Lord Kaos
Encyclopedia
Lord Kaos was an Australia
n black metal
band that formed in Sydney in 1994. For several years the group was the most prominent act of its style in the country with one founding member going on to record and perform with several Norwegian
black metal bands including Dimmu Borgir
. While Lord Kaos only released one album, the group was a considerable influence on the local heavy metal music
scene as not only arguably the first but one of the few bands to record and perform Norwegian-style symphonic black metal.
and vocalist Jamie "The Lord of Night Summoning" Marsh, they soon dropped the original drummer in favour of a drum machine and recorded the initial demo, Path To My Funeral Light in 1995. Later the same year, with the membership now down to a four ; Astennu, Marsh, bassist
Incubus and keyboards
by Sir Morrison, Lord Kaos recorded the album Thorns of Impurity with Astennu tracking guitars. The album was recorded for release on Sydney label Warhead Records
but also found interest from Norway's Head Not Found
. This caused a split in the group when Astennu relocated to Norway to pursue release for Lord Kaos there, only for the remaining band members to resist the move. The release of Thorns of Impurity was delayed due to this course of action and it was not issued (by Warhead) until late 1996. By then, Astennu had virtually completed his first Carpe Tenebrum
album Majestic Nothingness with vocal contributions from Nagash
of Dimmu Borgir, the guitarist for the band he would then join in 1997.
With the departure of Astennu, Lord Kaos came to a standstill. However by early 1997 the group had reconvened with drummer
Nigel Chad, guitarist Frank Munoz of the Sydney brutal death metal
band Neuropath, and two members of the Newcastle black metal act Empery of Thorns, guitarist Darael and keyboards-player Shaun all being recruited. Incubus then left shortly afterwards, to be replaced by another ex-Neuropath member, Ali Chamas. This line-up remained together for almost two years. At the end of 1997 the band played on the Sydney leg of an Australian tour by Cradle of Filth
and work began on a second album. Several tracks were eventually recorded and one, "Black Earth", later appeared on the 1999 compilation album Under the Southern Cross, from Sydney label Chatterbox Records
. In the meantime, Marsh was also singing with a doom metal
band called Elysium, with whom he recorded the album Dreamscapes in 1998; however this recording remained unreleased until 2001 when it surfaced on the short-lived Melbourne label Crestfallen Records.
Lord Kaos featured at the annual Metal for the Brain
festival in Canberra in 1998 but in mid-1999 Munoz and Chamas both left the band. Incubus rejoined for a short time but after Metal for the Brain that year Lord Kaos went into hiatus again. Earlier in 1999 Marsh had joined another black metal act called Crucible of Agony who had played a support show with Impaled Nazarene
and recorded several tracks, one of which, "Come Forth to the Lands of the Plague Bearer", would also appear on Under the Southern Cross. This band did little else however and after a complete line-up change evolved later into The Amenta
.
By 2000 Lord Kaos was active as a live band once more. Along with Marsh, Darael and Shaun, the group now consisted of Beau Dyer from Elysium on bass and two members of Canberra band Psychrist, Yuri Ward and Glen Blazejak, on guitar and drums respectively. This version of the band featured at Metal for the Brain before playing some shows in early 2001, however several other performances were cancelled and in December Lord Kaos announced it had disbanded
Marsh has always remained open to the possibility of Lord Kaos reforming in the future, however this is probably unlikely. His other band Elysium, which also features Dyer, changed its name to Stone Wings in 2003 and released the self-funded album Bird of Stone Wings in 2004. Ward and Blazejak continued to play together in Psychrist until the drummer left in 2003 and the band folded. Ward is now a member of a band called Kill for Satan who have released one album. Astennu was fired from Dimmu Borgir in 1999 and since returning to Australia has recorded a third Carpe Tenebrum album and played in bands including Infernal Method
and Stronger Than Hate but since 2003 has concentrated on sound engineering.
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...
n black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band that formed in Sydney in 1994. For several years the group was the most prominent act of its style in the country with one founding member going on to record and perform with several Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black metal bands including Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir...
. While Lord Kaos only released one album, the group was a considerable influence on the local heavy metal music
Australian heavy metal
Australian heavy metal music has its roots in both the Australian hard rock and pub rock tradition of the 1970s and the American and British heavy metal scenes. Since the mid-80s, Australian heavy metal has been particularly influenced by foreign bands, particularly Swedish death metal, American...
scene as not only arguably the first but one of the few bands to record and perform Norwegian-style symphonic black metal.
