The Berzerker
Encyclopedia
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
. The band's founding member Luke Kenny describes the band's style as industrial death metal.
The Berzerker has produced five full length albums, The Berzerker
(2000), Dissimulate
(2002), World of Lies
(2005), Animosity
(2007) and The Reawakening
(2008). These were released through Earache Records
, with the exception of the latest album, which was released through Berserker Industries. During the early part of their career as a live act, band members were identified only as The Vocalist, The Guitarist, The Bassist and The Drummer, distinguishable on stage only by the masks they wore. However, the group eventually abandoned this device.
A DVD documentary, The Principles and Practices of The Berzerker (2004), includes several hours of live concert footage, as well as the first public images of the band members without their masks.
Most of the band's music videos have been banned from broadcast for reasons such as the possible epileptic fit
-inducing imagery contained in the video "Forever", and the horrific imagery of "Reality". The latter features graphic images of cadavers and body parts, along with appearances of the band members themselves.
and Morbid Angel
. Earache signed the act, then consisting only of Luke Kenny as a one-man DJ. Kenny had previously been a drummer in various Melbourne bands, including an early death metal group called Mystic Insight, but after suffering injuries in a motor vehicle accident was forced to give up playing. Earache Records
' website suggests that the album was supposed to be recorded at Devin Townsend
's Vancouver studio with contributions from well-known metal artists David Vincent
(Morbid Angel), Kevin Sharp
(Brutal Truth
, Damaged
), Dan Lilker
(Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault
), and Jed Simon
(Strapping Young Lad
, Zimmers Hole). After disagreements and financial issues, Kenny returned to Australia and worked with friend Sam Bean, who recorded guitar parts, as well as backing vocals. Also enlisted was another Sam contributing backing vocals, dubbed "Toby" due to Bean's seniority. Guitarists Jason and Ed Lacey from local metal band The Wolves were also recruited, and after a lengthy recording session, the band's first album, The Berzerker
, was released. The album received wide praise in underground metal magazines, and the band was compared to Napalm Death
and Strapping Young Lad
. The band's masks and live performances earned them further publicity. Videos for the songs Reality and Forever were released, but were rarely aired on MTV and other mainstream outlets.
, Gorguts
and Skinless
. Although the shows were well received, the band did not function through the rigors of touring as a unit and at the end of the tour the session musicians, drawn from Melbourne band Alarum
, departed. For some months it seemed doubtful that The Berzerker would last for long. There had been constant setbacks at every stage and any momentum gained was now lost with the departure of the live act. However, the arrival of two replacement members injected new life into the band – drummer Gary Thomas from Perth
band Plague and guitarist Matt Wilcock from Melbourne death metal band Abramelin
, currently in Akercocke
.
With the arrival of these new members The Berzerker set about recording their follow up album Dissimulate
. The song 'No-one Wins' was also released as a video. It was claimed that Thomas' drumming on this song was considered for submission to the Guinness Book of Records as fastest drumming performance and while the band has since dismissed this as a fan-fueled rumour, it was included in official press releases at the time http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=827. Around this time the band's dragon logo was redone by designer Ivan Kenny-Sumiga. The band celebrated by playing live shows which resulted in onstage violence in Melbourne for months before heading off for a world tour lasting from 2002 to 2003.
After covering Australia, The Berzerker toured the US with Immolation
, Vader
and Origin, then travelled to the UK for a headlining tour with Labrat, Insision and Red Harvest
. This culminated in an infamous Earache Christmas Party appearance, where the band terrorised both record label and the audience. This exceptionally violent and drunken performance was captured on the DVD Principles and Practices of The Berzerker. The band continued on to the US after a brief Christmas break to do another full US tour with Nile
, Napalm Death
, Strapping Young Lad
and Dark Tranquillity
. Disaster struck in New York however when Thomas had an altercation with a bouncer that resulted in a broken foot and cracked vertebrae. The band could not pull out of the tour as there was still a week left, and each show had to be played to allow them to afford to make plane flights to the next tour. To solve the problem, Kenny took on playing the drums as well as vocals. Nile drummer Tony Laureano played the Carcass
cover "Corporal Jigsore Quandary" each night.
At the end of that tour, the band spent ten days in Florida
before their headline tour of the UK and Europe began. With no drummer, auditions were organised and the band selected a local drummer to take on tour. The new drummer was required to learn the full headlining tour set in six days. The Berzerker hit the UK for its next round of headlining shows featuring snuff footage, locals being abducted, and audiences getting punched in the face, then headed out to Europe for their first-ever appearance there. Finally after five months of touring the band headed home.
for aspiring metal bands.
