Carcass are an English extreme metal band from Liverpool, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reformation was enacted in 2007 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons.
Carcass are regarded as pioneers of the grindcore genre.Their early work was also tagged as splatter death metal,hardgore,and goregrind;on account of their morbid lyrics and gruesome album covers. They also became one of the pioneers of melodic death metal with their 1993 album Heartwork.
Carcass was formed as a D-beat band by guitarist Bill Steer together with drummer Ken Owen in 1985 under the name Disattack. After releasing a demo entitled A Bomb Drops ... in 1986, Paul (bassist) and Andrew Pek (vocalist) of Disattack left the band and were replaced by vocalist Sanjiv and bassist Jeff Walker, formerly guitarist and vocalist of the Electro Hippies. At about the same time, Bill Steer joined Napalm Death (replacing Justin Broadrick) and recorded the second side of what became Napalm Death's first album, Scum. Walker also designed the cover art for Scum.
Disattack then changed its name to Carcass. In April 1987, they recorded the Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment demo, the only Carcass recording featuring vocalist Sanjiv, who left shortly after. Walker, Steer and Owen shared vocal duties for the debut album, which was done in only four days. Despite the primitive production values of Carcass's debut Reek of Putrefaction, with which the band was very displeased,it became a favourite of Radio 1 legend John Peel.Due to his interest, they were asked to participate in their first Peel Session in 1989, where they debuted new material for their second album. The Peel Session was released as an EP with the band members adopting pseudonyms: K. Grumegargler, J. Offalmangler, and W.G. Thorax Embalmer. Also that year, Steer and Walker appeared as members of Lister's fictional band Smeg and the Heads in an episode of Red Dwarf.
Band members
Current members
Jeff Walker – lead vocals, bass (1985–1995, 2007–present)
Bill Steer – lead guitar, vocals (1985–1995, 2007–present)
Daniel Wilding – drums (2012–present)
Ben Ash – guitar (2013–present)
Past members
Sanjiv – vocals (1986–1987)
Carlo Regadas – guitar (1994-1995)
Ken Owen – drums (1985–1995), vocals (1985-1990, guest vocals on Surgical Steel, 2013, live guest 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013)
Michael Amott – guitar (1990–1993, 2007–2012)
Daniel Erlandsson – drums (2007–2012)
Discography
Reek of Putrefaction (1988)
Symphonies of Sickness (1989)
Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious (1991)
Heartwork (1993)
Swansong (1996)
Surgical Steel (2013)
Saturday, July 11, 2015
8. BEHEMOTH
Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk, formed in 1991. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground.
Until the late 1990s, the band played a traditional black metal style with heathen lyrical content, but soon changed to that of occult and thelemic themes written by their lead vocalist Nergal and Krzysztof Azarewicz. With the 1999 release of Satanica, the band demonstrated their presence in the death metal scene, while retaining their own signature style characterized by the drum work of Inferno, multi-layered vocals and Middle-Eastern influences. Despite Behemoth having been labeled as death metal or thrash metal-influenced, Nergal has mentioned that he does not like the band to be labeled.
Behemoth was formed in 1991 as a trio, with Nergal on guitar and vocals, Baal on the drums, and Desecrator on the guitar. They started with the demos Endless Damnation, and The Return of the Northern Moon.The most significant however, was the third demo—...From the Pagan Vastlands (1993). This tape was released by Polish label Pagan Records and later on by the American Wild Rags. Their next release was Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) in 1995. A year later, they recorded their second album Grom, which was released in 1996. Grom features many different influences and musical styles, using female vocals as well as acoustic guitars and synthesizers. At the same time, Behemoth finally got a chance to play live shows in its native country and finally tour around Europe, gaining stage experience. Two years later, the band recorded a third album, titled Pandemonic Incantations. The culmination of their increasing presence and metal media set a new standard for them.However, due to a lack of promotion, the album was not well-publicized. After another extensive tour, Behemoth signed a two-album deal with Italy's Avantgarde Music in the fall of 1998. The first result of this new collaboration was the successful album Satanica, on which the black metal sound had evolved into blackened death metal.
The label also secured two European tours for the band in support of Deicide and Satyricon respectively. During that period, Behemoth had to go through some line-up changes and had problems with their ex-Polish label. By the time Satanica came out, Inferno and Les were out of the band. Nergal began looking for new members but could not find a new drummer. Inferno returned to the band in early 2000, along with new members Novy (formerly known from Devilyn, Vader and Dies Irae), who handled the bass duties, and Havok, who became the band's guitarist. After the line-up changes Behemoth signed with the Polish label Mystic Production. The follow-up release to Satanica was Thelema.6. Massive guitar parts and precise drumming, with influences from different sources, saw them progress further towards blackened death metal.
Thelema.6 was supported by the worldwide press and media,including official releases in Russia and Brazil for the first time. Continuing the support for Thelema.6, Behemoth appeared in several prestigious live events like Wacken Open Air, With Full Force, Inferno Metal Festival, Mystic Festival, and Mind Over Matter Autumn. They started first their headlining tour alongside with Carpathian Forest and Khold, followed by a festival tour in Poland.
Controversy
In July 2007, the All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects distributed to many Polish officials a list of bands that allegedly promote Satanism and murder. Critics of this policy primarily see this as a violation of free speech. The list has not gone into effect, and Behemoth were allowed to play in Poland freely. This changed in October 2014 when Behemoth was banned to perform in Poznań.In May 2014, the group was expelled from Russia.
Band members
Current members
Adam "Nergal" Darski – lead vocals, guitars (1991–present)
Zbigniew "Inferno" Promiński – drums (1997–1999, 2000–present)
Tomasz "Orion" Wróblewski – bass, backing vocals (2003–present)
Current session/live members
Patryk "Seth" Sztyber – guitars, backing vocals (2004–present)
Former members
Adam "Baal Ravenlock" Muraszko – drums (1991–1996)
Adam "Desecrator" Malinowski – guitars (1991–1992)
Rafał "Frost" Brauer – guitars (1993–1994)
Sławomir "Orcus" Kolasa – bass (1993)
Leszek "Les" Dziegielewski – guitars (1999), bass (1995–1997, 1998–1999)
Mefisto – bass (1997–1998)
Mateusz "Havoc" Śmierzchalski – guitars, backing vocals (2000–2003)
Session/live members
Marcin "Novy" Nowak – bass (2000–2003)
Live members
Bartłomiej "Bruno" Waruszewski – bass (1999)
Istvan Lendvay – bass (2003)
Michał "Stoker" Stopa – guitars (2004)
Adam Sierżęga – drums (2013)
Kerim "Krimh" Lechner – drums (2013)
Discography
Studio albums
Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) (1995)
Grom (1996)
Pandemonic Incantations (1998)
Satanica (1999)
Thelema.6 (2000)
Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) (2002)
Demigod (2004)
The Apostasy (2007)
Evangelion (2009)
The Satanist (2014)
Until the late 1990s, the band played a traditional black metal style with heathen lyrical content, but soon changed to that of occult and thelemic themes written by their lead vocalist Nergal and Krzysztof Azarewicz. With the 1999 release of Satanica, the band demonstrated their presence in the death metal scene, while retaining their own signature style characterized by the drum work of Inferno, multi-layered vocals and Middle-Eastern influences. Despite Behemoth having been labeled as death metal or thrash metal-influenced, Nergal has mentioned that he does not like the band to be labeled.
