2003 - The Bohrok-Kal Strike / Mask of Light

Following the defeat of the Bahrag Queens and the Bohrok's return to their hives, the Toa Nuva return to their villages to help the Matoran in the rebuilding process after the damage the swarms caused. However, six new elite Bohrok, the Bohrok-Kal, have arrived on Mata Nui with the intention of releasing the Bahrag from their prison so they can unleash the swarms once again. 

The Kal each steal the Toa Nuva's symbol tablets that grant them their elemental powers, leaving the heroes greatly outmatched. Relying solely on their mask powers and combat skills, the Toa chase the Bohrok-Kal all over Mata Nui and eventually find them in the Bahrag's underground nest. The Kal defeat the Exo-Toa guards with ease before attempting to combine all six Nuva symbols to re-awake the Queens from their prison. 

Before the tablets join, Tahu unleashes a secret weapon; the Kanohi Vahi - the legendary Mask of Time - to slow down time around them so the Toa can retrieve their tablets. The Toa Nuva then use their connections to their symbols to feed energy into the elite Bohrok, making them believe that their power alone can cleanse Mata Nui. However, the Kal's powers soon run wild and eventually destroy them. 

Clean-up begins once again in the island's villages, even to the extent of creating a brand new Kolhii field in Ta-Koro. The Toa Nuva exit the nest, and after hiding their retrieved tablets at secret locations, enjoy a new time of peace on Mata Nui. But worse foes await the Toa and the Matoran…

Weeks later, Takua and fellow Matoran Jaller discover a great Kanohi mask hidden under their village of Ta-Koro. After playing in the Great Kohlii Tournament in the village's new field, they take it to the Turaga who confirm it is the Kanohi Avohkii - the Mask of Light - prophesied to be worn by a seventh Toa with the elemental power of Light who can defeat the Makuta for good and begin the process of reawakening Mata Nui. 

Learning of Takua and Jaller's mission to find the seventh Toa, Makuta unleashes his "sons"; six Rahkshi - robotic suits of armor powered by slug-like Kraata created from his essence - to track down and kill the herald before the seventh Toa can be found. The Toa Nuva battle the Rahkshi all over Mata Nui, who level the villages of Ta-Koro and Onu-Koro in their search for the herald. 

The Rahkshi find Takua and Jaller at Kini Nui as a final confrontation between the Makuta sons and the Toa endues, killing Jaller in its last moments. The death of his friend convinces Takua that he is the true herald. Donning the Avohkii, he transforms into Takanuva; the Toa of Light, and travels underground to Lair Mangai, followed by the rest of the Mata Nui populace. 

Takanuva confronts the Makuta and the pair dual in a game of Kohlii for the fate of Mata Nui. Claiming his victory, Takanuva attempts to take off the Makuta's Mask of Shadows, but they both fall into a pool of energized protodermis and re-emerge as the fused being Takutanuva.

Takutanuva lifts the gate to an underground city for the Toa, Turaga and Matoran enter and manages to revive Jaller, before the weight of the gate crushes him. The Turaga retrieve the intact Avohkii from his demise and use it to revive Takanuva, whereas the Makuta's fate is unknown. Preparing to journey to the city, the Turaga reveal its name as Metru Nui - the Matoran's original home - and go on to reveal that the Toa Nuva are not in fact the first Toa.

2002 - The Bohrok Swarms

After their battle with the Makuta, the Toa emerge from his lair victorious, only to discover that the villain has launched a new threat to the island of Mata Nui: the Bohrok Swarms; six breeds of robotic bug-like drones designed to "cleanse" the island to its former barren state.

The Bohrok rampage across Mata Nui and begin tearing down the regions of each village, forcing the Turaga and Matoran to flee. And while many Matoran are driven under the influence of the Bohrok's brain-like Krana controllers, others find new ways to retaliate against the swarms. 

The Toa begin to collect all eight varieties of Krana from each breed while engaging in combat with the Bohrok and later reunite to travel down to the swarm's underground nests. There, they place the Krana in niches located in each breed's hive, but this alone fails stop the swarms. The Toa later discover and don powerful, sentient robotic battle armor called Exo-Toa which lead them to the chamber of the true swarm commanders; the Bahrag twins Cahdok and Gahdok. While engaging in battle against the nest Queens, the Toa learn that the Exo-Toa are hampering their elemental powers, only after taking them off were they able to re-access them and trap the Bahrag in a cage of solid protodermis (a material created by all six Toa's elemental powers). 

