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Deathwitch - Biography


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1995-2005

Biography

estering in the underground sewers for nearly a decade now, Deathwitch have existed unchallenged in the primal void. Beginning in 1994 as the solitary vision of long-time Runemagick frontman (and one time Sacramentum drummer) Terror, Deathwitch's main goal appeared to be to construct a fucking sludgy sickfest using the most basic Metal blueprint; grim riffs, tribal battery and an undisguised contempt for the fucking losers of mankind. The band's uncompromising sound and outlook has led to some colourful characters inhabiting the Deathwitch underworld over the years, but ultimately Terror has held Deathwitch together in his own distinct style.

By 1995, the first full line up of the band had emerged: Terror on guitar & drums, Reaper on vocals, Af Necrohell on guitar, and Lady Death on bass. The band were signed to Desecration Records/Necropolis and recorded their debut album 'Triumphant Devastation' in the fall of 1995, eventually releasing it in 1996. The dirty, dirgey sound of the band found many disciples in the underground, where a scene of low-fi, retro-influenced Death Metal bands was fast developing. Whereas fucking Black Metal was becoming more refined and glossy, real Death Metal reacted and withdrew into the swamps of the underground to plan its next fucking move.

Af Necrohell and Lady Death soon vacated the band leaving the fucking formidble pairing of Terror and Reaper to continue the assault with the follow-up record 'Dawn of Armageddon' which emerged via Desecration Records in 1997. Once again the emphasis was on the fucking primitive, no frills approach of the early Death Metal bands, combined with an apocalyptic sense of a return of the low down an' dirty style that had been eradicated in the mid-90's by slick productions and the fucking sickening, sugary overuse of keyboards. Fuck that.

Shortly after the release of the second album, Reaper left the band. Terror took over the vocals, making way for Corpse who joined on drums. Peter 'Carnivore' Palmdahl (ex Dissection) joined on bass. Doomentor joined on 2nd guitar and with this line up the band demoed new tracks at Los Angered Recording Studios. The best results from these sessions were selected for the upcoming album 'The Ultimate Death', eventually spewed out via fucking Necropolis Records in 1998. This album showed another side to Deathwitch, one that retained the grimness and roughened style of previous recordings, but also surprised many by having memorable songs fighting though the maelstrom of fucking sonic depravity.

In 1999, Deathwitch entered Los Angered Studios again and recorded a few new songs, which combined with some material left over from 'The Ultimate Death' sessions became the 4th album 'Monumental Mutilations' released by Necropolis Records in the same year. After this release, Peter "Carnivore" Palmdahl and Corpse left the band, but fucking undetered the Deathwitch machine rolled on, fuelled by their own hatred for all around them and the promise of more devastation to come.

By 2002, there was yet another Deatwitch incarnation: Terror on vocals & guitar/bass, Slade Doom on guitar and Dan Slaughter on drums. This fucking incarnation of Deathwitch recorded the 5th album 'Deathfuck Rituals', released in a limited edition by fucking Hellspawn Records in late 2002. It was on this record that the band nihilism came to the forefront, the songs dealing more and more with tirades against all kinds of people that earned the bands fucking contempt.

And so to 2003, Dan Slaughter was temporarily replaced by Morbid Juttu on drums for the process of a new album recording, and the band entered Fuck Recording and Magick Sound Studio to record the 6th album 'Violence Blasphemy Sodomy', the band's first for fucking Wicked World. Dan Slaughter returned to the line up after the sessions were completed, and with this hardcore line up made up of fucking vagabonds, cheats and thieves, Deathwitch carved their ugly niche as true misanthropes. Reveling in bad language and bad behaviour, Deathwitch set out to confront, assault and destroy all the things they distasteful; fakers, losers, liberals, sycophants and the moral majority. It might not be pretty and its certainly not for everyone but at least Deathwitch fucking walk it like they talk it, and 'Violence Blasphemy Sodomy' pretty much sums up the band's attitude to you and the rest of this damn planet.

Source: http://www.earache.com/bands/deathwitch/deathwitch.html