Gutworm
Encyclopedia
Gutworm were a British
extreme metal
band from Wellingborough
, Northamptonshire
, England, formed in 1999.
After several tours across the country Gutworm ventured to the USA and became the first unsigned British band to perform at the November To Dismember Metalfest in California
. The band played alongside acts such as Morbid Angel
and Testament
and returned soon after to play at the New Jersey Metal Meltdown, which featured bands such as Nile
and The Haunted
.
The band soon signed to European label SPV GmbH
and recorded twelve songs at Karo Studios in Germany
during March 2001. Following lengthy delays, which saw the album release date being pushed further and further back, Gutworm parted company with the label.
After a break, Gutworm resumed touring the country, attracting the attention of new British label Anticulture Records
, which signed the band in 2003. They went on to record an album featuring new material with Greg Chandler (of Esoteric
) at Priory Studios
in Birmingham
.
Gutworm’s full length album Ruin The Memory was released nationwide in June 2004. Since the album’s release Gutworm have been busier than ever. After a performance at the Bloodstock
2004 festival, which received 4Ks in Kerrang! magazine, Gutworm produced their first major video for album opener What You Are which was broadcast on digital music channels Scuzz and MTV2.
Following a UK tour supporting US technical metallers Byzantine, 2005 saw the band's first line-up change with the departure of bassist Carl Davis, replaced by Liam Durrant (formerly of UK Hardcore band Freebase and Violation). Further changes followed in 2006 after UK tours with Maltese metalcore band Slit and French deathgrinders Happy Face, with the departure of guitarist Noel Davis, and with Liam taking time out to pursue a university course.
With Neil Hudson taking on guitar and vocals, and new bassist Glen Pywell (from deathgrind
/doom
band The Atrocity Exhibit), Gutworm recorded their second full length album Disfigured Narcissus
, again with Greg Chandler, which was released to critical acclaim on Anticulture Records
in October 2007.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band from Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England, formed in 1999.
Band history
Gutworm recorded their debut EP at Backstage Studios, Nottingham, with hardcore producer Dave Chang. This release, titled Torn From Me, was released early in 2000. Metal Hammer awarded it 9/10, writing "I can’t believe this band are British and unsigned!"After several tours across the country Gutworm ventured to the USA and became the first unsigned British band to perform at the November To Dismember Metalfest in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The band played alongside acts such as Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
and Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
and returned soon after to play at the New Jersey Metal Meltdown, which featured bands such as 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 :...
and The Haunted
The Haunted
The Haunted is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1996.The original members were Anders & Jonas Björler, Peter Dolving, Adrian Erlandsson and Patrik Jensen...
.
The band soon signed to European label SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide....
and recorded twelve songs at Karo Studios in 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...
during March 2001. Following lengthy delays, which saw the album release date being pushed further and further back, Gutworm parted company with the label.
After a break, Gutworm resumed touring the country, attracting the attention of new British label Anticulture Records
Anticulture Records
Anticulture Records Ltd is a record label based in Northampton, England which deals mostly with heavy metal music.The first release for Anticulture was Gutworm's 'Ruin The Memory' album in April 2004.-Artists:* ArnoCorps...
, which signed the band in 2003. They went on to record an album featuring new material with Greg Chandler (of Esoteric
Esoteric (band)
Esoteric is a British extreme doom metal band from Birmingham founded in 1992 that incorporates highly acute, distorted vocals and samples over slow paced riffs and atmospheric melodies.-Biography:...
) at Priory Studios
Priory Recording Studios
Priory Recording Studios in Canwell, Sutton Coldfield run by Greg Chandler, professional sound engineer/producer and guitarist/composer/singer of Esoteric...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
Gutworm’s full length album Ruin The Memory was released nationwide in June 2004. Since the album’s release Gutworm have been busier than ever. After a performance at the Bloodstock
Bloodstock
Bloodstock was an annual metal music festival held from 2001 to 2006 over two days in The Assembly Rooms, Derby, England. The event featured big-name mainstream, underground and new bands split between two stages, as well as a 'Metal Market' offering general genre merchandise and CDs...
2004 festival, which received 4Ks in Kerrang! magazine, Gutworm produced their first major video for album opener What You Are which was broadcast on digital music channels Scuzz and MTV2.
Following a UK tour supporting US technical metallers Byzantine, 2005 saw the band's first line-up change with the departure of bassist Carl Davis, replaced by Liam Durrant (formerly of UK Hardcore band Freebase and Violation). Further changes followed in 2006 after UK tours with Maltese metalcore band Slit and French deathgrinders Happy Face, with the departure of guitarist Noel Davis, and with Liam taking time out to pursue a university course.
With Neil Hudson taking on guitar and vocals, and new bassist Glen Pywell (from deathgrind
Deathgrind
Deathgrind is a musical genre that fuses death metal and grindcore. The genre, along with pornogrind, is related to the goregrind subgenre...
/doom
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band The Atrocity Exhibit), Gutworm recorded their second full length album Disfigured Narcissus
Disfigured Narcissus
Disfigured Narcissus is an album by British death metal band Gutworm, released in 2007.- Track listing :# Intro # My First Loving Enemy# Disfigured Narcissus# Omniscient Dreams# Imperfect Harmony# Fires That Burn# Sentiment# Unholy Tryst...
, again with Greg Chandler, which was released to critical acclaim on Anticulture Records
Anticulture Records
Anticulture Records Ltd is a record label based in Northampton, England which deals mostly with heavy metal music.The first release for Anticulture was Gutworm's 'Ruin The Memory' album in April 2004.-Artists:* ArnoCorps...
in October 2007.
Members
- Neil Hudson - Vocals & Guitar (1999–2010) - formerly of Violation.
- Wayne Minney - Drums (1999–2010)
- Glen Pywell - Bass (2006–2010) - formerly of The Atrocity Exhibit.
- Mike Ranzetta - Guitar (2007–2010) - also of Lordaeron.
Former members
- Lee Mason - Guitar (1999–2007)
- Noel Davis - Guitar (1999–2006)
- Carl Davis - Bass (1999–2005)
- Liam Durrant - Bass (2005–2006) - now playing guitar for Thracia.
- Jamie Hunt - Live Guitar (2007) - formerly of Biomechanical.
Recordings
- 2000 - Torn From Me (Self-released)
- 2004 - Ruin The MemoryRuin the MemoryRuin The Memory is an album by British heavy metal band Gutworm, released in 2004.- Track listing :# What You Are - 3:00# Loveless - 4:49# Below Within - 2:42# Obscure Devotion - 5:52# Saturate in Sadness - 2:19# Sick Inside - 5:20...
(Anticulture Records) - 2007 - Disfigured NarcissusDisfigured NarcissusDisfigured Narcissus is an album by British death metal band Gutworm, released in 2007.- Track listing :# Intro # My First Loving Enemy# Disfigured Narcissus# Omniscient Dreams# Imperfect Harmony# Fires That Burn# Sentiment# Unholy Tryst...
(Anticulture Records)
Promotional Videos
- 2001 - 'Your Demise' (featured on Metal HammerMetal HammerMetal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
cover CD) - 2004 - 'What You Are'