Ragnarok

Genre(s): Black Metal
Formed: 1994
Representative Albums: Nattferd, Diabolical Age and Blackdoor Miracle





Ragnarok is a Norwegian black metal band. The band was formed in Sarpsborg, Norway in 1994 by Jerv and Jontho, after they left Thoth, their previous band. Lyrical themes include paganism, Vikings, anti-Christianity, and Satanism. The band's name comes from the Old Norse word ragnarok, which in Norse mythology refers to a prophesied war of the gods.

History

Ragnarok made a name for themselves locally by recording demo tracks and a compilation album including the song Et Vinterland i Nord with their original lineup, consisting of Jerv on bass, Jontho on drums, Rym on guitar and Thyme as the vocalist. The band received good feedback for their demo work and soon signed to the cult label Head Not Found Records, who released Ragnarok's debut album Nattferd in 1995.

The band was generally dissatisfied with Head Not Found Records, and intended to leave in 1996, but were persuaded to sign a contract for two more albums after the label offered them a much better deal. Unfortunately, this deal meant that Ragnarok was forced to turn down a deal with Century Media, who expressed interest in signing the band after a show in Oslo later that same year.

In 1997, work was begun on Ragnarok's second album, titled Arising Realm, which featured Shagrath of the band Dimmu Borgir on keyboards. In 1998, Ragnarok went on tour for the first time, playing eight shows in Denmark and Germany in addition to the Hellraiser Festival in Leipzig. At the end of the year Ragnarok started recording Diabolical Age, their third album. Diabolical Age was not finished until late in 1999, and by the time it was actually released Thyme had left the band, to be replaced by vocalist Astaroth, and Sander had joined as a second guitarist. It was soon clear, however, that Sander was not cut out to perform with the band, so he was kicked out and replaced with Lord Arcamous shortly after the eventual release of Diabolical Age in 2000.

Later in 2000, Ragnarok embarked on a short tour with Swedish band Satanic Slaughter, in the course of which it became clear that Astaroth was not capable of continuing on with the band. He was kicked from the band after the tour. Lord Arcamous filled in as vocalist for the recording of the album In Nomine Satanas on Regain Records, but he himself was replaced with Hoest of the band Taake in 2002.

After Hoest joined the band, Ragnarok was finally able to go on tour and perfect their sound for their next album. Blackdoor Miracle was recorded in 2004, and both the band and its fans were pleased with the results.

After a renewal of the lineup the only remaining old member, drummer Jontho, announced they will start touring with the new lineup and are planning for a new album through Regain Records early 2009.

Current members




• HansFyrste - vocals
• Brigge - guitar
• Decepticon - bass and backing vocals
• Jontho - drums

Former Members

• Høest - vocals 1999 - 2008
• Thyme - vocals 1994 - 1999
• Astaroth - vocals 2000 - 2001
• Lord Arcamous - vocals 2001 - 2002
• Sander - rhythm guitar 1999 - 2000
• Jerv - bass 1994 - 2007
• Rym - guitar 1994 - 2007

Discography

• Et Vinterland i Nord demo (1994)
• Pagan Land demo (1995)
• Nattferd (1995)
• Arising Realm (1997)
• Diabolical Age (2000)
• In Nomine Satanas (2002)
• Blackdoor Miracle (2004)
• Collectors Of The King (2009)

Gehenna

• Genre(s): Black Metal
• Representative Albums: "WW," "Through the Veils of Darkness," "Through"




Biography

According to some gospels, when Jesus Christ referred to Hell, he often used the word Gehenna, which was actually the name of Jerusalem's garbage dump -- where fires were constantly kept burning to cope with the city's refuse. Fast forward roughly 2,000 years and the name was adopted by one of Norway's most influential black metal bands, which formed in the town of Stavanger, in January 1993, in the wake of local forefathers Mayhem's ascendance, and integrated a now heralded generation also including such contemporaries as Emperor, Enslaved, Darkthrone, and Ulver. Initially comprising vocalist/guitarist Sanrabb, guitarist/bassist Dolgar (real name Steffen Simenstad), and drummer Sir Vereda, the initially nameless project that would become Gehenna recorded a pair of demos, Black Seared Heart and Ancestors of the Darkly Sky, in their first year, before earning their Scandinavian black metal stripes in dubious fashion when the drummer joined several other more prominent scene members behind bars. Even so, by the following year, Sanrabb and Dolgar had drafted bassist Svartalv, keyboardist Sarcana, and drummer Dirge Rep (aka Per Husebø), played their first local shows, and recorded a debut mini-album entitled First Spell for Head Not Found Records. Still widely regarded to be their definitive work, First Spell showcased a unique style of black metal, both somber and melodic in nature, and earned the group a new recording contract with Cacophonous Records, which also released subsequent efforts Seen Through the Veils of Darkness (1995) and Malice (1996) to serious acclaim in the underground metal world. But Gehenna almost came to a grinding halt in 1997, when internal tensions led to Svartalv's departure to found thrash band Nocturnal Breed, Dirge Rep's defection to Enslaved, and Sarcana's retirement from the scene. Sanrabb and Dolgar would re-emerge the following year with a new album entitled Adimiron Black for Moonfog Productions, and new members E.N. Death (bass), Blod (drums), and Damien (keyboards), but the latter would soon be dismissed due to Gehenna's distinctly more aggressive sound. In fact, by the release of 2000's Murder, Gehenna had reinvented themselves as a death metal band, leaving many observers puzzled. Come 2005's WW, they'd once again returned to their haunting black metal roots, but time has yet to tell whether their fans returned to it with them.

History:

Gehenna is a Norwegian Death/Black metal band. Gehenna was formed in January, 1993 by original members Sanrabb, Dolgar, and Sir Vereda. Their first demo, entitled Black Seared Heart, was recorded between the 3rd and 7th of June 1993 in Soundsuite Studios, and was released as a cassette. Around this same time, a 7" titled Ancestors of The Darkly Sky was released by Necromantic Gallery Productions.
Shortly after the release of these two recordings, Sir Verada left the band due to legal problems, and was replaced by Dirge Rep. The band also enlisted Svartalv as bass player during this time.

Up until this time, the band had yet to play any live shows. It was not until February, 1994 that the band made their live debut.
In 1994 Sarcana joined the band and added keyboards to the mix.
In March, 1994, the band entered Soundsuite Studios to record their debut album, First Spell. It was released as an MCD on Head Not Found Records. First Spell generated a larger fan-base for the band, and led to them signing 2-album record deal with Cacophonous Records.

In 1995, Gehenna released their second full-length, Seen Through The Veils of Darkness. This record featured a guest appearance by Garm of Arcturus and Ulver doing vocals on the track Vinterriket. This release cemented Gehenna as a strong band in the black metal scene.

Shortly before the release of Gehenna's next record, Svartalv left the band. Noctifer, who had joined the band as Svartalv's replacement, was unable to meet the demands of being a member of Gehenna. After 6 months, during the recording sessions of Gehenna's third release, Noctifier left the band.
E.N. Death, a friend of the band, was asked to sit in as a session bassist to finish the recording. After also joining the band on tour, he was asked to join the band full-time.

In 1996, Gehenna's third release, Malice, was released on Cacophonous Records.
Sarcana and Dirge Rep both left the band shortly after a touring in support of Malice. Damien was added as Sarcana's replacement on keyboards and Blod took up drumming duties.

With the new members, Gehenna's sound changed a bit. Blod brought a death metal background with him, and it influenced Gehenna in a much heavier way.
In 1998, Gehenna signed to Moonfog Productions and immediately released an EP Deadlights, which was a sample to their fans of what to expect from the newer Gehenna material. This EP was later followed by their Moonfog debut LP, Adimiron Black.
During their tenure with Moonfog Productions, Gehenna would also release Murder 2000 and WW 2005.

In late 2005 Gehenna signed with ANP Records.

In December, 2007, Gehenna announced that the previous contract signed with ANP Records was cancelled and that Gehenna signed with Norwegian based "Indie Recordings". Dirge Rep was also announced as a full-time member.
According to a message posted by the band on their official MySpace page in June 2009, "Gehenna is currently writing new material for a yet untitled album. We hope to have it recorded by the end of 2009. Some work / track titles are : The Blooding, Melek, Stillborn, Claws of Obedience, Death's Emblem, Liber Torquere (Leviathan Rising)".