History
Originally a five piece band formed by guitarist Jamie "Astennu" StinsonAstennu (musician)
Astennu is the professional name of Australian heavy metal musician Jamie Stinson. His name is derived from a creature in Egyptian mythology.-Biography:...
and vocalist Jamie "The Lord of Night Summoning" Marsh, they soon dropped the original drummer in favour of a drum machine and recorded the initial demo, Path To My Funeral Light in 1995. Later the same year, with the membership now down to a four ; Astennu, Marsh, bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Incubus and 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...
by Sir Morrison, Lord Kaos recorded the album Thorns of Impurity with Astennu tracking guitars. The album was recorded for release on Sydney label 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...
but also found interest from Norway's Head Not Found
Head Not Found
Head Not Found is a Norwegian record label, a sublabel of Voices Music & Entertainment, specialising in various heavy metal subgenres.-Artists:The following artists released their albums through Head Not Found:* Atrox* Carpe Tenebrum* Enslavement of Beauty...
. This caused a split in the group when Astennu relocated to Norway to pursue release for Lord Kaos there, only for the remaining band members to resist the move. The release of Thorns of Impurity was delayed due to this course of action and it was not issued (by Warhead) until late 1996. By then, Astennu had virtually completed his first Carpe Tenebrum
Carpe Tenebrum
Carpe Tenebrum is a black metal solo project of the former Dimmu Borgir and Covenant guitarist Jamie Stinson, better known as Astennu...
album Majestic Nothingness with vocal contributions from Nagash
Nagash
Nagash may refer to*Stian Arnesen, Norwegian musician*Nagash - a character in the fictional Warhammer Fantasy game setting*Negash, a village in northern Ethiopia, with important Muslim associations...
of Dimmu Borgir, the guitarist for the band he would then join in 1997.
With the departure of Astennu, Lord Kaos came to a standstill. However by early 1997 the group had reconvened with 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...
Nigel Chad, guitarist Frank Munoz of the Sydney brutal death metal
Death 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 Neuropath, and two members of the Newcastle black metal act Empery of Thorns, guitarist Darael and keyboards-player Shaun all being recruited. Incubus then left shortly afterwards, to be replaced by another ex-Neuropath member, Ali Chamas. This line-up remained together for almost two years. At the end of 1997 the band played on the Sydney leg of an Australian tour by Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
and work began on a second album. Several tracks were eventually recorded and one, "Black Earth", later appeared on the 1999 compilation album Under the Southern Cross, from Sydney label Chatterbox Records
Chatterbox Records
Chatterbox Records was an independent record label based in Sydney, Australia, founded in 1997 by musician Nik Tropiano and Sebastian Chase of Phantom Records. The label boasts an eclectic mixture of artists across various genres. Its first release was a vinyl EP from Sydney electro-goth band Cult 45...
. In the meantime, Marsh was also singing with a doom 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 called Elysium, with whom he recorded the album Dreamscapes in 1998; however this recording remained unreleased until 2001 when it surfaced on the short-lived Melbourne label Crestfallen Records.
Lord Kaos featured at the annual Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain was Australia's largest heavy metal music festival. The event was held in Canberra annually, usually towards the end of the year, and featured Australian bands almost exclusively...
festival in Canberra in 1998 but in mid-1999 Munoz and Chamas both left the band. Incubus rejoined for a short time but after Metal for the Brain that year Lord Kaos went into hiatus again. Earlier in 1999 Marsh had joined another black metal act called Crucible of Agony who had played a support show 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....
and recorded several tracks, one of which, "Come Forth to the Lands of the Plague Bearer", would also appear on Under the Southern Cross. This band did little else however and after a complete line-up change evolved later into The Amenta
The Amenta
-History:The band originally formed in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales in 1997 as Crucible of Agony. They initially played black metal and released two demos in 1999 under the name...
.
By 2000 Lord Kaos was active as a live band once more. Along with Marsh, Darael and Shaun, the group now consisted of Beau Dyer from Elysium on bass and two members of Canberra band Psychrist, Yuri Ward and Glen Blazejak, on guitar and drums respectively. This version of the band featured at Metal for the Brain before playing some shows in early 2001, however several other performances were cancelled and in December Lord Kaos announced it had disbanded
Marsh has always remained open to the possibility of Lord Kaos reforming in the future, however this is probably unlikely. His other band Elysium, which also features Dyer, changed its name to Stone Wings in 2003 and released the self-funded album Bird of Stone Wings in 2004. Ward and Blazejak continued to play together in Psychrist until the drummer left in 2003 and the band folded. Ward is now a member of a band called Kill for Satan who have released one album. Astennu was fired from Dimmu Borgir in 1999 and since returning to Australia has recorded a third Carpe Tenebrum album and played in bands including Infernal Method
Infernal Method (band)
Infernal Method was a melodic death metal band from Sydney, Australia. Despite the volatility of its line-up, the band was a dominant presence on Sydney's live metal music scene between early 2002 and late 2006 and notable for featuring an array of members who came from or later joined other bands...
and Stronger Than Hate but since 2003 has concentrated on sound engineering.