On the surface, the swarms stop in mid-action, and the Matoran begin the process of rebuilding their villages using the Bohrok drones now that their Krana are powerless. The Toa's victory is short-lived when the ground beneath them opens up and plunges each of them into tubes filled with energized protodermis, transforming the heroes into...something new. The protodermis mutates the six Toa into more powerful beings with new armor, masks and weapons and creating the end result -  the Toa Nuva! 

Emerging from the tubes and returning to the surface, the Toa Nuva test their new abilities by combating one another. Their actions lead to anger amongst them and they all think it best to separate and return to their own villages.

2001 - Quest for the Masks

On the island paradise of Mata Nui, a shadow has fallen over the land. The villagers known as Matoran live in fear of The Makuta; an all-powerful being alleged to have cast the Great Spitit Mata Nui - the Matoran's god-like entity of which the island is named after - into a deep slumber. Now, the Makuta has taken control the Rahi, the island's wildlife, to serve him and relentlessly attack the Matoran and their villages. 

One Matoran, Takua - banished from his village due to his lack of work ethic - travels the island looking for stories to tell, earning him the nickname "The Chronicler". On one journey, he finds six ancient stones and brings them to Kini Nui (the centre of Mata Nui) where he joins them together and unknowingly triggers a beacon for six canisters floating in the ocean to wash up on the island's beaches. Once ashore, the canisters burst open to reveal six powerful beings; Tahu - Toa of Fire, Lewa - Toa of Air, Gali - Toa of Water, Onua - Toa of Earth, Kopaka - Toa of Ice and Pohatu - Toa of Stone. 

Carrying formidable tools to channel their elemental energies and donning great "Kanohi" masks of power, the Toa remember nothing of their former lives except their names. Prior to meeting each other, they rebuild themselves on the seashores and travel to one of the six villages on the island, where they learn of the Matoran's war against the Rahi. The Toa soon join the conflict, and with the aid of the Matoran and their Turaga leaders, begin searching for more Kanohi masks; each of which possess a different ability. 

Collecting six each, they exchange their masks for Golden Kanohi, and descend underground to face the Makuta. Prior to arriving at the villain's lair, the Toa form two Toa Kaita (giant beings created when Toa fuse together) to challenge the Makuta's Manas crabs, and battled dark manifestations of themselves dubbed 'Shadow Toa'. The Toa arrive at Lair Mangaia, where the Makuta appears in the form of a Matoran, before transforming into a swirling vortex of rusty machine parts and tentacles. The Toa battle Makuta and defeat him by combining their elemental powers on him. 

Triumphant, the heroes return to the surface, but Takua - who followed the Toa down - discovers a large hive of insect-like nests hidden away from the battle site, revealing a new threat to Mata Nui. He sees the nests begin to hatch, but quickly escapes back to the surface before he can learn more.

Cryoshell - No More Words Acoustic Performance

Cryoshell have recently completed performing acoustic rehearsals of their songs in their home town of Copenhagen, Denmark last autumn. Their a video for a stripped down version of No More Words from their self-titled debut album has recently been uploaded onto YouTube, you can watch it above. It was recorded and edited by Hannibal Lang-Jensen with Christian Faber of the advertising agency Advance and sees the return of lead singer Christine "Lore" Lorentzen, after taking maternity leave from the band. Cryoshell are to release a re-issue of their debut album later this year, more details are to be confirmed.

Cryoshell - Reissue of Debut Album to be Released

Cryoshell have today announced that they are to re-release their self-titled debut studio album later this year under their new record label The Leaders after recently signing to them. The reissue will feature the original track list as well as two new songs by the band; Breakout and a remix of Gravity Hurts both feature Danish singer Tine Midtgaard instead of Christine "Lore" Lorentzen who was on maternity leave at the time of recording. Further details on the reissue's release are to be confirmed.

Happy New Year! - from The Bionicle Blog

With 2013 truly behind us, 2014 is here - the beginning of a new year of life, thrills, laughter and adventure, so enjoy your new year celebrations and the next 12 months in total!

Cryoshell: Re-recording of Gravity Hurts - Listen Now!

Far from its iTunes release, the re-recording of Gravity Hurts featuring Tine Midtgaard was posted onto Cryoshell's official YouTube channel today, you can listen to it above. An offical release date for the song is yet to be announced.