The DVD brought with it a change in The Berzerker – for the first time, the band members' faces were unmasked. Following this, a decision was made to lose the masks altogether.
over Christmas 2004 with the original lineup from the debut album. It was recorded spontaneously over a week, with no prior planning in direct opposition to how they had created albums in the past. In other changes, all guitar tracks were recorded directly into a laptop via an analog to digital converter without a guitar amp and no live drumming featured on the album. Subsequent live performances featured Dave Gray of Akercocke taking over drumming duties.
on February 12, 2007. This recording saw the band return to their older style of music with a drum machine included for the drum parts as well as a faster tempo in most of the tracks compared to the previous album. A Special edition version of this album was also available which included a bonus live CD by the band recorded at London Dome on December 16, 2006 featuring the then new track "Heavily Medicated", a selection of tracks from their previous albums, as well as several covers of songs by Morbid Angel
and Carcass
.
the band released it through their own label 'Berzerker Industries'. The album was only available through their official online store. Following the release they toured extensively in Several parts of the world sharing the stage with other acts including Satyricon
and Zonaria
.
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia and was formed in 1995. The band's music, heavily influenced by older 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....
and 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....
, can be characterized as a fusion of these with speedcore
Speedcore
Speedcore is a form of hardcore techno that is characterized by a high rate of beats per minute and aggressive themes. The name originates from the high BPM rate, which rarely drops below 300 BPM. Earlier Speedcore tracks averaged at about 250 BPM, whereas more recent tracks sometimes exceed 1000 BPM...
, and gabber
Gabber
Gabber , is a style of electronic music and a subgenre of hardcore techno. "Gabber" is a slang word of Yiddish origin that means "mate", "buddy" or "friend"....
. The band's founding member Luke Kenny describes the band's style as industrial death metal.
The Berzerker has produced five full length albums, The Berzerker
The Berzerker (album)
The Berzerker was the first album of the band The Berzerker. There is no human drummer on this album, but a drum machine was used.Videos were made of the first two tracks, but neither of them were ever aired on MTV. "Forever" contains epilepsy-inducing imagery and "Reality" contains extremely...
(2000), Dissimulate
Dissimulate (album)
Dissimulate is the second album, released in 2002, by the death metal band The Berzerker. This is the only full-length album the band has released that features an actual drummer instead of a drum machine.- Reception :*Allmusic [ link]...
(2002), World of Lies
World of Lies (album)
- Reception :*Metal Reviews 90/100 *MetalReview.com *Blabbermouth.net -Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Luke Kenny.#"Committed to Nothing" – 2:39#"Black Heart" – 2:16#"All About You" – 2:41#"Burn the Evil" – 2:30...
(2005), Animosity
Animosity (The Berzerker album)
Animosity is the fourth album by the band The Berzerker released in 2007. As with the first and third albums, a drum machine was used on the drum parts.-Track listing:#"Eye for an Eye" – 2:17#"Purgatory" – 3:04#"False Hope" – 3:29#"Evolution" – 2:47...
(2007) and The Reawakening
The Reawakening
The Reawakening is the fifth and final album by the band The Berzerker released in 2008. This was the first album by the band not to be sold in stores and after the band Earache Records.- Reception :*Thrash Hits -Track listing:...
(2008). These were released through 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:...
, with the exception of the latest album, which was released through Berserker Industries. During the early part of their career as a live act, band members were identified only as The Vocalist, The Guitarist, The Bassist and The Drummer, distinguishable on stage only by the masks they wore. However, the group eventually abandoned this device.
A DVD documentary, The Principles and Practices of The Berzerker (2004), includes several hours of live concert footage, as well as the first public images of the band members without their masks.
Most of the band's music videos have been banned from broadcast for reasons such as the possible epileptic fit
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
-inducing imagery contained in the video "Forever", and the horrific imagery of "Reality". The latter features graphic images of cadavers and body parts, along with appearances of the band members themselves.
Beginnings and the first album (1995-2000)
The Berzerker gained the attention of worldwide metal audiences through remixes of songs by death metal bands DeicideDeicide (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 :...
and Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
. Earache signed the act, then consisting only of Luke Kenny as a one-man DJ. Kenny had previously been a drummer in various Melbourne bands, including an early death metal group called Mystic Insight, but after suffering injuries in a motor vehicle accident was forced to give up playing. 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:...
' website suggests that the album was supposed to be recorded at Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
's Vancouver studio with contributions from well-known metal artists David Vincent
David Vincent
David Alexander Vincent , also known as Evil D, is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist and bassist for the death metal band Morbid Angel as well as the bassist for Genitorturers...
