CHIMAIRA

Chimaira (pronounced /kaɪˈmɪərə/) is an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1998, the group is a notable member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal scene.^[1] The band's name is derived from the word Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology. Their musical style is mainly groove metal, tied-along with metalcore, industrial metal, nu metal and death metal influences.

Biography

Early days (1998–1999)

Chimaira was founded during 1998 by guitarist Jason Hager, and vocalist Mark Hunter. The pair contacted friends and recruited Jason Genaro on drums and Andrew Ermlick on bass to complete the required positions for a line-up.^[2]

After a few practice sessions, the four decided that the band needed a "thicker" guitar sound. With their suggestions of adding a second guitarist along, Ermlick recommended that Rob Arnold, a former bandmate from his time in Common Thread, could be recruited into the band as a guitarist. Arnold's band at the time, Sanctum had recently split, and the guitarist was available to join Chimaira. By 1999, Arnold joined the band soon after as lead guitarist to which Hager was then moved down to play rhythm.^[2]

The band recorded its first demo in January 1999, and during the recording, Arnold recommended to Hunter and Hager that they replace Genaro with Arnold's former drummer Andols Herrick in the band Sanctum. After observing a cassette recording featuring Herrick's percussion, the band agreed to replace Genaro in favor of Herrick. Herrick then came along to the studio with the other four and recorded the drums for the demo the very next day.^[2]

The band spent much of 1999 doing various live shows around the United States, and during that year Andrew Ermlick left the band to concentrate on his college studies, and was replaced by Rob Lesniak.^[2]

The band recorded a second demo during that year, and it began to receive widespread airplay on several college radio stations around the area. After landing a spot performing "Dead Inside" on the short lived USA Network show Farmclub.com, Chimaira was signed to Roadrunner Records.^[2]

This Present Darkness and Pass out of Existence (2000–2002)

Eventually, the band recorded its first EP, called This Present Darkness, which was released in 2000. Banking on the success of the EP, the band was signed by Roadrunner Records and quickly recorded its debut album Pass out of Existence in 2001, by this time Jim LaMarca was now bassist and Chris Spicuzza was handling all electronics duties. Shortly after the release of the album and the tour that was to follow, Jason Hager left the band when he discovered he was going to become a father. Matt DeVries, from another local band called Ascension, was recruited to take over as rhythm guitarist.

The Impossibility of Reason (2003–2004)

The band returned home in late 2002 to begin writing and recording its next full-length album, The Impossibility of Reason. The making of the album was documented and later seen on their debut DVD release called The Dehumanizing Process. After the release and ensuing tours, drummer Andols Herrick decided to leave the band. As evidenced in the DVD documentary, Herrick appeared to be unenthusiastic about constantly being on the road. He returned home to attend college to obtain a music degree.

Chimaira eventually welcomed Ricky Evensand as its new drummer. Evensand, hailing from Sweden, was probably most notable for being a part of Soilwork for a short time. Evensand's stay in Chimaira was relatively short-lived. Due to visa problems and his temperamental nature, Evensand eventually left the band. Going on advice from Slayer guitarist Kerry King, Hunter contacted Kevin Talley, an experienced death metal drummer who had previously been in the bands Dying Fetus and Misery Index. With Talley on board, the band finished its remaining tour dates before returning home for some downtime. They soon began the writing and recording process on their next album. Songs from the album were featured on MythBusters for the episode "Talking to Plants".

Self-titled album (2005–2006)

By the first quarter of 2005, the band had finished most of its next release and began to tour once again. The self-titled album, the first (and only) one featuring Talley, was released in August 2005 while the band was taking part in the inaugural Sounds of the Underground tour. Hunter and DeVries had also taken part in another musical project that year, Roadrunner Records' twenty-fifth anniversary CD entitled The All-Star Sessions. Also taking part in the recording of several songs was former drummer Andols Herrick. These recording sessions reignited Herrick's interest of being in a full-time band.

Resurrection (2007–2008)

In 2006, the band was released from its contract with Roadrunner Records and eventually signed with Ferret Records for United States distribution. The band also inquired a deal with Nuclear Blast for international operations. The band was said to be excited about its new deals, and its fourth full-length studio album Resurrection, which was released on March 6, 2007. The band has stated they felt "rejuvenated" after its split with Roadrunner and the readmission of Herrick on drums. The only downside of this happy event was that the band decided to call off the Eastpack Antidote tour with Soilwork, Sonic Syndicate and Caliban. Chimaira was replaced by Dark Tranquillity. In 2008, Chimaira joined Brendon Small on the Dethklok tour 2008 as a guest appearance.

