Mesopotamian Black Metal

* Formed :1993–present
* Genre(s): Mesopotamian Black Metal
* Representative Albums: "Sphynx", "Emissaries", "Djinn"

Melechesh is a solo project started by vocalist/guitarist Melechesh Ashmedi, Guitarist Moloch and drummer Lord Curse were recruited the following year and Melechesh quickly began developing their admittedly extreme but culturally relevant "Mesopotamian metal" by combining Middle Eastern music and history with heavy metal. By naming their first demo As Jerusalem Burns...Al' Intisar and openly admitting to Satanic worship in interviews, Melechesh understandably gained both local notoriety and a police rap sheet, seeing as such heretical behavior is literally illegal in that holiest of cities. Then again, there's no such thing as bad press, and all of this hullabaloo only served to fuel the band's fast-rising underground profile, and scored Melechesh the opportunity to release their The Siege of Lachish EP via the Devilish Music Propaganda label.


In 1996 they re-recorded As Jerusalem Burns for an official CD release with the newly joined bassist Al'Hazred.


This inauspicious debut mostly served to prove that Melechesh's musical abilities had yet to catch up to the controversy that preceded them. By then, their geographic location had also become a limiting factor, Jerusalem not exactly being known for its bustling music industry. So, having tired of nearly impossible working conditions and rare concert opportunities, beginning in 1998 the members of Melechesh, minus drummer Lord Curse, started migrating to Continental Europe: Moloch to France, the other two to the Netherlands. Then, after securing a new record deal with French independent Osmose Productions, Melechesh achieved a major coup when they convinced renowned Absu drummer Proscriptor (real name Russ Givens) to perform on their international debut, 2001's Djinn.


In the end, the long wait had been well worth it, since this landmark release most certainly met, even exceeded, prior expectations for the band's vaunted "Mesopotamian metal." A string of international concert dates followed, and a promo video was even recorded for the track "Genies, Sorcerers and Mesopotamian Nights" before Melechesh finally took some time off to bask in their newfound underground fame. Three years later, they were back with another acclaimed album named Sphynx, and after welcoming new drummer Xul (real name Yuri Rinkel), Melechesh unleashed arguably their finest opus to date in late 2006.


Name


The name Melechesh consists of two words of Aramaic and Hebraic origins, (melech, king) and (esh, fire), a combination which has been originated by the band. The ch is pronounced like the Scottish ch as in the word LOCH or Dutch G(Kh). Another accepted and common pronunciation is MeleKesh.


History

The band’s release in 1995 of the official demo As jerusalem burns!!... and 7" EP The Siege of Lachish attracted attention from both underground metal fans and local authorities. Melechesh were accused of "Dark Cult activities" by the law enforcement authorities of the city of Jerusalem, especially by a frontpage newspaper article which twisted some facts. The charges were eventually dropped.


In 1996, The band released their debut album As Jerusalem Burns...Al´Intisar on an American black metal record label; then newly recruited bassist Al´Hazred completed the line-up. This was marked the band as the first signed Non -Israeli band from the Middle East. And also First international signed metal band from Jerusalem and Bethlehem.


Due to various personal, professional reasons and demographic reasons, the band members had to relocate. 1998 armed with a new promo CD "Mesopotamian Metal" and after a farewell gig in Jerusalem - The Holy Land, Melechesh relocated to France and the Netherlands . Lord Curse remained in Jerusalem and later moved to the USA to continue with his Art studies (and now works for George Lucas' ILM company), hence, the band had to recruit a new drummer. Absu mainman and drummer Proscriptor soon filled the vacant position. From that point on, Melechesh have released two full-length albums: Djinn (2001), dealing with Mesopotamian mythology, and Sphynx (2003), dealing with Mesopotamian/Sumerian mythology while always keeping the dark and Near Eastern occult themes close to their hearts. The band recorded their fourth and highly acclaimed album Emissaries which is available in Europe (Osmose Productions) and by The End Records in the United States and Canada . Meanwhile, Xul has replaced Proscriptor as the band’s fulltime drummer. A film is being made about the founding member's plight to create the band. There is no set date for the release of the film as of yet. Curious spirits can read Ashmedi's biographical articles which reveal very personal information about Melechesh's mainman. The articles are posted on several reputable websites and printed magazines around the world, such as Decibel and Legacy magazines.


In March 2010, Melechesh revealed that on April 10 they will enter the studio to record their fifth album for a period of 4-5 weeks. However the band spent almost 12 weeks in the studio perfecting the album with every possible detail. "The Epigenesis" is set to be released via Nuclear Blast records on 1 October 2010 (Europe/world) and 27 October (USA). The album is already gaining critical acclaim with several cover stories across the world and being rated number 1 on the magazine critics' play-lists. The album is considered as one of the most highly anticipated metal albums in 2010.