Behemoth was formed in 1991 as a trio, with Nergal on guitar and vocals, Baal on the drums, and Desecrator on the guitar. They started with the demos Endless Damnation, and The Return of the Northern Moon.The most significant however, was the third demo—...From the Pagan Vastlands (1993). This tape was released by Polish label Pagan Records and later on by the American Wild Rags. Their next release was Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) in 1995. A year later, they recorded their second album Grom, which was released in 1996. Grom features many different influences and musical styles, using female vocals as well as acoustic guitars and synthesizers. At the same time, Behemoth finally got a chance to play live shows in its native country and finally tour around Europe, gaining stage experience. Two years later, the band recorded a third album, titled Pandemonic Incantations. The culmination of their increasing presence and metal media set a new standard for them.However, due to a lack of promotion, the album was not well-publicized. After another extensive tour, Behemoth signed a two-album deal with Italy's Avantgarde Music in the fall of 1998. The first result of this new collaboration was the successful album Satanica, on which the black metal sound had evolved into blackened death metal.
The label also secured two European tours for the band in support of Deicide and Satyricon respectively. During that period, Behemoth had to go through some line-up changes and had problems with their ex-Polish label. By the time Satanica came out, Inferno and Les were out of the band. Nergal began looking for new members but could not find a new drummer. Inferno returned to the band in early 2000, along with new members Novy (formerly known from Devilyn, Vader and Dies Irae), who handled the bass duties, and Havok, who became the band's guitarist. After the line-up changes Behemoth signed with the Polish label Mystic Production. The follow-up release to Satanica was Thelema.6. Massive guitar parts and precise drumming, with influences from different sources, saw them progress further towards blackened death metal.
Thelema.6 was supported by the worldwide press and media,including official releases in Russia and Brazil for the first time. Continuing the support for Thelema.6, Behemoth appeared in several prestigious live events like Wacken Open Air, With Full Force, Inferno Metal Festival, Mystic Festival, and Mind Over Matter Autumn. They started first their headlining tour alongside with Carpathian Forest and Khold, followed by a festival tour in Poland.
Controversy
In July 2007, the All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects distributed to many Polish officials a list of bands that allegedly promote Satanism and murder. Critics of this policy primarily see this as a violation of free speech. The list has not gone into effect, and Behemoth were allowed to play in Poland freely. This changed in October 2014 when Behemoth was banned to perform in Poznań.In May 2014, the group was expelled from Russia.
Band members
Current members
Adam "Nergal" Darski – lead vocals, guitars (1991–present)
Zbigniew "Inferno" Promiński – drums (1997–1999, 2000–present)
Tomasz "Orion" Wróblewski – bass, backing vocals (2003–present)
Current session/live members
Patryk "Seth" Sztyber – guitars, backing vocals (2004–present)
Former members
Adam "Baal Ravenlock" Muraszko – drums (1991–1996)
Adam "Desecrator" Malinowski – guitars (1991–1992)
Rafał "Frost" Brauer – guitars (1993–1994)
Sławomir "Orcus" Kolasa – bass (1993)
Leszek "Les" Dziegielewski – guitars (1999), bass (1995–1997, 1998–1999)
Mefisto – bass (1997–1998)
Mateusz "Havoc" Śmierzchalski – guitars, backing vocals (2000–2003)
Session/live members
Marcin "Novy" Nowak – bass (2000–2003)
Live members
Bartłomiej "Bruno" Waruszewski – bass (1999)
Istvan Lendvay – bass (2003)
Michał "Stoker" Stopa – guitars (2004)
Adam Sierżęga – drums (2013)
Kerim "Krimh" Lechner – drums (2013)
Discography
Studio albums
Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) (1995)
Grom (1996)
Pandemonic Incantations (1998)
Satanica (1999)
Thelema.6 (2000)
Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) (2002)
Demigod (2004)
The Apostasy (2007)
Evangelion (2009)
The Satanist (2014)
7.OPETH
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years. Opeth has consistently incorporated progressive, folk, blues, classical and jazz influences into their usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from death metal, especially in their early works. Many songs include acoustic guitar passages and strong dynamic shifts, as well as both death growls and clean vocals. Opeth rarely made live appearances supporting their first four albums; but since conducting their first world tour after the 2001 release of Blackwater Park, they have led several major world tours.
Opeth has released eleven studio albums, three live DVDs, three live albums (two that are in conjunction with DVDs), and two boxsets. The band released its debut album Orchid in 1995. Although their eighth studio album, Ghost Reveries, was quite popular in the United States, Opeth did not experience major American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, Watershed, which peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, and topped the Finnish albums chart in its first week of release. Opeth has sold over 1.5 million albums and DVDs worldwide, including 300,000 collective SoundScans of their albums Blackwater Park, Damnation and
Opeth was formed as a death metal band in the autumn of 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden by vocalist David Isberg.[3] Isberg asked former Eruption band member Mikael Åkerfeldt (just 16 years old at the time) to join Opeth as a bassist. When Åkerfeldt showed up to practice the day after Isberg invited him, it became clear that Isberg had not told the band members, including the band's current bassist, that Åkerfeldt would be joining. An ensuing argument led to all members but Isberg and Åkerfeldt leaving to form a new project. The band name was derived from the word "Opet," taken from the Wilbur Smith novel The Sunbird. In this novel, Opet is the name of a fictional Phoenician city in South Africa whose name is translated as "City of the Moon".
Isberg and Åkerfeldt recruited drummer Anders Nordin, bassist Nick Döring, and guitarist Andreas Dimeo. Unsatisfied with Opeth's slow progress, Döring and Dimeo left the band after their first performance, and were replaced by guitarist Kim Pettersson and bassist Johan De Farfalla. After the next show, DeFarfalla left Opeth to spend time with his girlfriend in Germany, and was initially replaced by Mattias Ander, before Åkerfeldt's friend Peter Lindgren took on the role of bassist. Rhythm guitarist Kim Pettersson left following the band's next performance, and Lindgren switched to guitar, with the role of bassist falling to Stefan Guteklint. The following year, David Isberg left the band citing "creative differences".
Following Isberg's departure, Åkerfeldt took over vocal duties and he, Lindgren, and Nordin spent the next year writing and rehearsing new material. The group began to rely less on the blast beats and aggression typical of death metal, and incorporated acoustic guitars and guitar harmonies into their music; developing the core sound of Opeth. Bassist Guteklint was dismissed by the band after they signed their first record deal with Candlelight Records in 1994. Opeth initially employed former member DeFarfalla as a session bassist for their demo recordings, and he went on to join on a full-time basis following the release of Opeth's debut album, "Orchid", in 1995.
