Author: Fernando

STASS

STASS

STASS is the death metal vehicle for Felix Stass, of the mighty german gothmetal giants Crematory.

The band was formed after Felix and Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, etc) met at a show, and later collaborated on a song for one of Rogga’s other bands.

After this the need to make more music together arose and the debut album “The Darkside” came in 2017, showcasing dark and melodic death metal.

For the following album, however, Felix had another idea though, and wanted to go full-on dirty but massive old-school death metal. Still melodic but with the groove and grit from the old Swedish sound both in songrwriting and in the albums sound.

The result is “Songs Of Flesh And Decay”, heavily leaning towards the old Sunlight Studio sound and with songs that are both heavy and catchy. To be released on January 2021 via Emanzipation.

Line-up:
Felix Stass – Vocals (CREMATORY)
Rogga Johansson – Guitars (PAGANIZER, REVOLTING, DEMIURG, RIBSPREADER)
Kjetil Lynghaug – Lead guitars (MORDENIAL)
Thomas Ohlsson – Drums (APOSTASY)

Web:
https://www.facebook.com/stassband

 


Taetre

Taetre

Taetre was formed in 1993 in Sweden and, after shaping up their death/thrash metal sound, released a four-track demo tape in 2996 named “Eternal Eclipse”. With the word on the world, the band was quickly spotted by Emanzipation Productions, who quickly signed them for the 1997 debut album “The Art”, which granted Taetre a good amount of positive reviews and a steady fanbase in the scene.

Two years after “Out Of Emotional Disorder” was released, also via Emanzipation, and continued the musical evolution of the band, which eventually came to its conclusion in the 2002 final album “Divine Misanthropic Madness”, released by Mighty Music. After it, the mastermind, vocalist, guitarist, and main composer Jonas Lindblood embarked on a new musical trip, more brutal and darker, called Puteraeon. It was the end of Taetre – but could it be forever?

(Last) line-up:
Jonas Lindblood: guitars, vocals
Danyael: guitars
D.K.: bass, backing vocals
Graveyard: drums

Web:
https://www.facebook.com/Taetre-261153413896588/


P.O.V. Secondhand

P.O.V. secondhand

P.O.V secondhand (also known as Point Of View Secondhand) was a short-lived Danish gothic rock/metal band of the 90’s. The band started out around mid-decade of the 90’s and released only one album, “Fraction Of Faith”, in 1997, via Emanzipation Productions.

The label flyer back then described the album as “Emotional, melodic gothic rock/metal, combining the melodies of the 80’s with the distortion of the 90’s. A sophisticated and very avantgarde release in today goth scene. Brilliant orchestral production and great conceptual artwork”.

Unfortunately, after the release of “Fraction Of Faith”, the group slowly fade away and disappeared from the scene. A few years after, drummer Kim Jørgensen re-emerged in the doom/gothic metal band Empire Drowns, but that project was short-lived too.

(Last) line-up:
Kim Jørgensen: drums, backing vocals
Ricky B. Nielsen: guitar
Jan Petersen: guitar
Mikkel Strojek: keyboards, vocals
Rasmus Kabelka: lead vocals, bass


Iniquity

INIQUITY

Iniquity was initially formed in 1989 by among others Brian Petrowsky. In the following years the band went through countless line-up changes but still managed to gather an increasingly larger fanbase thanks to numerous live shows and the successfull two demo tapes “Entering Deception” (1992) & “Promo 93” (1993).

In 1995 the band entered the studio to record the debut album “Serenadium” (1996, Diehard/ Emanzipation) but due to those notorious line-up changes the final result wasn’t completed and released until late August 1996. At that time Brian Petrowsky had permanently left the band and the line-up was now Jesper Frost on drums – since 1995. Lars Friis also member since 1995 and Martin Rosendahl who joined in August 1996 delivering the vocals and the bass in place of Petrowsky & Thomas ”Gnist” Christensen. Brian Eriksen joined in early 1997 – this was the line-up which went on tour with the “Serenadium” album.

After a final replacement in the summer of 1997 Jens Lee joined up in place of Lars. The EP “The Hidden Lore” (1998, Mighty) was written and recorded then released in spring 1998. By the end of 1998 both Martin & Jens Lee left the band. Mads Hårløv & Thomas Fagerlind entered in their place. The very successfull and best selling Iniquity release of all “Five Across The Eyes” (1999, Mighty) was recorded and released with many tours and shows in its wake. By 2000 Kræn Meier had replaced Brian Eriksen – this line-up lasted until the band broke apart about two years after the release of the final album “Grime” (2001, Mighty).

