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Hypocrisy - Biography


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1996-

1991-1994

Biography

Sweden's death metal blasphemists Hypocrisy trace their origins back to 1990, when guitarist Peter Togtgren became particularly inspired by Florida's explosive death metal scene during a visit to this area. Before returning to his native Swedish homeland, Peter promised Malevolent Creation's Phil Fasciana that a contract and a brutal death metal band would accompany him on his next trip to the United States. Once back in Sweden, Peter concentrated all of his energy into writing material to fulfill his promise. Due to a lack of adequate musicians, Peter recorded all of the songs himself. However, the vocals were not to his liking and the chance of a one man death metal band performing live was, of course, slim. With one successful phone call, Masse Broberg (ex-Votary) was added to the Hypocrisy line up with bass player Mikael Hedlund. A second demo was recorded and a contract with Nuclear Blast followed shortly after. Hypocrisy were still in need of a guitarist and a drummer, Peter asked two friends who had been playing with Epitaph in the U.S., Lars Szoke (drums) and Jonas Osterberg (guitar), to join. Both agreed and Hypocrisy played their first live gig on June 6th, 1992.

Hypocrisy's first LP/CD release in October 1992, Penetralia, recorded at Peter's own studio, challenged the standards set by Sunlight Productions to that date: viscous, grinding guitars, thundering percussion, and vocals straight from hell. In June of 1993, Relapse Records released the band's Pleasures of Molestation as an Underground Series CD. Nuclear Blast followed shortly after with the Osculum Obscenum full length in September of the same year. To temporarily satisfy the voracious appetites of their fans, Hypocrisy released the Inferior Devoties EP on Nuclear Blast in June 1994. This release signalled a new chapter for the band, with the line-up trimmed to Lars, Mikael and Peter, who took over the permanent vocal duties as well. Hypocrisy assaulted audiences across Europe with labelmates Brutality, earning themselves the reputation as the Swedish masters of musical massacre. Their full power, however, was yet to be witnessed. Thus The Fourth Dimension was created, a definite turn towards uncharted territories for the three-piece. This album introduced haunting atmospheric passages, dark, flowing melodies and rock influenced guitar prowess to the ever-present sonic blast that has become Hypocrisy's trademark. This album opened up a myriad of possibilities for Hypocrisy's future development, and Peter would be damned if he'd let the typically narrow death metal mindset of stagnation hold him back from realizing this band's remarkable potential...

It is with gargantuan confidence and force that Hypocrisy return to terrorize the worldwide underground legions with Abducted, their most diverse and accomplished work to date. Featuring '80s thrash metal influences Pink Floyd-esque rock tangents, Scandinavia's ever-evolving death machine explore the worlds of ritual magic, conspiratorial murder and U.F.O. abduction within Abducted's multi-faceted corridors. Again recorded in Peter's own Abyss Studios, Abducted features the brutal clarity and forward-thinking vision that has become a Hypocrisy trademark. From torrential speed-laden stormers like "Abducted" and "Killing Art" to the brilliant caress [sic] of "Slippin' Away" and "Drained", this new journey represents another remarkable chapter in the continuing Hypocrisy saga. For the die-hard Hypocrisy hound, Relapse Records have issued a limited edition 7" release, featuring "Carved Up" from Abducted, as well as "Beginning of the End", a track unavailable anywhere else.

As the quest for sightings of evolution within the expanding international death metal movement continues, Hypocrisy boldly states that the truth is out there...