Lord Kaos

Last updated

Lord Kaos
Origin Sydney, Australia
Genres Black metal
Years active1994–2001, 2023–present [1]
Labels Warhead Records
Members Astennu
JS Decline
Robert Sakey
Past membersJamie Marsh
Incubus
Nigel Chad
Dave Morrison
Ali Chamas
Frank Munozs
Darrell Firth
Shaun Murphy
Beau Dyer
Glen Blazejak
Yuri Ward

Lord Kaos is an Australian black metal band that formed in Sydney in 1994. For several years the group was the most prominent act of its style in the country with one founding member going on to record and perform with several Norwegian black metal bands including Dimmu Borgir. While Lord Kaos only released one album, the group was a considerable influence on the local heavy metal music scene as not only arguably the first but one of the few bands to record and perform Norwegian-style symphonic black metal.

Contents

History

Originally a five piece band formed by guitarist Jamie "Astennu" Stinson and vocalist Jamie "The Lord of Night Summoning" Marsh, they soon dropped the original drummer in favour of a drum machine and recorded the initial demo, Path to My Funeral Light in 1995. Later the same year, with the membership now down to four; Astennu, Marsh, bassist Incubus and keyboards by Sir Morrison, Lord Kaos recorded the album Thorns of Impurity with Astennu tracking guitars. The album was recorded for release on Sydney label Warhead Records but also found interest from Norway's Head Not Found. This caused a split in the group when Astennu relocated to Norway to pursue release for Lord Kaos there, only for the remaining band members to resist the move. The release of Thorns of Impurity was delayed due to this course of action and it was not issued (by Warhead) until late 1996. By then, Astennu had virtually completed his first Carpe Tenebrum album Majestic Nothingness with vocal contributions from Nagash of Dimmu Borgir, the guitarist for the band he would then join in 1997.

With the departure of Astennu, Lord Kaos came to a standstill. However, by early 1997 the group had reconvened with drummer Nigel Chad, guitarist Frank Munoz of the Sydney brutal death metal band Neuropath, and two members of the Newcastle black metal act Empery of Thorns, guitarist Darael and keyboards-player Shaun all being recruited. Incubus then left shortly afterwards, to be replaced by another ex-Neuropath member, Ali Chamas. This line-up remained together for almost two years. At the end of 1997 the band played on the Sydney leg of an Australian tour by Cradle of Filth and work began on a second album. Several tracks were eventually recorded and one, "Black Earth", later appeared on the 1999 compilation album Under the Southern Cross, from Sydney label Chatterbox Records. In the meantime, Marsh was also singing with a doom metal band called Elysium, with whom he recorded the album Dreamscapes in 1998; however this recording remained unreleased until 2001 when it surfaced on the short-lived Melbourne label Crestfallen Records.

Lord Kaos featured at the annual Metal for the Brain festival in Canberra in 1998 but in mid-1999 Munoz and Chamas both left the band. Incubus rejoined for a short time but after Metal for the Brain that year Lord Kaos went into hiatus again. Earlier in 1999 Marsh had joined another black metal act called Crucible of Agony who had played a support show with Impaled Nazarene and recorded several tracks, one of which, "Come Forth to the Lands of the Plague Bearer", would also appear on Under the Southern Cross. This band did little else however and after a complete line-up change evolved later into The Amenta.

By 2000 Lord Kaos was active as a live band once more. Along with Marsh, Darael and Shaun, the group now consisted of Beau Dyer from Elysium on bass and two members of Canberra band Psychrist, Yuri Ward and Glen Blazejak, on guitar and drums respectively. This version of the band featured at Metal for the Brain before playing some shows in early 2001, however several other performances were cancelled and in December Lord Kaos announced it had disbanded [2]

Marsh has always remained open to the possibility of Lord Kaos reforming in the future, however this is probably unlikely. His other band Elysium, which also features Dyer, changed its name to Stone Wings in 2003 and released the self-funded album Bird of Stone Wings in 2004. Ward and Blazejak continued to play together in Psychrist until the drummer left in 2003 and the band folded. Ward is now a member of a band called Kill for Satan who have released one album. Astennu was fired from Dimmu Borgir in 1999 and since returning to Australia has recorded a third Carpe Tenebrum album and played in bands including Infernal Method and Stronger Than Hate but since 2003 has concentrated on sound engineering.

In February 2024, Astennu announced on his Youtube channel, two founding members Jamie Marsh and Incubus quit the band due to creative differences, and was replaced by new vocalist JS Decline and bassist Habatu. [3]

Band members

Current members
Former members

Discography

Lord Kaos - Cultus “(Single)” - (2024)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimmu Borgir</span> Norwegian symphonic black metal band

Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The band has been through numerous lineup changes over the years; vocalist Shagrath and rhythm guitarist Silenoz are the only original members who still remain, with lead guitarist Galder being a longstanding member.