Members











• Sanrabb - Vocals, Guitars
• Dolgar - Vocals, Bass
• Amok, Guitars
• Dirge Rep, Drums

Former members

• Blod (1998-2001) - Drums
• Damien (1998-1999) - Keyboards
• Dirge Rep (Per Husebø) (1993-1997 2007-) - Drums
• E.N. Death (Frode Sivertsen) (1996-2000) - Bass
• Frost - Session Live Drums
• Kine (2000-2005) Synths
• Nekro - Guitars
• Noctifer (1996) - Bass
• S. Winter - Drums
• Sarcana / Nina (1994-1997) - Keyboards
• Sir Vereda (1993) - Drums
• Svartalv / Kenneth (1993-1996) - Bass

Discography

• Ancestor Of The Darkly Sky (EP), 1993
• Black Seared Heart (demo), Necromantic Gallery Productions 1993
• First Spell (Full-length), Head Not Found Records 1994
• Seen Through The Veils of Darkness (The Second Spell) (Full-length),

Cacophonous Records 1995

• Malice (Our Third Spell) (Full-length), Cacophonous Records 1996
• Black Seared Heart (Re-Release of BSH Demo, with bonus tracks), Holycaust

Records 1996

• Deadlights (EP), Moonfog Productions 1998
• Adimiron Black (Full-length), Moonfog Productions 1998
• Murder (Full-length), Moonfog Productions 2000
• WW (Full-length), Moonfog Productions 2005


Official page: http://www.ludewigs.net/gehenna/

http://www.myspace.com/gehennaofficial

Keep of Kalessin

• Genres: Black Metal
• Representative Albums: "Kolossus," "Armada," "Through Times of War"

Biography

During their first incarnation, Norway's Keep of Kalessin were comprised of vocalist Ghâsh, guitarist/keyboardist Obsidian C., bassist Warach, and drummer Vyl, and released a pair of quite competent -- but also rather typical -- Scandinavian black metal albums in 1997's Through Times of War and 1999's Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark. Neither LP made much of an impact outside the extreme metal scene itself, and so the bandmembers went their separate ways, as Obsidian C. (real name Arnt Grønbech) accepted a position as touring guitarist with Satyricon, while continuing to write his own songs on the side. These he eventually recorded with the help of Satyricon drummer Frost and black metal vocalist-for-hire extraordinaire Attila Csihar (Mayhem, Aborym, etc.) and released under the Keep of Kalessin name as 2003's Reclaim EP, featuring three lengthy tracks of eclectically spiced black metal. One year later, Grønbech and keyboardist Steinar Gundersen were arrested in Canada on rape accusations while touring with Satyricon, but all charges were soon dismissed as unfounded and, by 2006, Grønbech was ready to release a third full-length Keep of Kalessin CD, Armada, featuring new cohorts Thebon on vocals, Wizziac on bass, and Vyl (aka Vegard Larsen) on drums.

History:

Keep of Kalessin is a black metal band from Trondheim, Norway formed in 1993. The group's early lineup consisted of Ghash on vocals, Obsidian C. on guitars and keyboards, Warach on bass, and Vyl on drums. They released two albums under this lineup: Through Times of War in 1997, and Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark in 1999, before splitting up. Obsidian C. then toured with Satyricon, but revived the Keep of Kalessin name for a 2003 EP, Reclaim. In 2006 he reconstituted the group with a new lineup and released a third full-length, Armada. They toured with Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir early in 2008. Their fourth album Kolossus was released on June 6, 2008. They take their name from Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series of books, where Kalessin is the name of the arch-dragon who is the bearer of the Earthsea world.

Obsidian C. announced in the Studio Report 4 video of Kolossus that they're already working on some new songs for the next album.


“I think we'll have maybe one week of vacation after these recording sessions are done before we start recording the next album again. We have written songs for the new album, so hopefully the fans won't need to wait more than a year between Kolossus and the next one”

Keep of Kalessin was nominated for a Spellemannprisen in the metal category in 2008.

Other than most black metal bands, Keep of Kalessin is in its harshness still melodical and technical oriented. Unlike the traditional Norwegian black metal, Keep of Kalessin also makes use of other instruments like the piano, keyboards and synthesizers. They started experimenting with a new sound which gave Keep of Kalessin its new character after Obsidian C. recruited the new band-members Thebon, Wizziac and Vyl for their album Armada in 2006, the follow-up after Reclaim in 2003. Before Reclaim, the band had a much darker and colder character because of the different line-up they had back in the days. The line-up split in 2000, though Obsidian C. still wanted to make something of the band and the split-up wasn't the end of the band yet. He wanted to give Keep of Kalessin a unique character and developed its music and improved himself too as a musician and lyrics writer, but the band still needed a drummer which could keep up with his riffing and he couldn't find one in Trondheim. After nearly 3 years, the band Satyricon was in the need of a guitarist and Obsidian C. participated in the auditions and "played the ass off" some other 30 guitarists who also had applied for the job. He made it to the band and came in contact with one of the most renowned, fast and brutal black metal drummers, Frost.

Obsidian C. didn't give up on Keep of Kalessin and as soon as Frost heard its material, without hesitation, he immediately said yes when Obsidian C. asked him to do the drumming on his new EP. As the band's new guitarist, Obsidian C. also toured with the band and this made it possible to recruit Attila Csihar for his EP to do the vocals. This new line-up recorded Keep of Kalessin's new EP Reclaim and sky-rocketed the band into the elite black metal scene of Norway. But the line-up did not last and fell apart because of the distances between the band members. Still, this would not stop Obsidian C. and he was more and more determined to bring Keep of Kalessin to the masses. As part of Satyricon he toured a lot with the band and understood that touring is a must to promote a band. Not much later he teamed up with a new drummer he found, Vyl who had no difficulties to keep up with Obsidian C.'s fast riffing and became part of the band. Now the band still needed a vocalist and preferably a bassist as well. This is when Thebon and Wizziac became part of the band as the band's new vocalist and bassist.

Together, with Torstein Parelius - the lyric writer from their EP Reclaim - the new line-up spend 2 years to prepare and record their next album entitled Armada. This elevated the band up a higher place in the elite black metal scene of Norway and the band finally had a line-up which could last and made the band even more promising than before.

This same line-up recorded in 2007 the new album Kolossus which released in the summer of 2008, demonstrating the band improved their sound after the well received and highly acclaimed release Armada in 2006 which even got some good attention from the more mainstream masses in Norway. This resulted in nomination for the Spellemannprisen in the metal category in 2008. In Kolossus they started to experiment more with different instruments and the band indeed created a unique character for Keep of Kalessin as we now know it.

Discography


Studio releases

• Through Times of War (1997)
• Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark (1999)
• Armada (2006)
• Kolossus (2008)

Extended plays

• Reclaim (2003)

Demos

• Skygger av Sorg (1996)

Band members



Current members

• Arnt "Obsidian C." Grønbech - guitars, synths
• Torbjørn "Thebon" Schei - vocals
• Robin "Wizziac" Isaksen - bass
• Vegar "Vyl" Larsen - drums

Former members

• Attila Csihar - Vocals - (Reclaim EP)
• Frost (Kjetil Haraldstad) - Drums - (Reclaim EP)
• Ghâsh - Vocals - (1996-1999)
• Warach (Øyvind A.Winther) - Bass - (1996-1999)
• Cernunnus (Tor-Helge Skei) - Live guitars
• Kesh - Session Bass


http://s15.zetaboards.com/Keep_Of_Kalessin/index/ Official Page
http://www.myspace.com/keepofkalessin

The Funeral Pyre

Formed: 2001
Genre(s): Blackened Death Metal
Representative albums: Immersed by the Flames of Mankind, Wounds




The Funeral Pyre is a blackened death metal band from La Habra, California, United States. The band has released three studio albums, two EPs, and two split 7" albums, and consists of guitarists James Joyce and Justin Garcia, vocalist John Strachan, drummer Alex Hernandez, and bassist Adam Campbell.

History

Formed under the name Envilent in 2001, The Funeral Pyre was formed in La Habra, California and entered the underground extreme music scenes in both LA and Orange counties. The Funeral Pyre has gained acclaim amongst metal internet press outlets for its Swedish-style melody, ethereal keyboards, and blackened vocals.

Several demos and an early EP were released under the bands former moniker, Envilent, until the independent release of the 2003 EP, October, when the band changed their name to The Funeral Pyre. Soon, the band released its first full length album, Immersed by the Flames of Mankind in 2004, and a merger between Oregon's Leech and The Funeral Pyre was released in 2006, with limited quantities as a split 7" called The First Book Of The Kings, released through Forest Moon Special Products.

The band released their second full length album The Nature of Betrayal on August 22, 2006, recorded at Ulug studios in Costa Mesa, California through Creator-Destructor Records, an independent California based recording studio. In a distribution deal with Prosthetic Records, The Nature of Betrayal was re-released on March 20, 2007, due to decent success on the internet.

