Lux Occulta
Encyclopedia
Lux Occulta was a Polish avant-garde metal band, founded in late 1994. Their work, also strongly influenced by progressive metal
and black metal
, commonly incorporates elaborate arrangements often featuring multiple sections and unpredictable time changes.
, Aemil was replaced by drummer Kriss. The band's second album, Dionysos
, followed in 1997. In 1998, after the release of Maior Arcana, G'Ames and Jackie were asked to leave the band; their replacements were guitarist Vogg and bassist Martin, also of the Polish death metal
band Decapitated
. A lengthy recording succession with the new lineup yielded My Guardian Anger
, which was released in 1999. The latter half of 1999 was plagued with accidents, though, as Kriss suffered from a broken arm, leading his doctors to question whether he'd ever be able to play drums again, and U'reck broke his leg shortly thereafter, forcing the band to retire from touring for several months. After several months' hiatus from performing, the band played Poland's Metalmania festival in 2000 alongside acts such as Opeth
, Behemoth
and Tiamat
, which drew the attention of the Portuguese label Maquiavel Music Entertainment. The next month they were signed to the label for a two-album deal, and the first of their albums on MME, The Mother and the Enemy
, appeared the following year. The band has been mostly dormant since 2002, although they posted a message to their MySpace several years ago indicating that they were working on new material and looking for a new drummer; however, nothing has been heard since.
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
and black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
, commonly incorporates elaborate arrangements often featuring multiple sections and unpredictable time changes.
Biography
The band was started when guitarists Peter and G'Ames, formerly of Blaspherion, asked Jaro.Slav, the vocalist of Haemorrhage, to join their new project. Jackie (bass guitar) and Aemil (drums) joined the band few weeks later, followed by keyboard player U'reck after the band's first rehearsal session. After the recording in 1996 of the band's first full album, Forever Alone, ImmortalForever Alone, Immortal
Forever Alone, Immortal is the début album by the Polish symphonic black metal band Lux Occulta. Some re-releases of the album include the Sisters of Mercy cover "Burn" as a bonus track; it can also be found on the compilation Maior Arcana....
, Aemil was replaced by drummer Kriss. The band's second album, Dionysos
Dionysos (album)
Dionysos is the second album by the Polish symphonic black metal band Lux Occulta . Some releases of the album include the band's demo The Forgotten Arts in its entirety as bonus tracks; it can also be found on the Maior Arcana compilation.-Track listing:#The Birth of the Race #Blessed Be the Rain...
, followed in 1997. In 1998, after the release of Maior Arcana, G'Ames and Jackie were asked to leave the band; their replacements were guitarist Vogg and bassist Martin, also of the Polish death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Decapitated
Decapitated (band)
Decapitated is a death metal band that formed in Krosno, Poland in 1996. The group comprises guitarist, founder and composer Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, vocalist Rafał Piotrowski and Austrian drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner. Decapitated have gained recognition as one of the genre's most widely respected...
. A lengthy recording succession with the new lineup yielded My Guardian Anger
My Guardian Anger
My Guardian Anger is the fourth album release by the Polish symphonic black metal group Lux Occulta, and the first with newcomers Martin and Vogg from Decapitated....
, which was released in 1999. The latter half of 1999 was plagued with accidents, though, as Kriss suffered from a broken arm, leading his doctors to question whether he'd ever be able to play drums again, and U'reck broke his leg shortly thereafter, forcing the band to retire from touring for several months. After several months' hiatus from performing, the band played Poland's Metalmania festival in 2000 alongside acts such as Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
, Behemoth
Behemoth (band)
Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk, formed in 1991. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground, alongside bands such as Vader, Decapitated, Vesania and Hate....
and Tiamat
Tiamat (band)
-Biography:Initially, the band played straightforward black metal under the name Treblinka. After having recorded the album Sumerian Cry in 1989, vocalist/guitarist Johan Edlund and bassist Jörgen Thullberg parted ways with the other two founding members, and subsequently changed the name to Tiamat...
, which drew the attention of the Portuguese label Maquiavel Music Entertainment. The next month they were signed to the label for a two-album deal, and the first of their albums on MME, The Mother and the Enemy
The Mother and the Enemy
The Mother and the Enemy is the fifth album release by the Polish symphonic black metal group Lux Occulta. It expands upon the band's signature sound by incorporating influences from a variety of styles, including free jazz, trip-hop, industrial music, electronica, and spoken word.- Track listing...
, appeared the following year. The band has been mostly dormant since 2002, although they posted a message to their MySpace several years ago indicating that they were working on new material and looking for a new drummer; however, nothing has been heard since.
Line-up
- Jarosław "Jaro.Slav" Szubrycht - vocals (1994–2002)
- Jerzy "U.reck" Głód - keyboard (1994–2002)
- Rafał "Kastor" Kastory - electric 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...
(2001–2002) - Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka - electric 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...
(1998–2002) - Marcin "Martin" RygielMarcin RygielMarcin "Martin" Rygiel, , is a Polish musician. He is a graduate of musical school in the first and second degree. Professionally, Martin was the bassist of technical death metal band Decapitated until leaving in 2007 during their hiatus and was a member of avant-garde metal/black metal band Lux...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1998–2002)
Former Members
- "Peter" - electric guitar (1994–2001)
- "G. Ames" - electric guitar (1994–1998)
- "Jackie" - bass guitar (1994–1998)
- "Aemil" - drums (1994–1996)
- Krzysztof "Kriss" Szantula - drums (1996–2001)
Discography
- The Forgotten Arts (demo) (1995)
- Forever Alone, ImmortalForever Alone, ImmortalForever Alone, Immortal is the début album by the Polish symphonic black metal band Lux Occulta. Some re-releases of the album include the Sisters of Mercy cover "Burn" as a bonus track; it can also be found on the compilation Maior Arcana....
(1996) - DionysosDionysos (album)Dionysos is the second album by the Polish symphonic black metal band Lux Occulta . Some releases of the album include the band's demo The Forgotten Arts in its entirety as bonus tracks; it can also be found on the Maior Arcana compilation.-Track listing:#The Birth of the Race #Blessed Be the Rain...
(1997) - Maior Arcana (1998)
- My Guardian AngerMy Guardian AngerMy Guardian Anger is the fourth album release by the Polish symphonic black metal group Lux Occulta, and the first with newcomers Martin and Vogg from Decapitated....
(1999) - The Mother and the EnemyThe Mother and the EnemyThe Mother and the Enemy is the fifth album release by the Polish symphonic black metal group Lux Occulta. It expands upon the band's signature sound by incorporating influences from a variety of styles, including free jazz, trip-hop, industrial music, electronica, and spoken word.- Track listing...
(2001)