The Infection (2009–2010)

Before the release of the album, the band had been posting short clips on the webpage from the upcoming album, which was written in Cleveland, Ohio with producer Ben Schigel, who previously produced the band's album The Impossibility of Reason and their self titled album. The new album, entitled The Infection, is mixed by Zeuss, who mixed and produced albums for Hatebreed and Shadows Fall. Chimaira recently stated that they are pushing for an April 21, 2009 release date on the new album. At its annual Chimaira Christmas show on December 30, 2008, they debuted a new song entitled "Secrets of the Dead."^[3]

The first single of the album "Secrets of the Dead" was released March 3, 2009. The Infection was released worldwide on April 21, 2009 and debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200. During a number of European tour dates supporting The Infection, Chimaira had Emil Werstler of Dååth filling in for Matt DeVries, as DeVries' girlfriend had their first child.

The 10th annual Chimaira Christmas show was held at the House of Blues in Cleveland Ohio on December 27, 2009 and was filmed for a live DVD titled Coming Alive, which was released in 2010.

In late 2010, bassist Jim LaMarca retired from the band. Chimaira released the following statement regarding his departure "After a decade of good times and achievements, our friend and band mate Jim LaMarca [bass] has decided to retire from CHIMAIRA. We wish him nothing but the best as he settles in and starts a family. As for seeking a replacement… we'll cross that bridge down the line. In the meantime, consider it 'business as usual' with the CHIMAIRA you know and love."^[4]

The Age of Hell (2011–present)

On January 24, 2011, it was confirmed that Chimaira were signed to eOne Music.^[5]

Chimaira finished recording their 6th album in March 2011,^[6] expected to be released in August 2011.^{[dated info][7]} Also in March, Chimaira released a cover of The Troggs' "Wild Thing" as a single on YouTube and iTunes,^[8][9] in response to the "Charlie Sheen phenomenon."^[10]

On April 5, 2011, keyboardist and programmer Chris Spicuzza announced he would be leaving the band (a decision he made in January), citing a "negative environment" and the general state of the music industry. He also announced his next project, a mobile gaming startup called IRL Gaming.^[11] Spicuzza did not contribute to the new album.^[11]

On April 13, drummer Andols Herrick announced that he too would be leaving the band due to differences.^[12] He was asked to leave by the other members of the band. Andols has technically been out of the band since December 2010 (prior to Chimaira Christmas 11). It was not announced until April 2011, however. Andols was asked to rejoin the band, but he declined. He has said he looks forward to moving on with other musical projects. He said that there is no bad blood between the band and himself, and that they all remain friends. Andols did not contribute to the new album, however he was around during the time of the song-writing and assures the fans through his Facebook page that the new album is sounding pure as ever. On May 28, at Peabody's in Cleveland, OH, the new album was revealed to be titled The Age of Hell that was met with the debut live performance of the song "Trigger Finger" which will be included on the record.^{[citation needed]}

The Age Of Hell was released in the US on August 16, 2011. Frontman Mark Hunter states, "Words can’t express what it took to create this album. We hope you love it as much as we do. Turn it up loud, this is Chimaira at it’s finest."^[13] The album was also released in the UK through Metal Hammer magazine.

Band members

Current members

• Mark Hunter – lead vocals (1998–present)
• Rob Arnold – lead guitar (1999–present)
• Matt DeVries – rhythm guitar (2001–present)
• Emil Werstler – bass guitar (2010, 2011–present), rhythm guitar (2009)
• Sean Zatorsky – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals (2011–present)
• Austin D’Amond – drums (2011–present)

Former members

• Jason Genaro – drums (1998)
• Andols Herrick – drums (1999–2003, 2006–2011)
• Richard Evensand – drums (2003–2004)
• Kevin Talley – drums (2004–2006)
• Andrew Ermlick – bass guitar (1998–2000)
• Rob Lesniak – bass guitar (2000)
• Jim LaMarca – bass guitar (2000–2010)
• Jason Hagar – rhythm guitar (1998–2001)
• Chris Spicuzza – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals (2000–2011

MALEVOLENT CREATION

Malevolent Creation is a death metal band originally hailing from Buffalo, New York. Moving to Florida in 1987, they became a part of the emergent local death metal scene, landing a deal with Roadrunner Records. Their debut album, The Ten Commandments, became something of a landmark in the death metal underground, expanding on the early work of bands like Slayer, Kreator, Possessed, Onslaught, Obituary and Death.