Recorded in January and February with producer John Haddad, Wounds was mixed by Erik Rutan and mastered by Alan Douches and was released on May 27, 2008. This was the first album to not feature long time keyboardist, Daniella Jones, who was released by the band for "musical differences", and was in turn replaced by a second guitarist, Justin Garcia. However, the band suffered another loss when Garcia left the band, but soon was replaced by Lanny Perelman, formally of Cerberus, who, left the band as well. The band has more closely embraced black metal entirely with the release of Wounds, as well as later works.

The band released December, mixed and mastered by Ryan Butler at Arcane Digital Recording during December 2008, a limited EP distributed by Creator-Destructor on March 10, 2009. A 7" split with Landmine Marathon was released shortly after through Forest Moon Special Products, showcasing a cover of short lived German act, ACME's song "Attempt", as well as another original song.

The band has their fourth studio album planned to be due sometime in 2010, and former guitarist Justin Garcia is expected to be joining the band for the fifth album.


Current members




• Jimmy Joyce - Guitar
• Alex Hernandez - Drums
• John Strachan - Vocals
• Adam Campbell - Bass
• Justin Garcia - Guitar

Discography

Studio albums

• 2004: Immersed by the Flames of Mankind
• 2006: The Nature of Betrayal
• 2008: Wounds

Singles & EPs

• 2002: Whispering to the Shadows EP
• 2003: October EP
• 2009: December EP

Live & other albums

• 2006: The First Book of the Kings (Split EP)
• 2009: The Funeral Pyre/Landmine Marathon (Split EP)

http://www.myspace.com/thefuneralpyre

Malevolent Creation

• Genres: Death Metal
• Representative Albums: "The Ten Commandments," "Eternal," "Retribution"
• Representative Songs: "Impaled Existence," "No Salvation," "Slaughter of Innocence"




Biography

Arising from the death metal hotbed of Florida in the early '90s (but originally from Buffalo, NY), Malevolent Creation tend to be somewhat overlooked in discussions of groups who helped define the sound and style of American death metal. Initially inspired by the sonic and lyrical extremity of Slayer, the group landed a deal with Roadrunner Records at the dawn of the '90s, featuring a lineup of vocalist Brett Hoffmann, guitarists Phil Fasciana and Jeff Juskiewicz, bassist Jason Blachowicz, and drummer Mark Simpson. Their 1991 debut album, The Ten Commandments, became something of a landmark in the death metal underground, expanding on the early work of Slayer and fellow Floridians Death. Its sequel, 1992's Retribution, was just as strong, featuring two new members added from Solstice -- guitarist Rob Barrett (who replaced Juskiewicz) and drummer Alex Marquez. Barrett and Marquez were replaced by John Rubin (who had been in a very early lineup of the band) and "Crazy" Larry Hawke for 1993's Stillborn, which disappointed many of the group's faithful and signaled an acrimonious end to their relationship with Roadrunner. Those label difficulties nearly broke the band apart, but they eventually resurfaced on Pavement Music with a more progressive, technical approach and an even more revamped lineup on 1995's Eternal. Hoffmann was gone, with the vocals now handled by bassist Blachowicz, while guitarists Fasciana and Rubin were joined by ex-Suffocation drummer Dave Culross. The remixes/outtakes/demos collection Joe Black appeared in 1996, followed the next year by In Cold Blood, which featured guitarist John Paul Soars taking Rubin's place, and drummer Derik Roddy replacing Culross. For 1998's The Fine Art of Murder, Fasciana (now doubling on keyboards) brought vocalist Hoffmann, guitarist Barret, and drummer Culross back to the fold, along with new bassist Gordon Simms. The Pavement label retrospective, Manifestation, appeared in 2000, followed towards the end of the year by the all-new Envenomed. The sequel to Envenomed came out two years later, followed a few months later by drummer Justin DiPinto's last album with the group, The Will to Kill.

History

Malevolent Creation is a death metal band originally hailing from Buffalo, New York. Moving to Florida in 1988, they became a part of the emergent local death metal scene, landing a deal with Roadrunner Records. Their debut album, The Ten Commandments, became something of a landmark in the death metal underground, expanding on the early work of Slayer and fellow Floridians Death.

According to a series of posts published at blabbermouth.net, Phil Fasciana claimed (via several emails he sent to Blabbermouth.net) he was involved in a shootout in which he shot and killed a man who he says was robbing a store he was in.

Members



Current members

• Bret Hoffmann – vocals
• Marco Martell – guitars
• Phil Fasciana – guitars
• Gio Geraca – bass guitar
• Gus Rios – drums

Former members

• Peter Tägtgren - guitars
• Jim Nickles – guitars
• Kyle Symons – vocals
• Jeff Juszkiewicz – guitars
• Rob Barrett – guitars
• John Paul Soars – guitars
• Jason Hagan – guitar
• Gordon Simms – bass guitar
• Jason Blachowicz – bass guitar
• Justin DiPinto – drums
• Alex Marquez – drums
• Mark Simpson – drums
• Dave Culross – drums
• David Kinkade - drums
• Derek Roddy - drums
• Fabian Aguirre - drums

Discography

Studio Albums

• The Ten Commandments, (Roadrunner Records, 1991)
• Retribution (Roadrunner Records, 1992)
• Stillborn (Roadrunner Records, 1993)
• Eternal (Pavement Music, 1995)
• In Cold Blood (Pavement Music, 1997)
• The Fine Art of Murder (Pavement Music, 1998)
• Envenomed (Arctic Music, 2000)
• The Will to Kill (Arctic Music, 2002)
• Warkult (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
• Doomsday X (Nuclear Blast, 2007)

Live Albums

• Conquering South America (Arctic Music), 2004)
• Live at the Whiskey (Arctic Music, 2008)

Compilations

• Joe Black (Pavement Music, 1996)
• Manifestation – Compilation (Pavement Music, 2000)
• The Best of Malevolent Creation (Roadrunner, 2003)
• Retrospective (Crash Music, 2005)
• Essentials (Crash Music, 2009)

DVD
• Lost Commandments (Massacre Records, 2008)

http://www.myspace.com/malevolentcreation

Obituary

• Formed: 1985, Tampa, FL
• Genres: Rock
• Representative Albums: "The End Complete," "Anthology," "Slowly We Rot"
• Representative Songs: "Chopped in Half," "Slowly We Rot," "Internal Bleeding"





Biography

Possessed and Death may have brought death metal to life, but Obituary brought it to fruition. After releasing some demos as Xecutioner as far back as 1986, the five-man band debuted as Obituary on Roadrunner Records in 1989 with Slowly We Rot, and in a word, the album was landmark. The previous forays into what would quickly become tagged as death metal -- primarily by the above-mentioned bands, Possessed and Death, along with grindcore innovators Repulsion and Napalm Death -- were exercises in relentlessness.
These bands took the breakneck abandon of Slayer's Reign in Blood one step further, to the point of sheer, sometimes even ridiculous musical abandon. Obituary, on the other hand, varied their tempo considerably -- and did so at the absolute height of speed metal nonetheless. Yes, the band could play at breakneck speed, but within the same song, guitarists Allen West and Trevor Peres could slow the tempo down to dirge-like levels in a moment's notice, all the while keeping the music as heavy as hell thanks to down-tuned guitars and the snarling vocals of John Tardy. As a result, Slowly We Rot made quite a splash back in 1989, influencing an entire legion of death metal bands in Florida: Morbid Angel, Deicide, Malevolent Creation, Cannibal Corpse, and numerous others now forgotten among the thousands of international bands that followed. In a way, Slowly We Rot was the prototypical death metal album, establishing a template that would come to define the style (one that is distinct from grindcore or black metal, it should be pointed out). A few albums followed -- Cause of Death (1990) and The End Complete (1992) both also very influential -- but by the mid-'90s Obituary had run its course and the band splintered, reuniting now and then. Yet even as the bandmembers went their seperate ways (most notably West going on to much success as the guitarist of Six Feet Under), Obituary continued to stand tall as one of the definitive death metal bands, if not the definitive (a distinction that probably goes to Death, whose James Murphy actually was a bandmember for a while). Their latest, Xecutioners Return was released in August 2007 on the Candleight label.

History

Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1985 in Tampa, Florida under the name Xecutioner and later renamed to Obituary. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph Santolla and bassist Frank Watkins. The band is a fundamental act in the development of death metal music and one of the most successful bands in its genre.