Origins


The band started their career in Jerusalem (and Bethlehem) and operated from there between 1993–1998; however, they have resided mainly in Amsterdam since 1998 for several personal, professional and demographic reasons.


Band members


Current members

* Ashmedi – lead vocals, lead & rhythm 6 & 12 string electric guitars, elec.Guitar/Sitar , Sitar (1993–present)
* Moloch – lead & rhythm 6 & 12 string electric guitars, buzuq (1994–present)
* Xul – drums, percussion (2005–present)
* Rahm – bass (2009–present)


Former members


* Thamuz - bass (1994–1995)
* Uusur - bass (1996)
* Al' Hazred – bass, vocals (1996–2008)
* Lord Curse – drums, percussion (1994–1999)
* Proscriptor – drums, percussion, vocals (1999–2005)
* Cimeries - keyboard (1996)


Discography


* As Jerusalem Burns... (Demo, 1995)
* The Siege of Lachish (EP, 1995)
* As Jerusalem Burns...Al´Intisar (1996)
* Djinn (2001)
* Sphynx (2003, 2004 in North America)
* The Ziggurat Scrolls (EP, 2004)
* Emissaries (2006, 2007 in North America)
* The Epigenesis (2010)

Kreator Live In Austin,Tx

Kreator live in Austin, Tx. I know the quality is freaking poor but it was like a milestone for me to have them playing live.

Chimaira

* Formed: 1998, Cleveland, OH
* Genres: Rock
* Representative Albums: "Pass Out of Existence", "Chimaira", "Resurrection"

Band members



Former members


* Kevin Talley – drums (2004–2006)
* Richard Evensand – drums (2003–2004)
* Jason Hagar – rhythm guitar (1998–2001)
* Rob Lesniak – bass (2000)
* Andrew Ermlick – bass (1998–2000)
* Jason Genaro – drums (1998) (early on, never played live or recorded)


Current members

* Mark Hunter – vocals (1998–present)
* Matt DeVries – rhythm guitar (2001–present)
* Rob Arnold – lead guitar (1998–present)
* Jim LaMarca – bass (2000–present)
* Andols Herrick – drums (1999–2003, 2006–Present)
* Chris Spicuzza – keyboards, samples, backing vocals (2000–present)




Discography

Albums


* Pass Out of Existence (2001)
* The Impossibility of Reason (2003)
* Chimaira (2005)
* Resurrection (2007)
* The Infection (2009)


Demos & EPs
* '99 Demo (1999)
* This Present Darkness (2000)


Chimaira is six piece band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1998. The name Chimaira was taken from a Greek Mythology "fire-breathing female monster with a Lion's head and a goat's body and a serpent's tail".


Band's debut EP turned out to be a huge hit in their hometown by selling about 10,000 copies of independently issued before they made it to Road Runner Records

Early days (1998–1999)


The band was started by the Vocalist Mark Hunter and rhythm guitarist Jason Hage. drummer Jason Genaro and bassist Andrew Ermlick the founders to complete the line-up, later Rob Arnold joined them to have a thicker guitar sound as bands decision who was previously played with Ermlick in band called Common Thread. The first demo was recorded in Jan 1999, but during the recording band replaced a Genaro with Rob's former drummer Andols Herrick.


As the band had a complete line up they started doing live shows in America and during that year Ermlick walked out to concentrate on his studies, Rob Lesniak was replaced by him. Later that band recorded their 2nd demo which began to receive widespread airplay on local college radio stations. Chimaira entered Road Runner records after their spot performance at the short lived USA network show farmclub.com.

This Present Darkness and Pass out of Existence (2000–2002)


Eventually, the band recorded its first EP, called This Present Darkness, which was released in 2000, during this process they replaced bassist Andrew Ermlick with Rob Lesniak. Later on Ben Schigel, the band's producer and studio keyboard/turntables/electronics provider joined them live temporarily. Banking on the success of the EP, the band was signed by Roadrunner Records and quickly recorded its debut album Pass out of Existence in 2001, by this time Jim LaMarca was now bassist and Chris Spicuzza was handling all electronics duties. Shortly after the release of the album and the tour that was to follow, Jason Hager left the band when he found out he was going to become a father. Matt DeVries, from another local band called Ascension, was recruited to take over as rhythm guitarist.