Recent activity - 2010

Malevolent Creation recently signed a management deal with Extreme Management Group (Suffocation, Origin).^[2] They also have confirmed April 5, 2010 as the starting date for recording their new album with Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios (Cannibal Corpse, Vital Remains, Goatwhore, etc.)^[2] The band released the following statement:

"After over 20 years in existence, and now having the most solid line up in years, we really wanted to make sure that with this new album we elevated the band in every way. Getting good management was crucial and EMG has a great track record. Erik has been talking to us since Doomsday X to record us, and with Gus Rios (Drums) being in the band full time now, we didn't want him to have the responsibility of producing the album as well as writing and playing. Erik really understands what we are about, and has all of the same thoughts about recording as us. It really couldn't be a better working situation. We've said it before but this album really is without a doubt is the most relentless, focused and brutal MALEVOLENT CREATION album ever! We really went back to our roots, not only as a band, but as fans of metal. We wrote an album of songs that we as fans of brutal music would want to hear."

Current members

• Brett Hoffman – vocals (1987–1994, 1997–2002, 2005–Present)
• Gio Geraca – guitars (2010–Present)
• Phil Fasciana – guitars (1987–Present)
• Jason Blachowicz – bass guitar (1991–1997, 2005–2007, 2010–present)
• Gus Rios – drums (2008–present)

Former members

• Jim Nickles – guitars
• Kyle Symons – vocals
• Jeff Juszkiewicz – guitars
• Rob Barrett – guitars (1992–1994, 1998–2005)
• John Paul Soars – guitars
• Jason Hagan – guitar
• Gordon Simms – bass guitar (1998–2005)
• Marco Martell – guitar (2007–2009)
• Justin DiPinto – drums (2002)
• Alex Marquez – drums (1992–1994)
• Mark Simpson – drums (1989–1992)
• Dave Culross – drums (1994–2002, 2003–2007)
• David Kinkade - drums
• Derek Roddy - drums (1997)
• Fabian Aguirre - drums (2007–2008)
• Kevin Peace - bass (fill in) (2009)

Guest members

• James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Testament) – guest guitar solo on "Coronation of Our Domain" (Retribution)
• Mick Thomson (Slipknot) – second guitar solo on "Deliver My Enemy" (Doomsday X)

Discography

Studio albums

• The Ten Commandments, (Roadrunner Records, 1991)
• Retribution (Roadrunner Records, 1992)
• Stillborn (Roadrunner Records, 1993)
• Eternal (Pavement Music, 1995)
• In Cold Blood (Pavement Music, 1997)
• The Fine Art of Murder (Pavement Music, 1998)
• Envenomed (Arctic Music, 2000)
• The Will to Kill (Arctic Music, 2002)
• Warkult (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
• Doomsday X (Nuclear Blast, 2007)
• Invidious Dominion (Nuclear Blast, 2010)

Live albums

• Conquering South America (Arctic Music, 2004)
• Live at the Whiskey (Arctic Music, 2008)
• Australian Onslaught (Arctic Music, 2010)

Compilations

• Joe Black (Pavement Music, 1996)
• Manifestation – Compilation (Pavement Music, 2000)
• The Best of Malevolent Creation (Roadrunner, 2003)
• Retrospective (Crash Music, 2005)
• Essentials (Crash Music, 2009)

DVD

• Lost Commandments (Massacre Records, 2008)

SLIPKNOT

Slipknot is an American metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray. After several lineup changes in their early days, the band consisted of nine members for the greater part of their tenure: Sid Wilson, Paul Gray, Joey Jordison, Chris Fehn, Jim Root, Craig Jones, Shawn Crahan, Mick Thomson, and Corey Taylor. However, the death of Paul Gray on May 24, 2010, left the band with only eight remaining members. Former guitarist Donnie Steele will be the band's touring bassist in 2011.