Founded as Xecutioner in Seffner, Florida during 1985, at the time the band was composed of John Tardy (vocals), Allen West (lead guitar), Trevor Peres (guitar), Jerome Grable (bass) & Donald Tardy (drums). They made their vinyl debut in 1987 with two tracks (Find The Arise & Like The Dead) on the Raging Death compilation. Not long after its release Grable was replaced with bassist Daniel Tucker. Shortly before the release of its first album the following year, "Slowly We Rot", they changed their name to Obituary. The band still remains an influential band of the Florida death metal movement that arose in the late 1980s. The 1990 release Cause of Death has been described as a seminal album in the genre, and vocalist John Tardy is recognized as one of the first vocalists to use an abnormally low growl (compared to the screechy growls used by predecessors Death and Possessed). Obituary is listed by Nielsen Soundscan as the fifth best-selling death metal band of all time and its albums have sold 368,184 copies; their 1992 release The End Complete has sold more than 103,378 copies in the United States alone.

After 1997's Back from the Dead album, the band had grown tired of touring, which led to the band disbanding. During the hiatus, Donald Tardy played in Andrew W.K.'s touring band (during W.K.'s appearance on Saturday Night Live Tardy wore an Obituary shirt). Allen West focused on his two projects, Lowbrow and Six Feet Under while not playing in Obituary. Trevor Peres formed Catastrophic in 2001, which released one album, The Cleansing, in that same year. Obituary reformed in 2003 and Catastrophic continued to exist alongside the reformed Obituary. A reunion album, Frozen in Time, was released in 2005. The band's first live DVD, Frozen Alive, was released in January 2007.

Obituary is currently signed with Candlelight Records for its Xecutioner's Return (2007) and an EP, Left to Die (2008). The band has finished recording their next album, Darkest Day, which was released on June 30, 2009. A concert DVD release was also announced for June 2009.

Obituary's guitarist, Allen West, was imprisoned for DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) and released in January 2008. During his incarceration, Ralph Santolla served as West's replacement. It is uncertain whether or not West will be returning to the band.

Members



Current members

• John Tardy - vocals (1984–1997, 2003–present)
• Donald Tardy - drums (1984–1997, 2003–present)
• Trevor Peres - rhythm guitar (1984–1997, 2003–present)
• Frank Watkins - bass guitar (1989–1997, 2003–present)
• Ralph Santolla - lead guitar (2007–Present)

Former members

• Allen West - lead guitar (1984–1989, 1992–1997, 2003–2006)
• Jerome Grable - bass (1984-1988)
• James Murphy - lead guitar (1990)
• Daniel Tucker - bass guitar (1988–1989)

Discography

Studio albums

• Slowly We Rot (1989)
• Cause of Death (1990)
• The End Complete (1992)
• World Demise (1994)
• Back from the Dead (1997)
• Frozen in Time (2005)
• Xecutioner's Return (2007)
• Darkest Day (2009)

Live albums

Dead (1998)


Compilation albums

• Anthology (2001)
• The Best of Obituary (2008)

EPs

• Don't Care (1994)
• Left to Die (2008)

Video albums

• Frozen Alive (2006)
• Live Xecution in Bad Berka 2008 (2009)

http://www.obituary.cc/ Official page
http://www.myspace.com/obituary

Hades Almighty

• Genres: Rock
• Representative Albums: "Millenium Nocturne," "Pulse of Decay"



Biography

Norwegian black metal band Hades Almighty was formed in 1992 by Janto Garmanslund (vocals/bass/keyboards), Jørn Inge Tunsberg (guitar/keyboards), Stig Hagenes (guitar), and Remi (drums), and has since released a string of independent releases dedicated to the form's more primal, gothic and atavistic pursuits. These include 1994's ...Again Shall Be, 1996's Alone Walkyng EP, 1997's The Dawn of the Dying Sun, 1999's Millenium Nocturne, and 2001's The Pulse of Decay -- the last of which was recorded sans the recently departed Hagenes.

History:

Hades Almighty are a black metal band hailing from Bergen, Norway. They were formed in 1992, originally under the moniker Hades. They were forced to change their name to Hades Almighty in 1998, following complaints from an American band with a prior claim to the name.

Hades were formed in Bergen, Norway in 1992 by former Immortal guitarist Jørn Inge Tunsberg and ex-Dark drummer Remi; they were later joined by Janto Garmanslund on bass and second guitarist Wilhelm Nagel. Their first demo, Alone Walkyng, was recorded in June 1993 at Grieghallen and produced by Pytten; this demo was later to be re-released on CD through the Italian label Wounded Love in 1996. In 1993, Tunsberg was convicted, along with fellow black metal musician Varg Vikernes (of Burzum), for the burning of a Norwegian church in Åsane, which led to a prison sentence.[citation needed] Following the release of the demo, the band signed with Full Moon Productions and recorded their first album ,...Again Shall Be, again at Grieghallen, in June/July 1994. Around this time, they also replaced Nagel with Stig Hagenes on second guitar.

Hades recorded their second album Dawn of the Dying Sun at Grieghallen in 1996, which was released through Full Moon in 1997. The band supported the release of this album with extensive touring throughout Europe, as well as in Mexico and the USA.[1] In 1998 the band was forced to change their name from Hades to Hades Almighty, following complaints from an American act already with a prior claim to the name. Following the name-change, the band began working on their next album, as well as playing at the Wacken Open Air festival.

In September 1998 the band released entered Prolog Studios (Dortmund, Germany) to record Millenium Nocturne, released under license from Nuclear Blast through Hammerheart. They toured Europe to support of the album with Immortal and Benediction, and a separate spate of gigs in the Benelux region with Mayhem and Primordial. Their fourth album Pulse of Decay was released in 2001 through Psycho Bitch Records. Hades Almighty signed a management contract with Khaoz Productions in 2003, and a record deal with Dark Essence Records in 2004; the label re-released Pulse of Decay in 2004 with bonus tracks (including a cover of Manowar's "Each Dawn I Die") and a DVD section including the video for the band's own track "Submission Equals Suicide".

Members



Current line-up

• Jan Otto "Janto" Garmanslund (vocals/bass/keyboards)
• Jørn Inge Tunsberg (guitar/keyboards)
• Remi (drums / backing vocals)

Past members

• Wilhelm Nagel (guitar, 1993-1994)
• Stig Hagenes (guitar, 1994-1999)

Discography

As Hades

• Alone Walkyng (demo, 1993; re-released 1996 by Wounded Love)
• ...Again Shall Be (Full Moon Productions, 1994)
• Split with Katatonia (Mystic Production, 1996)
• Dawn of the Dying Sun (Full Moon Productions, 1997)

As Hades Almighty

• Millenium Nocturne (Hammerheart, 1999)
• The Pulse Of Decay (Psycho Bitch Records, 2001; re-released 2004 by Dark Essence)

http://www.hades-almighty.com/ Official Page
http://www.myspace.com/hadesalmightynorway

Bathory

• Formed: 1983, Sweden
• Genre(s): Black Metal
• Representative Albums: "Under the Sign: The Sign of the Black Mark," "Jubileum, Vol. 2," "Jubileum, Vol. 1"
• Representative Songs: "Enter the Eternal Fire," "Equimanthorn," "Dies Irae"




Biography

In a musical realm where scale of influence has little to do with commercial success, few originators of the extreme metal arts evoke as deep a sense of mystery, or incite such hushed, reverential tones of admiration, as Sweden's Bathory. Essentially a one-man operation helmed by the mysterious Quorthon, Bathory's development from the rawest form of embryonic black metal, to thrash, death, and back to its self-devised Viking-themed black metal, has mirrored and regularly defined the genre's very evolution. Indeed, along with Switzerland's Celtic Frost, Germany's Kreator, and Denmark's Mercyful Fate, they easily qualify as one the most important European extreme metal acts of the '80s and '90s. The Swedish-born multi-instrumentalist Quorthon (also known as Black Spade and/or Ace Shoot, although his real name, Thomas Forsberg, is still the subject of debate) formed Bathory in 1983 with sidemen Hanoi (bass) and Vans (drums). These two would soon be ejected, however, just as soon as they'd completed work on two of the best tracks heard on 1984's now infamous Scandinavian Metal Attack compilation.
Influenced by every form of speed metal known to man at the time (which, admittedly, wasn't much), Bathory soon staked a claim as Scandinavia's answer to Motörhead and Venom (from whose song "Countess Bathory" they attained their name). And, like Venom's early work, Bathory too were challenged by the downright primitive recording conditions of Heavenshore Studios (actually a converted car garage and storage space) -- limitations which inadvertently set the rough, uncompromising template that was later carefully scrutinized and accepted as gospel by generations of black metal-metal musicians. In fact, 1984's eponymous debut and its like-minded successor, 1985's The Return were so inaccessible, so unprecedented in their abrasive anti-commercialism, as to be ahead of their time, carving a niche all their own within this quickly developing subgenre. Interestingly, the additional curiosity that Bathory rarely performed live (and never, after 1985), and that these recording provided almost no information about its constituents (which, aside from main man Quorthon, briefly included various anonymous bassists and drummers going by the monikers Kothaar and Vvornth) only added to their cult-like mystique over time. Not even this promising start was enough to sustain Bathory's momentum within such limited stylistic boundaries, however, and, after exhausting the possibilities of rudimentary black metal with his first two efforts, Quorthon realized that a creative face-lift was necessary. Sure enough, over the course of their third and fourth albums, 1987's transitional Under the Sign: The Sign of the Black Mark and 1988's watershed Blood Fire Death, Bathory re-focused its interests -- away from rock & roll-based arrangements and towards a more purely European aesthetic.