(Morbid Angel), Kevin Sharp
Kevin Sharp
Kevin Sharp may refer to:*Kevin Sharp , American country music singer*Kevin Sharp , English cricketer*Kevin Sharp , Canadian-born English footballer...
(Brutal Truth
Brutal Truth
Brutal Truth is an American grindcore band from New York City, formed by ex-Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, and Stormtroopers Of Death bass guitarist Dan Lilker in 1990. The group disbanded in 1999, but reformed in 2006 and continue to release new music.-History:...
, Damaged
Damaged (band)
Damaged was an Australian deathgrind band from Ballarat in Victoria, Australia, active from 1989 to 2004.-History:The band was formed by drummer Matt "Skitz" Sanders...
), Dan Lilker
Dan Lilker
Dan Lilker is a musician from the United States, most known as a bass player, but also guitarist, pianist, drummer and vocalist...
(Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault is an American thrash metal/crossover thrash band formed in 1984.-History:After the release of Anthrax's debut album Fistful of Metal, bass player Danny Lilker, a founding member of the group, was fired by the band...
), and Jed Simon
Jed Simon
Jed Simon is a Canadian musician. He has been a member of numerous metal bands, including Front Line Assembly, Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole, and TENET.-Biography:...
(Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
, Zimmers Hole). After disagreements and financial issues, Kenny returned to Australia and worked with friend Sam Bean, who recorded guitar parts, as well as backing vocals. Also enlisted was another Sam contributing backing vocals, dubbed "Toby" due to Bean's seniority. Guitarists Jason and Ed Lacey from local metal band The Wolves were also recruited, and after a lengthy recording session, the band's first album, The Berzerker
The Berzerker (album)
The Berzerker was the first album of the band The Berzerker. There is no human drummer on this album, but a drum machine was used.Videos were made of the first two tracks, but neither of them were ever aired on MTV. "Forever" contains epilepsy-inducing imagery and "Reality" contains extremely...
, was released. The album received wide praise in underground metal magazines, and the band was compared to Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
and Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
. The band's masks and live performances earned them further publicity. Videos for the songs Reality and Forever were released, but were rarely aired on MTV and other mainstream outlets.
New members, the second album and touring (2001-2003)
The Berzerker had their first full U.S. tour after performing fewer than half a dozen shows, touring with other underground bands Dying FetusDying Fetus
Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Formed in 1991, the group is known for their outspoken political views, and for being one of the few death metal bands who follow a political nature. Earlier lyrics showcased the common death metal trait of explicit violence...
, Gorguts
Gorguts
Gorguts is a technical death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The band's only constant member is Luc Lemay.-History:Gorguts were formed in 1989 by Luc Lemay , Sylvain Marcoux , Éric Giguère and Stephane Provencher...
and Skinless
Skinless
Skinless is a death metal band that was formed in 1992 and disbanded in 2011.-History:Skinless was formed by Ryan Wade and Noah Carpenter in the town of South Glens Falls, New York...
. Although the shows were well received, the band did not function through the rigors of touring as a unit and at the end of the tour the session musicians, drawn from Melbourne band Alarum
Alarum
Alarum are a 4-piece progressive technical metal jazz-fusion band from Melbourne, Australia. They are stylistically quite similar to early-90's pioneers Atheist and Cynic. They are also known to play Death covers in live shows—another band which influences them greatly...
, departed. For some months it seemed doubtful that The Berzerker would last for long. There had been constant setbacks at every stage and any momentum gained was now lost with the departure of the live act. However, the arrival of two replacement members injected new life into the band – drummer Gary Thomas from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
band Plague and guitarist Matt Wilcock from Melbourne death metal band Abramelin
Abramelin (band)
Abramelin was an Australian death metal band, notable as one of the first bands of its kind in the country and one of the main influences on the development of Australian heavy metal music in the early 1990s...
, currently in Akercocke
Akercocke
Akercocke is an English progressive blackened death metal band from London, England. They take their name from a talking monkey in Robert Nye's interpretation of the Faust-legend, and are notable for their heavily Satanic and sexual lyrical content....
.
With the arrival of these new members The Berzerker set about recording their follow up album Dissimulate
Dissimulate (album)
Dissimulate is the second album, released in 2002, by the death metal band The Berzerker. This is the only full-length album the band has released that features an actual drummer instead of a drum machine.- Reception :*Allmusic [ link]...
. The song 'No-one Wins' was also released as a video. It was claimed that Thomas' drumming on this song was considered for submission to the Guinness Book of Records as fastest drumming performance and while the band has since dismissed this as a fan-fueled rumour, it was included in official press releases at the time http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=827. Around this time the band's dragon logo was redone by designer Ivan Kenny-Sumiga. The band celebrated by playing live shows which resulted in onstage violence in Melbourne for months before heading off for a world tour lasting from 2002 to 2003.
