The Meads of Asphodel
Encyclopedia
The Meads of Asphodel are an experimental
black metal
band with pronounced medieval
and Eastern
influences from Hertfordshire
in the United Kingdom
.
of Ewigkeit
), the stated aim being to "create heavy guitar-based original Black Metal with Medieval/Eastern influences and a lyrical concept derived from Christ's mortality, Biblical Apocrypha, Fallen Angels and Death." Their demo releases The Bemoaning of Metatron and Metatron and the Red Gleaming Serpent gained them a good deal of critical attention in the underground metal press, even receiving mentions from such mainstream sources as Kerrang!
magazine,{http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/biographie-groupe-The_Meads_Of_Asphodel-id_bio-2147-l-en.html} and they soon signed to Supernal Music
after the release of their widely acclaimed final demo The Watchers of Catal Huyuk. Their albums, particularly 2001's The Excommunication of Christ
explore conceptual themes based around an anti-Christian
interpretation of the Bible
and Apocrypha
. Despite a fluctuating line-up, the band continues to release well-received music. The band's most consistent feature is their use of often unusual guest musicians, including members of Hawkwind
and a Rabbi
.
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
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 with pronounced medieval
Medieval music
Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
and Eastern
Arab music
Arabic music or Arab music is the music of the Arab World, including several genres and styles of music ranging from Arabic classical to Arabic pop music and from secular to sacred music....
influences from Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Biography
The band was formed in mid-1998 by Metatron and Jaldaboath (aka James FogartyJames Fogarty
James Fogarty is an English multi-media artist. Concentrating mainly on music crossing over between metal and sampled based music, his projects past and present are The Blacksmoke Organisation, The Bombs Of Enduring Freedom, Ewigkeit, Jaldaboath and producing occasional releases for Death To...
of Ewigkeit
Ewigkeit
Ewigkeit was the experimental extreme music project, formed in 1995 by James Fogarty . On 28 March 2007, Fogarty announced the end of the project on Blabbermouth, the Death To Music website and also on Myspace.-Band history:...
), the stated aim being to "create heavy guitar-based original Black Metal with Medieval/Eastern influences and a lyrical concept derived from Christ's mortality, Biblical Apocrypha, Fallen Angels and Death." Their demo releases The Bemoaning of Metatron and Metatron and the Red Gleaming Serpent gained them a good deal of critical attention in the underground metal press, even receiving mentions from such mainstream sources as 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...
magazine,{http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/biographie-groupe-The_Meads_Of_Asphodel-id_bio-2147-l-en.html} and they soon signed to Supernal Music
Supernal Music
Alex Kurtagić , born 1970 and residing in the United Kingdom, is a radical traditionalist, racial-realist, elitist, pro-White activist and author on the Alternative and New Right author, artist, musician, publisher, translator, interviewer, blogger, movie and book reviewer, prolific writer,...
after the release of their widely acclaimed final demo The Watchers of Catal Huyuk. Their albums, particularly 2001's The Excommunication of Christ
The Excommunication of Christ
The Excommunication of Christ is the first full-length studio album by the black metal band The Meads of Asphodel. It was released on Supernal Music in 2001. The band's debut album, this featured A.C.Wild from Italian thrash legends Bulldozer re-working the narrative originally found on Bulldozer's...
explore conceptual themes based around an anti-Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
interpretation of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and Apocrypha
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
. Despite a fluctuating line-up, the band continues to release well-received music. The band's most consistent feature is their use of often unusual guest musicians, including members of Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
and a Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
.
Current line-up
- Metatron: 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...
(1998-) - J.D. Tait: 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...
s, keyboards, vocals (2002-) (Also in Ebonillumini, The Higher Craft, Worms of Sabnock & Shhh!) - Urakbaramel: 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 ....
(2002-) - Alan DaveyAlan Davey (musician)Alan Davey is best known as the former bassist with Hawkwind. He is now the bass player and vocalist for Gunslinger as well as Hawklords, Meads of Asphodel, and Thunor.-Early musical career:...
: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2002-)
Former/past member(s)
- Jaldaboath (Real Name: James FogartyJames FogartyJames Fogarty is an English multi-media artist. Concentrating mainly on music crossing over between metal and sampled based music, his projects past and present are The Blacksmoke Organisation, The Bombs Of Enduring Freedom, Ewigkeit, Jaldaboath and producing occasional releases for Death To...
) (1998–2002) 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...
s, programming, 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...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboards (Also in EwigkeitEwigkeitEwigkeit was the experimental extreme music project, formed in 1995 by James Fogarty . On 28 March 2007, Fogarty announced the end of the project on Blabbermouth, the Death To Music website and also on Myspace.-Band history:...