Band members
Current members
Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars (1990–present), lead vocals (1992–present)
Martín Méndez – bass guitar (1997–present)
Martin "Axe" Axenrot – drums, percussion (2005–2006: session musician,2006–present: official)
Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals (2007–present)
Joakim Svalberg – keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals, percussion (2011–present)
Discography
Studio albums
Orchid (1995)
Morningrise (1996)
My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)
Still Life (1999)
Blackwater Park (2001)
Deliverance (2002)
Damnation (2003)
Ghost Reveries (2005)
Watershed (2008)
Heritage (2011)
Pale Communion (2014)
Opeth has released eleven studio albums, three live DVDs, three live albums (two that are in conjunction with DVDs), and two boxsets. The band released its debut album Orchid in 1995. Although their eighth studio album, Ghost Reveries, was quite popular in the United States, Opeth did not experience major American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, Watershed, which peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, and topped the Finnish albums chart in its first week of release. Opeth has sold over 1.5 million albums and DVDs worldwide, including 300,000 collective SoundScans of their albums Blackwater Park, Damnation and
Opeth was formed as a death metal band in the autumn of 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden by vocalist David Isberg.[3] Isberg asked former Eruption band member Mikael Åkerfeldt (just 16 years old at the time) to join Opeth as a bassist. When Åkerfeldt showed up to practice the day after Isberg invited him, it became clear that Isberg had not told the band members, including the band's current bassist, that Åkerfeldt would be joining. An ensuing argument led to all members but Isberg and Åkerfeldt leaving to form a new project. The band name was derived from the word "Opet," taken from the Wilbur Smith novel The Sunbird. In this novel, Opet is the name of a fictional Phoenician city in South Africa whose name is translated as "City of the Moon".
Isberg and Åkerfeldt recruited drummer Anders Nordin, bassist Nick Döring, and guitarist Andreas Dimeo. Unsatisfied with Opeth's slow progress, Döring and Dimeo left the band after their first performance, and were replaced by guitarist Kim Pettersson and bassist Johan De Farfalla. After the next show, DeFarfalla left Opeth to spend time with his girlfriend in Germany, and was initially replaced by Mattias Ander, before Åkerfeldt's friend Peter Lindgren took on the role of bassist. Rhythm guitarist Kim Pettersson left following the band's next performance, and Lindgren switched to guitar, with the role of bassist falling to Stefan Guteklint. The following year, David Isberg left the band citing "creative differences".
Following Isberg's departure, Åkerfeldt took over vocal duties and he, Lindgren, and Nordin spent the next year writing and rehearsing new material. The group began to rely less on the blast beats and aggression typical of death metal, and incorporated acoustic guitars and guitar harmonies into their music; developing the core sound of Opeth. Bassist Guteklint was dismissed by the band after they signed their first record deal with Candlelight Records in 1994. Opeth initially employed former member DeFarfalla as a session bassist for their demo recordings, and he went on to join on a full-time basis following the release of Opeth's debut album, "Orchid", in 1995.
Band members
Current members
Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars (1990–present), lead vocals (1992–present)
Martín Méndez – bass guitar (1997–present)
Martin "Axe" Axenrot – drums, percussion (2005–2006: session musician,2006–present: official)
Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals (2007–present)
Joakim Svalberg – keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals, percussion (2011–present)
Discography
Studio albums
Orchid (1995)
Morningrise (1996)
My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)
Still Life (1999)
Blackwater Park (2001)
Deliverance (2002)
Damnation (2003)
Ghost Reveries (2005)
Watershed (2008)
Heritage (2011)
Pale Communion (2014)
6. AMON AMARTH
Amon Amarth is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba, founded in 1992. The band takes its name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien′s Middle-earth. Their lyrics mostly deal with Vikings, their mythology and their history, leading to the band often being labeled as Viking metal. The band comprises vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg and bassist Ted Lundström. Amon Amarth has released nine studio albums, one compilation album, one EP, one video album, and eight music videos. Their first studio album, Once Sent from the Golden Hall, debuted in 1998. Four more studio releases followed, before the band saw their breakthrough with the 2008 album Twilight of the Thunder God, which debuted at No. 11 on the Swedish album charts and No. 50 on the US Billboard 200. Two more albums, Surtur Rising and Deceiver of the Gods followed in 2011 and 2013, respectively. On March 19, 2015, Amon Amarth posted on their Facebook page that they had parted ways with drummer Fredrik Andersson after 17 years of collaboration.
The band emerged from the previous band Scum, founded in 1988 by Paul "Themgoroth" Mäkitalo (Dark Funeral) on vocals, Olavi Mikkonen on guitar, Nico Mehra (aka Nico Kaukinen) on drums, Petri Tarvainen on bass and Vesa Meriläinen guitar. All of the members were of Finnish origin or at least have Finnish family names. The band originally played grindcore based on "jagged riffs, dark atmospheres, untethered vitriol and copious amounts of mead".Scum made no impression upon the burgeoning Stockholm metal scene, but then Johan Hegg replaced Mäkitalo: it was his "imposing stature [and] [Thor]-like growl" that were beginning to shape the image and the sound of the band which now started to incorporate Viking-related themes.
Discography
Once Sent from the Golden Hall (1998)
The Avenger (1999)
The Crusher (2001)
Versus the World (2002)
Fate of Norns (2004)
With Oden on Our Side (2006)
Twilight of the Thunder God (2008)
Surtur Rising (2011)
Deceiver of the Gods (2013)
Members
Current members
Johan Hegg − lead vocals (1992–present)
Olavi Mikkonen − guitar (1992–present)
Ted Lundström − bass (1992–present)
Johan Söderberg − guitar (1998–present)
Former members
Anders Hansson − guitar (1992–1998)
Nico Kaukinen − drums (1992–1996)
Martin Lopez − drums (1996–1998)
Fredrik Andersson − drums (1998–2015)
The band emerged from the previous band Scum, founded in 1988 by Paul "Themgoroth" Mäkitalo (Dark Funeral) on vocals, Olavi Mikkonen on guitar, Nico Mehra (aka Nico Kaukinen) on drums, Petri Tarvainen on bass and Vesa Meriläinen guitar. All of the members were of Finnish origin or at least have Finnish family names. The band originally played grindcore based on "jagged riffs, dark atmospheres, untethered vitriol and copious amounts of mead".Scum made no impression upon the burgeoning Stockholm metal scene, but then Johan Hegg replaced Mäkitalo: it was his "imposing stature [and] [Thor]-like growl" that were beginning to shape the image and the sound of the band which now started to incorporate Viking-related themes.
Discography
Once Sent from the Golden Hall (1998)
The Avenger (1999)
The Crusher (2001)
Versus the World (2002)
Fate of Norns (2004)
With Oden on Our Side (2006)
Twilight of the Thunder God (2008)
Surtur Rising (2011)
Deceiver of the Gods (2013)
Members
Current members
Johan Hegg − lead vocals (1992–present)
Olavi Mikkonen − guitar (1992–present)
Ted Lundström − bass (1992–present)
Johan Söderberg − guitar (1998–present)
Former members
Anders Hansson − guitar (1992–1998)
Nico Kaukinen − drums (1992–1996)
Martin Lopez − drums (1996–1998)
Fredrik Andersson − drums (1998–2015)
5. NILE
Nile formed in their hometown of Greenville in 1993, from the ashes of a previous band Morriah in which Karl Sanders played since the 80's.Karl Sanders (guitar/vocals), Chief Spires (bass/vocals), and Pete Hammoura (drums) debuted with their Festivals of Atonement EP in 1995, leading Nile to a southwestern tour in support of other big metal acts such as Obituary, Deicide, and Broken Hope.
The EP Ramses Bringer of War was released by Visceral Productions in 1997. Visceral were due to release the full-length Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka, but went out of business later that year. However, Relapse Records was open to releasing it in early 1998, giving Nile a wider distribution and a chance to hit the road with Incantation and Morbid Angel.