The Impossibility of Reason (2003–2004)


The band returned home in late 2002 to begin writing and recording its next full-length album, The Impossibility of Reason. The making of the album was documented and later seen on their debut DVD release called The Dehumanizing Process. After the release and ensuing tours, drummer Andols Herrick decided to leave the band. As evidenced in the DVD documentary, Herrick appeared to be unenthusiastic about constantly being on the road. He returned home to attend college to obtain a music degree.


Chimaira eventually welcomed Ricky Evensand as its new drummer. Evensand, hailing from Sweden, was probably most notable for being a part of Soilwork for a short time. Evensand's stay in Chimaira was relatively short-lived. Due to visa problems and his temperamental nature, Evensand eventually left the band. Going on advice from Slayer guitarist Kerry King, Hunter contacted Kevin Talley, an experienced death metal drummer who had previously been in the bands Dying Fetus and Misery Index. With Talley on board, the band finished its remaining tour dates before returning home for some downtime. They soon began the writing and recording process on their next album.


This album was used on the show MythBusters for the episode "Talking to Plants


Chimaira (2005–2006)


By the first quarter of 2005, the band had finished most of its next release and hit the road once again. The self-titled album, the first (and only) one featuring Talley, was released in August 2005 while the band was taking part in the inaugural Sounds of the Underground tour. Hunter and DeVries had also taken part in another musical project that year, Roadrunner Records' twenty-fifth anniversary CD entitled The All-Star Sessions. Also taking part in the recording of several songs was former drummer Andols Herrick. These recording sessions reignited Herrick's interest of being in a full-time band. Eventually, in early 2006, Herrick and the members of Chimaira conversed and Herrick was welcomed back into the band. Talley's split from the band was amicable, as he was already being offered spots in several different bands and projects (The Red Chord, Misery Index, DÅÅTH).


Resurrection (2007–2008)


In 2006, the band was released from its contract with Roadrunner Records and eventually signed with Ferret Records for United States distribution. They also struck a deal with Nuclear Blast for international operations. The band was said to be excited about its new deals, and its fourth album Resurrection was released on March 6, 2007. The band feels rejuvenated after its split with Roadrunner and the readmission of Herrick on drums. The only downside of this happy event was that the band decided to call off the Eastpack Antidote tour with Soilwork, Sonic Syndicate and Caliban. Chimaira was replaced by Dark Tranquillity. In 2008, Chimaira joined Brendon Small on the Dethklok tour 2008 as a guest appearance.


The Infection (2009 onward)


Before the release of the album, the band had been posting short clips on the webpage from the upcoming album, which was written in Cleveland, Ohio with producer Ben Schigel, who previously produced the band's album The Impossibility of Reason and their self titled album. The new album, entitled The Infection, is mixed by Zeuss, who mixed and produced albums for Hatebreed and Shadows Fall. Chimaira recently stated that they are pushing for an April 21, 2009 release date on the new album. At its annual Chimaira Christmas show on December 30, 2008, they debuted a new song entitled "Secrets of the Dead."


The first single of the album "Secrets of the Dead" was released March 3, 2009.


On March 6, 2009, at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival in Dubai, Chimaira played the song "Destroy and Dominate" for the first time in front of a crowd.


The Infection was released worldwide on April 21, 2009 and debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200.


From March to May of 2009, Chimaira was a part of Disturbed's Music as a Weapon IV festival along with Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil, Suicide Silence, Bury Your Dead and more


During a number of European tour dates supporting The Infection, Chimaira had Emil Werstler of Dååth filling in for Matt DeVries, as DeVries' girlfriend had their first child.


The 10th annual Chimaira Christmas show was held at the House of Blues in Cleveland Ohio on December 27, 2009 and was filmed for a live DVD to be released in 2010.


Chimaira played in Australia nationally in 2010. They played shows across; Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane with support from Double Dragon.


Chimaira will be supporting Trivium alongside Whitechapel and Rise To Remain on a 16 date tour in the United Kingdom starting March 5, 2010.


Chimaira will be performing on the Jägermeister Stage at Mayhem Festival alongside Hatebreed, Shadows Fall, and Winds of Plague.


They will also be releasing a new dvd entitled Coming Alive on July 13 in Europe & July 20 in the rest of the world. This will include 3 discs, 2 Dvds & 1 Cd


MySpace  http://www.myspace.com/chimaira

Metallica.-.01.-.For.Whom.The.Bell.Tolls.(Live.Big.Day.Out.)

