metal

Novelists (often known in print as Novelists FR) are a French progressive metalcore band from Paris who formed in 2013. They are currently signed to Out of Line Music.

Novelists was founded in 2013 by brothers Amael and Florestan Durand. Shortly after, Matteo Gelsomino, Nicolas Delestrade, and Charles-Henri Teule joined, after the split of their previous band, A Call to Sincerity.[1] In April 2014, they released a demo with 6 songs. In July 2015, they signed with the record label Arising Empire, and in November they released their debut studio album, Souvenirs. In June 2017, the band released the single "The Light, the Fire". After this, they toured with While She Sleeps and Northlane. A month later, they signed with SharpTone Records, and released their second studio album, Noir, in September 2017.

Novelists released their third studio album, titled C'est La Vie, in January 2020.

In April 2020, the band parted ways with Gelsomino as vocalist and started an online audition process to find a new singer.

On 27 October 2020, Novelists announced that Tobias Rische, formerly of Alazka, would be replacing Gelsomino as their new vocalist. A month later, the band signed with Out of Line Music, a record label based in Berlin, and released the single "Lost Cause". Two further singles were issued in 2021: "Terrorist" and "Do You Really Wanna Know?" The band supported Imminence on a European tour in May 2022 and played the Tech-Fest in the UK in June–July of the same year. In 2022, Novelists released two further singles, "Smoke Signals" and "Heretic", the latter featuring singer Florian Salfati of the band LANDMVRKS.

On 6 April 2023, Novelists announced on their Instagram page that Rische had left the band. In September, it was announced that Camille Contreras was taking over vocal duties.

Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its existence, they released demo tapes, one EP and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, and often credited as one of the leading lights of the second wave of the genre, along with Pantera, Sepultura, Sacred Reich, Dark Angel, Annihilator and Flotsam and Jetsam as well as their Bay Area counterparts Testament, Death Angel and Forbidden.[1][2][3][4][5] The band has also been referred to as one of the so-called "Big Six of Bay Area thrash metal", alongside Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Lååz Rockit and Forbidden.[6][7]

Vio-lence's most stable line-up was Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Deen Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums and Sean Killian on vocals; this lineup recorded all three of their studio albums–Eternal Nightmare (1988), Oppressing the Masses (1990) and Nothing to Gain (1993). After breaking up in 1994 and reforming for occasional live performances from 2001 to 2003, the band reunited once again in January 2019,[8] and released the EP Let the World Burn, their first collection of new material in nearly three decades, in March 2022.[9] The current lineup of Vio-lence includes Demmel, Strickland and Killian, in addition to bassist Christian Olde Wolbers as the replacement of Dell.

Vio-lence, then-called Death Penalty, was formed in 1985 with the line-up of Jerry Birr (vocals), Phil Demmel (guitar), Troy Fua (guitar), Eddie Billy (bass – brother of musicians Andy and Chuck Billy) and Perry Strickland (drums).[10] Not long after playing their first gig, which reportedly took place at a house party, Death Penalty changed their name to Violence and eventually then to Vio-lence, as the former was taken by another band. After recording two demos in 1986, they parted ways with Birr, Fua and Billy, who were replaced by Sean Killian, Robb Flynn (formerly of Forbidden Evil) and Deen Dell respectively. Their live success at local clubs in Northern California – opening for bands like D.R.I., Voivod, Kreator, Dark Angel, Suicidal Tendencies and the Mentors, as well as their Bay Area thrash metal peers Testament, Exodus, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit and Heathen – allowed Vio-lence to record another demo, this time for major labels, including MCA Records' sister label Mechanic, who offered them a recording contract.[10][11][12]

From February to April 1988, Vio-lence recorded their debut album, Eternal Nightmare, at two studios: The Music Grinder in Los Angeles and Alpha & Omega in San Francisco. The album received mostly positive reviews upon its release in the summer of 1988, and peaked at number 154 on the Billboard 200, becoming the band's only album to enter that chart;[13][14] this can be attributed to the album selling over 30,000 copies.[10] Vio-lence toured throughout 1988 and 1989 in support of Eternal Nightmare, with bands such as Testament, Voivod, Death Angel, Sanctuary, Nuclear Assault, D.R.I., M.O.D. and the Cro-Mags.[10][11][12] The underground success of the album also caught the attention of several labels, including Megaforce Records (then-home to bands such as Testament, M.O.D., Anthrax, and Overkill), who eventually signed the band.[10][11]

In December 1989, Vio-lence entered the studio to record what would be their second album and only release on Megaforce (distributed by Atlantic) Oppressing the Masses; however, the album faced multiple delays until its release in the summer of 1990.[10][11][12] Although the album's success did not match that of Eternal Nightmare, it received some positive reviews and a video for the song "World in a World" was released. Oppressing the Masses also generated some controversy, when the original album (which reportedly sold only 20,000 copies) was destroyed because of Atlantic's objection to the lyrical content of "Torture Tactics";[10][11] as a result, the album was reprinted without this track. Vio-lence toured in support of the album for about a year, with bands such as Overkill, Exodus, Forbidden, Flotsam and Jetsam, Prong, Defiance and Rigor Mortis.[12]

In 1991, after being dropped from Atlantic/Megaforce, Vio-lence released an EP Torture Tactics, which included three studio songs (recorded in 1989 during the sessions of Oppressing the Masses) and one "live" track from 1988. Internal conflicts in 1992 resulted in the departure of Robb Flynn who would move on to form groove metal band Machine Head.[10] A year later, Vio-lence released their third and final album, Nothing to Gain, which was actually recorded in 1990. They never toured in support of that album, and Strickland left the band after its release.

