Chthonic (band)
Encyclopedia
Chthonic is a Taiwan
ese metal
band, formed in 1995 in Taipei
. The group incorporates influences from traditional Taiwanese music including the classical Asian instrument erhu
(the band often calls it hiân-á in their native Taiwanese). They are acclaimed artists, as well as political activists who advocate Taiwan independence
and self-determination for the Tibetans and Uighurs.
Since their formation, Chthonic has released six studio albums. Their most recent album, Takasago Army
, was released on August 1, 2011 in Europe and on September 6, 2011 in North America via Spinefarm records.
). The name "Chthonic
" is a Greek word which refers to the earth and can have implications of the underworld. As a topic of much confusion, the name is actually pronounced as "Thonic".
In 2003, they won the Best Band Award at the Taiwan Golden Melodies Award Ceremony. The band is also banned in parts of China for their political views.
The lead vocalist, Freddy Lim, is notably active in the political scene and supports Taiwanese independence. In February 2009, Freddy Lim and Doris Yeh participated with human rights activists at the Taipei zoo panda exhibit, which symbolizes China's attempts to establish soft power
relations with Taiwan.
In 2007 he and other artists organized an international music festival to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 228 Incident
, entitled "Spirit of Taiwan: With justice we cure this nation".
On March 30, 2007, it was confirmed that Chthonic were to be part of the 2007 Ozzfest
tour as a rotating second stage act. While taking part in Ozzfest, they also toured as a support act for Nile
in July and August and as a headliner in September.
On August 3, 2007, Chthonic flew from the United States
to Germany
to play at Wacken Open Air
. Unfortunately, their instruments were not delivered on time, so Su-Nung had to play a keyboard instead of his erhu
.
The band begun recording of their upcoming album, titled Mirror of Retribution, in May 2008. The album was recorded in The A Studio in Hollywood, California, and was produced by Rob Caggiano
. On October 11, 2008, Doris stated at the time that the album was complete, and that mastering of the album should be finished by the following week. Freddy announced that the album will be released in early 2009. Three tracks (Rise of The Shadows, Venom In My Veins, and 49 Theurgy Chains) were confirmed to be on the album. Freddy also announced at a concert in Taichung that Er-hu player Su-Nung will be leaving the band in 2009 to follow his own career path.
In 2010, they digitally released the single Painkiller, which is a cover of Judas Priest's song of the same name. It also contains a Taiwanese version of the song "Bloody Waves of Sorrow".
On June 7, 2011, they digitally released Takao, the lead single from the album Takasago Army which is released in July.
, which is rarely seen in contemporary Chinese music, and sung with Mandarin pronunciation. After Mirror of Retribution, the lyrics are written and sung in Taiwanese. Some songs may also include verses in Japanese or Taiwanese aboriginal languages
. The band also started releasing English versions of their albums after Seediq Bale.
The themes mostly surround the defiant spirit of early Taiwanese colonizers, fictional wars between aboriginal gods with Han's gods, Taiwanese folklore and mythology, and historical events such as Wushe Incident
, 228 Incident
, and the Takasago Volunteers
.
Doris had corpse paint to make herself look like some goddess of death or female demon.
Jesse's corpse paint had curses written all over it, with sharp teeth.
The bottom half of Dani's face was covered in a black shiny demon mask.
Cj had a cloth wrapped around his head, which, in mythology is a spell to raise Chinese Vampires from the dead.
Recently with the release of Takasago Army, they have changed to military styled costumes. They also stopped using corpse paint because the band members found it tedious to put on.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
band, formed in 1995 in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. The group incorporates influences from traditional Taiwanese music including the classical Asian instrument erhu
Erhu
The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
(the band often calls it hiân-á in their native Taiwanese). They are acclaimed artists, as well as political activists who advocate Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
and self-determination for the Tibetans and Uighurs.
Since their formation, Chthonic has released six studio albums. Their most recent album, Takasago Army
Takasago Army
Takasago Army is the sixth studio album by the Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC. The title Takasago Army refers volunteer soldiers in the Imperial Japanese Army, recruited from the Taiwanese aboriginal tribes during World War II. Takasago is an ancient Japanese term to refer Taiwan...
, was released on August 1, 2011 in Europe and on September 6, 2011 in North America via Spinefarm records.
