Dark Heresy was an English

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

band from south-west London, and active during the years 1990–1997, 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

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Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...

and

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Musical style

Dark Heresy is considered a

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

band. Dark Heresy's 1993 demo ''Diabolus in Musica'' was praised for amalgamating "well-chosen sprinklings of classic Morbid Angel with a UK death etalflair", and for mixing

thrash Thrash may refer to: *Thrashing (computer science), where increasing resources are used to do a decreasing amount of work *Thrash (surname) *Thrash, mascot of the Atlanta Thrashers *''Thrash Rally'', a top-down perspective rally racing video game ...

"with classy chunks of unapologetic metal." Although dismissed by rock music magazine '' Kerrang!'' as "a widdly Carcass", 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." Writing in ''Isten'' magazine in 1996, Endre Begby described Dark Heresy as "speak nga tonal language very uncommon in death metal" and "break ngout 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". 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."

Lyrics

Written by vocalist Kola Krauze 1993–1995, Dark Heresy's lyrics were extremely long and dealt with themes such as Norse and Germanic mythology and

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, historical themes such as the Middle Ages, and religion and

anti-religion Antireligion is opposition to religion. It involves opposition to organized religion, religious practices or religious institutions. The term ''antireligion'' has also been used to describe opposition to specific forms of supernatural worship ...

. 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".

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." Singer-songwriter Mat McNerney has similarly cited Dark Heresy as an early influence. 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".

Band members

Current members * Richard ‘Arnold’ Summers - guitar, keyboards (1990-1997) * Kola Krauze - vocals (1993-1995) * Hans Stiles - bass (1992-1997) * Wooj - drums (1990-1997) Former members * Loz Archer - vocals (1990-1993) * Matt Goddard - guitar (1990-1993) * Paul Harvey - bass (1990-1992) * Jae - guitar * Mortgage - guitar (1993-1994)

Discography

Album

* '' Abstract Principles Taken to Their Logical Extremes'' (Unisound Records, 1995)

Demos

* ''Diabolus In Musica'' (1993) * ''Speared and Twisted'' (1992) * ''The Excellent Demo'' (1991) * ''Blinded by Lies'' (1990)

References

External links

The 10 Greatest Old School UK Death Metal Albums
British musical quartets English death metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1990 Musical groups from London