In 2003 the compilation / rarities album “Iniquity Bloody Iniquity” (2003, Mighty) marked the break-up of Iniquity. The following 9 years the band was dead…

The silence was only broken once by the release of ”Entering Deception / Promo 93” (2011, Serpent Pulse) which was an official re-release of the two demo tapes on vinyl. In 2012 by pure coincidence a series of events – more or less out of control of any ex-members of the band – led to Martin, Brian & Jesper discussion the idea of “doing something about it”… Mads and other ex-members was asked to join but declined the offer…

However the line-up from “The Hidden Lore” ended up being the basis for he 2012-2013 reunion… and with this line-up the band played numerous festivals and shows around the world – including a full UK tour as the finale. In 2015 the band decided to do a few shows that they’d been forced to cancel on the initial tour. Thomas “Gnist” Christensen from the original “Serenadium” line-up replaced Jens Lee on these gigs as Martin moved to rhythm guitar.

In 2021, Emanzipation productions started a series of reissues of Iniquity’s classic back-catalog. In March 2021, “Five Across The Eyes” was reissued in CD (limited to 500 copies) and LP (black, orange and white vinyls, each limited to 100 copies and numbered).

One year after, in March 2022, it was time for “Grime” to get the full reissue treatment; this time exclusively on LP format (black and grey/black variants, each limited to 300 units), with sound remastered by Marco Angioni (Tardus Mortem, Panzerchrist, Tygers Of Pan Tang) at Angioni Studios.

(Last) line-up:
Jesper Frost Jensen: drums
Martin Rosendahl: bass, vocals
Brian Eriksen: guitars

Web:
https://www.facebook.com/iniquitybloodyiniquity/


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Exhumation

Exhumation

Not to be confused with numerous, significantly more obscure heavy metal bands using the same moniker, Greece’s Exhumation were part of that country’s famed 1990s generation, which also spawned such major names in extreme music as Rotting Christ, Nightfall, and Septic Flesh.

Their origins dating back to the late ’80s, actually, Exhumation eventually parlayed two demos (1990’s The Rebirth and 1994’s Deepest Side of Fear) into a recording contract with Denmark’s Emanzipation/Diehard Records, for whom they would record 1997’s “Seas of Eternal Silence” debut with the help of producer Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Pan-Thy-Monium, etc.). Not surprisingly, the latter proved well suited to capture Exhumation’s – then comprising vocalist/bassist John Nokteridis, guitarists Panos Giatzoglou and Marios Iliopoulos, keyboardist Thomas Bairachtaris, and drummer Pantelis Athanasiadis – eclectic blend of doom, dark, death, and gothic metal. Two additional albums followed in subsequent years: 1998’s “Dance Across the Past” and 1999’s “Traumaticon” – both of them captured at Sweden’s Studio Fredman by producer Fredrik Nordström, who helped bring new dimensions to Exhumation’s sound. But the band’s drive started to fail thereafter, and when guitarist Iliopoulos left to join rivals Nightrage, Exhumation quietly decided to break up.

Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

(Last) line-up
John Nokteridis: bass, vocals
Panos Giatzoglou: guitar
Marios Iliopoulos: guitar
Pantelis Athanasiadis: drums

Web:
https://www.facebook.com/exhumation/
https://www.instagram.com/exhumationgreece


Euthanasia

Euthanasia

Euthanasia was formed in 1990 in the Italian city of Caldera di Reno, near Blologna. In 1992 they released their first demo-tape “Wormeaten”, that got them a lot of attention in the death metal underground scene. After they were offered a few worthless deals, they recorded two songs for a 7” EP for Seraphic Decay Records, but the label ripped them off. They then recorded the “Promo ’93” and got one of the songs to be featured in the “Grind Core” compilation, released by Nuclear Blast. It was then that Emanzipation Productions decided to offer the band a cassette-EP deal.

The “Cassete EP 1994” saw the light of day in April 1994, in a limited edition of 500 copies. The tape was very well received by the fans and underground press, and the first edition was soon sold-out. Terrorizer Magazine wrote “Fast controlled death metal to batter your senses. A very good tape, and professionally put out”. A new edition was made but, a year after, Euthanasia disbanded, having quickly returned, but this time without long time member and vocalist Manuele Bruno, which was then in Electrocution. Instead, Andrea Zaine (Iconoclast, Monumentum, etc) took care of the vocals.

Sadly, this new line-up didn’t last as well, and soon the band parted ways forever. Still, the “Cassette EP 1994” remains as their legacy and one of the true documented proofs of the Italian death metal force of the early 90’s.

