VENOM INC
After more than 20 years and for reasons that will become apparent, along with repeated fan requests, we introduce …
VENOM.INC – IRON & STEEL
Following on from the much acclaimed Prime Evil album era and in the great tradition of VENOM, the three protagonists continue to brew the cauldron……
MANTAS – THE DEMOLITION MAN – ABADDON
Are BACK!
With a launch appearance at the highly respected ‘Keep It True festival’ in April, followed by live dates in China, Japan and Taiwan in July, a full European tour in September… and a full South American tour as well as festival appearances and North American dates planned…. with a FULL and CLASSIC VENOM set.
Followed by a brand NEW album
This absolute powerhouse of metal are set to bring you all that was/is and will be Venomously brutal and exciting. It is time to set the record straight and give back what was lost.
Welcome to the beginning of the end….!!
NECROPHAGIA
Necrophagia was one of the first death metal bands. The band was assembled in Wellsville, Ohio in 1983. Their name derives from the act of cannibalizing, or eating a corpse. The word derives from the two Greek words nekron (corpse) and phagein (to eat).
Necrophagia was a popular group in the underground “tape trading” scene of the early-to-mid-1980s. Featuring hard-driving metal and growling vocals, Necrophagia became a pioneer in the fledgling extreme metal genre. Their first full-length album, Season of the Dead, was recorded and released in 1987.
The band then split up due to musical differences, and lay dormant until 1997 when frontman Killjoy reformed the band with then Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo (under the pseudonym Anton Crowley) on guitars, Wayne Fabra on drums and Dustin Havnen on bass. This lineup released the album Holocausto de la Morte and the EP Black Blood Vomitorium. Havnen was then replaced by Jared Faulk, with Gorelord mainman Frediablo also joining as a second guitarist and Opal Enthroned (then Anselmo’s wife) joining the band on keyboards. This line up released the Cannibal Holocaust EP in 2001 before splitting up leaving Killjoy & Frediablo as the only members for a short time.
In 2002 Killjoy announced the new Necrophagia line-up. Joining him and Frediablo would be Frediablos brother Fug on guitar, Iscariah (formerly of Immortal) on bass, Titta Tanni on drums and Mirai Kawashima of Japanese avant-garde black metal band Sigh on keyboards. This proved to be the most productive time for Necrophagia, with all members concentrating on the band rather than treating it as a side project. They released the albums The Divine Art of Torture and Harvest Ritual Vol. 1, as well as the Goblins Be Thine EP.
On June 6, 2006 Necrophagia released Slit Wrists And Casket Rot, a live album from their “Harvesting the Dead” tour.
Frediablo left the band in early 2006 to concentrate on his other band Gorelord, and has been replaced by Undead Torment.
On 22 December 2007 Necrophagia announced that Death Trip 69, will be released before Summer 2008, followed by a major tour, but the release of the album has been delayed.
CRUSADER
Hailing from Chicago and the UK, CRUSADER is relatively new to the metal scene in Chicago, although they are all veterans of playing live music, having only been officially a band since spring of 2010. Tired of hearing run-of-the-mill corporate produced ‘metal’, CRUSADER decided to raise the flag and rally the troops to their banner.
Raised on classic rock, speed metal and thrash through to doom, and everything in between and beyond, CRUSADER proudly and unashamedly wear their influences on their sleeves.
Early 2011 saw the release of CRUSADER’s self released EP ‘Rise of the Templars’ which has received rave reviews:
‘If you close your eyes, you can picture hundreds of spiked gauntlets, punching the sky, lock step, united in war against poseurs. When the song takes off, it’s a groove thrasher with crooning vocals that reminds me a lot Death Angel’ – American Aftermath Webzine
‘Rise of the Templars’ is one great epic metal release, I do love the bass sound, this is indeed everything I want from a metal release in all fairness right down to the Grave Digger inspired EP cover artwork. The gauntlet is laid down and the challenge is accepted. Setting their stall out to emulate the metal giants (credit vidovic at dhead tech), Crusader makes a good account of themselves and I for one simply love this EP’ – Brutalism Webzine
‘This is prime NWOBHM inspired heavy metal taking you back to the days of Black Axe and Angel Witch…’ – Powerplay UK Magazine
‘Their NWOBHM sound, the epic-driven song titles and the cool performance are enough to guarantee you that you are gonna have great time when these guys are onstage. During their 30 minutes’ performance, I enjoyed “Templar” and “Asgard’s Fire” and the sure thing is that I’m going to dig their EP asap. Just a perfect way to warm up for ANVIL’s invasion, don’t ya think? – Metal Kaoz review – show with ANVIL
2012 will see the band recording their full length album and taking their sound all over the country. Think of a Crusader tank driving over a minefield littered with the skulls of the enemy dead…they’re taking it back to the roots: Drinking beers, throwing the horns and playing metal…
SPARE CHANGE
Spare Change was originally formed on the south-side of Chicago in 1989. The band plays their own unique style of raw hardcore punk / metal crossover. Through hard time and many lineup changes singer Bryan ‘Chump Change’ Robertson has managed to keep the beast alive, putting out over 20 releases in the process. The current lineup of Bryan on vocals, David Grek on guitar, Al Salad on bass and Fabian Arroyo on drums is the strongest to date. In 2013 the band put out their first release with its current lineup, Crash and Burn. This EP contains four tracks of straight up, ripping crossover and is the first sign that after 25 years Spare Change is still as relevant and as they were when they first started making a rauncous noise back in ’89.
Spare Change has had the pleasure to share the stage with the likes of D.R.I., Dead Kennedys, Grim Reaper, Riot, Black Death, Iron Reagan (Municiple Waste), The Addicts, The Casualties, Verbal Abuse, Fang, Toxic Reasons, Raw Power, The Effigies, CJ Ramone, The Mentors, Macabre, Helstar, Poison Idea, M.D.C., Necrophagia, Venom (inc.) and many others. They were the only punk/metal band to play the Taste of Chicago in 2001 and are currently working on there new album “Bonded By Beer”