The Meads of Asphodel
The Meads of Asphodel are an experimental black metal band with pronounced medieval and Eastern influences from Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.
The band was formed in mid 1998 by Metatron and Jaldaboath,, the stated aim being to "create Heavy Guitar based original Black Metal with Medieval/ Eastern influences and a lyrical concept derived from Christ's mortality, Biblical Apocrypha, Fallen Angels and Death". Their demo releases 'The Bemoaming of Metatron' and 'Metatron and the Red Serpent' gained them a good deal of critical attention in the underground metal press, even receiving mentions from such mainstream sources as Kerrang! magazine, and they soon signed to Supernal Music after the release of their widely acclaimed final demo The Watchers of Catal Huyuk. After this point Jaldaboath was omitted from the band and the rise of the Meads was instigated by the master songsmith J.D.Tait who has been a solid part of the bands sund ever since.
Their albums, particularly 2001's "The Excommunication of Christ" explore conceptual themes based around a unique (though common to Black Metal) and anti-Christian interpretation of the Bible and Apocrypha. (For example, the band's lyrics reject the concept of Jesus as a supernatural being). Despite a fluctuating line-up, the band continues to release well-received albums, the latest being 2005's "Damascus Steel" and 2010's "The Murder of Jesus the Jew". The band's most consistent feature is their use of often unusual guest musicians, most notable and regular of which are ex-Hawkwind members Huw Lloyd-Langton and Alan Davey, Sigh's Mirai Kawashima and a Rabbi.
During late 2004/ early 2005 the band crafted the 'Damascus Steel' album with input from Mirai [Sigh], Max Rael [History of Guns], and new associate, Alisa Coral from Russian Space rock band 'Space Mirrors'.
The albums concept concerns the evil in human kind and the wanton slaughter in the name of God or whatever reason. The album is a return to the Jihad aesthetics. A cover of Louis Armstrong's 'Wonderful World' and Hawkwinds 'Sword of the East' are recorded, plus a new version of the demo track 'Death and Darkness', re-named 'beyond Death and Darkness. The additional use of Violinists, cellists, a trumpet player, sitar and tamba players, female vocalists, makes this the, most organic and involved Meads album ever conceived.
The band has since been signed to Candlelight Records with 2 slid albums being released, The Murder of Jesus the Jew, and the Holocaust inspired, Sonderkommando.
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