John 'Capachino' Carter Paul Wright Alexander 'Nod' Wright Peter Yates Gary Wisker Andy James Lee Newell Tom Edwards
Fields of the Nephilim are an English gothic rock band formed in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, in 1984. The band's name refers to a biblical race of angel-human hybrids known as the Nephilim.
The band's debut EP, Burning the Fields, was released in 1985 by Situation Two records (an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records). The band "upgraded" to Beggars Banquet in 1986 to release "Power" and "Preacher Man", and their first album, Dawnrazor, which topped the Indie chart in 1987.[1] The next release, "Blue Water", was the first Fields of the Nephilim single to reach the UK Singles Chart (number 75).[2] It was followed by "Moonchild", the lead single from the second LP The Nephilim, which reached number 28 in the UK chart.[3]
Psychonaut was released in May 1989 and peaked at number 35;[2] the ten-minute track indicated a slight shift for the band toward a more experimental and intense sound. This single/EP was a precursor to the polished and highly produced Elizium album (1990). Produced by Pink Floyd / David Gilmour engineer Andy Jackson[4] (taking over from previous band producer Bill Buchanan), the album was preceded by the single "For Her Light," which clipped the British Top 40 in its first week of release. A remixed version of "Sumerland (Dreamed)" (this version is on the CD single only and differed from the 7" vinyl format of the same release), released in November 1990, peaked at number 37.[2]
In 1991, the band played their final gigs, a two-day 'Festival of Fire' in London. The final releases of this era are the live CD Earth Inferno and the video Visionary Heads, followed by the compilation Revelations.
Departure of McCoy and hiatus (1991–1998)
Frontman McCoy left the band in 1991.[5] The remaining members, together with singer Andy Delaney, chose not to continue with the "Fields of the Nephilim" name and instead recorded under the name Rubicon.[6] The band released two albums before disbanding: What Starts, Ends in 1992 and Room 101 in 1995.
Meanwhile, Carl McCoy formed a new project called Nefilim[7] in 1991, after the disbanding of Fields of the Nephilim.
The band played some gigs in 1993, showcasing new material. According to McCoy,[8] the release of their debut album, Zoon, was delayed for several years due to disagreements with the record label. Zoon was eventually released in 1996 and featured a distinctly heavier sound[9] than McCoy's previous works.
Reunion and Fallen (1998–2002)
On 15 August 1998, McCoy and original bassist Tony Pettitt held a press conference[10] at the Zillo Festival in Germany, announcing their future plans to collaborate under two separate monikers, Fields of the Nephilim (along with the Wright brothers) and The Nefilim (an altered spelling of McCoy's solo project).[11]
According to different original band members, the band was rehearsing and writing the next Fields of the Nephilim album (with the exception of Yates). However, the anticipated reunion of the original band line-up never happened.
In May 2000, McCoy released "One More Nightmare (Trees Come Down)," the first Fields of the Nephilim single with their new label, Jungle Records. It contained newly worked versions of "Trees Come Down" and "Darkcell," both originally released on the Burning the Fields EP in 1984. Between June and August 2000, the band made four live appearances at European festivals: Woodstage, Eurorock, Roskilde, and M'era Luna music festivals.
In 2002, Jungle Records and Metropolis Records released the album Fallen. The release was not authorized by the band and consists of unfinished recordings from 1997–2001, the 2000 reworkings of "Trees Come Down" and "Darkcell," and a previously unreleased demo by The Nefilim. The release has been disowned by the band for many years,[12] and only one song from it, "From The Fire," has been performed live.
Mourning Sun and Ceromonies (2005–2014)
Fields of the Nephilim performing live in 2008
Fifteen years after Elizium, McCoy released Mourning Sun, his fourth full-length studio album under the name Fields of the Nephilim. The album had seven original songs, with a cover version of Zager and Evans's "In the Year 2525" included as a bonus track on the first 5,000 copies.
In interviews following the release of the album Mourning Sun, McCoy mentioned collaborating with ghost musicians, but only John "Capachino" Carter is officially credited on the album.
In 2006, some European venues announced that a tour was to take place, although this was never officially confirmed. In spite of high ticket sales, none of the gigs occurred.[13] Through the band's official website, McCoy emphasized that he had not confirmed these dates with promoters or venues, and reiterated that people should not buy tickets for such events until official announcements through the band's website confirmed that such live performances were to go ahead.
