RED HARVEST keyboard player Lrz (Lars R. Sorensen) surfaced as part of the hard hitting Black Metal trio MEZZERSCHMITT for the 'Weltherrschaft' EP. Although anonymous this project saw Lrz working alongside MAYHEM guitarist Blasphemer ('Herr Schmitt') and drummer Hellhammer ('Hauptmann Hammer'). Sorensen also sessioned for SIRIUS. Another side venture found the RED HARVEST pairing of Thomas 'Bølla' Brandt and Bolt Bergsten forging traditionalist Thrash outfit WAKLEVÖREN.

British shows in late 2002 saw a batch of shows in December headlined by THE BERZERKER and including LABRAT and INSISION. A limited edition remix single, shared as a split release with ZYKLON, surfaced in March 2003. The band undertook a November European package tour, allied with AETERNUS and 1349. August saw the band utilising the internet as media with a web only release 'Antipax Mundial Total', comprising remixes and video footage.

The 2004 RED HARVEST opus 'Internal Punishment Programs', promoted with a promotional video for the track 'Anatomy Of The Unknown', was recorded at Subsonic Society Studios and mixed by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg. Nocturnal Art Productions issued the record in Europe during September whilst Candlelight handled an early October US release.

In March 2005 RED HARVEST amicably parted ways with Nocturnal Art Productions. The band signed to the French concern Season Of Mist in April. September shows in Europe and Scandinavia had the band forming up a package comprising ARCTURUS, NATTEFROST, CONFESSOR and TSJUDER. European and Scandinavian touring commencing late September had the band in alliance with ARCTURUS for the 'Shipwrecked In Europe' dates. The band also made studio time to record a cover version of RAMONES' 'Somebody Put Something In My Drink" for the 'Scandinavian Tribute to The Ramones' tribute album.

RED HARVEST teamed up with SUSPERIA and GRIMFIST for a UK tour in October 2006. A new album, 'A Greater Darkness', was set for February 2007 release. The band performed 'A Greater Darkness' in full at an album release party concert held on February 23rd at Club Maiden in Oslo.

RED HARVEST played a 20th-anniversary concert in Oslo at the Spacebunker on 24th October 2009.