Hecate Enthroned
Encyclopedia
Hecate Enthroned are a symphonic black metal
band from Cheshire
, England
.
as their bassist. However, during which time Jon was also heavily involved in the production of Dusk and Her Embrace
. A year or so later, Jon rejoined and they changed their name to Hecate Enthroned, this time playing a more melodic black metal style.
In 1995, they recorded their demo Ode for a Haunted Wood, which got the attention of the British label Blackend Records. Blackend had it re-mastered under the title Upon Promeathean Shores (Unscriptured Waters)
in 1996. The EP got mixed reviews, with many in the metal scene accusing the band of being a "Cradle of Filth cop-off".
1997 saw the release of their first full-length album, The Slaughter of Innocence (A Requiem for the Mighty)
, which saw the band enter a faster, more brutal direction, with more emphasis on the symphonic interludes. Though well-received, the album still got the same criticism that plagued Upon Promeathean Shores. Subsequent tours with bands like Dark Funeral
, Enthroned
, Sigh
and Usurper
would follow
The band went back to the studio in 1998 to record Dark Requiems...and Unsilent Massacre
, this time lowering the speed and using the keyboards as the primary instrument and creating more horror-styled atmospheres, though still retaining the brutal heaviness of the first two albums.
In 1999, the band fired vocalist Jon, due to problems between him and the rest of the band. The band then recruited vocalist Dean (from the band EWOC) to record the vocal lines for their follow-up album, Kings of Chaos
.
2001 saw vocalist Dean Seddon guest with Akercocke on their Goat of Mendes album track, "The Serpent" - David Gray of Akercocke quoted them as "...the most criminally under-rated Black metal band of all time..." on the band's forum.
2001 also saw the release of a small EP of original songs (with a cover of "Buried Alive" by Venom
), entitled Miasma, that served as an appetiser for their next full-length album, 2004's Redimus
(Latin for "We Return"), their second album under their new death metallish sound. During the recording of the album, vocalist Dean left the band, as well as keyboardist Daz, who were then replaced by new singer Dagon from fellow UK black metal band Heathen Deity and keyboardist Pete.
In 2005, Dean returned to Hecate Enthroned. This return was followed by several sold-out gigs in the Czech Republic and numerous gigs around the UK. 2006 saw Hecate Enthroned embark on a UK headline tour playing in London, Southampton, Nottingham, Bradford and Wolverhampton.
2007 saw them perform in Norway at Inferno Festival alongside Immortal
as well as several shows in Spain, Bulgaria, Romania and Germany.
Symphonic black metal
Symphonic black metal is a black metal subgenre that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The genre is known for its symphonic and orchestral elements and is centralized in Europe.-Characteristics:...
band from Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, 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...
.
Biography
The band formed in 1993 under the name Daemonum by singer Jon and guitarist Nigel, as a black/death metal hybrid. After a few practices and recording a demo, vocalist Jon left the band after taking up an offer to join Cradle of FilthCradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
as their bassist. However, during which time Jon was also heavily involved in the production of Dusk and Her Embrace
Dusk and Her Embrace
Dusk... and Her Embrace is Cradle of Filth's second full-length album, and their first for the label Music for Nations. The overall production on this album is similar to their other 1996 release V Empire, being more refined than on The Principle of Evil Made Flesh and the symphonic elements are...
. A year or so later, Jon rejoined and they changed their name to Hecate Enthroned, this time playing a more melodic black metal style.
In 1995, they recorded their demo Ode for a Haunted Wood, which got the attention of the British label Blackend Records. Blackend had it re-mastered under the title Upon Promeathean Shores (Unscriptured Waters)
Upon Promeathean Shores
Upon Promeathean Shores is the first full-length album by the British black metal band Hecate Enthroned. It was released in Europe by Blackend Records/Plastic Head, and in America by Death Records, a subsidiary of Metal Blade Records...
in 1996. The EP got mixed reviews, with many in the metal scene accusing the band of being a "Cradle of Filth cop-off".
1997 saw the release of their first full-length album, The Slaughter of Innocence (A Requiem for the Mighty)
The Slaughter of Innocence
Slaughter of Innocence was the first full-length feature album from British black metal band, Hecate Enthroned.The album was released on October 21, 1997 through Blackened Records and distributed in the USA by Death Records, a subsidiary of Metal Blade Records. It saw a step forward musically,...
, which saw the band enter a faster, more brutal direction, with more emphasis on the symphonic interludes. Though well-received, the album still got the same criticism that plagued Upon Promeathean Shores. Subsequent tours with bands like Dark Funeral
Dark Funeral
Dark Funeral is a black metal band from Stockholm, Sweden, founded by guitarists Blackmoon and Lord Ahriman in 1993. They are one of the bands to have emerged in Sweden during the Second wave of black metal....
, Enthroned
Enthroned
Enthroned is a black metal band formed in Charleroi in 1993 by Cernunnos. He soon recruited guitarist Tsebaoth and a vocalist from grindcore/black metal band Hecate who stayed until the end of December 1993. Then bassist/vocalist Sabathan joined. The band released a 5-track demo tape in mid-1994...
, Sigh
Sigh (band)
is a Japanese extreme metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1990. They are credited as being one of the first Japanese black metal bands, when the majority of black metal in early 1990s came from Scandinavia. They gradually shifted from a more traditional black/thrash metal sound, to a more...
and Usurper
Usurper
Usurper is a derogatory term used to describe either an illegitimate or controversial claimant to the power; often, but not always in a monarchy, or a person who succeeds in establishing himself as a monarch without inheriting the throne, or any other person exercising authority unconstitutionally...
would follow
The band went back to the studio in 1998 to record Dark Requiems...and Unsilent Massacre
Dark Requiems...