In May 2007, McCoy performed as Fields of the Nephilim for the first time in seven years, at the London Astoria. According to the band's website, the event was filmed by video director Richard Stanley,[14] who had directed videos for the original band's singles; however, due to quality issues with the audio recording and filming, it was abandoned.
Ceromonies was the culmination of a two-night event sponsored by Metal Hammer magazine in which the band played material spanning their career. Performed at London's O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, the band performed to sell-out crowds. The 'Ceromonies' line-up for this event that featured on the live album and DVD was McCoy, Carter, King, Edwards, and Newell. Highlights of this period included the band's biggest-ever headline show to date at the 2008 M'era Luna Festival, where the 'Ceromonies' line-up performed in front of over 23,000 people. The rapturous encore from this show, "Last Exit for the Lost," was also included on Ceromonies.
In June 2008, a DVD entitled Live in Düsseldorf 1991 was released. Sacred Symphony released the DVD and double CD box set as well as a double LP vinyl version of Ceromonies (Ad Mortem Ad Vitam) on 16 April 2012, consisting of recordings and footage from the two concerts. The vinyl version does not come with the live DVD.[15] It was also released as a collectible box set coming in a wooden box with the Ceromonies logo and title branded on the wooden lid.[16]
2014–present
Tony Pettit (left) and Tom Edwards (right) performing in 2014
On 1 July 2014, Carl McCoy announced that the band was back in the studio "...recording and compiling the most important elements created and gathered."[17] In December 2014, the band debuted two new songs live onstage, "Earthbound" and "Prophecy".[18] "Prophecy" was produced, engineered, and mixed by Carl McCoy and mastered by Maor Appelbaum. The single was released as a 7" vinyl single and as an online single on the Sacred Symphony label, available only as a download on iTunes on 17 March 2016. It was promoted as a band single, but the track did not feature Pettitt. News reports said that a release on both CD and vinyl, containing exclusive artwork and bonus material, would follow,[19] though this did not happen.
Tom Edwards died in 2017 from heart failure while touring in the US with Adam Ant.[20]
Drummer Lee Newell announced that he quit the band, citing personal reasons regarding a move to the US. All shows up until July have been canceled with no explanation from the band, though promoters have issued statements and apologies to fans. As yet, there is no word from the band’s management on whether a replacement drummer has been secured or if any existing shows will be fulfilled.
July 6th - M'era Luna organizers [21] have officially announced via social media that Fields of the Nephilim will not be performing at this year’s festival. Again, no word from the band’s representative, Noise Management.
Bassist Tony Pettitt cited musical influences including Joy Division, the Velvet Underground and dub reggae, however, McColl has also stated in interviews that the band "wasn't influenced by other musicians".[22]
The band had a "dust and death" image, associated with characters from Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns and often wore cowboy dusters with a weather-beaten look during photoshoots. This weather-beaten look was attained by dusting themselves down with, by their own admission, Mother's Pride flour.[23] This also proved problematic for the band as in May 1988, Nottinghamshire Police detained the band while a suspect substance was tested for drugs. This was later determined to be nothing but flour from the stage set.[24]
Legacy
The band's logo
In 2001, Nod and Paul Wright formed a new band, Last Rites. They released two full-length albums: Guided by Light (2001) and The Many Forms (2005).
From 1988, during the band's period of mainstream attention following the release of Dawnrazor and Psychonaut, the music newspaper Melody Maker published various spoof articles about the band. This culminated in a regular feature called The Nod Corner, which purported to be written by Nephilim drummer Nod Wright and which took a satirical view of the band's baleful and dramatic image, usually portraying McCoy as a prima donna who exploited and bullied Nod. Wright appeared to take the spoof graciously.[32]
Carl Douglas McCoy is a British singer who is the frontman for the gothic rock band Fields of the Nephilim.
S.P.O.C.K is a Swedish synthpop band which formed around 1988.
Nefilim was a gothic metal studio project formed by Carl McCoy with John "Capachino" Carter in 1992 after the disbanding of Fields of the Nephilim. It featured McCoy on vocals and keyboards and John Carter on bass, guitars and drums. The album title track "Zoon" was written during this period, as were now-famed demos including "Red Harvest777", "Chaochracy" and "Subsanity (Sensorium)". After a year Carter and McCoy parted company, and McCoy went on to recruit Paul Miles on guitar, Simon Rippin on drums and Cian Houchin on bass.
