Summoning - Biography
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1995-
Biography
Biography by Grom, Dec 1999
Summoning was formed somewhere in 1993 by Silenius (Michael Gregor), Protector (Richard Lederer) and Trifixion (Alexander Trondl) who met in the sort of pub, where they used to drink. Before his activities in Summoning, Protector was playing drums in a kind of "old fashioned" thrash/death metal band "Marlignom", that nearly got a record deal at Peaceville, but in that time the band broke up. His very first musical experience was a rock band (he was 15 years old then ) and a four year study of drums in the music school. The musical experience of Silenius was a doom metal band "Shadow vale"(at 16 years old) and few years in music school studying piano. Before Summoning, Silenius was making music, together with Pazuzu (Ray Wells) in a band Cromm (They made some demos that sounded like Abruptum, but never released anything else). Trifixion played in Pervertum.
Summoning made 2 demos ("Upon the Viking's stallion" and "Anno Mortiri Domini"), promo tape for Minas Morgul and one or two tape samplers with Pazuzu and Cromm. Nearly all songs from demos were never released after or took place on CDs in a very different version.
The demos sold quite well in a record shop in Vienna, called "Why not". Some times later Silenius got in contact with T.T.(Thomas Tannenberger), who made an interview with Summoning for the local fanzine TAUB (which was the first Summoning interview).They talked a lot and T.T. told that he wanted to form a band of his own, and gave Silenius a tape with some riffs. That was the birth of Abigor. They kept the contact and later Silenius replaced Rune (now singer of Amestigon) and did all vocals for all Abigor releases (except the demos) as a permanent Abigor member. As they recorded the first Abigor album("VerwÝstung") for the young Napalm Records label, Silenius got in contact with Max from Napalm. They handled a deal with Summoning and soon Summoning's debut "Lugburz" was released on Napalm. That time Summoning crew was: Silenius - vocals, keyboards, bass; Protector - keyboards, guitar; Trifixion - drumms; And Pazuzu made some additional vocals and wrote some lyrics (he also was singing in DM way on demos). 1995 was a very creative year for Silenius and Protector, and gave lots of practising experience for them. They were involved in the following bands and projects, and made these releases: Summoning "Lugburz", "Minas Morgul"; Pazuzu "And all was silent"; Grabesmond - demo (There was also P.K. in it); Die Verbannten Kinder Evas "Die Verbannten Kinder Evas" ; Abigor "Nachthymnen"; Ice Ages "Strike the Ground"; Weltenbrand "Das Nachtvolk"; Sanguis et Cinis "Schicksal".
After they recorded "Lugburz", they kicked out Trifixion, who turned out to be a commercial thinking asshole.Guys did not want to get a new drummer and so they continued working with medieval and bombastic keyboard percussion sounds. The result can be heard on "Minas Morgul". So the band then consisted of: Protector - vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum-programming; Silenius - vocals, keyboards, bass.
In that times they also made a song for Napalm recs. compilation "With us or against us". It was just a quick made demo song that sounded like Mysticum and originally was not made to be released. So it got no title.
As "Lugburz", an exercise in raw, Abigor-style black metal, was a "first try", and was totally different from all future material, its follow-up "Minas Morgul" was "the crown" of Summoning creation. It opened new horizons for Summoning and for BM music in general. The album was totally inspired by Tolkien themes(as all their later stuff), and was a magnificent epic/ambient BM. "Minas Morgul" contained much of the material from old demos (of course it was made in a very different way).
The next greatest album "Dol Guldur", came to light at 1996. It's destiny was to make Summoning a highlight world-famous BM band, more then 11000 copies are sold (till now), and still this is a most-selling album of Summoning. "Dol Guldur" continued "Minas Morgul" musical and lyrical wise, and surely was the a progression in Summoning creativity. On "Dol Guldur" the music from Protector's dark/EBM project Ice Ages also can be heard ("Over Old Hills" theme is taken from "Trapped and Scared" Ice Ages song).
