Mysticum - Biography
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Biography
1992:
Autumn: The Industrial Black Metal pioneers Mysticum are formed under the name Sabazios. They consist of three members: Cerastes (6 strings and vox), Ravn (6 strings and vox) and Mean Malmberg (4 strings, synth and computer programming).
December: Sabazios enters the Rolf's Cellar studio to record the first and legendary demo-tape called "Wintermass".
1993:
January: "Wintermass" is released. It represents something completely new. A different way of making Black Metal that is has never been heard before. With a cold and depressive sound and computer programmed drums and sounds.
April: In order to have a more proper and fitting name, they change from Sabazios to Mysticum.
June: Mysticum once again enters Rolf's Cellar studio to record the second demo called "Medusa's Tears". Included in the recording is a new version of the song "Mourning" (that originally appeared on the "Wintermass" demo). Mysticum re-writes it and gives it a new and different refrain, but for some reason, they decide to omit this song on the "Medusa's Tears" demo.
July: "Medusa's Tears" is released. Euronymous from Mayhem and Deathlike Silence Productions (DSP) is totally amazed when hearing the two demos in the car, while traveling to Bergen to record the infamous "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" album. He had never heard anything like it before. It was totally new and original (he told). Euronymous signs Mysticum to DSP immediately and plans for the release of the debut album "Where the Raven Flies" are done, hence flyers are sent out within the underground scene announcing its coming.
August: Euronymous is brutally murdered by Varg Vikernes from Burzum and because of his tragic death, the release of "Where the Raven Flies" never happens and the album is put on hold for a while.
October-November: The mighty drummer Hellhammer of Mayhem joins Mysticum, but it does not work out according to expectations, as Mysticum is nothing without the industrial drumming coming from a computer. With a human drummer, the music becomes more alive, more human and that is like destroying valued art! Thus, Hellhammer quits after half a year or so, getting replaced with the drum-machine once again.
1994:
June 14: The infamous Ulver/Mysticum 7" split-EP is released by Necromantic Gallery Productions in 1000 copies. Mysticum contributes with the new (and earlier omitted) version of the song "Mourning". It is released for the first time on this EP, but it is heavily mastered compared to the omitted version. Very few people have ever been able to hear this song in its first form and sound. Throughout the years, this EP has become really expensive and collectors are offering high amounts of money per copy.
1995:
February: Mysticum enters Bondi studio to record two songs for the "Nordic Metal - A Tribute to Euronymous" compilation-CD. The songs are "Kingdom Comes" and "In Your Grave" and the sampler gets released by Necropolis Records later the same year.
April: Mysticum signs a record deal with Full Moon Productions and the recording of the debut album takes place shortly after. Not entitled "Where the Raven Flies", as initially planned, Mysticum renames it to "In the Streams of Inferno" instead.
June: The promotional tape "Piss Off!!!" is released, containing 5 songs intended for the "In the Streams of Inferno" album. The songs are either of an early mixing process, or even pre-takes of the versions later used (as history is a bit unclear on this matter), but they're not properly mastered at this moment. As a consequence, "Piss Off!!!" becomes a great taster on the new direction and sound of the band, as well as a promotional-tape for the still cursed and unfinished debut album.
August: The recording of "In the Streams of Inferno" is finally finished, but in typical Mysticum-style, the band manages to use half a year (or so) to send the master tape to Full Moon Productions.
1996:
Autumn: The wait is over: Mysticum's debut album "In the Streams of Inferno" is finally released. The album not only receives ecstatic responses from the listeners, but also great critics and reviews from all over the world. "In the Streams of Inferno" is quickly defined as a landmark and a classic, thus the genre Industrial Black Metal is born.
September 24-October 19: Mysticum successfully tours Europe together with Marduk and Gehenna and 24 gigs are played in 25 days. A brand new and unheard song called "Eriaminell" (Here I Am in Hell) is introduced to the audience and it quickly becomes a classic.
On October 17, the show in Bradford, UK, is filmed by a fan with an amateur camera. Later on it gets a transfer to DVD-R. A primitive bootleg version of it is still circulating among fans and on the Internet.
November 9-30 (circa): Mysticum travels to the USA on what they believe is a 3-weeks' tour together with Cannibal Corpse, Immolation and Angel Corpse. Unfortunately, Mysticum only gets the chance to play two shows during these three weeks, due to economical obstacles. Again, one of the shows (in New York) is filmed by a fan with an amateur camera. A VHS bootleg version of it is still circulating among fans and on the Internet.
1997:
February: Mysticum enters an unknown studio to record the song "Eriaminell".
Summer: The sampler-CD "A Tribute to Hell - Satanic Rites" is released by Full Moon Productions, featuring Mysticum's "Eriaminell".
2001:
Spring: Mysticum enters FIA studios to record a brand new song called "Black Magic Mushrooms". Again, things are slowly moving forwards, hence the recording is finished close to a year later.
2003:
November: The infamous Audiopain/Mysticum 7" split EP is released by Worship Him Records in 712 copies, featuring Mysticum's "Black Magic Mushrooms.
2004:
May: In cooperation with Mysticum, Planet Satan Revolution (PSR) gathers all the band's old material (except the "In the Streams of Inferno" album and most of the stuff from the "Piss Off!!!" promo). The intention behind this effort, is to release this legendary material on CD format for the first time, however, the old master tapes are gone. Consequently, a decision is made to remaster everything directly from the old cassette tapes and EPs. Considering the effort in question, the result is pretty awesome. This leads to the decision of entitling the new effort as "Lost Masters of the Universe".
September 11: "Lost Masters of the Universe" is released on CD format by Planet Satan Revolution.