History
The band's stated goal is to use their music to bring ancient history and mythology into the modern era, especially the tragic pan-green history and myths of Taiwan (for example, those of the Seediq peopleSeediq people
The Seediq are a Taiwanese aboriginal people who live primarily in Nantou County and Hualien County. Their language is also known as Seediq. They were officially recognised as Taiwan's 14th indigenous group on 23 April 2008...
). The name "Chthonic
Chthonic
Chthonic designates, or pertains to, deities or spirits of the underworld, especially in relation to Greek religion. The Greek word khthon is one of several for "earth"; it typically refers to the interior of the soil, rather than the living surface of the land or the land as territory...
" is a Greek word which refers to the earth and can have implications of the underworld. As a topic of much confusion, the name is actually pronounced as "Thonic".
In 2003, they won the Best Band Award at the Taiwan Golden Melodies Award Ceremony. The band is also banned in parts of China for their political views.
The lead vocalist, Freddy Lim, is notably active in the political scene and supports Taiwanese independence. In February 2009, Freddy Lim and Doris Yeh participated with human rights activists at the Taipei zoo panda exhibit, which symbolizes China's attempts to establish soft power
Soft power
Soft power is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option and attraction. It can be contrasted with 'hard power', that is the use of coercion and payment...
relations with Taiwan.
In 2007 he and other artists organized an international music festival to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
, entitled "Spirit of Taiwan: With justice we cure this nation".
On March 30, 2007, it was confirmed that Chthonic were to be part of the 2007 Ozzfest
Ozzfest lineups by year
Over the years, a variety of bands have made up the yearly lineups of Ozzfest, a yearly heavy metal music festival that usually tours the United States in summer.-Lineup:*Main Stage:...
tour as a rotating second stage act. While taking part in Ozzfest, they also toured as a support act for Nile
Nile (band)
Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and art, as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :...
in July and August and as a headliner in September.
On August 3, 2007, Chthonic flew from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to play at Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
. Unfortunately, their instruments were not delivered on time, so Su-Nung had to play a keyboard instead of his erhu
Erhu
The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
.
The band begun recording of their upcoming album, titled Mirror of Retribution, in May 2008. The album was recorded in The A Studio in Hollywood, California, and was produced by Rob Caggiano
Rob Caggiano
Robert Caggiano is an American guitarist and producer best known as the lead & rhythm guitarist of the Heavy Metal band Anthrax. His first professional band was Boiler Room that formed in 1996. The band caught the attention of Roadrunner Records after an opening slot for Orgy in 1999...
. On October 11, 2008, Doris stated at the time that the album was complete, and that mastering of the album should be finished by the following week. Freddy announced that the album will be released in early 2009. Three tracks (Rise of The Shadows, Venom In My Veins, and 49 Theurgy Chains) were confirmed to be on the album. Freddy also announced at a concert in Taichung that Er-hu player Su-Nung will be leaving the band in 2009 to follow his own career path.
In 2010, they digitally released the single Painkiller, which is a cover of Judas Priest's song of the same name. It also contains a Taiwanese version of the song "Bloody Waves of Sorrow".
On June 7, 2011, they digitally released Takao, the lead single from the album Takasago Army which is released in July.
Lyrical themes
Before Seediq Bale, most of the band's lyrics were written in Classical ChineseClassical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
, which is rarely seen in contemporary Chinese music, and sung with Mandarin pronunciation. After Mirror of Retribution, the lyrics are written and sung in Taiwanese. Some songs may also include verses in Japanese or Taiwanese aboriginal languages
Formosan languages
The Formosan languages are the languages of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Taiwanese aborigines currently comprise about 2% of the island's population. However, far fewer can still speak their ancestral language, after centuries of language shift...
. The band also started releasing English versions of their albums after Seediq Bale.
The themes mostly surround the defiant spirit of early Taiwanese colonizers, fictional wars between aboriginal gods with Han's gods, Taiwanese folklore and mythology, and historical events such as Wushe Incident
Wushe Incident
The Wushe Incident or Wushe Event or Wushe Revolution / Rebellion / Uprising / Insurrection of 1930 was the last major uprising against colonial Japanese forces in Taiwan...
, 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
, and the Takasago Volunteers
Takasago Volunteers
were volunteer soldiers in the Imperial Japanese Army, recruited from the Taiwanese aboriginal tribes during World War II.-Background and history:...