Rotten Sound

* Genre(s): Grind core
* Representative Albums: "Cycles", "Still Psycho", "Murder works"

Biography


Finland, like most countries, has its mainstream, middle-of-the-road pop stars (people who sound like Celine Dion or Gloria Estefan singing in Finnish) as well as its musical extremists who cater to the underground; and rock doesn't get much more extreme and underground than Rotten Sound. In the '90s and 2000s, Rotten Sound has favored a brutally harsh, violent, angry, and ferocious approach to death metal/black metal and grindcore. There is nothing merciful about Rotten Sound's blistering albums, which have a very claustrophobic quality and give the listener no room to breath; when a Rotten Sound album is finished playing, one feels drained and exhausted. And while that mercilessly intense approach has earned Rotten Sound no mainstream acceptance, the band has enjoyed a small but extremely devoted cult following.


Founded by guitarist Mika Aalto in Vaasa, Finland, in 1993, the band quickly earned a reputation for being one of the most intense bands on the Scandinavian death metal/grindcore scene. Rotten Sound -- whose early influences included Slayer, Napalm Death, Suicidal Tendencies, Entombed, and Carcass -- started recording in 1994, when the headbangers' debut single "Sick Bastard" came out on the Genet label. Subsequent releases included 1995's "Psychotic Veterinarian" on SOA, 1996's "Loosin' Face" on Anomie, and 1997's "Splitted Alive" on IDS. Under Pressure, Rotten Sound's first full-length album, was released by Repulse Records (a Spanish label) in 1998 and was followed by Drain (also on Repulse) in 1999. In the early 2000s, Rotten Sound signed with Necropolis' Deathvomit subsidiary, which released Still Psycho in 2000 and Murderworks in 2002.


Over the years, Rotten Sound has had some personnel changes; in 2002, the band's lineup included founder Mika Aalto on guitar, vocalist Keijo Niinimaa on vocals, Mika Häkki (who replaced Pekka Ranta) on bass, and Kai Hahto on drums. In the early 2000s, all four of them preferred to go by one-letter nicknames: Niinimaa went by G, while Häkki called himself H, Aalto went by Q, and Hahto called himself K.


HISTORY


Rotten Sound is a Finnish grindcore band, formed in 1993 in Vaasa.


Rotten Sound plays music in the same vein as Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror, lyrically attacking social issues such as greed, conformity and racism. The band has been praised mostly for its ferocity and relentlessness, as well as the unusually high musicianship of the group, particularly ex-drummer Kai Hahto, who left to join the Finnish progressive / melodic death metal band Wintersun.


Formation, Under Pressure and Drain (1993–2000)


Rotten Sound was founded by guitarist Mika Aalto in Vaasa, Finland, in 1993. The group started recordings in 1994, releasing the single Sick Bastard through Genet label. Their subsequent underground releases, between singles and EPs, included 1995's Psychotic Veterinarian on SOA, 1996's Loosin' Face on Anomie, and 1997's Splitted Alive on IDS.


Rotten Sound's first full-length album, Under Pressure, was released by Repulse Records (a Spanish label) in 1998 and was followed by Drain (also on Repulse) in 1999. This album was also the debut of second guitarist Juha Ylikoski. In early 2000, the band signed with American Necropolis Records, a subsidiary Deathvomit label for release the EP Still Psycho, which included a cover of Carcass's "Reek of Putrefaction". Paul Kott of Allmusic praised the album saying, "Rotten Sound does a good job, and although the audio production does leave something to be desired, the finished product is well worth listening to for any fan of earlier death metal and more recent grindcore. The video segments are very well-produced, with fantastic live audio recording, multiple camera angles, and good edits." The band toured in Europe to promote the album, along with label mates Hateplow, In Aeturnum and Malevolent Creation.


Murderworks and Exit (2001–2005)


Rotten Sound release their second full-length, Murderworks, in 2002. The Allmusic reviewer Alex Henderson stated, "This 2002 release gives the listener no room to breathe; from start to finish, Murderworks is an exercise in sensory assault for the sake of sensory assault." For the album's promotion, the group headline a European tour, titled Murdering Europe, with support of two Czech bands, Fleshless and Lykathea Aflame. They also toured Europe during June 2003, along with Hateplow and Debauchery. In May 2004, Rotten Sound teamed up with Circle of Dead Children, Phobia and Strong Intention for US Grind the East Coast tour. The band's fourth studio album, Exit, was recorded at Soundlab studio in Örebro, Sweden with engineer Mieszko Talarczyk and mastered at the Cutting Room. Shortly after their release, the album peaked at number 22 on the Finnish album charts. In March 2005, the band teamed up with Disfear for a co-headline Scandinavian tour.


