Novembers Doom - Biography
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1989-
Biography
Initially formed in 1989 by vocalist/lyricist Paul Kuhr, NOVEMBERS DOOM forged a sound to aptly suit the dark, moody brand of metal they were pursuing. An early deal to release a 7" record with Regress Records of Italy led to AvantGarde/Nuclear Blast Records to take notice and sign the band for their debut CD Amid It's Hallowed Mirth in early 1995. This first album saw the band already exploring and expanding, with the addition of female backing vocals and continuing it's thick, eerie brand of metal. A compilation track for the What's For Dinner? CD from Pavement Music soon followed in 1996, along with much regional touring.In 1997, they released the EP For Every Leaf That Falls. The mini album was received well, leading to favorable reviews and response worldwide. This lead to the release of their second full length album Of Sculptured Ivy And Stone Flowers, with Martyr Music Group, Inc.. This new offering garnered the band more attention and scored them many favorable reviews in national publications like Metal Maniacs, Sounds Of Death, and Hit Parader, to name but a few.
In May of 2000, NOVEMBERS DOOM entered the recording studio once again, to record their third full-length CD, The Knowing with Studio One's Chris Wisco. The CD was an extension of the previous material, only taking steps in new directions to enhance their already original sound. This CD was based around a conceptual story, and included artwork and design by renowned artist Travis Smith ( Opeth, Anathema, Katatonia, etc.), with whom the band would continue to work with in the future. In July of 2000, NOVEMBERS DOOM officially became a member of Dark Symphonies Records who, realizing the bands potential,constructed a deal with Martyr Music Group to buy out their remaining contract, releasing The Knowing to the public on the Dark Symphonies imprint. The Knowing was also released outside of North America on the Pavement Records label. This CD by far received the most favorable reviews for the band up to that time, and at long last started to put NOVEMBERS DOOM up in the same league as many of their peers.
In October 2002, NOVEMBERS DOOM entered the studio to begin work on their fourth full length opus entitled To Welcome the Fade, only this time they recruited the talents of the Grammy award winning producer, Neil Kernon. Kernon, best known for his work with acts like Hall And Oates, Kansas, Yes, Queensrÿche, Judas Priest, and more recently Nile, Nevermore and Cannibal Corpse, brought a new power and clarity to the sound of the band. This album was chosen as the "Number One metal album of 2002" in METAL MANIACS magazine by one of its head editors, and shortly thereafter was also a featured cover story on their January 2003 issue.
2004 became a year of many special events for NOVEMBERS DOOM, which included doing a successful tour in North America with The Gathering, and eventually leading to their signing with the prestigious The End Records that summer. The band entered the studio in the fall to record their fifth and most ambitious album to date, The Pale Haunt Departure. This time around the band enlisted the help of the very respected producer / artist Dan Swanö ( Edge Of Sanity/ Bloodbath/ Nightingale) for the mixing duties, and the mastering went to none other than legendary metal guitarist/producer James Murphy ( Testament, Obituary, Disincarnate). Released in March 2005 worldwide via The End Records and Candlelight Records, The Pale Haunt Departure was a big success for the band, helped with the release of two music videos, the title track as well as the haunting ballad "Autumn Reflection", which would eventually receive airplay in North America and abroad on various hard rock/metal cable programs. Live appearances at various music festivals such as SXSW, Heathen Crusade, and their first European tour also helped push the band and their new CD further into the public consciousness.
In 2006, NOVEMBERS DOOM once again entered the studio to record the follow up to 2005's The Pale Haunt Departure. The philosophy was simple?if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Sessions for The Novella Reservoir began with Chris Wisco once again engineering and co-producing, also taking up the recording of the bass guitar. Mixed by the highly respected Dan Swanö, and mastered again by legendary James Murphy, The Novella Reservoir was completed, becoming the bands greatest audible onslaught yet. The artistic talents of Travis Smith were also once again utilized. Taking their musical direction to the next logical step in their evolution, NOVEMBERS DOOM has broken free from their past genre labels, to create a modern dark metal CD influenced heavily by their Chicago 90's death metal roots. The Novella Reservoir was easily the bands most aggressive CD to date. More touring ensued, primarily overseas in western Europe, where the band's following was quickly growing stronger. Another promotional music video for the single, "Rain", was filmed and released, even receiving approval for eventual airing on MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball".
2007 saw the band continuing to push themselves particularly on the European continent, culminating that November (fittingly so) with the filming of their first official DVD home video release The Novella Vosselaar : Live In Belgium. The DVD contained an entire concert filmed at the Biebob Club in Belgium, along with their promotional videos, fan-made videos, and more. The band also performed their first entirely "unplugged" acoustic concert on this tour, which was very well received and lead to more such shows, with plans for another DVD release in the future based around an entirely acoustic concert.
2008/2009 saw NOVEMBERS DOOM performing for some of the biggest crowds of their career, with appearances at such prestigious European festivals as Graspop Music Meeting in Belgium, Brutal Assault Festival in Czech Republic, Madrid Is The Dark in Spain, and Caos Emergente in Portugal to name a few. 2009 also saw the release of the band's seventh full-length CD, Into Night's Requiem Infernal, which received coverage from such noteworthy magazines and sites as Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, Decibel, Revolver, Blabbermouth.Net, MetalSucks, and many more. The promotional video for "A Eulogy For the Living Lost" was filmed in December 2009, using the talents of Cage XXI, in Fort Myers, Florida, who previously filmed the video for "Autumn Reflection".