(Last) line-up:
Fabio Stanzani: bass
Davide F. Zanarini: drums
Andrea Raffaele: guitars
Andrea Zaine: vocals
Massimo Gavina: guitars


Charon

Charon

The Finish combo known as Charon were spawned into this world by Antti Karihtala (drums), Teemu Hautamaki (bass), Pasi Sipila & Jasse Hast (guitars) in the year of 1992. The following yeas were spent rehearsing and releasing demos, from which the third one – “Pilgrimage” – was released in 1995. Shortly after, the new vocalist J-P Leppaluoto was recruited to the group.

After a few labels shopping, Emanzipation Productions signed Charon and in 1998 the debut album from the Finish combo, entitled “Sorrowburn”, was released, to much acclaim in the underground press. Only one year after, the second album “Tearstained” saw the light of day and Charon catapulted into fame, doing a spring tour with Sentenced in Finland and eventually signing a new record deal to Spinefarm Records.

In the following decade, the band turned into a household name in the strong European heavy/gothic metal scene. However, three albums later, the Charon disbanded in June 2011 and, although a brief return in 2015 (for This Is Halloween Festival, together with The 69 Eyes and To/Die/For), the group returned to an indefinite hiatus, where it’s still today.

(Last) line-up:
Teemu Hautamäki: bass
Antti Karihtala: drums
Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto: vocals
Lauri Tuohimaa: guitars

Web:
https://www.facebook.com/charonband/
https://twitter.com/CharonOfficial


Centinex

Centinex

Centinex was formed around September/October 1990 and a rehearsal tape was recorded in March of the next year. In July the band entered Sunlight studios and recorded the “End Of Life” demo tape which then led to a deal with Swedish Underground Records. In 1992 the “Subconscious Lobotomy” CD was recorded at Sunlight studios during July and released in October. Great reviews in the press and the band made some gigs in both Sweden and Finland and, in early 1993, the second vocalist left the band and from that date Centinex continued with only one frontman.

A three track promo tape, “Under The Blackened Sky”, was recorded in March which Wild Rags Records released as a cassette EP. A second guitarist came into the band but was kicked out two months later because of personal problems. In 1994, a new second guitarist joined and a few months later Centinex entered Unisound studios to record the “Transcend The Dark Chaos” cassette EP. The band released the tape themselves but it was also licensed to polish Sphinx Records.

Come 1995… the drummer left Centinex and the band continued with a drum machine. Three new tracks were recorded at Abyss studios. Those, together with the “Transcend The Dark Chaos” tracks + one track from the “Under The Blackened Sky” tape, became the content of the “Malleus Maleficarum” CD, which was edited in April of the following year through Wild Rags Records. One of the tracks was also released on a split 7″ EP with Inverted. Centinex signed a deal with danish Emanzipation/Diehard and the Abyss studio was booked for October.

In 1997 the “Reflections” CD was released in March, later in the year the album was also licensed to Slovakian Rock Extremum Records for a tape version. “Reflections” was a key point in Centinex career, who continue to dominate the death metal scene in Europe until they eventually disbanded in 2006. But life has it’s turns and, in 2014, bassist/founding member Martin Schulman announced he was reforming the band, after which Centinex released three more full-length albums.

Line-up:
Martin Schulman: bass
Jörgen Kristensen: guitars
Henrik Andersson: vocals
Florian Rehn: drums

Web:
https://www.facebook.com/Centinexofficial


Nominon – Yesterdeath

Nominon – Yesterdeath

Tracklist

01. Rigor Mortis
02. Of Ancient Craft
03. Manifestation Of Black
04. Burnt Human Offering
05. Through Dead Deams Door
06. Black Chapel
07. Release In Death
08. Hordes Of Flies (live)
09. Condemned To Die (live)
10. Blaspheming The Dead
11. Invocations
12. Blessed By Fire

Line-up

Henke Skoog: vocals
Juha Sulasalmi: guitar, backing vocals
Kraen Meier: lead guitar
Perra Karlsson: drums

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Toxaemia – Where Paths Divide

Toxaemia – Where Paths Divide

Tracklist

01. Where Paths Divide
02. Delusions
03. Pestilence
04. Buried To Rot
05. Betrayal
06. Toxaemia
07. Black Death
08. Six-Fold Revenge
09. Psychotic Pandemic
10. Leprosy
11. Hate Within

Line-up

Stevo Bolgakov: guitar, vocals
Pontus Cervin: bass
Rasmus Axelsson: lead guitar
Dennis Johansson: vocals
Per “Perra” Karlsson: drums

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