The seeds for the band started growing many years ago. Thomas (bass) replied to Jimmy's (guitar, vocals) advert in a Norwegian metal fanzine and the two meet in February 1987. Thomas and Jimmy recruited two new band members and they started recording for their first album in the summer of 1991 and the result, 'Nomindsland', surfaced in 1992 on the Black Mark label. The guys toured the UK in 1993 with Cavader, a couple of the gigs had a very young Cradle of Filth on the bill. The result of more writing / rehearsing appeared in 1994 with the release of Red Harvest's second album 'There's Beauty in the Purity of Sadness'. Lars Sørensen helped out during the recording and mixing process for the album, and later in the year he joined Red Harvest doing keyboards and additional drumming. Later in 1994 Jan quits Red Harvest and Ketil (guitars / vocals) replaces him.
The band record an EP 'The Maztür Nation' in 1995 with their 2 new band members. The band tour the EP in several European countries. More gigs follow in 1997, including supporting Type O Negative. Cato leaves the band and drummer Erik Wroldsen is recruited from Trivial Act as a replacement. In 2001 they release 'Cold Dark Matter' to almost unanimous critical acclaim, and a European tour supporting Mayhem took the band to 10 different countries. 'Sick Transit Gloria Mundi' was released in 2002 and got nominated to the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannsprisen) and the alternative Alarm Award. Red Harvest was among the headliners at the Inferno and the Quart Festival. in 2004 ”Internal Punishment Programs” saw the light of day. The album has been followed up with a number of concerts, a headlining gig at the acclaimed Hole In The Sky festival among others, The album was also nominated for “best metal album 2004” at the Alarm Award 2005. In 2006 the band signed a new deal with French label Season Of Mist and releases the DVD “Harvest Bloody Harvest”. “A Greater Darkness” was released February 2007 and showed a more organic band in many ways. And again the album was nominated best metal album at “Spellemansprisen” – the Norwegian Grammy Award.