2010 saw the band returning to European shores for another tour, before heading home to complete writing and begin recording their eighth full-legnth release, Aphotic, which hit the shelves in May 2011. Aphotic received some of the band's strongest reviews and support to date from both critics and fans alike. The band spent the next year performing shows throughout the midwest and east coast U.S., as well as filming and releasing two new music videos,"Harvest Scythe", and the ballad "What Could Have Been", which featured the guest vocal talents of Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex- The Gathering/Agua De Annique) and world-renown violinist Rachel Barton Pine. Aphotic also saw release as a gatefold double-vinyl album in early 2012.
Currently in 2012, NOVEMBERS DOOM are writing material for their ninth album, tentatively due in 2013, and are scheduling more live appearances towards the end of 2012 and through to 2013.
Source: Official site
In May of 2000, NOVEMBERS DOOM entered the recording studio once again, to record their third full-length CD, The Knowing with Studio One's Chris Wisco. The CD was an extension of the previous material, only taking steps in new directions to enhance their already original sound. This CD was based around a conceptual story, and included artwork and design by renowned artist Travis Smith ( Opeth, Anathema, Katatonia, etc.), with whom the band would continue to work with in the future. In July of 2000, NOVEMBERS DOOM officially became a member of Dark Symphonies Records who, realizing the bands potential,constructed a deal with Martyr Music Group to buy out their remaining contract, releasing The Knowing to the public on the Dark Symphonies imprint. The Knowing was also released outside of North America on the Pavement Records label. This CD by far received the most favorable reviews for the band up to that time, and at long last started to put NOVEMBERS DOOM up in the same league as many of their peers.
In October 2002, NOVEMBERS DOOM entered the studio to begin work on their fourth full length opus entitled To Welcome the Fade, only this time they recruited the talents of the Grammy award winning producer, Neil Kernon. Kernon, best known for his work with acts like Hall And Oates, Kansas, Yes, Queensrÿche, Judas Priest, and more recently Nile, Nevermore and Cannibal Corpse, brought a new power and clarity to the sound of the band. This album was chosen as the "Number One metal album of 2002" in METAL MANIACS magazine by one of its head editors, and shortly thereafter was also a featured cover story on their January 2003 issue.
2004 became a year of many special events for NOVEMBERS DOOM, which included doing a successful tour in North America with The Gathering, and eventually leading to their signing with the prestigious The End Records that summer. The band entered the studio in the fall to record their fifth and most ambitious album to date, The Pale Haunt Departure. This time around the band enlisted the help of the very respected producer / artist Dan Swanö ( Edge Of Sanity/ Bloodbath/ Nightingale) for the mixing duties, and the mastering went to none other than legendary metal guitarist/producer James Murphy ( Testament, Obituary, Disincarnate). Released in March 2005 worldwide via The End Records and Candlelight Records, The Pale Haunt Departure was a big success for the band, helped with the release of two music videos, the title track as well as the haunting ballad "Autumn Reflection", which would eventually receive airplay in North America and abroad on various hard rock/metal cable programs. Live appearances at various music festivals such as SXSW, Heathen Crusade, and their first European tour also helped push the band and their new CD further into the public consciousness.
In 2006, NOVEMBERS DOOM once again entered the studio to record the follow up to 2005's The Pale Haunt Departure. The philosophy was simple?if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Sessions for The Novella Reservoir began with Chris Wisco once again engineering and co-producing, also taking up the recording of the bass guitar. Mixed by the highly respected Dan Swanö, and mastered again by legendary James Murphy, The Novella Reservoir was completed, becoming the bands greatest audible onslaught yet. The artistic talents of Travis Smith were also once again utilized. Taking their musical direction to the next logical step in their evolution, NOVEMBERS DOOM has broken free from their past genre labels, to create a modern dark metal CD influenced heavily by their Chicago 90's death metal roots. The Novella Reservoir was easily the bands most aggressive CD to date. More touring ensued, primarily overseas in western Europe, where the band's following was quickly growing stronger. Another promotional music video for the single, "Rain", was filmed and released, even receiving approval for eventual airing on MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball".
2007 saw the band continuing to push themselves particularly on the European continent, culminating that November (fittingly so) with the filming of their first official DVD home video release The Novella Vosselaar : Live In Belgium. The DVD contained an entire concert filmed at the Biebob Club in Belgium, along with their promotional videos, fan-made videos, and more. The band also performed their first entirely "unplugged" acoustic concert on this tour, which was very well received and lead to more such shows, with plans for another DVD release in the future based around an entirely acoustic concert.
2008/2009 saw NOVEMBERS DOOM performing for some of the biggest crowds of their career, with appearances at such prestigious European festivals as Graspop Music Meeting in Belgium, Brutal Assault Festival in Czech Republic, Madrid Is The Dark in Spain, and Caos Emergente in Portugal to name a few. 2009 also saw the release of the band's seventh full-length CD, Into Night's Requiem Infernal, which received coverage from such noteworthy magazines and sites as Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, Decibel, Revolver, Blabbermouth.Net, MetalSucks, and many more. The promotional video for "A Eulogy For the Living Lost" was filmed in December 2009, using the talents of Cage XXI, in Fort Myers, Florida, who previously filmed the video for "Autumn Reflection".
2010 saw the band returning to European shores for another tour, before heading home to complete writing and begin recording their eighth full-legnth release, Aphotic, which hit the shelves in May 2011. Aphotic received some of the band's strongest reviews and support to date from both critics and fans alike. The band spent the next year performing shows throughout the midwest and east coast U.S., as well as filming and releasing two new music videos,"Harvest Scythe", and the ballad "What Could Have Been", which featured the guest vocal talents of Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex- The Gathering/Agua De Annique) and world-renown violinist Rachel Barton Pine. Aphotic also saw release as a gatefold double-vinyl album in early 2012.
Currently in 2012, NOVEMBERS DOOM are writing material for their ninth album, tentatively due in 2013, and are scheduling more live appearances towards the end of 2012 and through to 2013.
Source: Official site