The follow-up, Black Seeds of Vengeance, was released in late 2000. Prior to this release, Pete Hammoura left the band due to injuries sustained while touring for The Catacombs. He tore his rotator cuff and could not recover the use of his arm fully in time to undertake the physical stress of a touring death metal band. He did not want to leave and thought a few more months of rehabilitation could get him up to speed.[citation needed] However, since the band thought he was holding them back, it was agreed that he leave. Derek Roddy drummed on all of the tracks (except “To Dream of Ur”) as a session musician. Also, prior to Black Seeds of Vengeance, Dallas Toler-Wade joined as a second guitarist/vocalist. A collection of remastered recordings, In the Beginning, was released later the same year.
Chief Spires left the bands a few months after the release of Black Seeds of Vengeance citing personal and professional differences. He was replaced by Jon Vesano. The band also found a new drummer in Tony Laureano.
By 2002, In Their Darkened Shrines was released. One reviewer noted that the album gave "death metal a cinematic, symphonic twist".Two videos were shot with director Darren Doane, "Sarcophagus" and "Execration Text", respectively.
Nile performing live at Jaxx Nightclub on August 27, 2007 in Springfield, Virginia.
Annihilation of the Wicked was released in 2005. New drummer George Kollias stepped in to replace Tony Laureano, who left before the recording began. After recording the bass for Annihilation of the Wicked, Jon Vesano also left the band. He was temporary replaced by Joe Payne on the following tour. Another Darren Doane directed video was shot for "Sacrifice Unto Sebek".
In May 2006, Nile signed a recording contract with Nuclear Blast. On February 26, 2007, Nile entered the studio and began recording their fifth full-length album entitled Ithyphallic, which was their first release with Nuclear Blast. Karl Sanders had confirmed a release date of June 29 via a posting on the band's message board, which was later pushed back to July 20, 2007. As a special bonus, Nuclear Blast gave several fans the opportunity to listen to the new album two weeks before its release if they could decipher a hieroglyphic message, to which "papyrus" was the answer. Upon the album's release, it sold 4,600 copies, which enabled Nile to get onto the Billboard 200 for the first time reaching No. 162 on that chart.
On March 21, 2007, Nile was confirmed as a "Second Stage" act for Ozzfest 2007. A message from Karl Sanders via Nile's MySpace profile indicated that they were excited to finally bring true death metal to an Ozzfest audience. In March/April 2008, Nile went on a US headlining tour with Suicide Silence, The Faceless, Unexpect, and Warbringer. In September/October 2008, Nile set out on a European headlining tour with Grave, Omnium Gatherum and Severe Torture. In October 2008 the band planned to take their Ithyphallic tour to South Africa for a booking of three shows but they were canceled for unknown reasons.
In June 2009, Nile entered the recording studio to begin work on their sixth full-length album, entitled Those Whom the Gods Detest. The album was released in November of the same year, and was critically well-received - with one reviewer suggesting "pretty much the only thing standing in Nile’s way at this point is the fact that we as listeners have become so accustomed to the band’s excellence that another excellent album seems almost par for the course".It sold 3,500 copies in its first week of release in America, peaking at No. 160 on the Billboard 200.
On October 21, 2010, Chris Lollis was confirmed as the new permanent bassist for Nile, after four years of session work with the band. On October 11, 2011, Goomba Music released Worship the Animal, which is an alternately titled version of Nile's demo, which the band's original line-up recorded in 1994.
On December 6, 2011, Nile announced work in progress, and the completion of drum tracking, for their upcoming album in 2012. Karl Sanders commented: "We are finished tracking drums for the new Nile album - George, Dallas, Neil Kernon, and I spent a week with Bob Moore at the Soundlab in Columbia SC, tracking drums. We were expecting a long grueling session - some of this material is very compositionally challenging and technically demanding, but George knocked it out, finishing a full week ahead of schedule. Some of the drumming on this record will be boggling people's minds for years to come. At the moment we are back in Greenville, and will commence tracking guitars any day now."
On February 4, 2012, Karl Sanders announced on his Facebook page that they had a new bassist, Todd Ellis, who would contribute vocals to the new record.The next day, he explained on the band's official forum that he had lost contact with Chris Lollis during the writing and recording of the upcoming album, and after three months of silence from him they hired a replacement.
Band members
Current members
Karl Sanders – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards (1993–present)
Dallas Toler-Wade – vocals, guitars (2000–present)
George Kollias – drums, percussion (2004–present)
Brad Parris – bass, vocals (2015–present)
Former members
Chief Spires – vocals, bass (1993–2001)
Pete Hammoura – drums, percussion, vocals (1993–2000)
John Ehlers – guitars (1996–1997)
Tony Laureano – drums, percussion (2000–2004)
Jon Vesano – bass, vocals (2001–2005)
Joe Payne – bass, vocals (2005–2007)
Chris Lollis – bass, vocals (2007–2012)
Todd Ellis – bass, backing vocals (2012–2015)
Session members
Derek Roddy – drums, percussion (2000)
Live members
Tim Yeung – drums, percussion (2003)
Joe Payne – bass, vocals (2005–2007)
Steve Tucker – vocals, bass (2005)
Chris Lollis – bass, vocals (2007–2010)
Discography
Studio albums
Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka (1998)
Black Seeds of Vengeance (2000)
In Their Darkened Shrines (2002)
Annihilation of the Wicked (2005)
Ithyphallic (2007)
Those Whom the Gods Detest (2009)
At the Gate of Sethu (2012)
What Should Not Be Unearthed (2015)
The EP Ramses Bringer of War was released by Visceral Productions in 1997. Visceral were due to release the full-length Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka, but went out of business later that year. However, Relapse Records was open to releasing it in early 1998, giving Nile a wider distribution and a chance to hit the road with Incantation and Morbid Angel.
The follow-up, Black Seeds of Vengeance, was released in late 2000. Prior to this release, Pete Hammoura left the band due to injuries sustained while touring for The Catacombs. He tore his rotator cuff and could not recover the use of his arm fully in time to undertake the physical stress of a touring death metal band. He did not want to leave and thought a few more months of rehabilitation could get him up to speed.[citation needed] However, since the band thought he was holding them back, it was agreed that he leave. Derek Roddy drummed on all of the tracks (except “To Dream of Ur”) as a session musician. Also, prior to Black Seeds of Vengeance, Dallas Toler-Wade joined as a second guitarist/vocalist. A collection of remastered recordings, In the Beginning, was released later the same year.
Chief Spires left the bands a few months after the release of Black Seeds of Vengeance citing personal and professional differences. He was replaced by Jon Vesano. The band also found a new drummer in Tony Laureano.
By 2002, In Their Darkened Shrines was released. One reviewer noted that the album gave "death metal a cinematic, symphonic twist".Two videos were shot with director Darren Doane, "Sarcophagus" and "Execration Text", respectively.
Nile performing live at Jaxx Nightclub on August 27, 2007 in Springfield, Virginia.
Annihilation of the Wicked was released in 2005. New drummer George Kollias stepped in to replace Tony Laureano, who left before the recording began. After recording the bass for Annihilation of the Wicked, Jon Vesano also left the band. He was temporary replaced by Joe Payne on the following tour. Another Darren Doane directed video was shot for "Sacrifice Unto Sebek".