Members

* Mika Aalto (aka "Q") – guitar (1993–present)
* Keijo Niinimaa (aka "G") – vocals (1993–present)
* Kristian Toivainen – bass (2010–present)
* Sami Latva – drums (2006–present)


Former members


* Toni Pihlaja - bass (2003-2009)
* Masa Kovero – bass (1994)
* Ville Väisänen – drums (1994)
* Kai Hahto (aka "K") – drums (1995–2006)
* Pekka Ranta – bass (1998–2000)
* Juha Ylikoski (aka "J") – guitar (1998–2001)
* Mika Häkki (aka "H") – bass (2000–2003)

Discography


EPs


* 1995 - Sick Bastard (Genet Records)
* 1995 - Psychotic Veterinarian (S.O.A. Records)
* 1996 - Loosin' Face (Anomie Records)
* 2000 - Still Psycho (Necropolis Records/Merciless Records)
* 2006 - Consume to Contaminate (Spinefarm Records / Power It Up Records)
* 2010 - Napalm (Relapse)


Full-length albums


* 1997 - Under Pressure (Repulse Records/Revenge Productions)
* 1998 - Drain (Repulse Records/S.O.A. Records)
* 2002 - Murderworks (Autopsy Stench Records/Necropolis Records/Century
Media Records/Relapse Records)
* 2003 - From Crust 'Til Grind (Century Media Records)
* 2004 - Murderlive (Spinefarm Records)
* 2005 - Exit (Spinefarm Records/No Tolerance Records/Willowtip Records)
* 2008 - Cycles (Spinefarm Records)

Splits


* 1997 - Spitted Alive Split with Control Mechanism (I.D.S. Records)
* 2001 - 8 Hours of Lobotomy Split with Unholy Grave (M.C.R. Records)
* 2003 - Seeds of Hate Split with Mastic Scum (Cudgel Agency)

Dissection

• Genre(s):Black Metal
• Representative Albums: "Storm of the Light's Bane", "Storm of the Light's Bane/Where Dead Angels Lie", "Live Legacy"
• Representative Songs: "Where Dead Angels Lie", "Night's Blood", "Feather's Fell" 

Biography

Gothenburg, Sweden-based death metal outfit Dissection were formed in 1989 by singer/guitarist Jon Nödtveidt and bassist Peter Palmdahl; with the addition of drummer Ole Öhman the following spring, the group recorded its first demo, The Grief Prophecy. Following the 1991 Corpsegrinder single "Into Infinite Obscurity," Dissection recorded a second demo named The Somberlain, which resulted in a contract with No Fashion Records and their first album (also titled The Somberlain, but also featuring second guitarist John Zwetsloot) in late 1993. Johan Norman replaced Zwetsloot for the follow-up, 1995's Storm of the Light's Bane, but then, in July of 1997, Nödtveidt and a friend were charged with the brutal murder of an Algerian homosexual. Both were convicted and Nödtveidt received an eight-year sentence, bringing about the end of Dissection.

Öhman formed a new group called Reaper, and the release of a rarities collection, The Past is Alive, in 1998 felt like the band's last rites. But the ensuing long silence was eventually broken by 2003's Live Legacy box set, and Nödtveidt's release a year later allowed him to finally revive the Dissection name, starting with the two-song Maha Kali EP (part of which was recorded while he was still in jail). A potential collaboration with former Emperor drummer Bard Faust didn't work out, but by late 2005, Nödtveidt had assembled a new Dissection lineup out of guitarist Set Teitan (see also Aborym), bassist Brice Leclercq (of Nightrage), and drummer Tomas Asklund (ex-Dark Funeral). This foursome recorded Dissection's well-received third studio album, Reinkaos, which was issued in May 2006 by The End Records, and seemed to confirm the band's triumphant rebirth -- later documented on the aptly named Rebirth of Dissection in-concert DVD.


However, Dissection's summer tour plans were abruptly cut short, and it was announced that the band would split up following a final string of U.S. dates, which were subsequently canceled due to difficulties obtaining an entry visa because of his criminal record. And then, even while fans were still coming to grips with their disappointment, news began spreading across the Internet that the 31-year-old Nödtveidt had committed suicide with a gunshot to the head, surrounded by candles in his Stockholm, Sweden, apartment, sometime around August 16, 2006. Shortly before the suicide, Nödtveidt is said to have sent farewell letters to his father and several friends and acquaintances -- one of which reportedly read, "I'm going away for a long, long time. I'm going to Transylvania."

Biography

Dissection was a black/death metal band from Strömstad, Sweden. The band was formed in 1989 by Jon Nödtveidt and disbanded in 2006 after Nödtveidt's suicide. Dissection released its first EP in 1991.

