Paul Kuhr
Encyclopedia
Paul August Kuhr, III, is an American musician, vocalist, lyricist, author, and graphic designer. He is the singer and founding member for the band, Novembers Doom
.
consists both of clean vocals and death growls.
Other projects Kuhr has been involved in vary from thrash metal in the 1980s in the form of Laceration (with fellow founding Novembers Doom
member Steve Nicholson), to the late symphonic doom band Em Sinfonia. He is also in the band Subterranean Masquerade
, where he uses his growl, as well as his singing voice. Kuhr has also recorded his narrative vocals on the Draconian
CD, Turning Season Within
, and most recently provided backing vocals on the track "Praise the Lowered" on the CD Deconstruction
by Devin Townsend.
Kuhr has also been credited as recording with the Chicago-based band Earthen, and most recently starting a new band (with fellow founding Novembers Doom
member Steve Nicholson), a death metal band called These Are They.
. He has worked on CD artwork for bands such as Novembers Doom
, Macabre
, Antimatter
, Skepticism
, Bethlehem, Katatonia
, Enter Self, Em Sinfonia, Gorgasm, Council of the Fallen, Necrophagia, Broken Hope
, Michael Angelo Batio
, Jungle Rot
, Disinter and Shroud of Bereavement.
, and "Twilight Innocence" on The Novella Reservoir
.
. This is a condition due to narrowing of the spinal cord causing nerve pinching which leads to extreme pain, limping, lack of feeling in the lower extremities, with the likeliness of lower paralysis over time. The discs in the spine are degenerating causing the vertebrae to close in on the spinal cord itself. The second is a condition known as Ankylosing Spondylitis
. This is a form of arthritis
that primarily affects the spine, hips, and possibly other joints. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints (vertebrae) that cause severe, chronic pain. In some cases, this inflammation can lead to new bone formation on the spine, causing the spine to fuse in a fixed, immobile position. Spondylitis
is the same disease Mick Mars
is currently suffering from. Presently, there is no known cure for either disease.
Novembers Doom
Novembers Doom is a death/doom metal band from Chicago, Illinois. They are currently signed to The End Records. Novembers Doom is one of the earliest U.S. death/doom metal bands that are still active today along with Evoken and Rigor Sardonicous....
.
Music
Starting the band in 1989, his vocal style for Novembers DoomNovembers Doom
Novembers Doom is a death/doom metal band from Chicago, Illinois. They are currently signed to The End Records. Novembers Doom is one of the earliest U.S. death/doom metal bands that are still active today along with Evoken and Rigor Sardonicous....
consists both of clean vocals and death growls.
Other projects Kuhr has been involved in vary from thrash metal in the 1980s in the form of Laceration (with fellow founding Novembers Doom
Novembers Doom
Novembers Doom is a death/doom metal band from Chicago, Illinois. They are currently signed to The End Records. Novembers Doom is one of the earliest U.S. death/doom metal bands that are still active today along with Evoken and Rigor Sardonicous....
member Steve Nicholson), to the late symphonic doom band Em Sinfonia. He is also in the band Subterranean Masquerade
Subterranean Masquerade
Subterranean Masquerade is a progressive metal band that was formed in 1997 by Tomer Pink, who is a guitarist and primary songwriter for the band.-Overview:...
, where he uses his growl, as well as his singing voice. Kuhr has also recorded his narrative vocals on the Draconian
Draconian (band)
-External links:* at Napalm Records...
CD, Turning Season Within
Turning Season Within
Turning Season Within is Draconian's fourth studio album. It was released on February 29, 2008 , through Napalm Records. This album also features Paul Kuhr from Novembers Doom on the track September Ashes....
, and most recently provided backing vocals on the track "Praise the Lowered" on the CD Deconstruction
Deconstruction
Deconstruction is a term introduced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in his 1967 book Of Grammatology. Although he carefully avoided defining the term directly, he sought to apply Martin Heidegger's concept of Destruktion or Abbau, to textual reading...
by Devin Townsend.
Kuhr has also been credited as recording with the Chicago-based band Earthen, and most recently starting a new band (with fellow founding Novembers Doom
Novembers Doom
Novembers Doom is a death/doom metal band from Chicago, Illinois. They are currently signed to The End Records. Novembers Doom is one of the earliest U.S. death/doom metal bands that are still active today along with Evoken and Rigor Sardonicous....
member Steve Nicholson), a death metal band called These Are They.
