Bethesda, Formed By Former Members of Veni Domine and Narnia Prepares Its First Album...

A new supergroup is preparing to enter the fray, and it looks like they’re going all out. Bethesda is made up of Germán Pascual (Narnia and Essence Of Sorrow) and Torbjörn Weinesjö (Veni Domine, AudioVision, Cell 9). This project dates back to 2014, but the desire to collaborate did not fade over time, even though life did not allow for such an undertaking in all these years. By 2022, the recordings took on new momentum, albeit calmly, without haste.

Thomas Weinesjö (Veni Domine, Saviour Machine, Nubian Rose) was the obvious choice to join the band, as he is Torbjörn’s brother and a long-time collaborator at Room of Doom Studios. The band was completed with the addition of Gabriel Ingemarson (Veni Domine) on bass. “Looking at the final lineup of the band, it’s obvious in retrospect,” says Torbjörn, “…the pieces fit together perfectly.”
Germán Pascual is perhaps best known for lending his voice to Narnia’s 2009 album Course Of A Generation and for his 2012 solo debut A New Beginning, which marked the beginning of his collaboration with Torbjörn. Germán is a highly sought-after singer who has fronted bands such as Essence of Sorrow, Divinefire, and Heartwind, to name a few. (Germán also released a new solo album in 2025 with Roxx Records entitled “Beyond Our Comprehension,” which we hope to have in hand for review soon).
Torbjörn Weinesjö first joined Germán on his 2012 solo debut, collaborating on lyrics and editing the second music video released, “Seek the Truth.” He is best known for bands such as Veni Domine, Audiovision, Cell 9, and his recording studio, Room of Doom Studios, in Sweden.
Thomas Weinesjö has promoted bands such as Veni Domine, Saviour Machine, XT, Nubian Rose, and the list goes on. He has spent many hours alongside Torbjörn in the studio over the years, as well as on stage.
Gabriel Ingemarson appears on Veni Domine’s albums from the mid-90s, on the Stockholm church scene, and on various projects and recordings. With the reunion of Veni Domine in 2024, the musical bond was renewed once again. Gabriel’s soulful, spiritual, and heavy touch completed Bethesda on all levels.

We had the opportunity to chat with German Pascual about this new project called Bethesda, and he himself told us how things came about: “Bethesda started in 2014. Torbjörn Weinesjö, a long-time friend of mine, had some songs and some ideas to get started. We started working on them, without rushing and without knowing if they were going to be just a couple of songs, or maybe something in my name in the future. We didn’t really know any of that. The first song we did was “I Will Return.” Little by little we continued, just him and me, without knowing if we were going to make an album or start a band.”
The opportunity to hear what a band made up of a former member of Veni Domine and a great vocalist like Germán would sound like piques our curiosity, but Germán adds more questions, obviously good ones: “I would say it’s more like something from the ’70s, in the vein of Black Sabbath or Rainbow, with elements of King’s X or even some Alice In Chains. Those would be our influences, but it’s all based on our perception because we also have influences from the ’80s and ’90s. The mix, by the way, was not done with a modern sound.”
The vinyl edition of Bethesda’s first album will be on heavy, blood-red opaque vinyl and includes a 12×12 insert with photos and lyrics. The vinyl edition will be limited to 250 copies. The CD edition comes in a box with a 12-page booklet with photos and lyrics, and contains two bonus tracks. The design and layout were done by Scott Waters of NoLifeTilMetal Graphics (Deliverance, Nevermore, Flotsam & Jetsam, King’s X, Reign of Glory, Fear Not, and many others).
“Right now we’re choosing the track we’re going to put online before the album comes out,” German told us, “it’s going to be released in 2026, most likely in January 2026.”
And apparently, Bethesda will not only be the release of an album. The band is also preparing to present their material live. “We’re definitely going to do some shows. We’re going to go out and play. We already have a date scheduled at the Light The Dark Festival in Sweden for March 2026!” says German Pascual.
To give you an idea of Bethesda’s proposal, here’s a teaser from the band, giving you a sneak peek of what’s to come from this great project…