Dark Heresy

Dark Heresy[1][2] was an English death metal band from south-west London,[3][4] and active during the years 1990[5]–1997,[6] a period during which the London underground metal scene peaked. They played over fifty concerts across England during this period, often as headliners (including one night headlining the Marquee Club) as well as supporting bands like Ancient Rites, Cradle of Filth and Dissection.

For the role-playing game, see Dark Heresy (RPG).

Dark Heresy
OriginLondon, United Kingdom
Genres
Years active1990–1997
Labels
  • Unisound Records
Members
  • Arnold
  • Kola Krauze
  • Hans Stiles
  • Wooj
Past members
  • Loz Archer
  • Matt Goddard
  • Paul Harvey
  • Jae
  • Mortgage

Musical style

Dark Heresy is considered a progressive[7][8] death metal[4][7][9] band. Dark Heresy's 1993 demo Diabolus in Musica was praised for amalgamating "well-chosen sprinklings of classic Morbid Angel with a UK death [metal] flair", and for mixing thrash "with classy chunks of unapologetic metal."[10] Although dismissed by rock music magazine Kerrang! as "a widdly Carcass",[11] their 1995 album Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes was praised by extreme music magazine Terrorizer, who wrote that "Dark Heresy's music is not about mind-numbing brutality and dazzling speed, but is about complex and reflective musical structures supporting complex ideas ... while the vocals swing from gruff grunts to choral chants", and described Diabolus In Musica as "one of the most inventive works from an occultist band."[12] Writing in Isten magazine in 1996,[6] Endre Begby described Dark Heresy as "speak[ing] a tonal language very uncommon in death metal" and "break[ing] out of the fifth and major/minor third patterns." He similarly compared part of Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes to Morbid Angel's 1989 debut album Altars of Madness, while noting that other parts are "totally flipped out, finding no comparison in modern metal", and summing up that Dark Heresy "fuck with the very foundation of death metal as we know it".[13] Heavy metal and hard rock website Worshipmetal.com agreed with these assessments when revisiting Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes in 2017, noting the complex compositions, and adding that Dark Heresy "seemed to throw every single idea into the mix, culminating in a bewildering experience that managed to be both beautiful and brutal in the same breath", and finding similarities between Dark Heresy's music and that of Carcass, Pestilence, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and describing their approach to songwriting as "difficult to pin down but ... utterly unique nonetheless."[8]

Lyrics

Written by vocalist Kola Krauze 1993[9]–1995,[7] Dark Heresy's lyrics were extremely long[12] and dealt with themes such as Norse and Germanic mythology[9] and paganism,[5] historical themes[9] such as the Middle Ages, and religion and anti-religion.[5] Describing them as "many anti-Christian diatribes which are as clever as they are shocking or sardonic", Terrorizer magazine claimed that "After hearing [Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes], you too may seriously question many aspects about the spiritual self".[12]

Legacy

A decade after Dark Heresy had split up, DragonForce's Herman Li said of them, "they're the ones everybody knows the name of. You know, loads of people have got a copy of [Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes]. They must have beaten a lot of people up."[14] Singer-songwriter Mat McNerney has similarly cited Dark Heresy as an early influence.[15] In 2017, Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes was named one of the 10 greatest old school UK death metal albums by heavy metal and hard rock website Worshipmetal.com, whose editor described the album as a "lasting legacy", and noted that Dark Heresy "were a complete anomaly in their ... genre".[8]

Band members

Discography

Album

Demos
  • Diabolus In Musica (1993)[9]
  • Speared and Twisted (1992)[5]
  • The Excellent Demo (1991)[5]
  • Blinded by Lies (1990)[5]

References
  1. Nelson, Dan (2008). All Known Metal Bands. McSweeney's. ISBN 978-1-932416-92-3. Dark Heresy
  2. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. pp. 240, 366, 446–467, 471. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3.
  3. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. pp. 240, 366, 467. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3.
  4. Schwarz, Paul (May 2006). "DragonForce". Terrorizer (144): 61. London's DM ... circuit, where the Dark Heresy name lingered long and insidiously in the shadows
  5. "Dark Heresy - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  6. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. pp. 405, 467. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3.
  7. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. p. 467. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3.
  8. Chris Jennings (21 January 2017). "The 10 Greatest Old School UK Death Metal Albums". worshipmetal.com. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  9. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. p. 366. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3.
  10. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. p. 366. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3. DARK HERESY amalgamate well-chosen sprinklings of classic MORBID ANGEL with a UK death flair. They mix thrashy bits with classy chunks of unapologetic metal.
  11. "Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes". Kerrang!. 1995. a widdly Carcass
  12. "Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes". Terrorizer. 1995. This UK band's demo, Diabolus In Musica, was one of the most inventive works from an occultist band. So hearing this was a long awaited pleasure. I have to admire Dark Heresy for not regurgitating well-used riffs and rhythms associated with Dark/Black Metal, because they jump into the deep end by more or less trying to reinvent the wheel - with much success, if self-indulgent and pretentious in places. Dark Heresy's music is not about mind-numbing brutality and dazzling speed, but is about complex and reflective musical structures supporting complex ideas - the lyrics are extremely long and gather together many anti-Christian diatribes which are as clever as they are shocking or sardonic, while the vocals swing from gruff grunts to choral chants. After hearing this CD, you too may seriously question many aspects about the spiritual self.
  13. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. p. 467. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3. they speak a tonal language very uncommon in death metal. Dark Heresy have the ability, not to mention the will, to break out of the fifth and major/minor third patterns. ... Opener "Engines of Torture" will to the ... listener sound a lot like "Altars of Madness" era Morbid Angel, whereas "Hole" is totally flipped out, finding no comparison in modern metal. ... the quintessence of Dark Heresy - namely that they fuck with the very foundation of death metal as we know it ... Endre Begby
  14. Schwarz, Paul (May 2006). "DragonForce". Terrorizer (144): 61. they're the ones everybody knows the name of. You know, loads of people have got a copy of this. They must have beaten a lot of people up.
  15. José Carlos Santos (18 September 2017). "Mat McNerney - The Devil's Mouth". The Devil's Mouth. Retrieved 27 September 2018. Bands like Decomposed were really inspiring to us, Dark Heresy too, these were bands that felt really technically advanced ... we really liked them a lot.
  16. "Arnold - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  17. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. pp. 405, 446. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3.
  18. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. p. 240. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3. Hans Stiles, the bassist of Dark Heresy.
  19. "Hans Stiles - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  20. Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. p. 446. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3. Dark Heresy... drummer Wooj.
  21. "Wooj - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  22. "Loz Archer - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  23. "Matt Goddard - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  24. "Paul Harvey- Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  25. "Jae - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  26. "Mortgage - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2018.

Further reading

Mattila, Mikko; Sarna, Janne; Black, Professor (2014). Don't Break the Ghost. Svart Records. pp. 240, 366, 446–447, 467, 471. ISBN 978-952-93-4496-3.

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