Graphic design
Kuhr has worked as a freelance designer, creating CD covers, promotional posters, CD and DVD packaging, and website design. He currently maintains the website for his own band, Novembers DoomNovembers Doom
Novembers Doom is a death/doom metal band from Chicago, Illinois. They are currently signed to The End Records. Novembers Doom is one of the earliest U.S. death/doom metal bands that are still active today along with Evoken and Rigor Sardonicous....
. He has worked on CD artwork for bands such as Novembers Doom
Novembers Doom
Novembers Doom is a death/doom metal band from Chicago, Illinois. They are currently signed to The End Records. Novembers Doom is one of the earliest U.S. death/doom metal bands that are still active today along with Evoken and Rigor Sardonicous....
, Macabre
Macabre (band)
Macabre is an extreme metal band from Illinois. They were formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois, and have never had a line-up change. They blend thrash metal, death metal, and grindcore to form their own unique style dubbed murder metal...
, Antimatter
Antimatter
In particle physics, antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles...
, Skepticism
Skepticism (band)
Skepticism is a funeral doom metal band from Finland. Formed in 1991, they are regarded as one of the pioneers of the genre.-Overview of studio work:...
, Bethlehem, Katatonia
Katatonia
Katatonia is a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström .-1991-1993:The early Katatonia releases, such as the EP Jhva Elohim Meth.....
, Enter Self, Em Sinfonia, Gorgasm, Council of the Fallen, Necrophagia, Broken Hope
Broken Hope
Broken Hope was an American death metal band that was founded in 1988. They were known as an accomplished mid-paced style death metal band with low-pitched growling vocals...
, Michael Angelo Batio
Michael Angelo Batio
Michael Angelo Batio also known as Mike Batio or MAB, is a guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. His work has encompassed many genres, notably metal and its subgenres. Batio was voted the "No. 1 Shredder of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine in 2003...
, Jungle Rot
Jungle Rot
-History:Jungle Rot was founded in 1994. After their first two demos, the band was signed to the American independent label Pure Death Records, where they released their first album in 1996. Next year, the second album was released, by Pulverizer Records, which was next year released again by...
, Disinter and Shroud of Bereavement.
Family
Kuhr is married to wife Arline, and together they have a daughter, Rhiannon Autumn. Rhiannon has been the topic of three Novembers Doom songs, "Autumn Reflection" and "Swallowed by the Moon" on The Pale Haunt DepartureThe Pale Haunt Departure
The Pale Haunt Departure is the fifth full-length album by death/doom band Novembers Doom, released in 2005. On this album the band shifted styles towards a more straight forward death metal sound with a gothic metal influence. Two music videos were made for this album...
, and "Twilight Innocence" on The Novella Reservoir
The Novella Reservoir
The Novella Reservoir is the sixth full-length studio album of the American doom/death metal band Novembers Doom, released in 2007. The overall sound of the album carries on from the musical direction of the previous release "The Pale Haunt Departure", while incorporating some heavier and faster...
.
Lyrics and health
In 2006, Kuhr released a lyrical explanation book titled The Wayfaring Chronicles. Within the pages of this book, Kuhr explains the root of his personal style of lyrical writing. A lot of it comes from multiple issues described as a disease in his spine. The first and most serious is an advanced form of Spinal stenosisSpinal stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves at the level of the lumbar vertebra. This is usually due to the common occurrence of spinal degeneration that occurs with aging. It can also sometimes be caused by spinal disc...
. This is a condition due to narrowing of the spinal cord causing nerve pinching which leads to extreme pain, limping, lack of feeling in the lower extremities, with the likeliness of lower paralysis over time. The discs in the spine are degenerating causing the vertebrae to close in on the spinal cord itself. The second is a condition known as Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis , previously known as Bekhterev's disease, Bekhterev syndrome, and Marie-Strümpell disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton with variable involvement of peripheral joints and nonarticular structures...
. This is a form of arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
that primarily affects the spine, hips, and possibly other joints. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints (vertebrae) that cause severe, chronic pain. In some cases, this inflammation can lead to new bone formation on the spine, causing the spine to fuse in a fixed, immobile position. Spondylitis
Spondylitis
Spondylitis is an inflammation of the vertebra. It is a form of spondylopathy. In many cases, spondylitis involves one or more vertebral joint as well, which itself is called spondylarthritis.-Examples:...
is the same disease Mick Mars
Mick Mars
Mick Mars is the lead guitarist for American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Career:After his family relocated from Indiana, to California, Bob Deal dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues based rock bands throughout the seventies, taking on menial day...
is currently suffering from. Presently, there is no known cure for either disease.