God Dethroned
Encyclopedia
Biography
God Dethroned was formed in 1991 by singer and guitar playerGuitar
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...
Henri Sattler
Henri Sattler
Henri Sattler is the founder and vocalist/guitarist of God Dethroned. He uses the alias 'The Serpent King'.Due to problems with the other band members and the record company, Sattler decided to split the band. He then formed Ministry of Terror, a thrash metal band, and released the Fall Of Life...
, with Hans Leegstra (guitar) and Ard de Weerd. Sattler and Leegstra had previously been in Dysentery; Leegstra, quickly after the band formed, left the music scene altogether. They recorded a demo, Christ Hunt, in 1991, after which Marco Barends joined on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. Their first album, The Christhunt, was released on the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
label Shark. Meanwhile, Barends left (to rejoin Alter) and was replaced by Marcel Beukeveld. The Christhunt did poorly; the label had refused to feature a dissected rat on the cover and did not promote the record at all. Dethroned went on hiatus the following year, in part because Sattler's anti-Christian sympathy was not shared by all, and Sattler formed a new group called Ministry of Terror. In 1996, after that band's 1994 album Fall of Life and a supporting European tour (with Impaled Nazarene
Impaled Nazarene
Impaled Nazarene is a Finnish black metal band that incorporates elements of grindcore in their sound and punk rock in their aesthetics. The band is currently signed to Osmose Productions of France....
), Sattler re-formed God Dethroned with guitarist Jens van der Valk, bassist Beef, and 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...
Roel Sanders. With this lineup a deal was signed with Metal Blade, and they issued The Grand Grimoire
The Grand Grimoire
The Grand Grimoire is a black magic grimoire that claims to date to 1522. It is possibly written some point after the 18th century but also possibly it represented the translation of The Sworn Book of Honorius, a 13th-century text. It was ostensibly published in Cairo by a person known as Alibek...
in Europe in 1997; the album was released in the U.S. the following year, along with a re-issue of The Christhunt, which featured the original cover art, with the dissected rat.
The Grand Grimorie did much better than The Christhhunt did, and the band soon entered into a sort of high point. The lineup of Sattler, Van Der Valk, Beef and Sanders would record the album Bloody Blasphemy, which many fans of the band consider to be their best work to date. Successful tours and shows with bands like Marduk
Marduk (band)
Marduk is a black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1990 and released their first record in 1991. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.-Musical style:...
, Immortal
Immortal (band)
Immortal is a black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1990 by current frontman/guitarist Abbath Doom Occulta and former guitarist Demonaz Doom Occulta...
, and Deicide
Deicide (band)
Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987. Their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, are ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.-As Amon/Carnage :...
would later follow. After Bloody Blasphemy, Sanders soon left the band and was replaced by Puerto Rican drummer Tony Laureano
Tony Laureano
Tony Laureano is a heavy metal drummer originally from Puerto Rico. He has been playing for a number of metal bands including Dimmu Borgir, Nile, Angelcorpse, Malevolent Creation, God Dethroned, Acheron, Aurora Borealis, Belphegor, Nachtmystium, 1349 and Brujeria...
. Laureano played with the band up till 2003, when he received an offer to join the American death metal band Nile
Nile (band)
Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and art, as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :...
. He would record only one album with the band, 2001's Ravenous.
A new drummer was found, Ariën Van Weesenbeek
Ariën Van Weesenbeek
Ariën van Weesenbeek is the drummer for the Dutch death metal band God Dethroned.Ariën started as a 3 year old smashing furniture with spoons and forks before discovering his dad's drum kit....
, and the band entered the studio at the end of 2002 to record Into the Lungs of Hell
Into the Lungs of Hell
Into the Lungs of Hell is adouble CD album released by Dutch melodic death metal band, God Dethroned. It was released in 2003. This album marks the start of God Dethroned's switch to melodic death metal....
. More problems began to follow, as Beef and Jens were tired with the direction of the band and wanted to push for a more heavy and extreme sound with more anti-Christian lyrics (themes that had begun to start to fade to an extent on Ravenous), whereas Sattler wanted to keep the band at a more melodic and darker sound with lyrics focused more on darkness, horror, nihilism, and other themes. After the recording and a short amount of touring for Into the Lungs of Hell
Into the Lungs of Hell
Into the Lungs of Hell is adouble CD album released by Dutch melodic death metal band, God Dethroned. It was released in 2003. This album marks the start of God Dethroned's switch to melodic death metal....
, both the bassist and guitarist left the band, and Henri Sattler had to go look out for members once again. Bassist Henk Zinger was quickly brought into the fold, and Ariën van Weesenbeek recommended Belgian guitarist Isaac Delahaye to the band. This lineup would finish up the remaining tour dates and would go back into the studio to record another album, 2005's The Lair of the White Worm.
After touring for a little while, the band then went back into the studio and released The Toxic Touch
The Toxic Touch
-Track listing:# "Faithless" – 0:36# "Hating Life" – 4:08# "2014" – 4:06# "Falling Down" – 3:36# "On Wings of Pestilence" – 5:01# "The Day You Died" – 4:04...
in 2006.