In May 2006, Nile signed a recording contract with Nuclear Blast. On February 26, 2007, Nile entered the studio and began recording their fifth full-length album entitled Ithyphallic, which was their first release with Nuclear Blast. Karl Sanders had confirmed a release date of June 29 via a posting on the band's message board, which was later pushed back to July 20, 2007. As a special bonus, Nuclear Blast gave several fans the opportunity to listen to the new album two weeks before its release if they could decipher a hieroglyphic message, to which "papyrus" was the answer. Upon the album's release, it sold 4,600 copies, which enabled Nile to get onto the Billboard 200 for the first time reaching No. 162 on that chart.
On March 21, 2007, Nile was confirmed as a "Second Stage" act for Ozzfest 2007. A message from Karl Sanders via Nile's MySpace profile indicated that they were excited to finally bring true death metal to an Ozzfest audience. In March/April 2008, Nile went on a US headlining tour with Suicide Silence, The Faceless, Unexpect, and Warbringer. In September/October 2008, Nile set out on a European headlining tour with Grave, Omnium Gatherum and Severe Torture. In October 2008 the band planned to take their Ithyphallic tour to South Africa for a booking of three shows but they were canceled for unknown reasons.
In June 2009, Nile entered the recording studio to begin work on their sixth full-length album, entitled Those Whom the Gods Detest. The album was released in November of the same year, and was critically well-received - with one reviewer suggesting "pretty much the only thing standing in Nile’s way at this point is the fact that we as listeners have become so accustomed to the band’s excellence that another excellent album seems almost par for the course".It sold 3,500 copies in its first week of release in America, peaking at No. 160 on the Billboard 200.
On October 21, 2010, Chris Lollis was confirmed as the new permanent bassist for Nile, after four years of session work with the band. On October 11, 2011, Goomba Music released Worship the Animal, which is an alternately titled version of Nile's demo, which the band's original line-up recorded in 1994.
On December 6, 2011, Nile announced work in progress, and the completion of drum tracking, for their upcoming album in 2012. Karl Sanders commented: "We are finished tracking drums for the new Nile album - George, Dallas, Neil Kernon, and I spent a week with Bob Moore at the Soundlab in Columbia SC, tracking drums. We were expecting a long grueling session - some of this material is very compositionally challenging and technically demanding, but George knocked it out, finishing a full week ahead of schedule. Some of the drumming on this record will be boggling people's minds for years to come. At the moment we are back in Greenville, and will commence tracking guitars any day now."
On February 4, 2012, Karl Sanders announced on his Facebook page that they had a new bassist, Todd Ellis, who would contribute vocals to the new record.The next day, he explained on the band's official forum that he had lost contact with Chris Lollis during the writing and recording of the upcoming album, and after three months of silence from him they hired a replacement.
Band members
Current members
Karl Sanders – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards (1993–present)
Dallas Toler-Wade – vocals, guitars (2000–present)
George Kollias – drums, percussion (2004–present)
Brad Parris – bass, vocals (2015–present)
Former members
Chief Spires – vocals, bass (1993–2001)
Pete Hammoura – drums, percussion, vocals (1993–2000)
John Ehlers – guitars (1996–1997)
Tony Laureano – drums, percussion (2000–2004)
Jon Vesano – bass, vocals (2001–2005)
Joe Payne – bass, vocals (2005–2007)
Chris Lollis – bass, vocals (2007–2012)
Todd Ellis – bass, backing vocals (2012–2015)
Session members
Derek Roddy – drums, percussion (2000)
Live members
Tim Yeung – drums, percussion (2003)
Joe Payne – bass, vocals (2005–2007)
Steve Tucker – vocals, bass (2005)
Chris Lollis – bass, vocals (2007–2010)
Discography
Studio albums
Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka (1998)
Black Seeds of Vengeance (2000)
In Their Darkened Shrines (2002)
Annihilation of the Wicked (2005)
Ithyphallic (2007)
Those Whom the Gods Detest (2009)
At the Gate of Sethu (2012)
What Should Not Be Unearthed (2015)
Friday, July 10, 2015
4. MORBID ANGEL
Morbid Angel was formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida, by guitarist Trey Azagthoth and drummer/vocalist Mike Browning. The band made their debut in 1987 on the New Renaissance Records record label. They recorded their debut album, Abominations of Desolation, in 1986, but the band was unsatisfied with the final product and it remained unreleased until 1991, printing 10,000 copies.
In 1986, David Vincent of the grindcore band Terrorizer joined the band, replacing Michael Manson and Sterling von Scarborough as vocalist and bassist respectively. Fellow Terrorizer drummer Pete Sandoval soon followed. Their first studio album, Altars of Madness, was released in 1989, and is regarded by many as a death metal classic.
1991 saw the release of their second album, Blessed Are the Sick, which was met with widespread critical acclaim. The album differed from its predecessor, showcasing a more "sludgy" side to the band. Two years later, the band released the album Covenant, which went on to sell over 150,000 copies in the United States. The album spawned two of the band's most well-known tracks, "God of Emptiness" and "Rapture", both of which had videos made for them. The same year, guitarist Richard Brunelle departed the band.
The band released its fourth studio album, Domination, in 1995, which featured new guitarist Erik Rutan of Ripping Corpse. The album spawned one single, titled "Where The Slime Live".
In 1996, shortly after the release of their live album titled Entangled In Chaos, bassist/vocalist David Vincent departed the band and was replaced by Steve Tucker. With Tucker, the band released the albums Formulas Fatal to the Flesh, Gateways to Annihilation and Heretic in 1998, 2000 and 2003 respectively. Tucker briefly left Morbid Angel in 2001 and was replaced by former Hate Eternal bassist and vocalist Jared Anderson. In 2002 however, Anderson left the band and Tucker re-assumed his position as bassist and vocalist.
In 2004, Steve Tucker once again left the band, paving the way for former vocalist/bassist David Vincent to return. The band continued by touring and playing festivals such as Wacken Open Air in 2006.
Morbid Angel's appearance on some of the mid-summer 2008 European festivals was announced as a "short break from writing and pre-production of their new 8th studio album".In May 2008, it was announced that Thor Anders Myhren (Destructhor) of Zyklon and Myrkskog would be the band's new guitarist, and Destructhor would appear on the new album. Guitarist Florian Magnus Maier was the runner up.
On March 5, 2011, the band headlined the Scion Rock Fest in Pomona, California. This performance was their first in the US in six years, aside from a one-off show in Los Angeles in May 2009.On March 18, 2010, the band announced that Tim Yeung would play drums on the upcoming album, allowing Pete Sandoval to recover from back surgery.On June 22, 2010, the band entered the studio to begin the recording of their new full-length album..On March 9, 2011, Morbid Angel confirmed that their new album would be called Illud Divinum Insanus.The album was released on June 7, 2011 on Season of Mist. In an interview in December 2013, David Vincent confirmed that Pete Sandoval is no longer a member of the band, claiming that Sandoval had "found Jesus", and stating, "Pete Sandoval and Morbid Angel are not compatible", laying to rest speculation that Sandoval would eventually be returning to the band.
Asked in a December 2014 interview about Morbid Angel's plans for 2015, Vincent replied, "We're done for awhile. It's time to write.Yeung has said that the band is in talks of recording an EP.
