Akercocke
Encyclopedia
Akercocke is an English progressive
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...

 blackened death metal band from London, England. They take their name from a talking monkey in Robert Nye
Robert Nye
Robert Nye FRSL is an English poet who has also written novels and plays as well as stories for children. His bestselling novel Falstaff published in 1976 was described by Michael Ratcliffe as 'one of the most ambitious and seductive novels of the decade,' and went on to win both The Hawthornden...

's interpretation of the Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...

-legend, and are notable for their heavily Satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...

 and sexual lyrical content.

Biography

Akercocke was formed in 1997 by guitarist/sound programmer Jason Mendonca
Jason Mendonca
Jason Mendonca is a British multi-instrumentalist and composer.He is best known as the vocalist and guitarist of the British progressive blackened death metal band Akercocke, although he also achieved notoriety throughout the experimental electronic movement of the 1990s.- Early life :Mendonca was...

 (ex-Salem Orchid
Salem Orchid
Salem Orchid was a death metal band from London UK. Formed in 1988, they are best known for a two track demo released in 1991 composed of the songs 'Sempiternal Suffering' and 'The Nirvana Of Agony'. The demo became well known for its satanic lyrical content and high speed playing...

 and Disciples of Belial) and his one-time Salem Orchid colleague drummer David Gray. The band was soon completed by the addition of second guitarist Paul Scanlan (ex-Creaming Jesus
Creaming Jesus
-Origins:Creaming Jesus were a London based UK band influenced by gothic rock, punk and thrash metal.Formed in 1987, their original line up was Andy Lil Tally Roy Lindy and Paul , their original sound was a wall of percussive noise Slayer type thrash metal guitars and screamed vocals.Lil left...

) and bassist Peter Theobalds
Peter Theobalds
Peter Theobalds is an English born musician and artist. He was originally guitarist for a multitude of underground bands including Xerox Girls , Photographing Girls , Three Days By Camel , Salem Orchid and eventually turned bassist with indie...

.

Akercocke's first album, Rape of the Bastard Nazarene
Rape of the Bastard Nazarene
Rape of the Bastard Nazarene is the debut studio album by English blackened death metal band Akercocke, released in 1999. The band released the album on their own record label, Goat of Mendes Records. The album can also be found on the Plastic Head and Black Lotus distribution labels and as an...

, was self-released by the band in 1999. The album met with enough success to get Akercocke signed to the underground metal label Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records is a British independent metal-oriented record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw in 1987, in Dewsbury, England...

. Their debut release for the new company was 2001's The Goat of Mendes, previously released on the band's own Goat of Mendes label. 2003 saw the release of Choronzon
Choronzon (album)
Choronzon is the third studio album by English blackened death metal band Akercocke, released in 2003 on Earache Records. A promotional music video for the track "Leviathan" was shot by KERRANG genius Paul Harries....

, on Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...

.The band embarked on an exhaustive tour of the US to promote the album promptly sacked guitarist Paul Scanlan upon their return. He was replaced by Matt Wilcock, formerly of Australian metal band The Berzerker
The Berzerker
The Berzerker was an extreme metal band from Melbourne, Australia and was formed in 1995. The band's music, heavily influenced by older death metal and grindcore, can be characterized as a fusion of these with speedcore, and gabber...

.

Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone
Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds that go Undone
-External links:*...

was released in Britain and Europe in October 2005, and in the United States in February 2006, on Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...

. To promote the album, Akercocke went on tour with Mortician
Mortician (band)
Mortician is a death metal / deathgrind two piece band from Yonkers, New York founded in 1989. They have released most of their albums since the House by the Cemetery EP on Relapse Records but have released their latest album on their own label, Mortician Records. They have toured several times...

 and Blood Red Throne
Blood Red Throne
Blood Red Throne is a death metal band from Kristiansand, Norway. They released their fourth full-length album, Come Death, on 27 August 2007...

 through Europe. Prior to this, they had played four shows in Britain to promote the new album, supported by fellow British death metallers Ted Maul. On 18 January 2007, Peter Theobalds
Peter Theobalds
Peter Theobalds is an English born musician and artist. He was originally guitarist for a multitude of underground bands including Xerox Girls , Photographing Girls , Three Days By Camel , Salem Orchid and eventually turned bassist with indie...

 left the band, citing personal differences. He was replaced by Peter Benjamin of the band Corpsing
Corpsing (band)
Corpsing are an extreme metal band from England, United Kingdom. They have previously been signed to Jason Mendoca's Goat of Mendes Records label and are due to release their next album through Grindethic Records.- Background :...

.