Besides Summoning, guys also done some work in: Sanguis et Cinis "Schiksal"; Pazuzu "Awaken the dragon"; Abigor "Opus IV". In this year, Silenius also made songs for his dark/ritual project Mirkwood, but unfortunately he didn't release it yet (the songs were lost in the synthesizer sequencer... but still there is a hope that the project will be reactivated).
Some songs remaining from "Dol Guldur" recording session were released in "Nightshade Forests" mini-CD in 1997. There were only one new song - "Habbanan beneath the stars".
After this album, Summoning stopped their activity, till 1999.They also stopped their work in almost all other bands.
So, some words about related bands and projects...
As far as Protector stopped his work on Grabesmond, after releasing a demo (there were only 30 copies of it), P.K.(Peter Kubik) from Abigor and Lucia Mariam Faroutan (his wife) continued with it. Protector left Sanguis et Cinis (because of hostility between him and Evangel(mastermind of this band)), where he played guitar and made some keyboard lines; and Weltenbrand where he was a guest singer. Silenius made songs for the next Pazuzu album, but they were not included in it, and continued his work in Abigor, ('97 release "Apocalypse" and '98 "Supreme Immortal Art"). Protector released an album "Come Heavy Sleep" ('97) with his project "Die Verbannten Kinder Eva's", and also made a bass lines for dark-trip wave band "Whispers in the shadow", with their "Laudanum"('97) release.
After a long silence, Summoning exploded with new album "Stronghold" in May 1999, forcing everybody to open their eyes and clean their ears. Album was recorded in "Nachtschatten studio" which is the home-studio of Protector, and was engineered and mixed by members of band themselves.
"Stronghold" surely showed some new ways in Summoning musical experience. On the new album, guest-singer Tania, who has also replaced Julia in Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, appeared in a song "Where hope and daylight dies", which was surely a new step for Summoning.Silenius left Abigor (Vocalist from Heidenreich replaced him) due to the lack of interest and style change, and started to work on the new industrial project Kreuzweg Ost (which is near to be released on Napalm) together with Martin Schrienk from Pungent Stench. Protector left "Whispers in the Shadows", after a new album "November", and recorded a new album "In Darkness let me dwell" with Die Verbannten Kinder Eva's (it was released at 22 of Nov.).
Summoning was formed somewhere in 1993 by Silenius (Michael Gregor), Protector (Richard Lederer) and Trifixion (Alexander Trondl) who met in the sort of pub, where they used to drink. Before his activities in Summoning, Protector was playing drums in a kind of "old fashioned" thrash/death metal band "Marlignom", that nearly got a record deal at Peaceville, but in that time the band broke up. His very first musical experience was a rock band (he was 15 years old then ) and a four year study of drums in the music school. The musical experience of Silenius was a doom metal band "Shadow vale"(at 16 years old) and few years in music school studying piano. Before Summoning, Silenius was making music, together with Pazuzu (Ray Wells) in a band Cromm (They made some demos that sounded like Abruptum, but never released anything else). Trifixion played in Pervertum.
Summoning made 2 demos ("Upon the Viking's stallion" and "Anno Mortiri Domini"), promo tape for Minas Morgul and one or two tape samplers with Pazuzu and Cromm. Nearly all songs from demos were never released after or took place on CDs in a very different version.
The demos sold quite well in a record shop in Vienna, called "Why not". Some times later Silenius got in contact with T.T.(Thomas Tannenberger), who made an interview with Summoning for the local fanzine TAUB (which was the first Summoning interview).They talked a lot and T.T. told that he wanted to form a band of his own, and gave Silenius a tape with some riffs. That was the birth of Abigor. They kept the contact and later Silenius replaced Rune (now singer of Amestigon) and did all vocals for all Abigor releases (except the demos) as a permanent Abigor member. As they recorded the first Abigor album("VerwÝstung") for the young Napalm Records label, Silenius got in contact with Max from Napalm. They handled a deal with Summoning and soon Summoning's debut "Lugburz" was released on Napalm. That time Summoning crew was: Silenius - vocals, keyboards, bass; Protector - keyboards, guitar; Trifixion - drumms; And Pazuzu made some additional vocals and wrote some lyrics (he also was singing in DM way on demos). 1995 was a very creative year for Silenius and Protector, and gave lots of practising experience for them. They were involved in the following bands and projects, and made these releases: Summoning "Lugburz", "Minas Morgul"; Pazuzu "And all was silent"; Grabesmond - demo (There was also P.K. in it); Die Verbannten Kinder Evas "Die Verbannten Kinder Evas" ; Abigor "Nachthymnen"; Ice Ages "Strike the Ground"; Weltenbrand "Das Nachtvolk"; Sanguis et Cinis "Schicksal".