Faith and the Muse is an American rock band composed of Monica Richards and William Faith. Their music encompasses many genres, from folk music to dark wave, drawing on many sources and influences, notably Dead Can Dance. Richards is the primary singer, although Faith sings one or two tracks on each album. Their influences include dark alternative, gothic rock, Celtic, and other folk influences. Welsh and Irish mythology have often served as inspiration to many of the band's songs.
Jon Carin is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer. He has collaborated with acts including Pink Floyd, the Who, Eddie Vedder, Kate Bush and Richard Butler.
U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. One of the first hardcore punk bands, elements of rhythm and blues music - including harmonica - also remained an occasional element of their work.
Mourning Sun, released on 28 November 2005, is the fourth studio album by English gothic rock band Fields of the Nephilim. Vocalist Carl McCoy is the only original band member to be featured on this album and is the band's first studio album since Elizium which was released on 24 September 1990.
Elizium is the third studio album by English gothic rock band Fields of the Nephilim. It was released on 24 September 1990 through record label Beggars Banquet.The album peaked at number 22 in the UK albums chart. It was the last album Fields of the Nephilim would record with what is regarded as their classic line-up of Carl McCoy, Tony Pettitt, Peter Yates, and Paul and Alexander "Nod" Wright.
Dawnrazor is the debut studio album by English gothic rock band Fields of the Nephilim. It was released on 4 May 1987, through record label Situation Two.
Earth Inferno is a mixed version of three live performances by Fields of the Nephilim which shares its name with a self-published book by occult artist Austin Osman Spare. The live venues used for the recordings were from the group's 1990 Sumerland tour at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Brixton Academy and Hamburg Sportshalle. The record was released in April 1991 by Beggars Banquet Records and peaked at number 39 in UK album charts.
SITD, stylised [:SITD:], is a German EBM and industrial band founded in 1996 by Carsten Jacek and Thorsten Lau as Shadows in the Dark.
Rubicon was an early 1990s offshoot of the band Fields of the Nephilim who released two albums.
The Perfect Disaster were an English alternative rock band from Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire, England, formed in 1980. They released four albums before splitting up in 1991. The only constant member was singer/guitarist Phil Parfitt.
Last Rites are an English goth-industrial band formed by the Wright brothers of Fields of the Nephilim and Rubicon, Alexander "Nod" Wright and Paul Wright, with Bob Ahern and James Quinn.
Revelations is a compilation album by the gothic rock band Fields of the Nephilim. The album was released in 1993 by Beggars Banquet Records.
The Eden House is a collaborative musical project, initiated by Stephen Carey and involving a collection of guest musicians and vocalists; later joined by Tony Pettitt.
Deafheaven is an American post-metal band formed in 2010. Originally based in San Francisco, the group began as a two-piece with singer George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who recorded and self-released a demo album together. Following its release, Deafheaven recruited three new members and began to tour. Before the end of 2010, the band signed to Deathwish Inc. and later released their debut album Roads to Judah, in April 2011. They popularized a unique style blending black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock, among other influences, later called "blackgaze" by reviewers.
Zillo was a German alternative music magazine, published monthly, originally edited by Rainer "Easy" Ettler. It was in circulation between 1989 and 2014. The headquarters of Zillo were in Lübeck.
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Ceromonies is a three-disc DVD and CD set from Fields of the Nephilim, featuring footage recorded 12 and 13 July 2008, at London's Shepherds Bush Empire. It was released in April 2012. "Ceromonies" is an intentional misspelling; the dates were chosen in honour of the anniversary of the birth of John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I's astrologer. The word also refers to the word "zero" in other languages.
References
↑ Sutherland, Steve (16 January 1988). "A fistful of dynamite". Melody Maker. p.24. ISSN0025-9012.
↑ Chase Mason (10 October 2024). Chase from Gatecreeper Goes VINYL HUNTING in London! (interview). Event occurs at 2m50s. Retrieved 19 November 2024. Fields of the Nephilim... some goth rock that was actually an inspiration for our new album.
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