In 1988, a thrash metal band by the name of Siren's Yell was formed in the Swedish town of Strömstad. Its members were Jon Nödtveidt, Ole Öhman, Peter Palmdahl, and Mattias Johansson. The group recorded a single demo before breaking up in 1989. Nödveidt and Öhman continued on to play in the band Rabbit's Carrot, in which they claim to have never felt quite at home. Nödveidt was increasingly leaning towards death metal and other forms of dark extreme music. Dissection was officially formed in the autumn of 1989 by Nödveidt, who had left Rabbit's Carrot. Dissection's line-up, however, was not complete until early the next year when John Zwetsloot joined.


In 1990, Dissection played their first live show with death metal act Entombed. In the same year, they also recorded and released a demo entitled, The Grief Prophecy. It contained three songs and featured illustrations by the artist known as Necrolord, who later created most Dissection album artworks. A special edition of The Grief Prophecy was later released in memory of Dead, the former vocalist for the notorious Norwegian black metal group Mayhem, who committed suicide in 1991. The special release featured album art drawn by Dead himself. Dissection also played a live show in his honour, at which they performed the Mayhem song "Freezing Moon". The Grief Prophecy was soon spread through the underground, and the French record label Corpsegrinder Records offered Dissection a deal to record an EP. Later that year, Dissection accepted the deal and recorded Into Infinite Obscurity. The band continued to tour.
In 1992, Dissection began work on a full-length album, The Somberlain. Because of coordination problems among members, the entire band moved to Gothenburg, Sweden (where they shared a rehearsal space with At the Gates) in the summer of 1993. The album was finished and released the following December. It was formally dedicated to Euronymous, the then-guitarist of Mayhem, who had been murdered earlier that year. The group also appeared on a Peaceville Records' compilation CD.


During November 1994, Dissection signed a record deal with the German record label Nuclear Blast. In 1995, the band's second full-length album, called Storm Of The Light's Bane, was released. The following year, Dissection also released a short EP entitled Where Dead Angels Lie. It was compiled from previous rare and import releases, and contained only cover songs and demo tracks.
In 1997, Jon Nödtveidt was convicted of helping murder Josef Ben Meddaours, a 38-year-old homosexual Algerian in Gothenburg. He was released from prison in the autumn of 2004. Nödtveidt formed a new line-up for Dissection with none of the previous members participating. Subsequently, Dissection recorded one two-track EP entitled Maha Kali and toured heavily with the "The Rebirth of Dissection" tour. In 2006, Dissection released their third full length album "Reinkaos" through their own label, in association with The End Records. The lyrics in the Reinkaos album contain magical formulae from the book, and are based on the teachings of the "Misanthropic Luciferian Order" of which some others in the group were members. Shortly after the release, in May 2006, in an online chat interview, Dissection announced plans to split following a short tour. This tour was to include two US dates, but these were eventually canceled after Nödtveidt was denied an entry visa to the US, due to his prior incarceration.


The band played its final European concert in Stockholm on Midsummer, 24 June 2006.
Sometime between August 14 and 16, 2006, frontman Jon Nödtveidt committed suicide, and was found dead in his apartment on the 16th. Nödtveidt's death was confirmed by the Swedish distributor Sound Pollution, whose staff has worked with Dissection throughout the band's career. Media reports had the man's body next to a copy of The Satanic Bible. However it was later confirmed by band-mate Set Teitan to in fact be a Satanic grimoire, which is believed to be copy of the Liber Azerate written by Frater Nemidal, leader of the MLO. A posting on the Sound Pollution web site  reads: "RIP Jon Nödtveidt 1975-2006. Condolences from Sound Pollution & Black Lodge."


The band also made an official statement upon Dissection's official website.

Philosophical beliefs:

The vocalist of Dissection, Jon Nödtveidt, was a member of the Misanthropic Luciferian Order founded in 1995, Contrary to popular belief, he was not its co-creator, but “was introduced [...] by close friends at a quite early stage.” The order has since renamed to Temple of the Black Light. Some members of Dissection were very involved in the group. Former bassist, Haakon Forwald of Disiplin, pulled out of Dissection, saying it was partly in order to concentrate on his esoteric studies. The MLO planned to release Liber Azerate, a grimoire written by MLO Magister Templi Frater Nemidial in 2002. It was released on the internet in Swedish and Norwegian. Azerate is the hidden name of the "eleven Anti-cosmic gods", as described in the book.


