Trail of Tears began in 1997, although up until then some of the band members had spent a couple of years experimenting under the name of Natt. After carving out their musical direction, the name Trail of Tears was instituted in the beginning of 1997 and a 3-track demo entitled "When Silence Cries..." was recorded in Jailhouse Studio to great acclaim. The demo prompted a spew of contractual offers from labels around the world and in early 1998 the band signed a two-album deal with Dutch label DSFA Records.
Trail of Tears once again entered Jailhouse Studio to record their debut album "Disclosure in Red", which saw the light of day in November 1998. Heavy touring followed, including European tours and shows with Tristania, The Sins of Thy Beloved, Cradle of Filth, and Biohazard, to name but a few. The touring cycle was crowned with a victorious performance at Holland`s Dynamo Open Air festival. The band then started work on the follow-up album, and having spent the latter part of 1999 crafting the songs, they entered Jailhouse Studio to record "Profoundemonium", which was licensed to Napalm Records in 2000. The band continued to stay active on the touring circuit, completing several European rounds and performing at festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Quart Festival, Eurorock and Metal Dayz.

In the summer of 2001, Trail of Tears signed a 3-album deal with Napalm Records, entering Soundsuite Studio with producer Terje Refsnes in February 2002. The band recorded nine tracks, as well as a cover of Faith No More’s "Caffeine" for the limited edition version of their highly successful third album, "A New Dimension of Might". A very busy touring schedule followed, including full tours and numerous shows in Europe, as well as the first full Mexican tour in June 2003. Having spent over a year on the songwriting process for the fourth album, Trail of Tears opted for a heavier and more extreme approach, which can clearly be heard on "Free Fall into Fear" (released in February 2005). The effort was recorded in Dub Studio in Kristiansand, Norway and in order to promote the album, the band completed a very successful tour with Therion and Tristania, which took them to 14 European countries. They also hit the festival circuit once again, playing Germany’s Summer Breeze festival, among others. It did not take long until Trail of Tears returned to the drawing board. In about a year’s time, they had crafted what would become their most mature and adventurous album to date, "Existentia". The album saw Trail of Tears once again returning to Soundsuite Studio with producer Terje Refsnes in the summer of 2006. It featured guest performances by Norwegian keyboard wizard Bernt Moen and the amazing French vocalist Emmanuelle Zoldan. Prior to the release, the band embarked on their second Mexican tour, an experience which was unfortunately ridden with problems due to severe neglect from promoters and organizers. As a result, founding member Ronny Thorsen was forced to replace members and in the end put together a complete new line-up.

"Existentia" was released by Napalm Records in January 2007 to much acclaim and outstanding reviews. The band followed up with further touring, most importantly with their first ever North American tour, playing nearly 30 shows across the US as well as Canada. The summer 2008 also saw Trail of Tears playing more festivals then ever before, including Wave Gothik Treffen and Metal Mania Open Air. While destroying stages across the globe, the band continued to write material for their sixth album. With newfound energy, power, and a new level of self-confidence, Trail of Tears headed down to Southern France to once again join forces with Terje Refsnes at Soundsuite Studio.

Not unlike the phoenix, Trail of Tears rises from the ashes presenting their sixth album with a newfound strength. "Bloodstained Endurance" unites the best elements of past releases and advances them to a new level. Hard metal riffs and a pulsing rhythm section form the foundation for sweeping and emotive vocal duels between Ronny Thorsen and Cathrine Paulsen, whose unique voice, which can also be heard on the band's first album, delivers the necessary goose bump factor. The duo impressively crowns the symphonically arranged keyboard and orchestral passages. Terje Refsnes of the legendary Soundsuite Studios provides the perfect sound, as he also did on Tristania and Sirenia's most successful releases, while Finnvox gives "Bloodstained Endurance" the final polish in the mastering department. Moving Gothic Metal that distances itself from all clichés-A very impressive renaissance indeed!