Root is a Czech
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
band.
Biography
Root were formed by vocalist
Big Boss and guitarist Blackie in late 1987.
[''Root biography'']
Retrieved 16 December 2012. According to Big Boss, in the beginning, they knew no foreign bands and could do no tape trading. Although the first demo recording mentioned on their homepage's discography section is ''Deep in Hell'',
[''Discography'']
Retrieved 16 December 2012. according to their biography, they recorded their first official demo tape ''Reap of Hell'' after a few rehearsals.
Root played their first concert in September 1988. The next demo cassette, ''War of Rats'', was released in 1988, followed by ''Messengers from Darkness'' in 1989. Vocalist Big Boss played drums on these recordings.
Whereas ''Messengers from Darkness'' is mentioned as "the third and last" demo cassette in their biography,
the discography section lists ''The Trial'' as the last one.
In 1990, the band released the single ''7 černých jezdců / 666'', with artwork done by
Master's Hammer
Master's Hammer are a black metal band from the Czech Republic. The band has remained active with several lineup changes between 1987 and 1995, with a reunion from 2009 to the present.
It is considered one of the most representative groups of i ...
vocalist
František Štorm
František "Franta" Štorm (born 3 July 1966) is a Czech musician, photographer, typographer, writer, teacher, artist, illustrator and record producer, famous for being the vocalist and a founding member of the black metal band Master's Hammer.
...
. To promote their first album, ''
Zjevení
''Zjevení'' (English title: "''Revelation''") is the debut album by Czech black metal band Root, released in December 1990 through now-defunct record label Zeras. It is noticeably the only full-length album by the band to feature songs with ly ...
'' (again with artwork by Štorm), they recorded a video for their song "Hřbitov", released on the Czech ''Death Metal Session'' compilation,
with photographs by Štorm. ''Zjevení'' was also released as ''
The Revelation''.
The second album, ''
Hell Symphony
''Hell Symphony'' is the second full-length album by Czech black metal band Root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant bo ...
'', followed in 1992. In 1993, Root released their third album, ''
The Temple in the Underworld
''The Temple in the Underworld'' is the third studio album by Czech black metal band Root, released in December 1992 through Monitor. This marked the end of their early raw black metal sound, and was also their last release with guitarist Dani ...
'', and recorded a video for the song "Aposiopesis". The following years "were in the sign of personal problems between two main personalities of ROOT, Big Boss and Blackie".
In 1996, Root released their first
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
, ''
Kärgeräs
''Kärgeräs'' is the fourth studio album by Czech black metal band Root, released in 1996 through Black Hole Records. Beginning with this album, Root began to drift away from their traditional black metal-inflected sonority, seeing them advancing ...
''.
Their fifth album, ''
The Book'', followed in 1999.
In 2004, Root played on the Open Hell festival with
Watain
Watain is a Swedish black metal band, formed in 1998.Eduardo Rivadavia: ''Watain Biography'' Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation. The band's name is taken from an early recording by the American black metal group Von.Ronald Ziegler''Merchandise w ...
,
Törr
Törr is a Czech metal band founded in Prague in 1977. They are considered one of the first Czech black metal bands. To date, they have released ten studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations.
History Early years: 1977–1986
Törr, n ...
and other bands.
In 2011, they released the album ''
Heritage of Satan'', featuring
Aura Noir and
Ava Inferi
Ava Inferi was a musical group formed in Almada, Portugal, by Norwegian guitarist and songwriter Rune Eriksen (a.k.a. Blasphemer, Mayhem). Their debut album, '' Burdens'', was released in January 2006.
In the spring of 2007, vocalist Carmen Sim ...
guitarist
Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen,
Behemoth vocalist
Adam "Nergal" Darski and Watain vocalist Erik Danielsson, who also created the album cover, as guest musicians. Although Big Boss is the only remaining founding member, the band's core now consists of him, bass player Golem and guitarist Ashok.
On 28 September 2016 the band announced that they begun work on their tenth studio album, ''
Kärgeräs – Return from Oblivion
''Kärgeräs – Return from Oblivion'' is the tenth studio album by Czech black/ heavy metal band Root. Originally announced on 28 September 2016, it was eventually released on 25 November through Agonia Records, and is their first studio albu ...
'', the sequel to their 1996 concept album ''Kärgeräs''. It was released on 25 November 2016.
Musical style and ideology
According to ''Legacy'' journalist Christian Wachter, Root have, since their beginning, a very own style (although ostensibly
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
- and
Bathory-oriented) with an
occult
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
aura and are one of the few bands deserving the term "cult".
[Christian Wachter]
''ROOT''. ''Hoffen auf eine rosigere Zukunft''
In: ''Legacy'', No. 76, pp. 158f. Retrieved 16 December 2012. Portuguese band
Moonspell
Moonspell is a Portuguese gothic metal band formed in 1992. The group released their first EP, ''Under the Moonspell'', in 1994 and followed up with their debut album, '' Wolfheart'', a year later. They quickly became the most recognizable meta ...
mentioned Root as one of their influences. ''
Rock Hard
"Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission, causing the record to be withdraw ...