The Kovenant is a Norwegian industrial metal band from Hamar. The band originally formed as a symphonic black metal act known as Covenant in 1993, but in 1999 were forced to change their name to The Kovenant due to a dispute with a Swedish electronic band of the same name. The band's name change also marked a change in sound/style as well, as the band from there on began to focus more on an aggrotech/industrial metal sound heavily influenced by Europe's EBM scene. Despite their style change, The Kovenant did however later reissue their early albums under The Kovenant name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcturus (band)</span> Norwegian metal band

Arcturus is a Norwegian avant-garde metal band formed in 1991. Their name, which means "Bear Guardian", references the Behenian fixed star Arcturus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Man's Child</span> Norwegian black metal band

Old Man's Child is a Norwegian black metal band from the city of Oslo. The band is the brainchild of Galder who is the only permanent member of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agathodaimon (band)</span> German gothic/symphonic black metal band

Agathodaimon are a gothic/symphonic black metal band from Mainz, Germany. Their early material can be categorized as Symphonic Black Metal and their later musical pieces can be categorized as Gothic/Black Metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susperia</span> Norwegian thrash metal band

Susperia is a Norwegian melodic thrash metal band formed in October 1998 by Tjodalv and Cyrus. The band was originally named Seven Sins, but since there was another band with that name they changed it to the title of the horror film Suspiria, changing the spelling to avoid a clash with Suspiria, a gothic rock band that also took its name from the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shagrath</span> Norwegian musician

Stian Tomt Thoresen, known professionally as Shagrath, is a Norwegian musician. He is the vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and a founding member of the symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir.

<i>Stormblåst</i> 1996 studio album by Dimmu Borgir

Stormblåst is the second studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released on 25 January 1996 through Cacophonous Records, re-released in 2001 by Century Media, and completely re-recorded in 2005, released as Stormblåst MMV.

<i>For all tid</i> 1995 studio album by Dimmu Borgir

For all tid is the debut studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released in 1995 through No Colours. It was remastered and re-released in 1997 through their new label Nuclear Blast with the front cover art in full color and the entire Inn i evighetens mørke EP added. It is the band's only studio album on which Shagrath is on drums, Tjodalv on guitar and Silenoz on vocals.

<i>Spiritual Black Dimensions</i> 1999 studio album by Dimmu Borgir

Spiritual Black Dimensions is the fourth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released in 1999 by Nuclear Blast Records. A deluxe edition was released in 2004 with bonus material. There is also a digipak edition of this album which contains no bonus tracks. The digipak has reflective/holographic cover art. This release featured keyboardist Mustis and the clean vocals of ICS Vortex, as well as the departure of long-time drummer Tjodalv, guitarist Astennu, and bassist Nagash.

<i>Nexus Polaris</i> 1998 studio album by Covenant

Nexus Polaris is the second studio album by the Norwegian metal band Covenant, and was released in 1998 through Nuclear Blast.

<i>Enthrone Darkness Triumphant</i> 1997 studio album by Dimmu Borgir

Enthrone Darkness Triumphant is the third studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released on 30 May 1997 through Nuclear Blast. It was the band's first release through Nuclear Blast. This is the last release to feature keyboardist Stian Aarstad and the first with bassist Nagash.

<i>Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia</i> 2001 studio album by Dimmu Borgir

Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia is the fifth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released by Nuclear Blast Records in 2001. This is the first album to feature drummer Nicholas Barker, guitarist Galder, and ICS Vortex on bass. It is also the first album upon which the band used real orchestral instrumentation instead of keyboards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ICS Vortex</span> Norwegian bassist and vocalist

Simen Hestnæs, better known by his stage name ICS Vortex or simply Vortex, is a Norwegian musician. He is the vocalist of the similarly named band ICS Vortex, the avant-garde metal band Arcturus and the doom metal band Lamented Souls. He is also a vocalist and the bass guitarist to the heavy metal band Borknagar, and the former bass guitarist and clean vocalist for the symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir.

Carpe Tenebrum was a black metal solo project of the former Dimmu Borgir and Covenant guitarist Jamie Stinson, better known as Astennu. Stian Arnesen (Nagash) was also involved with the project. Very little has been heard of the project since the release of the third album, Dreaded Chaotic Reign, in 2002.

<i>Mirrored Hate Painting</i> 1999 studio album by Carpe Tenebrum

Mirrored Hate Painting is the second studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Carpe Tenebrum. It was recorded in winter 1998 at The Abyss Studio and released in 1999 through Karmageddon Media. Stylistically the album is similar to Dimmu Borgir'sSpiritual Black Dimensions, albeit heavier and less symphonic. The album has an arguably obscure atmosphere because of the atypical cover artwork, the poetic lyrics and the bizarrely edited speech samples between some of the songs. The band again used a drum machine although Nagash is listed as the drummer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astennu</span> Musical artist

Astennu is the professional name of Australian heavy metal musician Jamie Stinson. His name is derived from a creature in Egyptian mythology.

Stian André Hinderson, also known under the stage names Nagash and Lex Icon, is a Norwegian metal musician. He plays guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and does vocals. He is primarily known for his work with the black metal bands Dimmu Borgir and The Kovenant.

Renascent is an unblack metal band that originated in Helsinki, Finland, and the core of the band now currently reside in Bloomington, Indiana. The band has released an EP titled, Demon's Quest in 2004 and a full length titled Through Darkness in 2005. The band released their sophomore album, Praise of the Lord God Almighty, on 5 November 2016. The band is openly Christian. The band has been compared to Dimmu Borgir and Old Man's Child.

References

  1. ↑ "Astennu (Dimmu Borgir/ Lord Kaos/ Carpe Tenebrum/ Covenant)". scarsandguitars.com. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  2. ↑ tatareanddesire.com - Lord Kaos.
  3. ↑ COVENANT/THE KOVENANT and LORD KAOS reunion. Interview with Astennu 2024. YouTube. Retrieved on 5 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.