.
Stage Appearance
Chthonic is also known for their shocking and original stage costumes, which is composed mainly of corpse paint similar to many black metal bands, but with other unique feature in it: the Freddy's facepaint had a stamp on it, believed to be the mark of a damned spirit.Doris had corpse paint to make herself look like some goddess of death or female demon.
Jesse's corpse paint had curses written all over it, with sharp teeth.
The bottom half of Dani's face was covered in a black shiny demon mask.
Cj had a cloth wrapped around his head, which, in mythology is a spell to raise Chinese Vampires from the dead.
Recently with the release of Takasago Army, they have changed to military styled costumes. They also stopped using corpse paint because the band members found it tedious to put on.
Current members
- Freddy, Left Face of Maradou – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, erhuErhuThe erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
(1995–present) - Doris, Thunder Tears – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (1999–present) - Jesse, The Infernal – guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
(2000–present) - Dani, Azathothian Hands – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2005–present) - CJ, Dispersed Fingers – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
(2005–present)
Former members
- Su-Nung, The Bloody String – erhuErhuThe erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
(2006–2009) - Alexia – keyboard (2004–2006)
- A-Jay – drums (1999–2005)
- Luis – keyboard, vocals (2003–2004)
- Sheryl – keyboard (2002–2004)
- Vivien – keyboard (2001–2002)
- Ambrosia – keyboard (1996–2001)
- Null – guitar (1999–2000)
- Wang – drums (1998–1999)
- Zac – guitar (1998–1999)
- Yu – bass (1997–1999)
- Ellis – guitar (1996–1998)
- Terry – drums (1996–1998)
- Man 6 – bass (1996–1997)
Session members
- Reno Killerich – drums; on Seediq Bale (2005)
- Sandee Chan – vocals; on Seediq Bale (2005)
Studio albums
- Where the Ancestors' Souls GatheredWhere the Ancestors' Souls GatheredWhere the Ancestors' Souls Gathered is the first full length studio album by the Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC. This album was only available in Taiwan, but is now out of print.-Track listing:#"Drift Out to Misery" - 0:42#"Across the Sea" - 4:41...
(1999) - 9th Empyrean (2000)
- Relentless RecurrenceRelentless RecurrenceRelentless Recurrence is the third full length studio album by the Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC. This album was only available in Taiwan until its re-release in 2007 by SPV with revamped packaging, including English translations.-Track listing:...
(2002) - Seediq Bale (2005)
- Mirror of Retribution (2009)
- Takasago ArmyTakasago ArmyTakasago Army is the sixth studio album by the Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC. The title Takasago Army refers volunteer soldiers in the Imperial Japanese Army, recruited from the Taiwanese aboriginal tribes during World War II. Takasago is an ancient Japanese term to refer Taiwan...
(2011)
Singles
- Deep Rising (1998)
- Nightmare (1999)
- UNlimited Taiwan (2007)
- Painkiller (2010)
- Takao (2011)
- Broken Jade (2011)
Compilation albums
- Anthology: A Decade on the Throne (2006)
- PandemoniumPandemonium (Chthonic album)Pandemonium is the second Greatest Hits Compilation album from the Taiwanese black metal band Chthonic's. It features eleven tracks from eleven years of band history...
(2007)
External links
- Chthonic.tw Official Website since Mid 2009
- ChthoniC.org Another official website (english)
- "Chthonic put spin on Taiwan's past", Taipei TimesTaipei TimesThe Taipei Times is one of the three major English-language newspapers in the Republic of China the other two being the Taiwan News and The China Post...
, September 14, 2003 - "ChthoniC promotes Taiwan's UN bid in interview with NPR", Taipei Times, August 9, 2007
- "ChthoniC: A heavy metal alloy of music and politics", International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
, August 16, 2007 - "A Voice for Taiwan's Freedom, History", The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, August 24, 2007 - "In tune with Taiwan", Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, September 12, 2007
Interviews
- Interview with Freddy Lim, Battle Helm, 2002
- Interview with Freddy Lim, Kyonsi Online, 2006
- Interview with Freddy Lim, Bright Eyes, January 26, 2007
- Interview with Freddy Lim, Ashiana Videos, August 20, 2007