Ludicra
Encyclopedia
Ludicra was a metal
band from San Francisco. They originally formed in 1998 as a quartet and later expanded to five members. Ludicra's sound has been described as black metal
or as avant-garde metal. Influences include bands such as Darkthrone
, Gorgoroth
, Dødheimsgard
, and Bethlehem
, and genres like thrash metal
, doom metal
, punk
, and folk
. The group includes current and former members of other San Francisco-based bands such as Impaled
, Hammers of Misfortune
, Tallow, Missile Command, Ominum, and punk band Hickey. They have shared the stage with bands including the death metal
band Impaled
, the post-hardcore
/noise
outfit Total Shutdown, instrumental math metal
band the Fucking Champs
, and black metal band Krallice
.
On July 26, 2011, the band announced on their official website that they had disbanded.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from San Francisco. They originally formed in 1998 as a quartet and later expanded to five members. Ludicra's sound has been described as 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....
or as avant-garde metal. Influences include bands such as Darkthrone
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1987 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
, Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus , the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The group is currently signed to Regain Records and have released...
, Dødheimsgard
Dødheimsgard
Dødheimsgard is a Norwegian heavy metal band formed in 1994. Dødheimsgard was originally a black metal band, but 1999's 666 International saw them change into an experimental and avant-garde / industrial metal band. In 2000, they shortened their name to DHG...
, and Bethlehem
Bethlehem (German band)
Bethlehem is a German extreme metal band from Grevenbroich, formed in 1991 by Jürgen Bartsch and Kläus Matton. Before starting Bethlehem, Bartsch and Matton used to play in a German Thrash metal band called Morbid Vision...
, and genres like thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, 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...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. The group includes current and former members of other San Francisco-based bands such as Impaled
Impaled (band)
Impaled is a death metal/goregrind band from Oakland, California.-History:The band's name is an acronym, standing for: Impaled - Immoral Medical Practitioners And Licentious Evil-Doers...
, Hammers of Misfortune
Hammers of Misfortune
Hammers of Misfortune is a progressive heavy metal band from San Francisco, California. The band's style has varied from album to album, at times incorporating different elements of folk metal, doom metal, NWOBHM, black metal, '70s rock, and thrash metal...
, Tallow, Missile Command, Ominum, and punk band Hickey. They have shared the stage with bands including the 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 Impaled
Impaled (band)
Impaled is a death metal/goregrind band from Oakland, California.-History:The band's name is an acronym, standing for: Impaled - Immoral Medical Practitioners And Licentious Evil-Doers...
, the post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
/noise
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
outfit Total Shutdown, instrumental math metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band the Fucking Champs
The Fucking Champs
The Fucking Champs are a three-piece progressive rock band from San Francisco, California. They are known for their heavy metal appeal, based largely around shifting time signatures, guitar harmonies, and lots of rhythm. Most songs are instrumental. They are currently signed to Drag City...
, and black metal band Krallice
Krallice
Krallice is an experimental black metal band formed by New York City musicians Colin Marston, Mick Barr and Lev Weinstein.-History:Krallice was first mentioned by Marston in February 2008 as a collaboration between himself and Mick Barr. Marston, a member of the instrumental metal groups Behold.....
.
On July 26, 2011, the band announced on their official website that they had disbanded.
Current members
- John Cobbett: Guitars (1998–2011)
- Christy Cather: Guitars, vocals (1998–2011)
- Ross Sewage: Bass (1999–2011)
- Laurie Sue Shanaman: Vocals (1999–2011)
- Aesop Dekker: Drums (1998–2011)
Session performers
- Melynda Jackson
- Lorraine Rath
- Kris Force
- Sigrid Sheie
- Jackie Perez-Gratz
Discography
- Hollow Psalms (Life is Abuse, 2002)
- Another Great Love Song (Alternative Tentacles, 2004)
- S/T EP (Life is Abuse, 2006)
- Fex Urbis Lex Orbus (Alternative Tentacles, 2006)
- The Tenant (Profound Lore Records, 2010)