Gradually incorporating symphonic elements drawn from classical music into its black and death metal base, by the time of Blood Fire Death Quorthon had abandoned most of the rote Satanic/Christian-bashing lyrics of yore, and embraced the pagan themes and Viking mythology of his ancestors. This anthemic approach culminated in what many consider to be Bathory's finest hour, 1990's landmark concept opus Hammerheart. Part quantum leap, part continuation of Blood Fire Death's sketches, the album in no way recalled Bathory's humble origins, and provided the archetype for 1991's nearly-as-revered Twilight of the Gods, to boot. Confirming the impact of this vision, these three works helped ignite a surge of patriotism through music for countless Scandinavian youths, who subsequently began celebrating their pre-Catholicism cultural heritage. Sadly, while commendable for encouraging a self-contained and highly inventive local scene (featuring Mayhem, Emperor, Darkthrone et al.), this movement also sowed the seeds for future acts of hateful vandalism (as ghoulish as they were absurd) and outright murder at the hands of a small extreme contingent. Ironically, Quorthon himself had by now grown weary of the stereotypes and artistic trappings of the revolution he'd helped galvanize. Feeling uninspired to write any new music in that vein, he abruptly announced Bathory's demise and spent the next two years compiling the Jubileum, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3 collections. When his desire to compose finally did return, the music he came up with was so unlike anything ever released under the Bathory banner, that he chose to put out 1994's simply named Album under the Quorthon moniker instead. Filled with surprisingly straightforward alternative rock, the record nevertheless revitalized Quorthon's interest in heavy metal, and a new Bathory L.P, Requiem (released later that year), saw a return to the simple, brutal thrash metal of yesteryear.

Subsequent Bathory efforts gradually upped the ante once again, as longer songs and more complex death, black, and even industrial metal elements were cautiously added to the mix for 1995's Octagon. In turn, 1996's ultra-doomy, Conan the Barbarian-inspired Blood on Ice marked a return to the Viking metal style, and offered a retooled collection of previously abandoned sessions from seven years earlier. But, besides proving that this epic style was back in his plans, the album's greatest reward may have lain in the extensive liner notes penned by Quorthon. These not only explained the long overdue album's release, but also revealed a significant amount of information about Bathory's until then very murky history -- almost to the point of upsetting older fans' long-held theories and expectations of their hero, ironically enough. 1997's second Quorthon set, the double disc Purity of Essence, arrived next, and again served as a repository for non-Bathory-like ideas; and the third installment of the Jubileum 'best of' series arrived a year later to close yet another chapter, and signal another extended layoff. Inevitably, however, Quorthon resurrected Bathory once again in 2001; his new album Destroyer of Worlds inaugurating a new phase at first characterized by a more streamlined, rock-oriented approach, while striking a mature balance with the grand scope of works past. But those Viking inclinations were once again brought to the fore on the subsequent, twin-album project Nordland, part one of which was released in late 2002, and part two arriving in 2003. Unfortunately, this return to both the style and form of old glory would prove to be Bathory's swan song, when, with a number of as-yet-unreleased demos already under his belt, Thomas Forsberg -- the living black metal legend known as Quorthon -- was found dead in his Stockholm apartment on June 7, 2004, apparently a victim of heart failure. With his death, so dies Bathory, although there is no doubt that his career-long record label Black Mark (owned and operated by Quorthon's father) will eventually unveil any unreleased Bathory material which may still lie in their vaults.

History:

Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by Quorthon in 1983. They are regarded as pioneers of both black metal and Viking metal. The band is named after the infamous Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory.

Early years (1980s)

Bathory was formed in Stockholm in 1983. Founder Quorthon, a seventeen-year-old guitarist, was joined by bassist Hanoi and drummer Vans. After various name changes (beginning with Nosferatu, then Natas, Mephisto, Elizabeth Bathory and Countess Bathory) they finally settled on Bathory. Their first recording deal came that same year, when Quorthon managed to secure the consent of Tyfon Grammofon's boss, who was the main man's father, to record two tracks for the compilation Scandinavian Metal Attack. The tracks which he recorded gained unexpected attention by fans. Soon afterward, Tyfon Grammofon contacted Quorthon and asked him to record a full-length album.

Although Venom's Black Metal, released in 1982, was the first record to coin the term, it was Bathory's early albums, featuring Satanic lyrics, low-fi production and an inhuman vocal style, that defined the genre. Many fans have speculated Venom was an influence on Bathory; however, Quorthon has said in an interview with Kick Ass magazine in 1985 he only heard of Venom after the first Bathory album was released. He also expressed dislike for many influential and popular heavy metal bands at the time, such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. He has also stated the band's early work was influenced primarily by Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and punk rock.
Bathory's self-titled debut album, and the subsequent releases The Return and Under the Sign of the Black Mark, are now regarded as major influences on the Norwegian bands which extended black metal's musical progression and popularity in the beginning of the 1990s.

The first signs of what was to follow appeared on what many fans[citation needed] consider to be Bathory's best album, Blood Fire Death, on which some of the tracks the pace had slowed down to allow for a more epic songwriting approach, said to be an influence on, or initiation of, the extreme metal sub-genre viking metal. The Viking theme was also first introduced on this album. However, most of the musical elements of black metal were still present.

Viking metal years (1990s, 2000s)

With the release of Hammerheart Bathory had changed style towards less aggressive, more epic and atmospheric music; the lyrics dealt with themes about Vikings and Norse mythology. Partially influenced by the American power metal band Manowar, Hammerheart was a landmark album that "formally introduced" to the metal world the "archetypical Viking metal album." The style of Hammerheart was further demonstrated on the subsequent Twilight of the Gods and Blood on Ice.


With Requiem, released in 1994, Bathory changed style once more, this time turning to retro-thrash in the vein of 1980s Bay area thrash bands. In recent years, many critics have seen Bathory's output as increasingly erratic, as the band returned again to Viking themes and, with the Nordland albums of 2002 and 2003, largely abandoned the retro-thrash sound of the mid-1990s in favour of the more popular, more epic style for which they are best known.

In June 2004, Quorthon was found dead in his home, apparently due to heart failure. He was known to suffer from heart problems in the past. On June 3, 2006, Black Mark Records released a box set in tribute to Quorthon containing three CDs of his favorite Bathory and Quorthon songs, a 176 page booklet, a DVD with his long-form video for "One Rode to Asa Bay", an interview and some rare promo footage, and a poster.

Several Bathory tribute albums have been compiled by black metal artists, one of which was entitled In Conspiracy with Satan: A Tribute to Bathory.

Discography

Studio albums

• Bathory (1984)
• The Return of Darkness and Evil (1985)
• Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987)
• Blood Fire Death (1988)
• Hammerheart (1990)
• Twilight of the Gods (1991)
• Requiem (1994)
• Octagon (1995)
• Blood on Ice (1996)
• Destroyer of Worlds (2001)
• Nordland I (2002)
• Nordland II (2003)

Compilation albums

• Touch of Death (Black Mark Records, BMCD26) (1992)
• Jubileum Volume I (1992)
• Jubileum Volume II (1993)
• Jubileum Volume III (1998)
• Katalog (2003)
• In Memory of Quorthon (2006)

Music videos

• "One Rode to Asa Bay" (1990)

Members

Final line-up




• Quorthon (Ace Thomas Forsberg) - guitars, vocals, music and lyrics (1983-2004)

Former members

• Freddan (Fredrick Hanoi) - bass guitar (1983-1984)
• Jonas Åkerlund (Vans McBurger) - drums (1983-1984)
• Vvornth - drums (1989-1991)
• Kothaar - bass guitar (1989-1991)
• The Animal (Björn Kristensen) - vocals (early 1983)

http://www.bathory.nu/x1.htm Official page
http://www.myspace.com/bathoryofficial

Dark Tranquility

• Genre(s): Death Metal
• Representative Albums: "The Gallery," "Skydancer/Of Chaos and Eternal Night," "Haven"
• Representative Songs: "ThereIn," "Punish My Heaven," "Insanity's Crescendo"