) - Max Rael: KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA 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...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
(2001–2007) (Also in History Of GunsHistory Of GunsHistory of Guns are an English cross-genre group combining elements of industrial, punk, electronica, rock, avant-garde and goth who formed in 1996...
) - The Mad Mullah: Session 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 ....
(Real Name: Milton Peterson) (2002) - Paul Carter: Keyboards (2003)
- Deorth: Bass (2003)
- Mirai: Keyboards (Also in SighSigh (band)is a Japanese extreme metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1990. They are credited as being one of the first Japanese black metal bands, when the majority of black metal in early 1990s came from Scandinavia. They gradually shifted from a more traditional black/thrash metal sound, to a more...
) - A.C.WildAlberto ContiniAlberto Contini is an Italian musician. He has been the vocalist, bassist or keyboardist for the Italian speed metal band Bulldozer since early 1980s and has produced many works in the italo-disco scene and eurobeat scene since early 1990s....
: Narration on The Excommunication of Christ (Also in BulldozerBulldozer (band)Bulldozer is a speed/black metal band from Milan, Italy that was active from 1980 until 1990. They have reunited as of 2008.-Biography:Bulldozer formed in 1980 by bassist Dario Carria and guitarist Andy Panigada.They were joined by Erminio Galli on drums...
) - Vincent Crowley: Narration on Exhuming the Grave of Yeshua (Also in AcheronAcheron (band)Acheron are an American black/death band, originally based in Florida.-History:Founded in 1988 by vocalist/bassist/songwriter Vincent Crowley , Acheron's musical output is almost exclusively Satanic and anti-Christian in content. Early albums featured interludes by Peter H. Gilmore...
) - Huw Lloyd-LangtonHuw Lloyd-LangtonHuw Lloyd-Langton is an English guitarist, best known as the guitarist for Hawkwind. He also had his own band, the Lloyd Langton Group with bass player Kenny Wilson and drummer John Clark , and is the session lead guitarist for UK band The Meads of Asphodel.As a member of Hawkwind he appeared on...
: Lead guitar 2000-2007 (Also in HawkwindHawkwindHawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
)
Studio Albums
- The Excommunication of ChristThe Excommunication of ChristThe Excommunication of Christ is the first full-length studio album by the black metal band The Meads of Asphodel. It was released on Supernal Music in 2001. The band's debut album, this featured A.C.Wild from Italian thrash legends Bulldozer re-working the narrative originally found on Bulldozer's...
(SupernalSupernal MusicAlex Kurtagić , born 1970 and residing in the United Kingdom, is a radical traditionalist, racial-realist, elitist, pro-White activist and author on the Alternative and New Right author, artist, musician, publisher, translator, interviewer, blogger, movie and book reviewer, prolific writer,...
, 2001) - Exhuming the Grave of YeshuaExhuming the Grave of YeshuaExhuming the Grave of Yeshua is the second full length studio album from the black metal band The Meads of Asphodel. It was released on Supernal Music in 2003. This album was the first to feature the new line up of J D Tait and Deaorth [Ragnarok] sharing the bass duties with Hawkwind’s Alan Davey...
(Supernal, 2003) - Damascus Steel (Supernal, 2005)
- Welcome to Planet Genocide (Firestorm Records, 2006)
- The Murder Of Jesus The Jew (2010)
EPs and Splits
- Freezing Moon/Jihad split with MayhemMayhem (band)Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
(Supernal, 2002) - In the Name of God, Welcome to Planet GenocideIn the Name of God, Welcome to Planet GenocideIn the Name of God, Welcome to Planet Genocide is the first EP released by the black metal band The Meads of Asphodel. It was released on Firestorm Records in 2006...
EP (Firestorm, 2006) - Life is ShitLife is ShitLife Is Shit is the second EP released by the black metal band The Meads of Asphodel. It was released on Firestorm Records in 2007. The song, Straw Dogs, features Alan Davey from Hawkwind.-Track listing:#Straw Dogs...
EP (Firestorm, 2007) - English Black Punk Metal/The Bones of This Land are Not SpeechlessEnglish Black Punk Metal/The Bones of This Land are Not SpeechlessEnglish Black Punk Metal/The Bones of This Land are Not Speechless is a split album from The Meads of Asphodel and Old Corpse Road released on Godreah Records in March 2010...
split with Old Corpse Road (Godreah, 2010)
Demos
- The Bemoaning of Metatron (demo, 1998)
- Metatron and the Gleaming Red Serpent (demo, 1999)
- The Watchers of Catal Huyuk (demo, 1999)
- The Mill Hill SessionsThe Mill Hill SessionsThe Mill Hill Sessions is the third full length studio album released by the black metal band The Meads of Asphodel. It was released on Godreah Records in 2004, unlike the before releases which were released on Supernal Music. Two live sessions were recorded at the Mill Hill studios in North London...
(Godreah, 2004)