Forefather
Encyclopedia
Forefather are a folk metal
band from Surrey
, England
.
"The Fighting Man" was recorded between the months of May and August in 2000. Thanks to an improvement of the equipment at "The Croft" the sound this time around was much improved. The album was released in October 2000, again by Angelisc.
Also during 2000 a limited edition album "Legends Untold" was released by Germany's Millennium Metal Music label. It featured 5 demo recordings, including the never-before-heard "The Fyrdmen Cometh", "The Paths of Yesterdays" and "These Lands". The "Deep Into Time" recording of "These Lands" (left off the final master) and a synth rendition of Ancient Voice (from "Deep Into Time") completed the tracklisting.
Athelstan and Wulfstan next entered the studio in September 2001 to record their 3rd album "Engla Tocyme" (The Coming of the English). Work was completed in November and after a small delay Angelisc released the album in March 2002 along with a re-issue of "Deep Into Time" featuring brand new artwork and bonus-track "These Lands".
Hammerheart Records (now Karmageddon Media) contacted the band in 2003 with a deal offer for the next Forefather opus. After some consideration and negotiation, the Brothers accepted the deal. After spending most of 2003 writing for album number 4, Autumn brought the recording sessions for what was to become "Ours Is The Kingdom".
2004 also saw the re-release on Karmageddon Media of all the previous albums (Deep Into Time, The Fighting Man and Engla Tocyme) with 2 bonus tracks and enhanced artwork.
Since the release of "Ours..." Forefather have collaborated with numerous musicians on the Folkearth CD "A Nordic Poem" (with the song "Rhyming With Thunder") as well as featuring on the Perverted Taste Burzum tribute CD with their version of "Beholding the Daughters of the Firmament". Recording for their second Folkearth track, to be featured on the second album "By the Sword of my Father" has been completed. Wulfstan will also provide vocals to a second track entitled "Scaldic Art". The near future will also see the release of a Falkenbach tribute CD featuring the vocals of Wulfstan on the track "Heathen Pride".
A bonus for 2005 has been to see Forefather on vinyl for the first time thanks to Eisenwald Tonschmeide Records in Germany, who released the "Deep Into Time" Limited edition LP with brand new bonus track "A Hearth Companion's Pride" (recorded specially for the LP), additional artwork and pull-out poster.
The latest album "Steadfast" was released through Seven Kingdoms early 2008. A single entitled "Summer's Flame" was released for download in July 2009.
In February 2011, an announcement was made on the official Forefather website that the recording of the forthcoming sixth album was underway. Additionally, it was revealed that there is a surplus of material, hinting at a possible future seventh release.
In October 2011, the sixth album was announced as "Last of the Line".
Both the members of Forefather also are former members of the folk metal
project Folkearth
.
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band from Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The Forefather project was born in September 1997 in Surrey, England by founding members and brothers Athelstan and Wulfstan. Their debut album "Deep Into Time" was recorded in August 1998 at their home-studio "The Croft" and released in March 1999 by their own label Angelisc Enterprises."The Fighting Man" was recorded between the months of May and August in 2000. Thanks to an improvement of the equipment at "The Croft" the sound this time around was much improved. The album was released in October 2000, again by Angelisc.
Also during 2000 a limited edition album "Legends Untold" was released by Germany's Millennium Metal Music label. It featured 5 demo recordings, including the never-before-heard "The Fyrdmen Cometh", "The Paths of Yesterdays" and "These Lands". The "Deep Into Time" recording of "These Lands" (left off the final master) and a synth rendition of Ancient Voice (from "Deep Into Time") completed the tracklisting.
Athelstan and Wulfstan next entered the studio in September 2001 to record their 3rd album "Engla Tocyme" (The Coming of the English). Work was completed in November and after a small delay Angelisc released the album in March 2002 along with a re-issue of "Deep Into Time" featuring brand new artwork and bonus-track "These Lands".
Hammerheart Records (now Karmageddon Media) contacted the band in 2003 with a deal offer for the next Forefather opus. After some consideration and negotiation, the Brothers accepted the deal. After spending most of 2003 writing for album number 4, Autumn brought the recording sessions for what was to become "Ours Is The Kingdom".
2004 also saw the re-release on Karmageddon Media of all the previous albums (Deep Into Time, The Fighting Man and Engla Tocyme) with 2 bonus tracks and enhanced artwork.
Since the release of "Ours..." Forefather have collaborated with numerous musicians on the Folkearth CD "A Nordic Poem" (with the song "Rhyming With Thunder") as well as featuring on the Perverted Taste Burzum tribute CD with their version of "Beholding the Daughters of the Firmament". Recording for their second Folkearth track, to be featured on the second album "By the Sword of my Father" has been completed. Wulfstan will also provide vocals to a second track entitled "Scaldic Art". The near future will also see the release of a Falkenbach tribute CD featuring the vocals of Wulfstan on the track "Heathen Pride".
A bonus for 2005 has been to see Forefather on vinyl for the first time thanks to Eisenwald Tonschmeide Records in Germany, who released the "Deep Into Time" Limited edition LP with brand new bonus track "A Hearth Companion's Pride" (recorded specially for the LP), additional artwork and pull-out poster.
The latest album "Steadfast" was released through Seven Kingdoms early 2008. A single entitled "Summer's Flame" was released for download in July 2009.
In February 2011, an announcement was made on the official Forefather website that the recording of the forthcoming sixth album was underway. Additionally, it was revealed that there is a surplus of material, hinting at a possible future seventh release.
In October 2011, the sixth album was announced as "Last of the Line".
Current line-up
- Athelstan - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
- Wulfstan - Guitars, Bass, Vocals
Both the members of Forefather also are former members of the folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
project Folkearth
Folkearth
Folkearth is an international music project created in 2003 by musicians playing folk and viking metal. The name symbolizes musicians from all over the world playing folk music...
.
Discography
- Deep Into TimeDeep Into TimeDeep Into Time is the debut album by English Viking metal band Forefather, released in 1999 by Angelisc Enterprises, the band's own record label...
Full-length, 1999 - Legends Untold Demo Collection, 2000
- The Fighting Man Full-length, 2000
- Engla TocymeEngla Tocyme (album)Engla Tocyme is the third album by the English Anglo-Saxon metal band Forefather. It was recorded from September to November 2001 and released in 2002 by Karmageddon Records.-Track listing:# "Engla Tocyme" – 5:45# "Into the Forever" – 5:28...
Full-length, 2002 - Ours Is the KingdomOurs Is the KingdomOurs Is The Kingdom is the fourth album by English metal band Forefather. Its title is a play on the line of the Lord's Prayer "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory". The lyrics of the track are a statement against Christianity and a defiant will to reclaim the English kingdom from an...
Full-length, 2004 - Steadfast Full-Length, 2008
- Summer's Flame Single, 2009
- Last of the Line Full-length, TBA