Biography

Towards the end of the '90s, Scandinavian death metal -- or at least one branch of it -- began to evolve into a more accessible amalgamation of death-metal intensity, a bit of progressive-metal experimentation, and more traditional late-'70s/early-'80s British metal, with its catchy, groove-oriented riffs and twin-guitar lead lines. Although the style was hardly confined to one place, there was an especially fertile scene centered in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, and Dark Tranquillity was one of its most prominent practitioners. Formed in 1989, Dark Tranquillity honed their chops for a few years, and debuted on records in 1993 with the album Skydancer; their lineup consisted of vocalist Anders Freiden, guitarists Niklas Sundin and Mikael Stanne, bassist Martin Hendriksson, and drummer Anders Jivarp. The band shuffled its membership for the 1995 follow-up EP Of Chaos and Eternal Night; upon Freiden's departure, Stanne took over lead vocals, and was replaced on guitar by Fredrik Johansson. This lineup remained intact for the full-length The Gallery, issued later that year, which helped begin to build an international fan base. Follow-ups Enter Suicidal Angels (an EP) and the full-length The Mind's I appeared in 1997, marking a tightening of the group's sound into a more compact attack; in 1999, Dark Tranquillity departed the Osmose label in favor of a deal with Century Media, which was consummated with the release of the more gothic-flavored Projector later that year. Electronics manipulator Martin Brandstrom subsequently joined the group as an official member, and guitarist Johansson departed; bassist Hendriksson took over for him on guitar, and his spot was in turn filled by Michael Niklasson. Haven was released in mid-2000, continuing the less traditional approach of its predecessor.

History:

Dark Tranquillity is a melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. They are one of the longest-standing bands from the original Gothenburg metal scene and one of the pioneers of the melodic death metal genre, along with In Flames and At the Gates.

Skydancer (1989-1994)

Dark Tranquillity was formed in 1989 by Mikael Stanne & Niklas Sundin who looked at their influences then decided to form their own Band, under the name Septic Broiler as a thrash metal band. Another reason for their formation was that they were bored so they decided to obtain the other three members Anders Fridén, Anders Jivarp & Martin Henriksson in which they all lived on the same street. Since its formation the band has had a fairly stable line-up. In 1990, the band recorded a demo cassette tape entitled Enfeebled Earth before they would change their name to Dark Tranquillity and change their musical style. It was followed by two more demos: Trail of Life Decayed (1991) and A Moonclad Reflection (1992) -- both of which were later remastered and re-released on Exposures - In Retrospect and Denial in 2004. In 1993, Skydancer was released, and Anders Fridén, Dark Tranquillity's original lead vocalist, left the band and later joined In Flames. Mikael Stanne, who formerly played rhythm guitar and provided backing vocals, then became the lead vocalist, and Fredrik Johansson was recruited to take over rhythm guitar duties.

The Gallery (1995-1996)

In 1995, Dark Tranquillity released The Gallery, considered a landmark in melodic death metal, which saw the band tightening their production details to a great extent, and showed that the new line-up was an essential change that furthered the band as a whole.

The Mind's I (1997-1998)

In 1997, The Mind's I was released, which saw a slight change in sound. Before the release of the band's 1999 album, Projector, Fredrik Johansson was asked to leave Dark Tranquillity due to his lack of devotion to the band. Martin Henriksson then switched from playing bass to guitar to replace Johansson, and the band added Mikael Niklasson on bass and Martin Brändström on keyboards and electronics. At this point the band also signed to Century Media Records. Until 2008, the band had remained stable in its line-up and its musical style; blending layers of rapid guitar lines with harmony-rich electronic keyboard washes and extremely precise rhythms underneath Stanne's abstract growled lyrics.

Projector (1999)

In 1999, Projector (later nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award) became the fourth output from the band, and saw a change in songwriting. While retaining growled vocals and their signature death metal sound, pianos, baritone soft vocals, and verse-chorus fashion song structures were now integral parts of Dark Tranquillity's sound.

Haven (2000-2001)

Year 2000 saw the release of Haven which saw the addition of slight electric keyboard sounds, but also abandoned most all of the clean vocals in favor of a slightly heavier sound.

Damage Done (2002-2004)

Dark Tranquillity released Damage Done, and was intended to be a step in a heavier direction, adding thicker guitar distortion, deep atmospheric keyboards, and abandoning soft vocals altogether.

Character (2005-2006)

Character was the seventh release from Dark Tranquillity, released in 2005, and was held in much critical praise. It featured the first music video released by Dark Tranquillity to feature the band itself, with the single "Lost to Apathy."

Fiction (2007-2009)

In 2007, Fiction was released, which in turn, saw a return of Mikeal Stanne's clean vocals, and the first female guest vocalist since Projector. Dark Tranquillity have recently toured with The Haunted, Into Eternity, and Scar Symmetry for the North America Metal For The Masses Tour. They returned to the U.S. during the Spring of 2008 with Arch Enemy. They have also toured the UK in early 2008 along with Omnium Gatherum. They are preparing for a live DVD to be released sometime in 2009. On the band's official website they announced that bass guitarist Mikael Niklasson left the band in August 2008 due to personal reasons with no hard feelings between him and the band. On September 19, the band found a new bassist in Dimension Zero guitarist Daniel Antonsson, who also was a guitarist for Soilwork. May 25, 2009, saw reissues of Projector, Haven & Damage Done.

We Are The Void (2009-Present)

In October 2009, Dark Tranquillity finished work on their 9th studio album, 'We Are The Void', scheduled for release in February 2010.

Members



Throughout their 20 years active Dark Tranquillity have had only three line-up changes and 4 of the original members are still in the band today, although only Niklas Sundin and Anders Jivarp have maintained their original roles as lead guitarist and drummer respectively.


Current members

Mikael Stanne vocals
Niklas Sundin guitar
Martin Henriksson guitar
Daniel Antonsson bass guitar
Anders Jivarp drums
Martin Brändström electronics, piano

Former members

Anders Fridén Vocals
Fredrik Johansson Guitar
Mikael Niklasson Bass Guitar
Session members
Robin Engström – drums (tour 2001)

Discography

Skydancer
The Gallery
The Mind's I
Projector
Haven
Damage Done
Character
Fiction
We Are The Void

http://www.darktranquillity.com/ - Official page

Entombed

• Formed: 1989, Stockholm, Sweden
• Genre(s): Death Metal
• Representative Albums: "Wolverine Blues," "Left Hand Path," "Morning Star"
• Representative Songs: "Stranger Aeons," "Wolverine Blues," "Crawl"



Biography

Scandinavian metal legends Entombed were at the forefront of the death metal uprising, releasing their influential debut, Left Hand Path, in 1990, just as the movement was beginning to proliferate internationally. By the time death metal had become a mass phenomenon in the mid-'90s, however, Entombed had begun experimenting with different approaches, sometimes to much acclaim (as in the case of Wolverine Blues) and occasionally to disregard (Same Difference). Nevertheless, it was the band's debut, Left Hand Path, that held up best over the years. Canonized as a death metal classic -- one of the earliest, in fact -- Left Hand Path's buzzsaw guitar riffs and varied tempos, in particular, differentiated Entombed from seminal Earache Records labelmates such as Napalm Death, Carcass, Terrorizer, and Morbid Angel, who, with their unrelentingly lightning-fast tempos and blastbeat drumming, were more in line with grindcore than death metal. Successive Entombed releases on Earache -- Crawl (EP, 1990), Stranger Aeons (EP, 1991), Clandestine (LP, 1991), Hollowman (EP, 1993), Wolverine Blues (LP, 1993) -- were well received on all counts; however, like many death metal bands of the time, Entombed had to endure a revolving door of bandmembership, most noticably in the songwriting department. To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth (1997) marked a couple major changes for Entombed: it was the band's first since leaving Earache (a celebrated indie with major-label ties) and establishing their own label, Threeman Recordings, and it also was the band's last to feature talented drummer/songwriter Nicke Andersson, who chose to focus full-time on his other band, the Hellacopters, for which he sang and played guitar. Consequently, Entombed languished for a couple years, though Uprising (1999), the first in a series of potent back-to-basics albums to follow throughout the ensuing decade, signaled a return to form (i.e., "death & roll," as it was coined).