Treebeard have been a popular attraction on the pub, festival & beer festival circuit for many years now, with regular appearances at Sheffield, Derby, Tamworth, Newark, Stockport, Lincoln, Stoke & Barnsley festivals, as well as Earls Court for the Great British Beer Festival, and the Cropredy fringe. In 2017 the band played at Rockstock & Barrel, Holmfirth Folk Festival, Altrincham, Marlpool & Hope Valley Beer Festivals, Sheffield's Sharrow & Peace in the Park Festivals, Worrall, Festival8, Farmer Phil's, Solfest, Tramlines, Lancaster and Whitwell Festivals.

The band play lively Celtic folk-rock; traditional & original songs & tunes on a variety of acoustic instruments, always guaranteed to get an audience up & dancing.

They describe their style as 'Heavy Wood', releasing a first CD of that name in 2002, and a second CD 'Reel Ale’ in 2010. Their video for 'Over The Hills' has won the runner up prize in the 2 weeks 2 make it filmmaking competition 2011, as well as attracting over 220,000 youtube views.

The band have been through a number of line-up changes over the years and are currently led by founder member Chris McMahon (of Haze, Strongheart, Silverwheel, Outlandish Knights, etc), with long time flautist/fiddler Ceri Ashton (Cadellin, Mother of Crows, Jabberwocky, Outlandish Knights), and new members; percussionist James Howe (Bellhagg Orkestar, Silver Darlings), singer/songwritier Rob Lowdon (Jabberwocky, Broadsword) and singer/guitarist Paul Pearson.

Sacred Reich is an American thrash metal band based in Phoenix, Arizona, that was formed in 1985.[2] The band split in 2000, but reunited in 2006. Sacred Reich has been credited, along with Testament, Destruction, Death Angel and Dark Angel, for leading the second wave of thrash metal in the late 1980s.

After several albums on Metal Blade Records, Sacred Reich signed to Hollywood Records for a short stint, but later returned to Metal Blade to continue their musical career. After breaking up in 2000, the band announced in November 2006 they would play several shows in the summer of 2007 in Europe, including Wacken Open Air.[4]

Throughout its 38-year career (with the exception of a hiatus from 2000 to 2006), Sacred Reich has performed live globally, including playing at clubs, theaters, arenas and festivals. They have performed alongside numerous acts such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer, Motörhead, Sepultura, Pantera, Exodus, Testament, Anthrax, Flotsam and Jetsam, Dark Angel, Accept, Napalm Death, Obituary, D.R.I, Vio-lence, Forbidden, Holy Moses, Forced Entry, Gwar, Suicidal Tendencies, Iron Reagan, Overkill, Kreator, Destruction, Corrosion of Conformity, Queensrÿche, King Diamond, Municipal Waste, the Cro-Mags, Sick of It All, Excel, Atrophy, Heathen, Armored Saint, Nuclear Assault, the Crumbsuckers, M.O.D., Agnostic Front, Death Angel, Onslaught, Xentrix, Coroner, Danzig, Crowbar, Viking, Evildead, Savatage, Trouble, Cathedral and Omen.

Former drummer Dave McClain went on to join Machine Head in 1995. Lead guitarist Wiley Arnett went on to form The Human Condition with St. Madness vocalist Prophet in July 2000.

The band also contributed the Black Sabbath cover "Sweet Leaf" to the Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML compilation album to benefit NORML, and the Subhumans cover "The Big Picture" appears as the B-side of the "Open Book" promotional single. A three disk boxed set with remastered versions of Ignorance and Surf Nicaragua with additional bonus material, including the "Draining You of Life" demo tape and a live DVD, was released in Europe only in the summer of 2007 by Metal Blade Records. In the spring of 2017, the band announced their first North American tour in 21 years.[5]

In January 2018, Sacred Reich signed to Metal Blade Records and began working on their fifth studio album, Awakening, which was released on August 23, 2019.[6][7][8] It is the band's first full-length studio album since 1996's Heal, and their first since drummer Dave McClain and guitarist Joey Radziwill replaced founding members Greg Hall and Jason Rainey respectively.[9][10]

Founding member and former guitarist Jason Rainey died on March 16, 2020, at the age of 53 from an apparent heart attack.[11]

As of September 2020, Sacred Reich has been working on their sixth studio album.