The Temple of the Black Light believe in "Chaosophy". They believe that Chaos is the plane and/or power with infinite amounts of space and time, containing all dimensions, in contrast to cosmos, which only has three spatial dimensions and one linear time dimension. Chaos, unlike the cosmos, is ever-changing.
Extreme militant nihilism is taught within the group, and they say the true satanist is not part of the modern society, as it is founded upon lies.


They believe in three forces, three dark veils - chaos, emptiness and darkness, which were expelled from Ain Sof in order to make way for the manifestation of The Black Light in The Outer Darkness that soon became Sitra Ahra. The three forces are the three steps back to a mysterious chaos.


These forces are above the Thaumitan, a two-headed god who allows the connection to the spiritual world. Members of the MLO seek to make that connection and channel the Black Light.


The Temple of the Black Light also believe there are eleven aeons; those of Moloch, Beelzebuth, Lucifuge Rofocale, Astaroth, Asmodeus, Belfegor, Baal, Adramelech, Lilith, Naamah and Satan. Azerate is eleven united as one, and these forces combined are those revered by the MLO/Temple of the Black Light.
Some former members of Dissection have gone on to form other bands, also influenced by their beliefs based on the MLO.

Members

Final line-up

• Jon Nödtveidt - vocals, guitars (1989–2006)
• Set Teitan - guitars (2004–2006)
• Tomas Asklund - drums (2004–2006)

 

 

Former members

• Peter Palmdahl - bass (1989–1997)
• Ole Öhman - drums (1990–1995)
• Mattias "Mäbe" Johansson - guitar (1990) (session live)
• John Zwetsloot - guitars (1991–1994)
• Johan Norman - guitars (1994–1997)
• Tobias Kjellgren - drums (1995–1997)
• Emil Nödtveidt - bass (1997) (session live)
• Brice LeClercq - bass (2004–2005)
• Hakon Forwald - bass (2005)
• Erik Danielsson - bass (2005–2006) (session live)

Discography

Studio albums

• The Somberlain (1993)
• Storm of the Light's Bane (1995)
• Reinkaos (2006)

Live, EP, and compilation releases

• Into Infinite Obscurity (EP) (1991)
• Where Dead Angels Lie (EP) (1996)
• The Past Is Alive (The Early Mischief) (1997)
• Live Legacy (live) (2003)
• Maha Kali (EP) (2004)

Demos

• The Grief Prophecy (1990)

Videography

• Live & Plugged Vol. 2 (VHS) (1997)
• Rebirth of Dissection (DVD) (2006)
•  

http://www.dissection.se/

My Space: http://www.myspace.com/dissection

Finntroll

 Formed: 1997
Genre(s): Black/Folk Metal

 Finntroll is an extreme metal and folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal, death metal, and folk metal with a type of Finnish folk music called humppa. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor Om Slutet. Finntroll's first singer Katla decided to use Swedish over Finnish since he was part of a Swedish-speaking minority in Finland and the sound of the language seemed to better suit the band's "trollish" outfit. Despite several vocalist changes, this tradition has since been continued.

According to bandmembers Vreth and Skrymer, they took their name from an old Finnish legend where Swedish priests coming to Finland had an encounter with a wild-looking man who killed most of their party. The survivors came back bearing the tale of the Finn-Troll.
Finntroll's lyrics mainly deal with legends and tales revolving around the fictional Troll-King "Rivfader" and the trolls fighting against the Christians who invade their lands and try to spread their beliefs. A recurring theme is the story of two priests named "Aamund" and "Kettil". The first three full length albums feature a rather short but fierce song about the two men who constantly get themselves into trouble with the trolls, only to get beaten up and mutilated over and over again by the wrathful followers of Rivfader.

As of February 2010, the band's discography includes 5 full-length albums and 2 EPs, their latest album Nifelvind was released February 17 in Finland.

History

Finntroll was founded in 1997, by Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta (guitarist of Impaled Nazarene) and vocalist Jan "Katla" Jämsen. Their first demo, "Rivfader" ("Ripfather"), was recorded about a year later, in 1998. After the demo recording, drummer Samu Ruotsalainen (from Barathrum, Shape of Despair and Rapture), guitarist Samuli Ponsimaa, keyboardist Henri "Trollhorn" SorvaliMoonsorrow) and bassist Sami UusitaloSpinefarm got interested in the band then, and made a contract, yielding the album Midnattens Widunder("Monstrosities Of The Midnight") as a result. (from joined the band. The record label