The roots of Entombed lie in the band Nihilist, which was formed in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1987 by drummer/guitarist Nicke Andersson, guitarist Alex Hellid, and guitarist/bassist Leif "Leffe" Cuzner (each was around 15 years old at the time, born in 1972-1973). Nihilist recorded a number of demos between 1988 and 1989 (i.e., Premature Autopsy, Only Shreds Remain, Drowned -- all of which were compiled, along with session recordings, and released by Threeman in 2005 as Nihilist [1987-1989]), and these recordings included additional members: vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov (aka L.G. Petrov), guitarist Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund, and bassist Johnny Hedlund. Of particular note, the Only Shreds Remain demo, recorded over the course of two days in December 1988 at Sunlight Studios in Stockholm with producer Tomas Skogsberg, was perhaps the first death metal recording from Scandinavia to circulate widely among the underground metal tape-trading network that at the time was comprised almost exclusively of British and American bands. While opening for the Lee Dorian-fronted lineup of Napalm Death in Stockholm, Nihilist gave one of their demo tapes to a representative of Earache Records. Impressed, the label later offered the band a recording contract. Meanwhile, bassist Johnny Hedlund left Nihilist after the Drowned demo in August 1989, subsequently forming Unleashed, another Scandinavian metal pioneer. Guitarist/bassist Leif Cuzner had previously left the band, for his parents moved his family to Canada.

Nihilist disbanded after Hedlund's departure; with little hesitation, however, the remaining members -- Andersson (drums), Hellid (guitar), Cederlund (guitar), and Petrov (vocals) -- then chose to re-form as Entombed. With bassist David Blomqvist taking the place of Hedlund, the rejuvenated band returned to Sunlight Studios and recorded the But Life Goes On demo on September 23, 1989, once again working with producer Tomas Skogsberg. Shortly thereafter, Entombed was back at Sunlight working with Skogsberg, this time on their debut album for Earache, Left Hand Path (1990), which was comprised largely of reworked Nihilist songs. Bassist Lars Rosenberg joined the lineup after the completion of the album, on which Andersson and Cederlund were co-credited with bass. Of greater consequence, vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov left the band. Entombed in turn recruited Orvar Säfström of the band Nirvana 2002 to sing on Crawl (1990), a three-song EP. However, when it came time to record Clandestine (1991), Entombed's second album, drummer Nicke Andersson assumed the vocal duties; he also wrote the bulk of the album, earning sole or co-credit for each song. For purposes of touring, the band recruited another vocalist, former Carnage bassist Johnny Dordevic. Yet by the time Entombed embarked on the Gods of Grind tour (a showcase of Earache bands also including Carcass, Cathedral, and Confessor) in fall 1991, Petrov had reclaimed his membership as the band's vocalist.

With Petrov back in the lineup, the high-profile Gods of Grind tour behind them, and two acclaimed albums to their name, Entombed went about working on their third album, Wolverine Blues (1993). Once again written largely by Andersson, Wolverine Blues proved a significant departure from Entombed's previous efforts. For one, the band scaled back the velocity of their music, from the breakneck tempo shifts of their prior material (à la death metal) to a crushing mid-tempo groove (à la Pantera circa Vulgar Display of Power). Secondly, the band adopted more traditional verse-chorus-verse songwriting structures with memorable hooks. Plus, the vocals were comprehensible. These changes clearly set Entombed apart from their death metal peers, but the absolutely brutal delivery of the music, especially the signature buzzsaw guitars and Petrov's menacing vocals (more yelling than growling), also set the band apart from the mainstream. Moreover, Earache had aligned itself with Columbia Records, a partnership that promising indie cred with major-label distribution. The six-track Hollowman EP (1993) was the first Entombed release to benefit from the Earache/Columbia partnership; featuring an instrumental version of "Wolverine Blues," the EP drummed up significant interest in the forthcoming album. Released in two versions, one a Marvel Comics promotion featuring Wolverine from X-Men, Wolverine Blues sharply divided fans upon its release. Death metal purists abhorred the stylistic change in direction, while other fans were pleased to see the band push forward creatively into fresh territory, especially now that a legion of similar-sounding death metal bands had arisen in the wake of Left Hand Path. Even to this day, fans remain divided over Wolverine Blues; without question, though, the greater accessibility of the music did attract a new wave of fans to Entombed, and the album is generally acknowledged as a high-water mark for the band, as it would become a regular benchmark for judging the quality of future releases.

Following the release of Wolverine Blues, Entombed toured Europe with Napalm Death and released the Out of Hand single. Bassist Lars Rosenburg then left the band in 1995; Jörgen Sandström, the former bassist/vocalist of Grave, filled his slot. Among other changes, Entombed secured new management, left Earache, and signed to EastWest. This new label deal didn't work out, unfortunately: Entombed recorded a new studio album, but the label didn't release it and ultimately dropped the band for business reasons. The label woes endured by Entombed ultimately motivated them to form their own label, Threeman Recordings, and procure distribution deals for various regions (for instance, Music for Nations in the U.S.). To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth, the band's fourth full-length, was finally released in 1997; Earache concurrently released Entombed, a compilation of previously released non-LP material. To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth was well received (for example, earning a second-place vote in European magazine Metal Hammer's best-of-1997 poll, as well as earning the band a slot opening for Machine Head on tour) and was fairly similar in style to Wolverine Blues, though noticeably rougher around the edges and a little less memorable in terms of songwriting.




Andersson, the band's drummer and primary songwriter, left Entombed at this juncture, choosing to dedicate himself full-time to his other band, the Hellacopters, which was considerably acclaimed at the time. Drummer Peter Stjärnvind was brought in almost immediately, for touring commitments remained, carrying on well into 1998 (including the band's first North American dates since the Gods of Grind tour in 1991). Upon the completion of touring, Entombed worked with producer Daniel Rey on Same Difference (1999); not only was it the band's first album without Andersson's songwriting, but it was their first without Tomas Skogsberg's production. Largely written by guitarist Uffe Cederlund, Same Difference was a clear departure for the band, taking them much further away from their death metal roots than Wolverine Blues had. Whereas Wolverine Blues had divided fans, Same Difference reunited them in disregard, if not outright disdain. Earache once again released a back-catalog item concurrently, in this case Monkey Puss: Live in London (1999), a CD/DVD recording of Entombed from the European leg of the Gods of Grind tour, circa March 1992. An EP of covers, Black Juju (1999), was also released around this time, as Entombed returned to the road, touring with Meshuggah and Skinlab, respectively.

To relief of many fans and the praise of critics, Uprising (1999) signaled a return to form for Entombed, who recorded and mixed the purposefully raw album with producer Nico Elgstrand over the course of only 18 days. A tour of Europe and Canada in support of Iron Maiden followed, along with solo dates. Deemed a classic in some corners, Morning Star (2001) was a similarly raw-sounding effort, though considerably more dynamic in terms of tempo and mood; some likened it to the work of prime-era Slayer. In commemoration of Entombed's 15th anniversary, Threeman compiled Sons of Satan Praise the Lord (2002), a double-disc covers collection that was wide-ranging in source material (from Venom to Bob Dylan). Also in 2002, Entombed performed a special concert at the Swedish Royal Opera House with the Royal Ballet Ensemble; the performance was recorded and later released as Unreal Estate (2004). Co-produced by the band with Per Gunnerfeldt, Inferno (2003) was also similar in sound to Uprising and Morning Star (i.e., raw), though it too had its own peculiarities: a comparison was drawn to stoner metal by some, while others likened the rough-hewn production unfavorably to that of Metallica's ill-fated St. Anger (2003). Stateside editions included a bonus EP, Averno, comprised of extra material from the Inferno sessions, along with a couple videos. Besides a lot of touring during this period, Entombed experienced another round of departures: bassist Jörgen Sandström left in January 2004, replaced by Nico Elgstrand; guitarist Uffe Cederlund left in September 2005, going unreplaced; and drummer Peter Stjärnvind left in 2006, replaced by Olle Dahlstedt.

Now a four-piece, Entombed released the five-song When in Sodom EP on June 6, 2006 (i.e., 6-6-6), and the Serpent Saints: The Ten Amendments LP in 2007. This pair of releases -- the first new material from Entombed in three years, and without the songwriting of Cederlund, who had written most of the band's songs following the departure of Andersson -- fortunately found the band revitalized and as brutal as ever. In general, Serpent Saints was reviewed in glowing terms, with many critics declaring it on a par with Uprising and Morning Star. Candlelight USA, the album's stateside distributor, marketed it as "Entombed's best work since Wolverine Blues!"

HISTORY:

Entombed is a Swedish death metal band which formed in 1987 under the name of Nihilist. Though Entombed began their career as an early pioneer of Scandinavian death metal, by the early 1990s their sound had broadened to include hardcore punk and other influences. This new style would eventually be described as death 'n' roll. Entombed have been influenced by bands such as Autopsy, Slayer, Kiss, The Misfits, Motörhead and Discharge.