On June 15, 2015, it was reported that David Vincent and Tim Yeung were no longer in the band. Former vocalist/bassist Steve Tucker has once again rejoined, and a replacement drummer has yet to be found.Later that day, however, Vincent denied that he had left the band.On his official Facebook page, Steve Tucker hinted in a post on the 17th of June that guitarist Destructhor is no longer part of Morbid Angel either: "Who will play second guitar? Time will answer that one..."On June 18th, 2015, this was confirmed, as Destructhor announced his departure from Morbid Angel to focus on the Norwegian death metal band Myrkskog.On June 19th, 2015, David Vincent confirmed that he left Morbid Angel, due creative differences.
Members
Current memberS
Trey Azagthoth – guitar, guitar synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals (1984–present)
Steve Tucker – vocals, bass guitar (1997–2001, 2003–2004, 2015–present)
Former members
Mike Browning – drums, percussion, vocals (1984–1986)
Dallas Ward – bass guitar, vocals (1984–1985)
Terri Samuels – vocals (1984)
Richard Brunelle – guitar (1985–1992, 1994, 1998)
John Ortega – bass guitar (1985–1986)
Kenny Bamber – vocals (1985)
David Vincent – lead vocals, bass guitar (1986–1996, 2004–2015)
Wayne Hartsell – drums (1986–1988)
Michael Manson – vocals (1986)
Sterling Von Scarborough – bass guitar (1986) (deceased)
Pete Sandoval – drums, percussion (1988–2010)
Gino Marino – guitar (1992–1993)
Erik Rutan – guitar, keyboards (1993–1996, 1998–2002, 2006)
Jared Anderson – vocals, bass guitar (2001–2002) (deceased)
Tony Norman – guitar (2003–2006)
Destructhor – guitar (2008–2015)
Tim Yeung – drums (2010–2015)
In 1986, David Vincent of the grindcore band Terrorizer joined the band, replacing Michael Manson and Sterling von Scarborough as vocalist and bassist respectively. Fellow Terrorizer drummer Pete Sandoval soon followed. Their first studio album, Altars of Madness, was released in 1989, and is regarded by many as a death metal classic.
1991 saw the release of their second album, Blessed Are the Sick, which was met with widespread critical acclaim. The album differed from its predecessor, showcasing a more "sludgy" side to the band. Two years later, the band released the album Covenant, which went on to sell over 150,000 copies in the United States. The album spawned two of the band's most well-known tracks, "God of Emptiness" and "Rapture", both of which had videos made for them. The same year, guitarist Richard Brunelle departed the band.
The band released its fourth studio album, Domination, in 1995, which featured new guitarist Erik Rutan of Ripping Corpse. The album spawned one single, titled "Where The Slime Live".
In 1996, shortly after the release of their live album titled Entangled In Chaos, bassist/vocalist David Vincent departed the band and was replaced by Steve Tucker. With Tucker, the band released the albums Formulas Fatal to the Flesh, Gateways to Annihilation and Heretic in 1998, 2000 and 2003 respectively. Tucker briefly left Morbid Angel in 2001 and was replaced by former Hate Eternal bassist and vocalist Jared Anderson. In 2002 however, Anderson left the band and Tucker re-assumed his position as bassist and vocalist.
In 2004, Steve Tucker once again left the band, paving the way for former vocalist/bassist David Vincent to return. The band continued by touring and playing festivals such as Wacken Open Air in 2006.
Morbid Angel's appearance on some of the mid-summer 2008 European festivals was announced as a "short break from writing and pre-production of their new 8th studio album".In May 2008, it was announced that Thor Anders Myhren (Destructhor) of Zyklon and Myrkskog would be the band's new guitarist, and Destructhor would appear on the new album. Guitarist Florian Magnus Maier was the runner up.
On March 5, 2011, the band headlined the Scion Rock Fest in Pomona, California. This performance was their first in the US in six years, aside from a one-off show in Los Angeles in May 2009.On March 18, 2010, the band announced that Tim Yeung would play drums on the upcoming album, allowing Pete Sandoval to recover from back surgery.On June 22, 2010, the band entered the studio to begin the recording of their new full-length album..On March 9, 2011, Morbid Angel confirmed that their new album would be called Illud Divinum Insanus.The album was released on June 7, 2011 on Season of Mist. In an interview in December 2013, David Vincent confirmed that Pete Sandoval is no longer a member of the band, claiming that Sandoval had "found Jesus", and stating, "Pete Sandoval and Morbid Angel are not compatible", laying to rest speculation that Sandoval would eventually be returning to the band.
Asked in a December 2014 interview about Morbid Angel's plans for 2015, Vincent replied, "We're done for awhile. It's time to write.Yeung has said that the band is in talks of recording an EP.
On June 15, 2015, it was reported that David Vincent and Tim Yeung were no longer in the band. Former vocalist/bassist Steve Tucker has once again rejoined, and a replacement drummer has yet to be found.Later that day, however, Vincent denied that he had left the band.On his official Facebook page, Steve Tucker hinted in a post on the 17th of June that guitarist Destructhor is no longer part of Morbid Angel either: "Who will play second guitar? Time will answer that one..."On June 18th, 2015, this was confirmed, as Destructhor announced his departure from Morbid Angel to focus on the Norwegian death metal band Myrkskog.On June 19th, 2015, David Vincent confirmed that he left Morbid Angel, due creative differences.
Members
Current memberS
Trey Azagthoth – guitar, guitar synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals (1984–present)
Steve Tucker – vocals, bass guitar (1997–2001, 2003–2004, 2015–present)
Former members
Mike Browning – drums, percussion, vocals (1984–1986)
Dallas Ward – bass guitar, vocals (1984–1985)
Terri Samuels – vocals (1984)
Richard Brunelle – guitar (1985–1992, 1994, 1998)
John Ortega – bass guitar (1985–1986)
Kenny Bamber – vocals (1985)
David Vincent – lead vocals, bass guitar (1986–1996, 2004–2015)
Wayne Hartsell – drums (1986–1988)
Michael Manson – vocals (1986)
Sterling Von Scarborough – bass guitar (1986) (deceased)
Pete Sandoval – drums, percussion (1988–2010)
Gino Marino – guitar (1992–1993)
Erik Rutan – guitar, keyboards (1993–1996, 1998–2002, 2006)
Jared Anderson – vocals, bass guitar (2001–2002) (deceased)
Tony Norman – guitar (2003–2006)
Destructhor – guitar (2008–2015)
Tim Yeung – drums (2010–2015)
3. CHILDREN OF BODOM
Children of Bodom was formed in 1993 by guitarist Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen under the name of Inearthed. Both musicians had known each other since early childhood and had shared an interest in heavy metal, especially death metal groups, such as Dissection, Entombed, and Obituary. Bassist Samuli Miettinen completed the initial line-up of the band. Inearthed recorded its first demo, Implosion of Heaven, during August of the same year.
Samuli was the main composer of the band's lyrics for the two years that he took part in Inearthed, but his family moved to the United States in 1995, making it impossible for him to remain in the band. His last contributions to Inearthed were the lyrics of the songs from their second demo, Ubiquitous Absence of Remission which was the first time they worked with producer Anssi Kippo at Astia-studios (Lappeenranta, Finland). In this demo, keyboards were incorporated into the band's songs for the first time. In order to achieve this, both Laiho and Raatikainen played the keyboards separately, and subsequently mixed the recorded track with the other instruments. Laiho, who had previously only composed the melodies of the songs, assumed the role of the band's lyricist.
