Atheist is an American death metal band from Florida, founded in 1987 by the vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kelly Shaefer, lead guitarist Rand Burkey, bassist Roger Patterson and drummer Steve Flynn. The band is known for its highly technical playing style, and its 1991 album Unquestionable Presence is regarded as a landmark of the technical death metal genre. After disbanding in 1994, the group reformed in 2006 and has since released one studio album and a live DVD.
Gorguts is a Canadian death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, formed in 1989. The band has been through many personnel changes since its inception; its only constant member has been guitarist and vocalist Luc Lemay, who remains the primary creative force in the band. To date they have released five full-length albums and one EP. Their most recent release is the EP Pleiades' Dust, released on May 13, 2016. Their latest full-length album Colored Sands was released in 2013 and was nominated for a Juno Award. Musically the band is known for its complex, musically dense form of technical death metal, and has become "one of the most advanced, experimental, and challenging groups in the entire genre."
Enslaved is a Norwegian extreme metal band formed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson in Haugesund in 1991. They are currently based in Bergen. The band's lineup has changed many times over the years, and Bjørnson and Kjellson have been the sole constant members. The current lineup also includes lead guitarist Arve Isdal, keyboardist/singer Håkon Vinje, and drummer Iver Sandøy.
Season of Mist is an independent record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pagan metal, and death metal records, the label moved on to releasing albums of avant-garde metal, gothic metal and punk bands as well. The label has two offices, one in Marseille, France and one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Deathspell Omega is a French black metal band formed in 1998 in Poitiers. Their lyrical content deals primarily with Satanism on a metaphysical level – as the band has stated that "all other interpretations of Satan are intellectually invalid" – and other various theological topics.
Septicflesh are a Greek death metal band from Athens, founded in 1990.
Drudkh is a Ukrainian black metal band. It currently consists of Roman Saenko, Thurios, Krechet, and Vlad. All four also belonged to Blood of Kingu until it was disbanded. Their lyrics and artistic themes embrace Slavic mythology and Ukrainian nationalism. Many of the band's lyrics are derived from the works of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Ukrainian poets and especially Taras Shevchenko.
Southern Lord Records is an American independent record label founded by Greg Anderson in 1998. The Los Angeles-based label was initially formed "just to put out" the debut albums by Thorr's Hammer and Burning Witch. These bands were among the first collaborations between Anderson and Stephen O'Malley, who also formed Sunn O))), one of the label's biggest selling acts along with Japanese band Boris.
Si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice is the third full-length album by black metal band Deathspell Omega. The album title is a grammatically mis-quoted version of the Latin epitaph on the tomb of Christopher Wren in St Paul's Cathedral, meaning "If you seek his monument, look around you". This album is the first part in a trilogy of albums released by the band, followed by Fas – Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum in 2007 and Paracletus in 2010. The trilogy has been described as "a theological dispute on the divine essence of the Devil, the roles and virtues of faith and the place of man therein", particularly from a Theistic Satanist perspective. One interpretation of the purpose of the album is to examine and proclaim that "Satan is pervading every part of our material and metaphysical realms and how Man’s relationship with Him should be one of reverence and devotion." The album draws on themes of putrefaction, decomposition, antinatalism, as well as the work of the French philosopher Georges Bataille.
Infernal Battles is the first album by the black metal band Deathspell Omega. It was released in 2000 by Northern Heritage Records in a limited run of 200 vinyl copies, then re-released in 2003 by the same label and in 2010 by End All Life Productions, both times on CD.
Kénôse is an EP by the black metal band Deathspell Omega, released in 2005 under The Ajna Offensive. It continues the avant-garde and progressive direction they had been exploring on 2004's Si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice, and is considered by the band as something of an "appendix" to that album.
Sólstafir is an Icelandic post-metal band formed in 1995 and currently signed to Season of Mist. Originally a black metal band, they transitioned to a post-metal-influenced style on their second album Masterpiece of Bitterness.
Crippled Black Phoenix are an English dark rock band, founded by Justin Greaves in 2004. Several musicians have contributed to Crippled Black Phoenix's albums and played with them during their live shows.
From the Entrails to the Dirt is a compilation album released by End All Life Productions, featuring songs by French black metal acts Malicious Secrets, Antaeus, Mütiilation and Deathspell Omega.
Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon is a 22-minute EP containing a single song, recorded by the French black metal band Deathspell Omega. Chaining the Katechon was released through Norma Evangelium Diaboli on 8 December 2008. The title Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum is a work of two French black metal bands—Deathspell Omega and S.V.E.S.T. —and can be understood as a variation on a same theme, independent yet complementary.
The Great Mass is the eighth studio album by Greek death metal band Septicflesh. It was recorded between July–September 2010 in Devasoundz (Greece) and The Abyss (Sweden) and produced by Peter Tägtgren. The orchestration was written by Christos Antoniou and recorded by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Upon release, The Great Mass received universal acclaim from critics. In 2021, it was elected by Metal Hammer as the 9th best symphonic metal album of all time.
Tombs is an American heavy metal band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2007. Thus far, the group has released five full-length records, Winter Hours, Path of Totality, Savage Gold, The Grand Annihilation, and Under Sullen Skies.
Drought is an EP by Deathspell Omega. It is the band's first release of new material since their 2010 album Paracletus. It is the final release included in the band's 2012 vinyl box set incorporating the trilogy and related works, suggesting that the band regards it as thematically connected, and can be regarded as an epilogue to the trilogy.
Pleiades' Dust is the first EP by the Canadian technical death metal band Gorguts, released on May 13, 2016 through Season of Mist. It consists of a single track which runs for thirty-three minutes and is roughly divided into seven movements. It is also the band's first recording with new drummer Patrice Hamelin, who has been performing with the band live since 2011 but only became an official member in 2014 after the departure of John Longstreth.
Codex Omega is the tenth studio album by Greek death metal band Septicflesh, released on September 1, 2017, through Season of Mist.
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