Avrigus
Encyclopedia
Avrigus is an Atmospheric Gothic Metal
band from Sydney
, Australia
consisting of two members, Simon Gruer and Megan Robins. The group has released two EPs and one full-length album to date.
ist Leif Gregory, drummer
Kane Jarvis and bass
player Steve Caruana. The line-up was only together a short time however. Gregory later featured in various other Sydney bands including Destrier, Aftermath and Dark Order and Jarvis and Caruana formed a grindcore
band called Vomit that later became Volatile.
In 1993 Gruer began to work as a sound engineer for the Sydney doom/death metal
band Cruciform and in late 1993 joined the group when their bass player left. Gruer played keyboards
and took over the lead vocal role. The band recorded a two track demo, one track of which was later included on the Warhead Records
compilation Warhead Records Vol. 1 in 1995. A full-length album was started which generated some interest from Earache Records
but the band split up before it was completed. In the meantime, Cruciform's guitarist Tony Mulhearn had introduced Gruer to artist and musician Judy Chiara and the pair began to develop musical ideas for Avrigus. With the dissolution of Cruciform, Gruer and Chiara now had more time to devote to Avrigus and recorded two tracks, "As Ivy Groweth Green" and "The Final Wish" that appearead as a demo in 1997. The following year, Warhead released the band's EP "The Final Wish". Chiara also made a guest appearance on an album called Dreamscapes by the Sydney doom band Elysium.
The album The Secret Kingdom
was completed by January 2000. Chiara wrote most of the music, sang and played piano. Gruer contributed most of the music including guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. The band's label Warhead had folded in the meantime but Chiara took copies of the album with her on a visit to Europe
during the year and the group was offered release by Dutch label Hammerheart Records through its offshoot Well of Urd. The Secret Kingdom was released in 2001. Since that time, the members of Avrigus have expressed dissatisfaction with the label (now known as Karmageddon Media) due to its failure to provide royalty payments. Gruer and Chiara have not written music together for some years in any case, and in May 2007 Gruer announced that Chiara was no longer a member of Avrigus. In 2009 Simon announced Megan Robins as the new band member in Avrigus, contributing vocals/keyboards and composition.
On May 3, 2010 Avrigus announced their next release, and EP titled "Beauty And Pain", set as a precursor to The Hidden Citadel and will consist of 5 tracks with a running time of approximately 30 minutes. The EP was released on August 25, 2010 as a digital download via the band's official website.
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
band from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
consisting of two members, Simon Gruer and Megan Robins. The group has released two EPs and one full-length album to date.
History
Avrigus had its origins in 1990 when Sydney musician Simon Gruer recorded some thrash metal songs. The following year he formed a band with guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Leif Gregory, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Kane Jarvis and bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player Steve Caruana. The line-up was only together a short time however. Gregory later featured in various other Sydney bands including Destrier, Aftermath and Dark Order and Jarvis and Caruana formed a grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
band called Vomit that later became Volatile.
In 1993 Gruer began to work as a sound engineer for the Sydney doom/death metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band Cruciform and in late 1993 joined the group when their bass player left. Gruer played keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and took over the lead vocal role. The band recorded a two track demo, one track of which was later included on the Warhead Records
Warhead Records
Warhead Records was an independent record label based in Sydney, Australia that specialised in releasing albums by Australian heavy metal bands. It was formed in 1992 by British migrant Brad Sims and Julie Martin who began by selling demo tapes of local bands at heavy metal shows at Sydney's...
compilation Warhead Records Vol. 1 in 1995. A full-length album was started which generated some interest from 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:...
but the band split up before it was completed. In the meantime, Cruciform's guitarist Tony Mulhearn had introduced Gruer to artist and musician Judy Chiara and the pair began to develop musical ideas for Avrigus. With the dissolution of Cruciform, Gruer and Chiara now had more time to devote to Avrigus and recorded two tracks, "As Ivy Groweth Green" and "The Final Wish" that appearead as a demo in 1997. The following year, Warhead released the band's EP "The Final Wish". Chiara also made a guest appearance on an album called Dreamscapes by the Sydney doom band Elysium.
The album The Secret Kingdom
The Secret Kingdom (album)
The Secret Kingdom is the first studio album by Australian band, Avrigus. It was released in 2001.-Track listing:# "Overture" – 4:12# "Solitude and Salvation" – 4:22# "Dark Angels' Ascension" – 4:31# "Veritas" – 3:54# "Qliphoth" – 6:24...
was completed by January 2000. Chiara wrote most of the music, sang and played piano. Gruer contributed most of the music including guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. The band's label Warhead had folded in the meantime but Chiara took copies of the album with her on a visit to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during the year and the group was offered release by Dutch label Hammerheart Records through its offshoot Well of Urd. The Secret Kingdom was released in 2001. Since that time, the members of Avrigus have expressed dissatisfaction with the label (now known as Karmageddon Media) due to its failure to provide royalty payments. Gruer and Chiara have not written music together for some years in any case, and in May 2007 Gruer announced that Chiara was no longer a member of Avrigus. In 2009 Simon announced Megan Robins as the new band member in Avrigus, contributing vocals/keyboards and composition.
On May 3, 2010 Avrigus announced their next release, and EP titled "Beauty And Pain", set as a precursor to The Hidden Citadel and will consist of 5 tracks with a running time of approximately 30 minutes. The EP was released on August 25, 2010 as a digital download via the band's official website.