Maceration
- MEMBERS:
- Jonas Holmberg-Vocals
- Lars Bangsholt-Guitars
- Jakob Schultz-Bass, Guitars
- Stefan Lerke Nielsen-Drums
BIOGRAPHY
Back in 1989, Jacob Hansen and Jakob Schulz played together in Invocator in Esbjerg, Denmark. Invocator gained a massive interest from all over the world. But Jacob Hansen also wanted to do something else and play another instrument than guitar. He wanted to have a side project along Invocator’s frenzy of aggressive death thrash. Bands such as Autopsy, Carcass, Repulsion, Devastation, Death, Obituary, Massacre and Defecation was among favorites for both Jacob Hansen, Jakob Schultz and friends Lars Bangsholt and Rune Hansen.
Jacob began writing riffs inspired by some of those bands and recorded some songs on a 4-track playing both guitar, drums and taking care of the vocal duties as well. Since Lars Bangsholt (guitar) and Rune Hansen (guitar/voc) wanted to form a band, Jacob went with them as drummer/singer and Jakob Schultz hooked up with them as the bass player (normally guitarist in Invocator). The band played the songs written by Jacob as well as covers by Death, Obituary and Defecation. The band was serious, but, most of all it was for the fun of it between best friends who was hanging out all the time drinking “Bjørnebryg” and headbanging to ‘Slowly We Rot’, ‘Severed Survival’, ‘Symphonies of Sickness’, ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ and ‘Altars of Madness’. The idea was to play straight and simple death metal, which was not the thing for Invocator.
The guitars were tuned down to C combined with a Marshall JCM800, an EQ and a classic Boss HM2 pedal to get that heavier and uglier sound. Jacob had been in contact with Gylve Nagell (aka. Fenriz) doing some tape trading. Darkthrone had just released their debut, ‘Soulside Journey’, which was magnificent, and Maceration managed to get Darkthrone to Esbjerg. It is one of very few concerts, they’ve ever played. The concert was recorded and Maceration released it as a live demo. Later the debut album ‘A Serenade of Agony’ was released in 1992 on Progress Red Labels.
Originally the band was signed by Turbo Music in Germany. The name alone should have led them to say no. The deal was for one album with an option for a second. Maceration should pay for the recording. Turbo had also released other bands – among others Funeral Nation, so they seemed serious enough. As the band had recorded the album and the bill had to be paid, the label had gone bankrupt and Maceration were left with the bill, which they of course couldn’t pay! Progress Red Labels from Denmark took over the contract and paid the studio.
The biggest scoop for Maceration was to get Dan Swanö to record the vocals. Few months before entering the Red House Studio in Odense, Denmark, Rune Hansen (voc/guitar) left and Dan was contacted as a replacement for the album only. The band had tried different singers at home, but there was not really any, who could deliver the goods. Jacob and Jakob knew Dan, because Invocator played several gigs with Edge of Sanity. In fact, Edge of Sanity and Invocator got signed almost at the same time by Black Mark’s owner “The Boss” who saw both bands when they played in Nörrköping, Sweden, with Entombed. Due to contractual reasons with Black Mark, Dan Swanö did the vocals for the Maceration album under his moniker Day DiSyraah.
DISCOGRAPHY
A Serenade of Agony / 1992
1. Intro – Silent Lay the Gentle Lamb
2. A Serenade of Agony
3. Transmogrified
4. Pain and Pleasure Incarnate
5. The Watcher
6. The Mind Rampant
7. Reincarnation / Time Flies
8. The Forgotten
A Serenade Of Agony is the debut album by Danish death metal band Maceration , released in 1992 on Progress Red Labels. This album featured Dan Swanö on vocals, using the moniker “Day DiSyraah”.
REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS
Is your pencil sharp? Do you like writing? Contact us and maybe you could become a part of Nordic Metal Team.