'' journalist Björn Thorsten Jaschinski called them "occult metal pioneers". His colleague Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann located ''The Book'' "in the triangle of
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 ...
,
gothic metal
Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy met ...
and gloomy rock" with folklore melodies that could be interesting for fans of
Katatonia
Katatonia are a Swedish heavy metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström. The band started as a studio-only project for the duo, as an outlet for the band's love of death metal. Increasing popularity led them to ...
,
My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in Bradford. Since their inception in 1990, they have released 13 studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release.
Alo ...
,
Primordial and Thine. On Root's homepage, ''Black Seal'' is described as a mixture of "the heaviness of 'Hell Symphony', monumentality of 'The Temple In The Underworld', mystery of 'Kargeras' and the dark charm of 'The Book'";
Mühlmann described it as a mix of
Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with Satan and the occult, Mercyful Fate w ...
, Moonspell,
Anathema
Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a cr ...
and old
heavy metal. For ''
Decibel
The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whose levels differ by one decibel have a po ...
'' journalist Chris D., ''Heritage of Satan'' "feels less complete than, say, ''The Book'', which is, for me at least, the best Root album to date".
[''Big Boss (Root) Interviewed'']
21 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2012. The album features "a few rocking songs", "Revenge of Hell" and "Legacy of Ancestors", as well as "more traditional black metal songs".
Big Boss founded the Czech branch of the
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is a religious organization dedicated to the religion of LaVeyan Satanism as codified in ''The Satanic Bible''. The Church of Satan was established at the Black House (Church of Satan), Black House in San Francisco, Cali ...
.
He still lives his life according to
Satanism
Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...
,
but "gave away all agenda
to younger ones"
and now believes that "everything that smells of organization is shit".
Although Root are therefore close to
LaVeyan Satanism
LaVeyan Satanism is a nontheistic religion founded in 1966 by the American occultist and author Anton Szandor LaVey. Scholars of religion have classified it as a new religious movement and a form of Western esotericism.
LaVey established his m ...
,
Watain
Watain is a Swedish black metal band, formed in 1998.Eduardo Rivadavia: ''Watain Biography'' Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation. The band's name is taken from an early recording by the American black metal group Von.Ronald Ziegler''Merchandise w ...
(whose vocalist Erik Danielsson contributed to ''Heritage of Satan''), who are
Devil worship
Theistic Satanism, otherwise referred to as religious Satanism, spiritual Satanism, or traditional Satanism, is an umbrella term for religious groups that consider Satan, the Devil, or Lucifer to objectively exist as a deity, supernatural en ...
pers,
[Ronald Ziegler: .] called them and
Törr
Törr is a Czech metal band founded in Prague in 1977. They are considered one of the first Czech black metal bands. To date, they have released ten studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations.
History Early years: 1977–1986
Törr, n ...
"the legendary kings of Czech Black/Death Metal" and "defenders of the faith" when they announced they would play on the Open Hell festival in 2004.
According to Big Boss, "the difference between us and Scandinavian groups is that I sing about Satanic
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
and myths I create personally, whereas Swedes, Norwegians etc. sing about things that are already known. They therefore have another approach to these topics."
On ''Heritage of Satan'', the topic is the final, successful assault of the infernal hordes onto the earth, after which
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
gives His power to His son.
Band members
Current members
*
Jiří "Big Boss" Valter – vocals (previously drums 1987–1989)
* Igor "Golem" Hubík – bass guitar
* Aleš "Alesh A.D." Dostál – guitar (1996–1999; 2014–)
* Jiří "Mr. G Háb – guitar
* Zbyněk "Mr Zet" Husa – drums
Former members
* Robert "Dr. Fe" Krčmář – vocals (1988–1989)
* Zdeněk "Mr. Zet" Odehnal – guitar (1988)
* Petr "Mr. Cross" Kříž – guitar (1989)
* Petr "Mr. Death" Pálenský – guitar (1989)
* Dan "Mr. D.A.N." Janáček – guitar (1990–1992)
* Aleš "Alesh A.D." Dostál – guitar (1996–1999,2014)
*
Petr "Blackie" Hošek – guitar (1987–2004)
* Rostislav "Black Drum" Mozga – drums (1989–1991)
* Aleš "Poison" Jedonek – guitar (2005–2007)
* Marek "Deadly" Fryčák – drums (2007–2008)
* Peter Hrnčirík – drums (2009–2010)
* René "Evil" Kostelňák – guitar (2007–2011, previously drums 1992–2007)
* Marek "Ashok" Šmerda – guitar (1998–2014)
Discography
Demos
Albums
DVDs
Contributions
* "Hrbitov" on ''Death Metal Session'' (1990)
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Root
Czech black metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1987
Musical quintets