Slipknot is well known by their attention-grabbing image, aggressive music style and their energetic and chaotic live shows. The band had somewhat of a meteoric rise to success following the release of their self-titled debut album in 1999. The 2001 follow-up album Iowa further increased the band's popularity. After breaking for their first hiatus, Slipknot returned in 2004 with Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) and once again in 2008 with their fourth album All Hope Is Gone, which debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200. The band has also released one live album and four DVDs. As of May 2010, Slipknot has sold over 14 million records worldwide.

History

Early days (1995–1998)

Slipknot was formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in September 1995 when drummer Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray started a band named The Pale Ones.^[1] The lineup was made up of friends who met through the local music scene, including vocalist Anders Colsefni and guitarist Donnie Steele.^[1] Not long after their inception, Gray invited Joey Jordison to a rehearsal because the band were interested in experimenting with additional drum elements. Jordison subsequently joined the band as their main drummer, moving Crahan to custom percussion.^[1] Furthermore, Colsefni also took up custom percussion while remaining the band's vocalist. The band then decided to invite Josh Brainard as their second guitarist, bringing their lineup to six members.^[2] On December 4, the band made their live debut; playing a benefit show using the name Meld.^[3]

Much of the band's early development was retrospectively attributed to late-night planning sessions between Gray, Crahan and Jordison at a Sinclair gas station where Jordison worked nights. It was there, in late 1995, that Jordison suggested changing the band name to Slipknot after their song of the same name.^[2] In December, Slipknot began recording material at SR Audio, a studio in the band's hometown.^[4] Without a recording budget, the band were forced to self-finance the project, the costs of which came to an estimated $40,000.^[5] In February 1996, guitarist Donnie Steele decided to leave Slipknot due to his Christian beliefs. When questioned in 1999 about Steele's departure, Jordison explained: "we were prepared to keep him on, but he didn't want to stay." During the mixing stages of their project at SR Audio, Craig Jones was recruited as Steele's replacement on guitar.^[6] However, throughout their time in the studio, the band were adding samples to their recordings but could not produce these sounds live. Subsequently, Jones became the band's sampler and Mick Thomson was brought in as the replacement guitarist.^[7] After a complicated time with mixing and mastering, the band self-released the demo album Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. on Halloween, October 31, 1996.^[8]

	"Slipknot" (1996) 29 second sample from the song "Slipknot" which the band was eventually named after. Slipknot's earlier music was slower than their later material and vocalist Colsefni had a much deeper vocal style than that of Taylor.[9]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Distribution for the demo was initially left to the band and their producer Sean McMahon, before it was handed over to the distribution company Ismist in early 1997.^[10] Slipknot received a small amount of airplay on local radio stations off the back of the demo. However, it didn't lead to any kind of interest from record labels, so the band returned to the studio to develop new material.^[10] It was at this time that the band began experimenting with more vocal melody, something which Colsefni struggled to achieve. As a result, Corey Taylor was recruited from fellow Des Moines band Stone Sour; this moved Colsefni to backing vocals and percussion.^[11] While working in the studio, Slipknot continued to do local shows, during one of which in September 1997, Colsefni announced on stage that he was leaving the band.^[12] The gap on percussion was filled by Greg Welts, who was affectionately known as "Cuddles."^[13] In early 1998, Slipknot produced a second demo featuring five tracks exclusively for record labels.^[14] The band began to receive a lot of attention from record labels, and in February 1998, producer Ross Robinson offered to produce their debut album after attending rehearsals in Des Moines.^[15] Soon after, DJ Sid Wilson was recruited as the band's ninth member after showing great interest and impressing band members.^[16] In late June, Slipknot received a $500,000 seven-album deal from Roadrunner Records; the band signed the deal publicly on July 8, 1998.^[17] Two days prior to this, Welts was fired from the band, something which Slipknot refuse to comment on.^[17]

Slipknot and emergence (1998–2000)