Dark Requiems...and Unsilent Massacre is the second full-length album by the British black metal act Hecate Enthroned, released in 1998 by Blackend Records....
, this time lowering the speed and using the keyboards as the primary instrument and creating more horror-styled atmospheres, though still retaining the brutal heaviness of the first two albums.
In 1999, the band fired vocalist Jon, due to problems between him and the rest of the band. The band then recruited vocalist Dean (from the band EWOC) to record the vocal lines for their follow-up album, Kings of Chaos
Kings of Chaos (album)
Kings of Chaos is the fourth full-length studio album by British black metal band Hecate Enthroned. The style changed drastically from that of the previous three albums, in a more death metal oriented direction, while still retaining the keyboards and dark black metal melodies of the older albums...
.
2001 saw vocalist Dean Seddon guest with Akercocke on their Goat of Mendes album track, "The Serpent" - David Gray of Akercocke quoted them as "...the most criminally under-rated Black metal band of all time..." on the band's forum.
2001 also saw the release of a small EP of original songs (with a cover of "Buried Alive" by Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
), entitled Miasma, that served as an appetiser for their next full-length album, 2004's Redimus
Redimus
Redimus is an album by English black metal group Hecate Enthroned, released in October 2004 via Candlelight Records.This continues along the sound originally heard on Kings of Chaos, with death metal-style guitars, tempos and growls mixed with symphonic black metal keyboards, melodies and grim...
(Latin for "We Return"), their second album under their new death metallish sound. During the recording of the album, vocalist Dean left the band, as well as keyboardist Daz, who were then replaced by new singer Dagon from fellow UK black metal band Heathen Deity and keyboardist Pete.
In 2005, Dean returned to Hecate Enthroned. This return was followed by several sold-out gigs in the Czech Republic and numerous gigs around the UK. 2006 saw Hecate Enthroned embark on a UK headline tour playing in London, Southampton, Nottingham, Bradford and Wolverhampton.
2007 saw them perform in Norway at Inferno Festival alongside Immortal
Immortal (band)
Immortal is a black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1990 by current frontman/guitarist Abbath Doom Occulta and former guitarist Demonaz Doom Occulta...
as well as several shows in Spain, Bulgaria, Romania and Germany.
Current line-up
- Dean Seddon - Vocals (1999–2004, 2004-) (ex-Ewoc, Nierty)
- Nigel Dennen - Guitars (1993-) (Merciless Savage)
- Andrew Milnes - Guitars (1997-) (Colonel Blast)
- Dylan Hughes - Bass (1997-) (ex-Grimorium, ex-Art of Mutilation, ex-Nierty)
- Peter White - Keyboards (2004-)
- Robert Kendrick - Drums (1996-) (ex-Necropsy, ex-Chaos BornChaos BornChaos Born is the fifth full-length album by the Finnish melodic black metal band Catamenia. It was released on May 26, 2003, through Massacre Records.-Track listing:# "Kuolon Tanssi" − 4:35 # "Calm Before the Storm" − 5:39 # "The Fallen Angel Pt...
, ex-Art of Mutilation)
Former members
- Jon Kennedy - Vocals (1993–1994, 1995–1999), Bass (1993–1994) (ex-Cradle of FilthCradle of FilthCradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
) - Marc - Guitars (1993–1997)
- Paul Massey - Bass (1996–1997) (Reign of Erebus, ex-Exhume, ex-MephistoMephistoMephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:* Mephisto , a high-speed human-powered vehicle...
) - Michael Snell - Keyboards (1996–1999) (ex-MephistoMephistoMephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:* Mephisto , a high-speed human-powered vehicle...
and ex-Chaos BornChaos BornChaos Born is the fifth full-length album by the Finnish melodic black metal band Catamenia. It was released on May 26, 2003, through Massacre Records.-Track listing:# "Kuolon Tanssi" − 4:35 # "Calm Before the Storm" − 5:39 # "The Fallen Angel Pt...
) - Craig - Drums (1995–1996)
- Darren Bishop - Keyboards (1999–2004)
- Dagon - Vocals (2004)
Discography
- An Ode for a Haunted Wood (Demo, 1995)
- Upon Promeathean ShoresUpon Promeathean ShoresUpon Promeathean Shores is the first full-length album by the British black metal band Hecate Enthroned. It was released in Europe by Blackend Records/Plastic Head, and in America by Death Records, a subsidiary of Metal Blade Records...
(EP, 1996) - The Slaughter of InnocenceThe Slaughter of InnocenceSlaughter of Innocence was the first full-length feature album from British black metal band, Hecate Enthroned.The album was released on October 21, 1997 through Blackened Records and distributed in the USA by Death Records, a subsidiary of Metal Blade Records. It saw a step forward musically,...
(Full-length, 1997) - Dark Requiems...Dark Requiems...Dark Requiems...and Unsilent Massacre is the second full-length album by the British black metal act Hecate Enthroned, released in 1998 by Blackend Records....
(Full-length, 1998) - Kings of ChaosKings of Chaos (album)Kings of Chaos is the fourth full-length studio album by British black metal band Hecate Enthroned. The style changed drastically from that of the previous three albums, in a more death metal oriented direction, while still retaining the keyboards and dark black metal melodies of the older albums...
(Full-length, 1999) - Miasma (EP, 2001)
- RedimusRedimusRedimus is an album by English black metal group Hecate Enthroned, released in October 2004 via Candlelight Records.This continues along the sound originally heard on Kings of Chaos, with death metal-style guitars, tempos and growls mixed with symphonic black metal keyboards, melodies and grim...
(Full-length, 2004) - The Blackend Collection (Best of/Compilation, 2005)