At the time, Raatikainen played French horn in a local big band, and during a rehearsal he met Alexander Kuoppala, a trumpet player and also a proficient guitarist. Shortly after the recording of their second demo, Kuoppala was invited to join Inearthed as a rhythm guitarist.
The bassist chosen to replace Samuli was Henkka "Blacksmith" Seppälä, whom Laiho and Raatikainen had previously known from school. Apart from playing the bass, Seppälä also often doubles as the band's backing vocalist. Also, the band recruited a musician to specialize on keyboards, whose name was Jani Pirisjoki. Both joined Inearthed in early 1996.
With this new line-up, Inearthed proceeded to record their third demo, entitled Shining. This demo did not impress record labels any more than the previous ones had, and none took interest in the band.Despite their efforts, their music got little exposure and managed only to play at local events. As a last resort, the band decided to record an independent, self-funded album. Considering that none of the musicians had much money to begin with, it was an audacious move.
Laiho wanted to make use of the keyboards more effectively, but Pirisjoki was not attending rehearsals. Thus, he was fired and replaced by a friend of Raatikainen's, a jazz pianist named Janne "Warman" Wirman.
Wirman was the component which was previously missing from Inearthed. His presence allowed the band to assume the style which would later characterize Children of Bodom. With Wirman, the band successfully recorded their first album in 1997. Their debut, Something Wild, was supposed to be released by a small Belgian label, Shiver Records, but second vocalist Sami Tenetz (from Thy Serpent) acquired a copy of their album through the hands of Kuoppala. They both worked for the same company at the time. Shortly after Inearthed signed this contract, Spinefarm Records' boss immediately became interested in signing them for a country-wide release.[citation needed] The latter deal was much more attractive to the band, since the Belgian label was offering them close to no help, to the point where they would have to distribute and sell the album themselves.
The band was required to create a new name to sign up to Spinefarm Records. The contract with Shiver records had already been signed under the name of Inearthed. The answer to that problem came as the members looked for good names in their local phone book. When they stumbled upon Lake Bodom, they realized that it was a name with impact and one which had an interesting story behind it. A long list of possible names involving the word Bodom was then made, and they settled with Children of Bodom. The band's name is derived from the Lake Bodom murders.
Band members
Current members
Alexi Laiho – lead vocals, guitar (1993–present)
Jaska Raatikainen – drums, percussion (1993–present)
Henkka Seppälä – bass, backing vocals (1996–present)
Janne Wirman – keyboard, synthesizer (1997–present)
Current live members
Antti Wirman – guitar, backing vocals (2015–present)
Former members
Samuli Miettinen – bass, backing vocals (1993–1995)
Alexander Kuoppala – guitar, backing vocals (1995–2003)
Jani Pirisjoki – keyboard, synthesizer (1995–1997)
Roope Latvala – guitar, backing vocals (2003–2015)
Discography
Studio albums
Something Wild (1997)
Hatebreeder (1999)
Follow the Reaper (2000)
Hate Crew Deathroll (2003)
Are You Dead Yet? (2005)
Blooddrunk (2008)
Relentless Reckless Forever (2011)
Halo of Blood (2013)
I Worship Chaos (2015)
Samuli was the main composer of the band's lyrics for the two years that he took part in Inearthed, but his family moved to the United States in 1995, making it impossible for him to remain in the band. His last contributions to Inearthed were the lyrics of the songs from their second demo, Ubiquitous Absence of Remission which was the first time they worked with producer Anssi Kippo at Astia-studios (Lappeenranta, Finland). In this demo, keyboards were incorporated into the band's songs for the first time. In order to achieve this, both Laiho and Raatikainen played the keyboards separately, and subsequently mixed the recorded track with the other instruments. Laiho, who had previously only composed the melodies of the songs, assumed the role of the band's lyricist.
At the time, Raatikainen played French horn in a local big band, and during a rehearsal he met Alexander Kuoppala, a trumpet player and also a proficient guitarist. Shortly after the recording of their second demo, Kuoppala was invited to join Inearthed as a rhythm guitarist.
The bassist chosen to replace Samuli was Henkka "Blacksmith" Seppälä, whom Laiho and Raatikainen had previously known from school. Apart from playing the bass, Seppälä also often doubles as the band's backing vocalist. Also, the band recruited a musician to specialize on keyboards, whose name was Jani Pirisjoki. Both joined Inearthed in early 1996.
With this new line-up, Inearthed proceeded to record their third demo, entitled Shining. This demo did not impress record labels any more than the previous ones had, and none took interest in the band.Despite their efforts, their music got little exposure and managed only to play at local events. As a last resort, the band decided to record an independent, self-funded album. Considering that none of the musicians had much money to begin with, it was an audacious move.
Laiho wanted to make use of the keyboards more effectively, but Pirisjoki was not attending rehearsals. Thus, he was fired and replaced by a friend of Raatikainen's, a jazz pianist named Janne "Warman" Wirman.
Wirman was the component which was previously missing from Inearthed. His presence allowed the band to assume the style which would later characterize Children of Bodom. With Wirman, the band successfully recorded their first album in 1997. Their debut, Something Wild, was supposed to be released by a small Belgian label, Shiver Records, but second vocalist Sami Tenetz (from Thy Serpent) acquired a copy of their album through the hands of Kuoppala. They both worked for the same company at the time. Shortly after Inearthed signed this contract, Spinefarm Records' boss immediately became interested in signing them for a country-wide release.[citation needed] The latter deal was much more attractive to the band, since the Belgian label was offering them close to no help, to the point where they would have to distribute and sell the album themselves.
The band was required to create a new name to sign up to Spinefarm Records. The contract with Shiver records had already been signed under the name of Inearthed. The answer to that problem came as the members looked for good names in their local phone book. When they stumbled upon Lake Bodom, they realized that it was a name with impact and one which had an interesting story behind it. A long list of possible names involving the word Bodom was then made, and they settled with Children of Bodom. The band's name is derived from the Lake Bodom murders.
Band members
Current members
Alexi Laiho – lead vocals, guitar (1993–present)
Jaska Raatikainen – drums, percussion (1993–present)
Henkka Seppälä – bass, backing vocals (1996–present)
Janne Wirman – keyboard, synthesizer (1997–present)
Current live members
Antti Wirman – guitar, backing vocals (2015–present)
Former members
Samuli Miettinen – bass, backing vocals (1993–1995)
Alexander Kuoppala – guitar, backing vocals (1995–2003)
Jani Pirisjoki – keyboard, synthesizer (1995–1997)
Roope Latvala – guitar, backing vocals (2003–2015)
Discography
Studio albums
Something Wild (1997)
Hatebreeder (1999)
Follow the Reaper (2000)
Hate Crew Deathroll (2003)
Are You Dead Yet? (2005)
Blooddrunk (2008)
Relentless Reckless Forever (2011)
Halo of Blood (2013)
I Worship Chaos (2015)
2. CANNIBAL CORPSE
Cannibal Corpse was established in 1988 by members from earlier Buffalo-area death metal bands: Beyond Death (Webster, Owen), Leviathan (Barnes), and Tirant Sin (Barnes, Rusay, Mazurkiewicz). The band played its first show at Buffalo's River Rock Cafe in March 1989, shortly after recording a five-song demo tape, Cannibal Corpse. Within a year of the first gig, the band was signed to Metal Blade Records, apparently after the label had heard their demo that was sent in by the manager of the record store at which Chris Barnes was working.Their full-length debut album, Eaten Back to Life, was released in August 1990.