Akercocke released their fifth album, Antichrist
Antichrist (Akercocke album)
Antichrist is the fifth studio album by English blackened death metal Akercocke, released in 2007. It is their third release on Earache Records and the first to feature Peter Benjamin on bass, having replaced Peter Theobalds...

, in May 2007, their last album on the Earache label, as they were only contracted to them for three albums. A video has been released for the song "Axiom", directed by Erica Herbert of HSI London, and deemed "a unique and beautiful visual outing" by Jason Mendonca.

The band’s Antichrist
Antichrist (Akercocke album)
Antichrist is the fifth studio album by English blackened death metal Akercocke, released in 2007. It is their third release on Earache Records and the first to feature Peter Benjamin on bass, having replaced Peter Theobalds...

album release was allegedly met with controversy from Christian groups, mostly notably in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, where a printing plant was alleged to have refused to print the album’s inlay booklet, because they refuse to print "satanic materials," according to an Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...

 representative. Jason Mendonca commented that he didn’t find the booklet "overtly anti-Christian" despite the title "Antichrist" and their refusal to print it was "really ugly. And it smacks of fascism to me."

The band also generated controversy in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 when they scheduled a tour date in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 on 18 May 2007 and also appeared on BBC1’s debate show Nolan Live on 16 May 2007, to defend their right to play the gig. On that show they came under fire from Christian groups who alleged they were spreading a dangerous message to Northern Ireland’s youth.

On 4 August 2007, the band played a special 10th Anniversary Concert at the Underworld
Camden Underworld
The Camden Underworld is a music venue in Camden Town, London, England. The venue itself is a part of the World's End pub, being situated in the basement of the building.- History :...

 in London, which was supposedly filmed for a live DVD titled A Decade of Devil Worship and was set to be released alongside a new, as yet untitled, album in 2010. However, any new material failed to surface in 2010. As of 2011 there have been no further updates regarding the planned releases and the official website is now down, evidently on sale for £200, so Akercocke's future plans remain unclear.

Matt Wilcock amicably left the band in 2010, citing musical differences. He continues to play in new project The Antichrist Imperium, which also features David Gray, who is also currently playing as fill-in live drummer with My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in 1990. To date, My Dying Bride have released eleven full-length studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. The band released their tenth studio album, For Lies I Sire,...

.

Current members

  • Jason Mendonca
    Jason Mendonca
    Jason Mendonca is a British multi-instrumentalist and composer.He is best known as the vocalist and guitarist of the British progressive blackened death metal band Akercocke, although he also achieved notoriety throughout the experimental electronic movement of the 1990s.- Early life :Mendonca was...

     – vocals, guitar
  • David Gray – drums
  • Peter Benjamin – bass guitar
  • Daniel Knight – guitar
  • Sam Loynes – Live Keyboards

Former members

  • Paul Scanlan – guitar (1997–2003)
  • "The Ritz" – keyboards (2003–2006)
  • Peter Theobalds
    Peter Theobalds
    Peter Theobalds is an English born musician and artist. He was originally guitarist for a multitude of underground bands including Xerox Girls , Photographing Girls , Three Days By Camel , Salem Orchid and eventually turned bassist with indie...

     – bass guitar (1997–2007)
  • Matt Wilcock – guitar (2004–2010)

Discography

  • Rape of the Bastard Nazarene
    Rape of the Bastard Nazarene
    Rape of the Bastard Nazarene is the debut studio album by English blackened death metal band Akercocke, released in 1999. The band released the album on their own record label, Goat of Mendes Records. The album can also be found on the Plastic Head and Black Lotus distribution labels and as an...

    (1999)
  • The Goat of Mendes (2001)
  • Choronzon
    Choronzon (album)
    Choronzon is the third studio album by English blackened death metal band Akercocke, released in 2003 on Earache Records. A promotional music video for the track "Leviathan" was shot by KERRANG genius Paul Harries....

    (2003)
  • Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone
    Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds that go Undone
    -External links:*...

    (2005)
  • Antichrist
    Antichrist (Akercocke album)
    Antichrist is the fifth studio album by English blackened death metal Akercocke, released in 2007. It is their third release on Earache Records and the first to feature Peter Benjamin on bass, having replaced Peter Theobalds...

    (2007)

Videography

  • "The Goat"
  • "Horns of Baphomet"
  • "Infernal Rites"
  • "Leviathan"
  • "Axiom"


A video for "Intractable" was filmed in August 2006 but later abandoned during post-production. It was filmed in strip club in London's
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...

district.
The documentary film "Words that go unspoken, deeds that go undone" is available on a special edition CD/DVD format of the same album.

External links

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