Entombed's debut album was Left Hand Path, a cult favorite that established the band as a popular swedish death metal band. The follow-up, Clandestine, was just as popular These first two albums were unique in that they featured what was sometimes referred to as an "electric saw" guitar sound. On their debut, Left Hand Path, it was created using an Ibanez X-series with EMG pickups detuned five half notes, the Boss Heavy Metal distortion pedal cranked to 10 on al dials and a Peavey Studio Pro 40 amplifier. For the follow up, Clandestine similar equipment was used but with a Peavey Bandit instead

After the Gods of Grind tour, Entombed began changing their sound into a mix of hard rock and death metal often referred to as death 'n' roll Although this may have turned off many fans, it established their mainstream and critical reputation. Wolverine Blues and Hollowman are widely considered classics of early 1990s death metal, but were followed by problems with various record companies.
1998's Same Difference was the band's first album without drummer and founding member Nicke Andersson, who left the band to concentrate on The Hellacopters. He was replaced by Peter Stjärnvind. In 1999, Entombed released Uprising, which was very much a continuation of the death 'n' roll sound The follow-up, Morning Star returned to the style of Hollowman and Wolverine Blues

In 2001, the band worked with performance artists Carina Reich and Bogdan Szyberb, and the Royal Swedish Ballet. The production was entitled Unreal Estate.
They have since released 2003's album Inferno, a continuation of the death 'n' roll style that has become their trademark sound. 2006 saw the release of the When in Sodom EP on June 6 (or 06/06/06). The full-length Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments followed on July 9th, 2007. This album is the group's first release with drummer Olle Dahlstedt (of Alpha Safari and ex-Misery Loves Co.), who replaced Stjärnvind in 2006, and also the first without Uffe Cederlund who is now part of Disfear.

Band members



• Lars Göran Petrov - vocals
• Nico Elgstrand - bass
• Alex Hellid - guitar
• Olle Dahlstedt - drums

Former members

• Jörgen Sandström - bass
• Zoran - bass
• Lars Rosenberg - bass
• Nicke Andersson - drums, vocals, bass
• Peter Stjärnvind - drums
• Johnny Dordevic - vocals
• David Blomqvist - guitars
• Uffe Cederlund - guitar, bass

Session and guest members

• Fred Estby - vocals
• Matti Kärki - vocals
• Orvar Säfström - vocals
• Peder Carlsson - harmonica
• Anders Lindström - guitar
• Daniel Rey - vocals
• Östen Warnebring - vocals

Discography

Studio albums

• Left Hand Path (1990)
• Clandestine (1991)
• Wolverine Blues (1993)
• DCLXVI: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth (1997)
• Same Difference (1999)
• Uprising (2000)
• Morning Star (2002)
• Inferno (2003)
• Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments (2007)

Live albums

• Monkey Puss (Live in London) (1999)
• Unreal Estate (2004)

Demos, compilations and EPs

• But Life Goes On (demo) (1989)
• Crawl (EP) (1990)
• Stranger Aeons (EP) (1991)
• Hollowman (EP) (1993)
• Out of Hand (EP) (1993)
• Full of Hell (promo) (1993)
• Contempt (promo) (1993)
• Night of the Vampire (split 7" w/ The New Bomb Turks) (1995)
• Entombed (compilation) (1997)
• Wreckage (EP) (1997)
• Black Juju (EP) (1998)
• Sons of Satan Praise the Lord (compilation) (2002)
• When in Sodom (EP) (2006)

http://www.entombed.org/ Official Page
http://www.myspace.com/serpentsaints

Gorefest

• Genre(s): Death Metal
• Representative Albums: "Soul Survivor," "False," "Erase"
• Representative Songs: "The Glorious Dead," "Freedom," "Dragon Man"



Biography

The leaders of Holland's death metal scene, Gorefest built a substantial underground following over the course of the '90s with a powerful, groove-based sound that often paralleled similar innovations by bands like Entombed and Sepultura. Founded by vocalist/bassist Jan-Chris De Koeyer and guitarist Frank Harthoorn in 1989, Gorefest issued their debut album Mindloss in 1991, with a drummer and second guitarist known only as Mark and Alex, respectively. Dissatisfied with the band's level of musicianship, De Koeyer and Harthoorn jettisoned the two and hired on drummer Ed Warby and guitarist Boudewijn Bonebakker. The move paid immediate dividends; signing to Nuclear Blast in 1992, the band issued False, not only a more consistent and technically accomplished record, but also a much more original one. While False slipped through the cracks in some death metal quarters, enough underground aficionados heaped praise on the record to build Gorefest's cult following. Next up was the live album The Eindhoven Insanity, recorded at the Dynamo metal festival in Holland; the proper follow-up, Erase, was released in 1994 and found the band moving subtly toward more traditional forms of metal, partly through its sure sense of groove. That approach crystallized on 1996's Soul Survivor, which combined death metal with the elegant power and accessibility of '70s British metal. With that, Gorefest's association with Nuclear Blast ended, and the band wound up on the German imprint Steamhammer/SPV. Chapter 13 was issued in Europe in 1998, and it continued Gorefest's interest in classic rock; however, just before the end of the year, the band announced its breakup. Chapter 13 was finally released in the U.S. in 2000.

History:

Gorefest was a Dutch band from the Zeeland region of the Netherlands which was founded in 1989 as a death metal outfit by De Koeyer, Harthoorn, van Schaik and Hoogendoorn.

Within two months of existence these four death metal enthusiasts recorded a death metal demo featuring one of the most low-pitched and cavernous voices ever heard in death metal. A Dutch independent label, Foundation 2000, signed them for one album. Before recording Mindloss they first released another demo in 1990, which also received positive feedback. As a supporting act for Carcass they travelled through Belgium and the Netherlands impressing the metal-scene also on stage. Colin Richardson was the producer of 1991's album Mindloss.

Before they toured with Revenant from New Jersey, guitarist Alex van Schaik was replaced by Boudewijn Bonebakker. Not satisfied with Foundation 2000, Gorefest signed a contract in 1992 with Nuclear Blast. Hoogendoorn was dismissed because of lack of interest and drummer Ed Warby (who came from melodic band called Elegy) took his place just two weeks before recording sessions of False which was also produced by Colin Richardson. The album sold relatively well in the Netherlands and Germany for a band of the genre. In the months to come they completed a European tour with Deicide and Atrocity, playing in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Czechoslovakia and England. In 1993 Gorefest played a show at the Dynamo Open Air at Eindhoven. The Eindhoven Insanity was released soon thereafter, featuring this performance. Also in 1993, they toured America as a supporting act for metal band Death.
Erase was recorded in 1994 with producer Pete Coleman and revealed a more mature Gorefest with a different attitude towards traditional death metal. As a result, public opinion towards Gorefest was divided. Erase ,however, proved to be a success as international sales went well through 1994 and 1995. The band reached a broader set of countries in the following tours.

Rupture with the past

In the Fear EP and Freedom single, Gorefest revealed new tracks showing that they wanted to drastically expand upon the musical changes they had applied in Erase (De Koeijer declared in some interviews that he even had thoughts about taking singing lessons). This would be confirmed in 1996 with a rockish Soul Survivor - a total departure from their roots even showing traces of pop - and a very similar Chapter 13 in 1998.
They even abandoned their heavy image and the graphics for these works were less extreme. Inexorably, fans turned their backs on them and the sales of the album was a relative fiasco, thus they split up in 1998.

Comeback

Gorefest reformed in 2004 and played various summer festivals in 2005. The band then came out with a new album, "La Muerte". They produced the album themselves, with mixing by Tue Madsen from Antfarm Studios.
“Rise To Ruin” is the next chapter in the history of Gorefest. "Rise To Ruin" was released on August 3 in Europe and August 28 in the US. The American release was licensed to Candlelight Records.
On the 15th of June 2009 the band announced that they were calling it quits again, stating that they felt they had gone as far with the band as they could.


Discography


Studio Albums

• Mindloss (1991)
• False (1992)
• Erase (1994)
• Soul Survivor (1996)
• Chapter 13 (1998)
• La Muerte (2005)
• Rise to Ruin (2007)

Eps And Singles

• Live Misery (1992)
• Fear (1994)
• Freedom (1996)

Compilations

• To Hell And Back A Goreography (2005)

Live Albums

• The Eindhoven Insanity (1994)

Members




• Jan Chris de Koeijer - vocals, bass guitar
• Frank Harthoorn - guitar
• Boudewijn Bonebakker - guitar
• Ed Warby - drums

Former members

• Marc Hoogendoorn - drums
• Alex van Schaik - guitar

http://www.gorefest.nl/ Official Page
http://www.myspace.com/gorefest