The band has had many line-up changes over the years. In 1993, founding member and guitarist Bob Rusay was dismissed from the group (after which he became a golf instructor) and was ultimately replaced by Malevolent Creation guitarist Rob Barrett. In 1995, during recording sessions for a new album, singer Chris Barnes was dismissed[why?] and was replaced by Monstrosity singer George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. Barnes went on to perform with the band Six Feet Under, and later Torture Killer.
In 1997, Barrett, who had originally replaced Rusay on guitar, left Cannibal Corpse to rejoin his previous bands Malevolent Creation and Solstice. After Barrett left, he was replaced by guitarist Pat O’Brien, who first appeared on Cannibal Corpse's 1998 release Gallery of Suicide. Founding member and guitarist Jack Owen left Cannibal Corpse in 2004 to spend more time on his second band, Adrift. He joined Deicide in late 2005. Jeremy Turner of Origin briefly replaced him as second guitarist on 2004's Tour of The Wretched Spawn. Barrett rejoined the band in 2005 and was first featured on the album Kill, released in March 2006.
Writing for the next album began in November 2007, as presaged in an interview with bassist Alex Webster. Evisceration Plague, Cannibal Corpse's eleventh studio album was released February 3, 2009, to a highly positive response from fans. They also released a live DVD in 2011 entitled Global Evisceration. Cannibal Corpse released its twelfth studio album, Torture, in March 2012.
In February 2014, Cannibal Corpse announced that they began recording a new album, A Skeletal Domain, scheduled for a September release. "Sadistic Embodiment" was released as a single in July, and all of the names of the songs on the forthcoming album were announced the same day. The same month, Metal Blade announced the publication of the band's authorized biography Bible Of Butchery, written by the British author Joel McIver.
Band members
Current members
Alex Webster – bass guitar (1988–present)
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums (1988–present)
Rob Barrett – rhythm guitar (1993–1997, 2005–present)
George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher – lead vocals (1995–present)
Patrick O'Brien – lead guitar (1997–present)
.
Former members
Jack Owen – guitars (1988–2004)
Chris Barnes – lead vocals (1988–1995) LEGEND
Bob Rusay – guitars (1988–1993)
.
Live members
Jeremy Turner – guitars (2004–2005)
Discography
Studio albums
Eaten Back to Life (1990)
Butchered at Birth (1991)
Tomb of the Mutilated (1992)
The Bleeding (1994)
Vile (1996)
Gallery of Suicide (1998)
Bloodthirst (1999)
Gore Obsessed (2002)
The Wretched Spawn (2004)
Kill (2006)
Evisceration Plague (2009)
Torture (2012)
A Skeletal Domain (2014)
Discography
Studio albums
Eaten Back to Life (1990)
Butchered at Birth (1991)
Tomb of the Mutilated (1992)
The Bleeding (1994)
Vile (1996)
Gallery of Suicide (1998)
Bloodthirst (1999)
Gore Obsessed (2002)
The Wretched Spawn (2004)
Kill (2006)
Evisceration Plague (2009)
Torture (2012)
A Skeletal Domain (2014)
DEATH
Founded in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner under the original name of Mantas in Orlando, Florida.Death was among the more widely known, early pioneers of the death metal sound along with California's Possessed. In the late 80s, the band was both a part of and integral in defining the death metal scene which gained international recognition with the release of albums by a number of area acts.
Together with Kam Lee (Barney Kamalani Lee), and Rick Rozz (Frederick DeLillo), Schuldiner started to compose songs that were released on several rehearsal tapes in 1984.These tapes, along with the Death by Metal demo, circulated through the tape-trader world, quickly establishing the band's name. In 1984, Schuldiner dissolved Mantas and quickly started a new band under the name Death. Tim Aymar, in an article written in December 2010, states that Chuck Schuldiner renamed the band Death in order to turn his experience of the death of his brother Frank years earlier into "something positive".Its members included the same Rick Rozz and Kam Lee. Another demo was released, called Reign of Terror.
In 1985, the Infernal Death tape was recorded and released. Rick Rozz was out of the band by early 1985. Kam Lee played with Scott Carlson and Matt Olivo, bassist and guitarist respectively, of the band Repulsion for a short time. However, Kam had some "personal problems" that caused him to be ejected from the band. Olivo and Carlson left soon afterward. Schuldiner moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and recruited DRI drummer Eric Brecht, then recorded the Back from the Dead demo. However, Chuck was not happy with this incarnation of Death and moved back to Florida without a band. In 1986, Schuldiner got an invitation from early Canadian thrash band Slaughter to play on their album, which he accepted, moving to Canada. However, this only lasted two weeks, and he returned to the States. He returned to Florida, then moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area again, where he joined with 17-year-old drummer Chris Reifert. They recorded the Mutilation demo, which led to a deal with Combat Records, owned by Important Distribution (later becoming Relativity, and subsequently Sony), that enabled them to record the first LP.
Scream Bloody Gore was released in 1987, widely considered a genre template for death metal. Schuldiner briefly had a second guitar player, John Hand, but Hand did not appear on the album (though his photo did). By this time Schuldiner had moved back to Florida, splitting with Reifert who had elected to remain in California, where he went on to form Autopsy. There, Schuldiner teamed up with former bandmate Rick Rozz and two members of Rozz's band Massacre, Terry Butler and Bill Andrews.
Musicians
Final lineup
Chuck Schuldiner – guitar (1983–2001), lead vocals (1984–2001), bass (1987–1988) (deceased)
Shannon Hamm – guitar (1996–2001)
Scott Clendenin – bass (1996–2001) (deceased on March 24 2015)
Richard Christy – drums (1996–2001)
.
Previous musicians
Guitarists
Rick Rozz (1983–1985, 1987–1989)
Matt Olivo (1985)
Paul Masvidal (1989, 1990, 1991–1992)
Albert Gonzalez (1990)
James Murphy (1989–1990)
Andy LaRocque (1993)
Ralph Santolla (1993)
Bobby Koelble (1995)
.
Bassists
Dave Tett (1984)
Scott Carlson (1985; also vocals)
Erik Meade (1985)
Terry Butler (1987–1990)
Steve DiGiorgio (1986, 1991, 1993–1994 (on the Symbolic demos), 1997–1998 (only on The Sound of Perseverance demos))
Kelly Conlon (1995)
.
Drummers
Kam Lee (1983–1985) vocals (1983–1984)
Eric Brecht (1985)
Chris Reifert (1986–1987)
Bill Andrews (1987–1990)
Sean Reinert (1991–1992)
Gene Hoglan (1993–1995)
Richard Christy (1996-2001)
.
Live musicians
Skott Carino - bass (1991–1992)
Ralph Santolla - guitar (1994)
Craig Locicero - guitar (1993)
Brian Benson - bass (1995)
DiscographY
- Scream Bloody Gore (1987)
- Leprosy (1988)
- Spiritual Healing (1990)
- Human (1991)
- Individual Thought Patterns (1993)
- Symbolic (1995)
- The Sound of Perseverance (1998)
pioneers of death metal \m/
- DEATH
- CANNIBAL CORPSE
- CHILDREN OF BODOM
- MORBID ANGEL
- NILE
- AMON AMARTH
- OPETH
- BEHEMOTH
- CARCASS
- POSSESSED
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