(source: http://www.planetsatanrevolution.com/mysticum.html)
Autumn: The Industrial Black Metal pioneers Mysticum are formed under the name Sabazios. They consist of three members: Cerastes (6 strings and vox), Ravn (6 strings and vox) and Mean Malmberg (4 strings, synth and computer programming).
December: Sabazios enters the Rolf's Cellar studio to record the first and legendary demo-tape called "Wintermass".
1993:
January: "Wintermass" is released. It represents something completely new. A different way of making Black Metal that is has never been heard before. With a cold and depressive sound and computer programmed drums and sounds.
April: In order to have a more proper and fitting name, they change from Sabazios to Mysticum.
June: Mysticum once again enters Rolf's Cellar studio to record the second demo called "Medusa's Tears". Included in the recording is a new version of the song "Mourning" (that originally appeared on the "Wintermass" demo). Mysticum re-writes it and gives it a new and different refrain, but for some reason, they decide to omit this song on the "Medusa's Tears" demo.
July: "Medusa's Tears" is released. Euronymous from Mayhem and Deathlike Silence Productions (DSP) is totally amazed when hearing the two demos in the car, while traveling to Bergen to record the infamous "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" album. He had never heard anything like it before. It was totally new and original (he told). Euronymous signs Mysticum to DSP immediately and plans for the release of the debut album "Where the Raven Flies" are done, hence flyers are sent out within the underground scene announcing its coming.
August: Euronymous is brutally murdered by Varg Vikernes from Burzum and because of his tragic death, the release of "Where the Raven Flies" never happens and the album is put on hold for a while.
October-November: The mighty drummer Hellhammer of Mayhem joins Mysticum, but it does not work out according to expectations, as Mysticum is nothing without the industrial drumming coming from a computer. With a human drummer, the music becomes more alive, more human and that is like destroying valued art! Thus, Hellhammer quits after half a year or so, getting replaced with the drum-machine once again.
1994:
June 14: The infamous Ulver/Mysticum 7" split-EP is released by Necromantic Gallery Productions in 1000 copies. Mysticum contributes with the new (and earlier omitted) version of the song "Mourning". It is released for the first time on this EP, but it is heavily mastered compared to the omitted version. Very few people have ever been able to hear this song in its first form and sound. Throughout the years, this EP has become really expensive and collectors are offering high amounts of money per copy.
1995:
February: Mysticum enters Bondi studio to record two songs for the "Nordic Metal - A Tribute to Euronymous" compilation-CD. The songs are "Kingdom Comes" and "In Your Grave" and the sampler gets released by Necropolis Records later the same year.
April: Mysticum signs a record deal with Full Moon Productions and the recording of the debut album takes place shortly after. Not entitled "Where the Raven Flies", as initially planned, Mysticum renames it to "In the Streams of Inferno" instead.
June: The promotional tape "Piss Off!!!" is released, containing 5 songs intended for the "In the Streams of Inferno" album. The songs are either of an early mixing process, or even pre-takes of the versions later used (as history is a bit unclear on this matter), but they're not properly mastered at this moment. As a consequence, "Piss Off!!!" becomes a great taster on the new direction and sound of the band, as well as a promotional-tape for the still cursed and unfinished debut album.
August: The recording of "In the Streams of Inferno" is finally finished, but in typical Mysticum-style, the band manages to use half a year (or so) to send the master tape to Full Moon Productions.
1996:
Autumn: The wait is over: Mysticum's debut album "In the Streams of Inferno" is finally released. The album not only receives ecstatic responses from the listeners, but also great critics and reviews from all over the world. "In the Streams of Inferno" is quickly defined as a landmark and a classic, thus the genre Industrial Black Metal is born.
September 24-October 19: Mysticum successfully tours Europe together with Marduk and Gehenna and 24 gigs are played in 25 days. A brand new and unheard song called "Eriaminell" (Here I Am in Hell) is introduced to the audience and it quickly becomes a classic.
On October 17, the show in Bradford, UK, is filmed by a fan with an amateur camera. Later on it gets a transfer to DVD-R. A primitive bootleg version of it is still circulating among fans and on the Internet.
November 9-30 (circa): Mysticum travels to the USA on what they believe is a 3-weeks' tour together with Cannibal Corpse, Immolation and Angel Corpse. Unfortunately, Mysticum only gets the chance to play two shows during these three weeks, due to economical obstacles. Again, one of the shows (in New York) is filmed by a fan with an amateur camera. A VHS bootleg version of it is still circulating among fans and on the Internet.
1997:
February: Mysticum enters an unknown studio to record the song "Eriaminell".
Summer: The sampler-CD "A Tribute to Hell - Satanic Rites" is released by Full Moon Productions, featuring Mysticum's "Eriaminell".
2001:
Spring: Mysticum enters FIA studios to record a brand new song called "Black Magic Mushrooms". Again, things are slowly moving forwards, hence the recording is finished close to a year later.
2003:
November: The infamous Audiopain/Mysticum 7" split EP is released by Worship Him Records in 712 copies, featuring Mysticum's "Black Magic Mushrooms.
2004:
May: In cooperation with Mysticum, Planet Satan Revolution (PSR) gathers all the band's old material (except the "In the Streams of Inferno" album and most of the stuff from the "Piss Off!!!" promo). The intention behind this effort, is to release this legendary material on CD format for the first time, however, the old master tapes are gone. Consequently, a decision is made to remaster everything directly from the old cassette tapes and EPs. Considering the effort in question, the result is pretty awesome. This leads to the decision of entitling the new effort as "Lost Masters of the Universe".
September 11: "Lost Masters of the Universe" is released on CD format by Planet Satan Revolution.
(source: http://www.planetsatanrevolution.com/mysticum.html)