In January 2008, two personnel changes were made. Since Ariën van Weesenbeek had joined Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Symphonic metal
Symphonic metal
Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...
band Epica
Epica (band)
Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen subsequent to his departure from After Forever. They are known for their symphonic sound and the use of female vocals and male growls performed by Simone Simons and Mark Jansen, respectively. All six members write...
full-time in December 2007, he was replaced with former drummer Roel Sanders. After a writing period, Passiondale
Passiondale (God Dethroned album)
Passiondale is the eighth full-length album by God Dethroned, released on April 24th, 2009. It is a concept album based on the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I...
was recorded and released in early 2009. The album's concept is based on The Battle of Passchendaele during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Once the album was completed, auditions were held and Susan Gerl was selected as the new guitar player.
Shortly after the release Roel Sanders was asked to leave the band and Michiel Van Der Plicht was brought in.
2010 Henri Sattler made the following statement in a Metal Blade Press release:
"We are halfway through the writing process for a new album, which we will record starting end of May. First, we'll play on the Killfest tour in the U.S. supporting Overkill together with label mates Woe of Tyrants and many other great bands.
Abigail Williams' axeman Ian Jekelis will take over touring duties for Susan, with whom we parted ways last January. We will announce the name of our new shredder right before we play our first European festival in May."
Shortly after, guitarist Danny Tunker (Prostitute Disfigurement, Detonation) was announced as the new lead guitarist.
The New God Dethroned album 'Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross' was released through Metal Blade on November, 22nd 2010 and met rave reviews. It marked the first time God Dethroned became 'Album Of The Month' in Holland's Aardschok magazine.
Sattler announced that 2011 will be the last year of the band and their final show will be in December.
Genre
God Dethroned originally formed as a death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band. When they reformed in 1996, they switched to blackened death metal and stayed that way until the release of Into the Lungs of Hell
Into the Lungs of Hell
Into the Lungs of Hell is adouble CD album released by Dutch melodic death metal band, God Dethroned. It was released in 2003. This album marks the start of God Dethroned's switch to melodic death metal....
, when they shifted to melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
. They are, however, "an important part of the Dutch black metal scene", according to The Encyclopedia of Dutch Black Metal.
Current members
- Henri "T.S.K." SattlerHenri SattlerHenri Sattler is the founder and vocalist/guitarist of God Dethroned. He uses the alias 'The Serpent King'.Due to problems with the other band members and the record company, Sattler decided to split the band. He then formed Ministry of Terror, a thrash metal band, and released the Fall Of Life...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe 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... - Danny Tunker - guitar
- Henk "Henke" Zinger - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Michiel Van Der Plicht - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former members
- Jens van der Valk - guitar
- Beef - bass guitar
- Ariën van WeesenbeekAriën Van WeesenbeekAriën van Weesenbeek is the drummer for the Dutch death metal band God Dethroned.Ariën started as a 3 year old smashing furniture with spoons and forks before discovering his dad's drum kit....
- drums - Isaac DelahayeIsaac DelahayeIsaac Delahaye was the lead guitarist for the Dutch death metal band God Dethroned. Delahaye replaced former guitarist Jens Van Der Valk after he left in 2004. He joined the band after a request from drummer and longtime friend Ariën van Weesenbeek, and after several meetings with Von Weesenbeek...
- guitar - Tony LaureanoTony LaureanoTony Laureano is a heavy metal drummer originally from Puerto Rico. He has been playing for a number of metal bands including Dimmu Borgir, Nile, Angelcorpse, Malevolent Creation, God Dethroned, Acheron, Aurora Borealis, Belphegor, Nachtmystium, 1349 and Brujeria...
- drums (Ravenous only) - Roel Sanders - drums
- Susan Gerl - guitar
Discography
- Christhunt demo (1991)
- The Christhunt (1992) (Reissued in 1998)
- The Grand Grimoire (1997)
- Bloody Blasphemy (1999)
- The Ancient Ones compilation (2000)
- Ravenous (2001)
- Into the Lungs of HellInto the Lungs of HellInto the Lungs of Hell is adouble CD album released by Dutch melodic death metal band, God Dethroned. It was released in 2003. This album marks the start of God Dethroned's switch to melodic death metal....
(2003) - The Lair of the White WormThe Lair of the White Worm (album)This article is about the album. For the book or film of the same title, see The Lair of the White Worm and The Lair of the White Worm respectively....
(2004) - The Toxic TouchThe Toxic Touch-Track listing:# "Faithless" – 0:36# "Hating Life" – 4:08# "2014" – 4:06# "Falling Down" – 3:36# "On Wings of Pestilence" – 5:01# "The Day You Died" – 4:04...
(2006) - PassiondalePassiondale (God Dethroned album)Passiondale is the eighth full-length album by God Dethroned, released on April 24th, 2009. It is a concept album based on the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I...
(2009) - Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross (2010)