	"(sic)" (1999) 16 second sample from Slipknot's "(sic)". Their debut album was much faster than their demo album Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. and, with nine members, their sound had much more depth.[18]
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Chris Fehn was brought in to replace Welts on percussion before Slipknot traveled to Malibu, California to work on their debut album in September 1998.^[19] Partway through the recording process of the album, Slipknot returned to Des Moines, Iowa for the Christmas period, during which guitarist Brainard decided to leave the band.^[20] Speaking about his decision, Brainard explained: "some decisions were made that I wasn't particularly happy with."^[21] Slipknot recruited Jim Root to complete their lineup and returned to Malibu to continue work on their debut album.^[21] Work on the album concluded in early 1999, allowing the band to go on their first tour as part of the Ozzfest in 1999.^[8] The tour proved to expand their audience greatly and their self-titled album was released on June 29, 1999.^[22] Slipknot went on to release their first home video Welcome to Our Neighborhood and the two singles; "Wait and Bleed" and "Spit It Out".^[8] The singles received some airplay, but Slipknot developed a large following very quickly mainly from touring and word of mouth.^[8] The band toured several countries throughout 1999 and 2000 in support of the album. In early 2000, Slipknot was certified platinum, a first for an album released by Roadrunner Records.^[23]

Iowa and hiatus (2001–2003)

Slipknot performing in Buenos Aires in 2005

Anticipation for Slipknot's sophomore effort was intense and in early 2001, the band began recording their second album at Sound City and Sound Image studios in Los Angeles.^[8][24] It was about this time that conflicts began to arise between band members due to their extensive touring and recording schedules.^[25] Despite this, recording on their second album came to a close in February 2001 and Slipknot embarked on their Iowa World Tour.^[26] Iowa, the band's second album was released on August 28, 2001, peaking at number three on the Billboard album charts and at number one on the UK album chart.^[27] The album produced three singles; "The Heretic Anthem", "Left Behind" and then "My Plague" which appeared on the soundtrack for the film Resident Evil.^[28][29] In 2002, Slipknot made their first (and to-date only) appearance in a movie, performing the song "I Am Hated" in a scene in the remake of Rollerball.^[30] The release of the album and the promotion in support of it proved great for the band's popularity, to the extent of them selling out shows in large arenas in several countries.^[31] However, in mid-2002, Slipknot went on hiatus for the first time due to internal conflicts, seeing several band members focus on side projects.^[32] Vocalist Taylor and guitarist Root revived their band Stone Sour, drummer Jordison created the Murderdolls, percussionist Crahan founded To My Surprise and DJ Wilson went solo as DJ Starscream.^[32] At this time, the future of Slipknot was unclear and there was speculation over whether the band had split and the possibility of a third album.^[33] Despite this, on November 22, 2002 Slipknot released their second DVD Disasterpieces.^[34]

NILE

Nile formed in their hometown of Greenville in 1993. With their self-proclaimed trademark of "Ithyphallic metal," 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.
Visceral Productions was responsible for releasing Nile's EP Ramses Bringer of War in 1997, and was going to release their first album Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka, if they had not gone 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 #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 #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 will release Worship the Animal, which is a newly titled version of Nile's demo, which the band's original line-up recorded in 1994.

Musical style and themes

The majority of Nile's music is written by vocalist/guitarist Karl Sanders. It combines traditional and technical death metal. Nile's music is also characterized by its extreme complexity and speed – for which the band has received acknowledgment from many music fans and journalists – and its extremely "heavy" riffing, due to Nile's guitar and bass tunings, which are normally Dropped A tuning.
Much of the lyrical content is based on Karl Sanders' interest in Egyptology and other ancient Middle Eastern cultures, such as Mesopotamia. Lengthy sleeve notes are included with the albums Black Seeds of Vengeance, In Their Darkened Shrines, Annihilation of the Wicked and Those Whom the Gods Detest, explaining the inspiration or source for the lyrics of each song.

Band members

Current members Karl Sanders − vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, additional instruments (1993-present) Dallas Toler-Wade − vocals, guitars (1997-present), bass (studio only) (2002, 2007, 2009) George Kollias − drums, percussion (2004-present) Chris Lollis - bass, vocals (2010-present) Former members John Ehlers − guitars (1996−1997) Pete Hammoura − drums, percussion, vocals (1993−2000) Chief Spires − vocals, bass (1993−2001) Tony Laureano - drums, percussion (2000–2004) Jon Vesano − bass, vocals (2001−2005) Joe Payne - bass, vocals (2005–2007)

Session members Derek Roddy − drums, percussion (session musician on Black Seeds of Vengeance) (2000) Chris Lollis - additional vocals (Ithyphallic) Live members Tim Yeung − drums, percussion (2003) Steve Tucker − vocals, bass (2005) Joe Payne − bass, vocals (2005−2007) Chris Lollis (2007–2010) (became a full member of the band from 2010 onwards)

NECROPHAGIST

Necrophagist is a German technical death metal band, founded and fronted by Muhammed Suicmez; a German-born, Turkish guitarist and vocalist. The band is known for its rapid and technical compositions.