After covering Australia, The Berzerker toured the US with Immolation
Immolation (band)
-History:The band formed in May 1986 by Andrew Sakowicz and Dave Wilkinson under the name Rigor Mortis . The name was changed to Immolation in April 1988, after the Warriors of Doom demo which was recorded as Rigor Mortis and Demo I which was recorded as Immolation...
, Vader
Vader (band)
Vader is a Polish death metal band from Olsztyn, formed in 1983. According to Piotr Wiwczarek, the band's founding singer and guitar player, the band's name was inspired by Darth Vader from the Star Wars film series. Lyrical themes include stories by H. P. Lovecraft, WW2, horror and anti-christian...
and Origin, then travelled to the UK for a headlining tour with Labrat, Insision and Red Harvest
Red Harvest (band)
Red Harvest was a Norwegian industrial metal band from Oslo. Their 2002 album Sick Transit Gloria Mundi was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy and an alternative Grammy in the "Best Metal Album" category...
. This culminated in an infamous Earache Christmas Party appearance, where the band terrorised both record label and the audience. This exceptionally violent and drunken performance was captured on the DVD Principles and Practices of The Berzerker. The band continued on to the US after a brief Christmas break to do another full US tour with 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 :...
, Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
, Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
and Dark Tranquillity
Dark Tranquillity
Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are one of the longest-standing bands from the original Gothenburg metal scene, and are one of the most integral pioneers of the melodic death metal genre of music....
. Disaster struck in New York however when Thomas had an altercation with a bouncer that resulted in a broken foot and cracked vertebrae. The band could not pull out of the tour as there was still a week left, and each show had to be played to allow them to afford to make plane flights to the next tour. To solve the problem, Kenny took on playing the drums as well as vocals. Nile drummer Tony Laureano played the Carcass
Carcass (band)
Carcass are an extreme metal band from England, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reunion was enacted in 2008 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons....
cover "Corporal Jigsore Quandary" each night.
At the end of that tour, the band spent ten days in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
before their headline tour of the UK and Europe began. With no drummer, auditions were organised and the band selected a local drummer to take on tour. The new drummer was required to learn the full headlining tour set in six days. The Berzerker hit the UK for its next round of headlining shows featuring snuff footage, locals being abducted, and audiences getting punched in the face, then headed out to Europe for their first-ever appearance there. Finally after five months of touring the band headed home.
First DVD, unmasked for the first time (2004)
Luke Kenny decided to focus the downtime into compiling all the footage he had recorded of the band, producing a DVD titled The Principles and Practices of The Berzerker. This DVD ended up being over four hours long, consisting of one professionally shot show, another concert-worth of assorted bootleg footage, backstage recordings, band rehearsals, and touring. Also included was documentary-style footage of the recording of both albums (including many unflattering incidents), full interviews with band members, the making of the masks and artwork, and contributions from fans, including one who had tattooed the dragon logo onto her back. The DVD was recommended by Kerrang!Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
for aspiring metal bands.
The DVD brought with it a change in The Berzerker – for the first time, the band members' faces were unmasked. Following this, a decision was made to lose the masks altogether.
World of Lies (2005-2006)
With Thomas healing in Perth and Wilcock moving to the UK to join Akercocke, The Berzerker decided to record the third album World of LiesWorld of Lies (album)
- Reception :*Metal Reviews 90/100 *MetalReview.com *Blabbermouth.net -Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Luke Kenny.#"Committed to Nothing" – 2:39#"Black Heart" – 2:16#"All About You" – 2:41#"Burn the Evil" – 2:30...
over Christmas 2004 with the original lineup from the debut album. It was recorded spontaneously over a week, with no prior planning in direct opposition to how they had created albums in the past. In other changes, all guitar tracks were recorded directly into a laptop via an analog to digital converter without a guitar amp and no live drumming featured on the album. Subsequent live performances featured Dave Gray of Akercocke taking over drumming duties.
Animosity (2006-2008)
A year after the release of World of Lies, The Berzerker released their fourth studio album AnimosityAnimosity (The Berzerker album)
Animosity is the fourth album by the band The Berzerker released in 2007. As with the first and third albums, a drum machine was used on the drum parts.-Track listing:#"Eye for an Eye" – 2:17#"Purgatory" – 3:04#"False Hope" – 3:29#"Evolution" – 2:47...
on February 12, 2007. This recording saw the band return to their older style of music with a drum machine included for the drum parts as well as a faster tempo in most of the tracks compared to the previous album. A Special edition version of this album was also available which included a bonus live CD by the band recorded at London Dome on December 16, 2006 featuring the then new track "Heavily Medicated", a selection of tracks from their previous albums, as well as several covers of songs by Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
and Carcass
Carcass (band)
Carcass are an extreme metal band from England, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reunion was enacted in 2008 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons....