The next step for Finntroll was the album Jaktens Tid ("Age Of The Hunt"), which was released in 2001. This album managed to climb to rank 20 of the Finnish album charts, exceeding expectation of band and publisher alike. The following wave of popularity attracted the attention of Century Media, which began promoting Finntroll for the rest of the world. The following summer, the band had their first time playing on open air festivals in Finland and other countries.
The year after the release of the album Jaktens Tid proved to be a misfortune for Finntroll: some tours had to be cancelled, and in the aftermath of his problems, vocalist Jämsen had to retire from the band due to a viral-based tumor in his vocal cords which could not be removed surgically; he retired after the release of the EP Visor Om Slutet.
Said EP was recorded in early January 2003, in a forest cabin near Helsinki. It was an "acoustical experiment", where Jämsen and the new vocalist Tapio Wilska (of Sethian and Lyijykomppania) shared the singing duties among them. Visor Om Slutet ("Melodies About The End") was released as a mid-price EP and held rank on the Finnish midprice chart for several weeks.

On March 16, 2003, shortly before the release of Visor Om Slutet, guitarist Teemu Raimoranta died when he fell off a bridge in Hakaniemi, Helsinki. Although they had lost their last remaining founding member in this tragic event, the band did not dissolve, but after some time decided to go on, touring Europe for two weeks, supported by the band Katatonia. Guitarist Mikael Karlbom was hired as a replacement for Raimoranta.

In 2004, the band released another EP, Trollhammaren ("The Trollhammer"), a prequel to the soon to follow album Nattfödd ("Nightborn"). This release earned them international acclaim and had the band embarking on their first North American tour, along with the influential thrash metal band Sodom in early 2006.
During 2005, keyboardist Trollhorn decided not to play live anymore due to private reasons. A replacement for shows to come was found in Aleksi "Virta" Virta of the band Imperanon, whom he knew from SibeliusMusic College in Helsinki, where Trollhorn had been teaching. After some auditioning and rehearsing, he became a steady part of the touring line-up.

On January 29, 2006, Tapio Wilska, vocalist of the band since 2002, was fired from the band. In a statement issued on the band's website, Wilska states that he would like to keep the reason for his dismissal private.
Following Wilska's parting with the band, they decided to take on Mathias "Vreth" Lillmåns of Chtonian and Twilight Moon as a full-time member on vocals.
A new album, titled Ur Jordens Djup ("From The Depths Of The Earth"), was released March, 2007. This fourth album put more emphasis on epic keyboard riffs with very loud but melodic guitar and downplayed some of the Humppa elements. Former vocalist Katla was brought in to write the lyrics for this album. The last song contains an acoustic hidden track entitled Trollvisan which can be heard at 11:03 minutes. It is commonly believed to be the installment's "Aamund och Kettil-Song", yet there is no mention of the two priests ion the lyrics, the song rather refers to "de kristna" ("the Christians") in general.
After being a session member on keyboards since 2005, Aleksi "Virta" Virta was made a full time member in late 2009.

The band has recorded a live performance for its upcoming first live DVD. A release date is yet to be confirmed. They have released their fifth album, titled Nifelvind ("Nifelwind"), and Katla has again written the lyrics. The progress on the album was recorded by Trollhorn in a studio diary found here. On January 15, 2010 Finntroll released a music video for the new song "Solsagan" on their MySpace page in preparation for the album releaseThe new album was then released in February 2010.

Current members

•    Mathias "Vreth" Lillmåns – vocals (2006–present)
•    Samuli "Skrymer" Ponsimaa – guitar (1998–present)
•    Mikael "Routa" Karlbom – guitar (2003–present)
•    Sami "Tundra" Uusitalo – bass (1998–present)
•    Samu "Beast Dominator" Ruotsalainen – drums (1998–present)
•    Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali – keyboards (1998–present)
•    Aleksi "Virta" Virta - live keyboards (2005-present)
 

With:

•    Jan "Katla" Jämsen – lyrics (1997-2002 / 2006-present)

Former members
 

•    Katla – vocals (1997-2002)
•    Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta – guitar (1997–2003) (deceased)
•    Tapio Wilska – vocals (2002–2006)
 

Studio albums

•    Midnattens Widunder (1999)
•    Jaktens Tid (2001)
•    Visor Om Slutet (2003)
•    Nattfödd (2004)
•    Ur Jordens Djup (2007)
•    Nifelvind (2010)
EPs

•    Trollhammaren (2004)
Demos

•    "Rivfader" (1998)
Videos

•    "Trollhammaren" (2004)
•    "Nedgång" (2007)
•    "Solsagan" (2010)
•    "Under Bergets Rot" (2010)

Official Page: http://www.myspace.com/officialfinntroll