After they recorded "Lugburz", they kicked out Trifixion, who turned out to be a commercial thinking asshole.Guys did not want to get a new drummer and so they continued working with medieval and bombastic keyboard percussion sounds. The result can be heard on "Minas Morgul". So the band then consisted of: Protector - vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum-programming; Silenius - vocals, keyboards, bass.
In that times they also made a song for Napalm recs. compilation "With us or against us". It was just a quick made demo song that sounded like Mysticum and originally was not made to be released. So it got no title.
As "Lugburz", an exercise in raw, Abigor-style black metal, was a "first try", and was totally different from all future material, its follow-up "Minas Morgul" was "the crown" of Summoning creation. It opened new horizons for Summoning and for BM music in general. The album was totally inspired by Tolkien themes(as all their later stuff), and was a magnificent epic/ambient BM. "Minas Morgul" contained much of the material from old demos (of course it was made in a very different way).
The next greatest album "Dol Guldur", came to light at 1996. It's destiny was to make Summoning a highlight world-famous BM band, more then 11000 copies are sold (till now), and still this is a most-selling album of Summoning. "Dol Guldur" continued "Minas Morgul" musical and lyrical wise, and surely was the a progression in Summoning creativity. On "Dol Guldur" the music from Protector's dark/EBM project Ice Ages also can be heard ("Over Old Hills" theme is taken from "Trapped and Scared" Ice Ages song).
Besides Summoning, guys also done some work in: Sanguis et Cinis "Schiksal"; Pazuzu "Awaken the dragon"; Abigor "Opus IV". In this year, Silenius also made songs for his dark/ritual project Mirkwood, but unfortunately he didn't release it yet (the songs were lost in the synthesizer sequencer... but still there is a hope that the project will be reactivated).
Some songs remaining from "Dol Guldur" recording session were released in "Nightshade Forests" mini-CD in 1997. There were only one new song - "Habbanan beneath the stars".
After this album, Summoning stopped their activity, till 1999.They also stopped their work in almost all other bands.
So, some words about related bands and projects...
As far as Protector stopped his work on Grabesmond, after releasing a demo (there were only 30 copies of it), P.K.(Peter Kubik) from Abigor and Lucia Mariam Faroutan (his wife) continued with it. Protector left Sanguis et Cinis (because of hostility between him and Evangel(mastermind of this band)), where he played guitar and made some keyboard lines; and Weltenbrand where he was a guest singer. Silenius made songs for the next Pazuzu album, but they were not included in it, and continued his work in Abigor, ('97 release "Apocalypse" and '98 "Supreme Immortal Art"). Protector released an album "Come Heavy Sleep" ('97) with his project "Die Verbannten Kinder Eva's", and also made a bass lines for dark-trip wave band "Whispers in the shadow", with their "Laudanum"('97) release.
After a long silence, Summoning exploded with new album "Stronghold" in May 1999, forcing everybody to open their eyes and clean their ears. Album was recorded in "Nachtschatten studio" which is the home-studio of Protector, and was engineered and mixed by members of band themselves.
"Stronghold" surely showed some new ways in Summoning musical experience. On the new album, guest-singer Tania, who has also replaced Julia in Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, appeared in a song "Where hope and daylight dies", which was surely a new step for Summoning.Silenius left Abigor (Vocalist from Heidenreich replaced him) due to the lack of interest and style change, and started to work on the new industrial project Kreuzweg Ost (which is near to be released on Napalm) together with Martin Schrienk from Pungent Stench. Protector left "Whispers in the Shadows", after a new album "November", and recorded a new album "In Darkness let me dwell" with Die Verbannten Kinder Eva's (it was released at 22 of Nov.).