.
The Reawakening (2008-2009)
Animosity was the last record the band were contracted with Earache Records. For the next album The ReawakeningThe Reawakening
The Reawakening is the fifth and final album by the band The Berzerker released in 2008. This was the first album by the band not to be sold in stores and after the band Earache Records.- Reception :*Thrash Hits -Track listing:...
the band released it through their own label 'Berzerker Industries'. The album was only available through their official online store. Following the release they toured extensively in Several parts of the world sharing the stage with other acts including Satyricon
Satyricon (band)
Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band, and the first one in the genre to join a multi-national record label .-Biography:Satyricon was formed in 1990 by Czral and Wargod. Ulver and Satyr soon joined them...
and Zonaria
Zonaria
Zonaria is a melodic death metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formerly known as Seal Precious. The band is currently signed to Century Media Records.-Background:...
.
Hiatus and break-up (2009-2010)
2009 would be the last known year where the band were actively touring the world and playing shows. After October 2009 the band went quiet. No new tours or future plans were announced. The band appeared to be on hiatus for just over a year, and in late 2010 it seemed the band had indeed split up following Several status updates on their Myspace profile referring to 'It's Finally Over' and 'Last Berzerker show in Melbourne'. Furthermore, some close sources to the band have stated that Vocalist Luke Kenny had recently lost interest in carrying on with the band and has since moved on to a photography job for Evokke magazine.Tour members
- Luke Kenny - Vocals
- Todd Hansen - Drums
- Damien Palmer - Bass
- Ed Lacey - Guitar
- Martin Bermheden - Guitar
- Tim Aldridge – Guitar
Recording members
- Luke Kenny - Vocals
- Jason V - Guitar/Bass on (The Berzerker, World of Lies, Animosity)
- Sam Bean - Guitar/Bass (the Berzerker, Dissimulate, World of Lies)
- Ed Lacey - Guitar/Bass (The Berzerker, World of Lies, The Reawakening)
- Toby (Sam) - Additional Vocals on (The Berzerker)
- Adrian - Guitar/Bass (World of Lies)
- Matt Wilcock - Guitar (Dissimulate)
- Gary Thomas - Drums (Dissimulate)
Past members
- Sam **blank** - Bass
- David Gray - Drums
- Matt Wilcock - Guitar
- Gary Thomas - Drums
- Filip Rutherfurd-Drums
Albums
- The BerzerkerThe Berzerker (album)The Berzerker was the first album of the band The Berzerker. There is no human drummer on this album, but a drum machine was used.Videos were made of the first two tracks, but neither of them were ever aired on MTV. "Forever" contains epilepsy-inducing imagery and "Reality" contains extremely...
(2000) - DissimulateDissimulate (album)Dissimulate is the second album, released in 2002, by the death metal band The Berzerker. This is the only full-length album the band has released that features an actual drummer instead of a drum machine.- Reception :*Allmusic [ link]...
(2002) - World of LiesWorld of Lies (album)- Reception :*Metal Reviews 90/100 *MetalReview.com *Blabbermouth.net -Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Luke Kenny.#"Committed to Nothing" – 2:39#"Black Heart" – 2:16#"All About You" – 2:41#"Burn the Evil" – 2:30...
(2005) - AnimosityAnimosity (The Berzerker album)Animosity is the fourth album by the band The Berzerker released in 2007. As with the first and third albums, a drum machine was used on the drum parts.-Track listing:#"Eye for an Eye" – 2:17#"Purgatory" – 3:04#"False Hope" – 3:29#"Evolution" – 2:47...
(2007) - The ReawakeningThe ReawakeningThe Reawakening is the fifth and final album by the band The Berzerker released in 2008. This was the first album by the band not to be sold in stores and after the band Earache Records.- Reception :*Thrash Hits -Track listing:...
(2008)
EPs
- Archie CampbellArchie CampbellArchie Campbell was an American writer and star of Hee Haw, a popular long-running country-flavored network television variety show...
(Website EP - 4 mp3 tracks) (1995) - Full of Hate (EP) (1996)
- Inextricable Zenith (EP) (1998)
- Broken (EP) (2000)
- Animosity EP (2006)
Music Videos
- Reality
- Forever
- No One Wins
- Mono Grind
- All About You
- Internal Examination
- All The Things She Said(TATU Cover)