HISTORY

Necrophagist's debut album Onset of Putrefaction has been out of print for years. The percussion on the album was handled by a drum machine. Eventually, a new edition with drum samples recorded by Hannes Grossmann was created. All of the old guitar, bass guitar, and vocal tracks were mixed along with the brand new drum samples. The re-release also features two songs from Necrophagist's 1995 self-titled demo tape. The whole album was also engineered by long-time Necrophagist engineer and producer Christoph Brandes at The Iguana Studios. It was mastered by Bob Katz at "Digital Domain", Orlando, Florida. The re-release was issued in 2004 by Willowtip in the USA/Canada and Relapse in the rest of the world.In August 2001, Necrophagist performed at the Brutal Assault open air festival in the Czech Republic. The band also returned to perform in the years 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2010.

On February 10, 2006 it was announced that Christian Muenzner had departed the band due to scheduling conflicts. Later on, he joined the death metal band Obscura. A replacement guitarist was found, Sami Raatikainen, who is from Helsinki, Finland. Sami also plays in the band Codeon.

In 2006, the band undertook an American tour called "Carving North America's Epitaph". Necrophagist was joined on this tour by Arsis, Alarum, Neuraxis, Ion Dissonance, Cattle Decapitation and Thine Eyes Bleed. They, along with Dying Fetus, supported Cannibal Corpse on their U.S. tour in the fall, which also included some Canadian venues.

In 2007, the band announced on its Myspace profile that after the 2007 California Metalfest, drummer Hannes Grossmann would leave the band. Hannes stated that he was unable to commit to the band's full-time touring schedule. Marco Minnemann (who has played with Paul Gilbert, Terry Bozzio, Chad Wackerman) was the official permanent replacement for Hannes.

Necrophagist was a headlining act for The Summer Slaughter Tour in 2007, which featured a wide variety of other extreme metal bands including Decapitated, Arsis, The Faceless, Cephalic Carnage, As Blood Runs Black, and Cattle Decapitation.

In April 2008, Necrophagist announced that Romain Goulon would be joining the band as their new drummer, replacing Minnemann, who would still be working with Suiçmez on a side project.

Necrophagist played in the "Pillage the Village Tour" in 2008 from August 26, 2008 to September 10, 2008 with death metal bands Dying Fetus and Beneath the Massacre. Shows in some areas also included Carcass, Suffocation, 1349, and Aborted.

Necrophagist has begun to work on its next album with new drummer Romain Goulon. According to rumors, two possible names are "The Path to Naught" and "Death to the Faithful". Suiçmez stated that the band would be using seven-string guitars on the album. Muhammed himself will be recording with a new custom shop Ibanez Xiphos guitar with 7 strings, as well as 27 frets. Sami Raatikainen is now an Ibanez Guitar endorsee, using a 7 String RG-Series guitar on stage.

Members

Current members

• Muhammed Suiçmez – vocals, lead guitar (1992–present)
• Stephan Fimmers – bass guitar (2003–present)
• Romain Goulon – drums (2008–present)
• Sami Raatikainen – rhythm & lead guitar (2006–present)

Former members

• Jan-Paul Herm – guitar (1992–1995)
• Raphael Kempermann – drums (1992–1995)
• Daniel Silva – drums (1995–1998, 2001–2003)
• Mario Petrovic – guitar (2000–2001)
• Slavek Foltyn – drums (2000–2001)
• Björn Vollmer – guitar (2001–2002)
• Julien Laroche – bass guitar (2001–2003)
• Christian Müenzner – guitar (2002–2006)
• Heiko Linzert – bass guitar (2003)
• Hannes Grossmann – drums (2003–2007)
• Marco Minnemann – drums (2007–2008)