Wadgelmir, whose music and lyrics boasts strong echoes of ancient Germanic mythology, date back to late 1997 and the formation of the band at the hands of vocalist David Havenith, guitarist Tim Steffens and drummer Stefan Müller. The group inducted keyboard player Rainer Misgeld in mid 1998 and this line up recorded the self financed eponymous promotion album. Shortly after Ingo Paulowicz was enrolled as second guitarist and Michael Johann came in on bass. However, Müller would relinquish his position behind the kit and Wadgelmir brought in Stefan Hinsen as replacement. Further changes saw the newly introduced bassist decamping, Misgeld taking on this duty to plug the gap.

A second EP 'Endzeit' arrived in 2001 by which stage the band unit had changed once again, now citing a roll call of Tim Steffens on vocals and guitar, Ingo Paulowicz on second guitar, Rainer Misgeld on bass and Andi Görres on the drums. The band then entered into a period of hiatus, re-emerging in 2002 as a trio of Tim Steffens, Ingo Paulowicz and David Havenith.