Rekuiem
Encyclopedia
Rekuiem, formerly spelt 'Requiem', was founded in the beginning of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
movement in the UK
by Steve Slater (guitar), Gordon Denny (bass), Mike Reid (vocal), Karl Wilcox (drums). The band were pioneers of this new genre of rock amongst others such as Witchfinder General
, Diamond Head
, Jameson Raid
, Angel Witch
and Iron Maiden
. Rekuiem pursued their own style of New Wave Metal which later became known as Doom Metal
. They were influenced by Black Sabbath
and wanted to create something that was even heavier.
at venues such as Cannock Forum and the Lafayette Club in Wolverhampton
. The band soon built up a local fan base. This period also produced some early demos
recorded at M.R.S. Studios in Walsall.
In 1980 the band recorded at Foel Studios the now rare double A-sided single
"Angel of Sin" / "Sacrifical Wanderer", mixed by Dave Anderson (Hawkwind
). Two years after the founding, front man Mike Reid left the band due to musical differences, and his replacement was Steve Mills. Three further studio demos and gigs in the UK followed, both as headline act and as support act to Budgie
on their European tour.
After that the band worked on the release of their debut album 'Immanent', but this was never released. Despite the adversity, Rekuiem continued to gig around the UK. But in 1984 bass player Gordon left the band to form Rough Justice. He was replaced by Tim Harris. The band tried to reshape again, new songs were written, and a new image and concept discussed, but eventually at the General Wolfe in Coventry, Rekuiem came to an end.
Steve Mills and Tim Harris went on to work with Dave Brock
of Hawkwind
fame. Steve Slater and Karl Wilcox briefly joined forces to join Broken English
and studio recordings were made entitled Makin' Out and Two Time Love. Wilcox then went on to join the progressive rock
band Chase, before joining Diamond Head
, with whom he has recorded several albums. Slater formed Predator who toured the UK extensively.
For a time period of three years, the band wrote and recorded the promised album that was never delivered twenty years ago. Three original members, Steve Slater (guit), Karl Wilcox (drums) and Gordon Denny (bass) joined forces with Paul Parry (vocals), formerly with Tredegar
, and Neil Taylor (keyboards), who has worked before with Cloven Hoof
, Demon
and the Ozzy Osbourne
tribute Ozzmosis.
The band released an EP for the rock press. This EP featured five demo tracks for the anticipated album, "Steelbreeze", "Angel of Sin", "Nightmare", "The Black Death" and "Outro". All of these are different versions to those that appeared on the finished album, and two of these songs do not appear on the album at all, making this a highly collectable piece. The taster EP was entitled "The Black Death".
The album Time Will Tell was released in April 2006 at Majestic Rock label
. It featured ten original tracks (eleven on the Japan
ese edition) and one cover version
of "Paranoid
". The album was produced by Slater and Wilcox and was mixed by Mark Stuart (Magnum
). The album also featured the newly recorded versions of "Angel of Sin" and "Sacrifical Wanderer".
In November 2007, Parry was replaced by the Sri Lanka
n born Chitral Somapala
. He had recorded and toured with Firewind
in the past and is curremtly working also with his own band Civilization One
, and the German progressive metal
band Red Circuit
.
Currently the band is working on the release of their second album, 'Raise the Dead'.
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
movement in the UK
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...
by Steve Slater (guitar), Gordon Denny (bass), Mike Reid (vocal), Karl Wilcox (drums). The band were pioneers of this new genre of rock amongst others such as Witchfinder General
Witchfinder General (band)
Witchfinder General is a doom metal band from Stourbridge, England. They were part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene and have been cited as a major influence on the doom metal genre.-Biography:...
, Diamond Head
Diamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
, Jameson Raid
Jameson Raid (band)
Jameson Raid are a British heavy metal band. Described in The International Encyclopedia of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal as "cult heroes for the Midland rock circuit… Their music is a poppy form of heavy metal…" MalcolmDome wrote: "Jameson Raid are one of the many bands who were definitely contenders...
, Angel Witch
Angel Witch
Angel Witch is a British heavy metal band which formed in London, England in 1977 as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement.-Biography:...
and Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
. Rekuiem pursued their own style of New Wave Metal which later became known as Doom Metal
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...
. They were influenced by Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and wanted to create something that was even heavier.
Early career
After many rehearsals the band began to play local gigs in the MidlandsEnglish Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
at venues such as Cannock Forum and the Lafayette Club in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
. The band soon built up a local fan base. This period also produced some early demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
recorded at M.R.S. Studios in Walsall.
In 1980 the band recorded at Foel Studios the now rare double A-sided single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Angel of Sin" / "Sacrifical Wanderer", mixed by Dave Anderson (Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
). Two years after the founding, front man Mike Reid left the band due to musical differences, and his replacement was Steve Mills. Three further studio demos and gigs in the UK followed, both as headline act and as support act to Budgie
Budgie (band)
Budgie is a Welsh Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from Cardiff. They are widely considered as one of the first heavy metal bands and a seminal influence to many acts of that scene, with fast, heavy rock being played as early as 1971. The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day"...
on their European tour.
After that the band worked on the release of their debut album 'Immanent', but this was never released. Despite the adversity, Rekuiem continued to gig around the UK. But in 1984 bass player Gordon left the band to form Rough Justice. He was replaced by Tim Harris. The band tried to reshape again, new songs were written, and a new image and concept discussed, but eventually at the General Wolfe in Coventry, Rekuiem came to an end.
Steve Mills and Tim Harris went on to work with Dave Brock
Dave Brock
David Anthony "Dave" Brock is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He plays electric guitar, synthesizer, bass and oscillators. He is best known as being one of the founders and musical focus of the English space rock group Hawkwind...
of Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
fame. Steve Slater and Karl Wilcox briefly joined forces to join Broken English
Broken English (band)
Broken English was a British band formed in 1987 by Steve Elson , who at the time performed in a Rolling Stones tribute band. He wrote a song called "Comin' On Strong", which had a Stones sound to it. A friend heard the song and thought it was too good to be a one-off novelty song and encouraged...
and studio recordings were made entitled Makin' Out and Two Time Love. Wilcox then went on to join the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Chase, before joining Diamond Head
Diamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
, with whom he has recorded several albums. Slater formed Predator who toured the UK extensively.
Reunion
In 2002 a new worldwide interest in metal, specifically the underground NWOBHM movement, brought Rekuiem back to the music scene. Enquiries from all over the world about past recordings and about the chance of a reunion brought some of the band members together again. Due to the founding of a couple of other bands in the past years under the same name, the band members decided to change the spelling in Rekuiem.For a time period of three years, the band wrote and recorded the promised album that was never delivered twenty years ago. Three original members, Steve Slater (guit), Karl Wilcox (drums) and Gordon Denny (bass) joined forces with Paul Parry (vocals), formerly with Tredegar
Tredegar (band)
Tredegar were a British heavy metal band formed in 1982.It was named after the town in Wales.-History:Tredegar were formed by former Budgie members Tony Bourge and Ray Phillips. Their debut album was recorded in 1986 with the help of Persian Risk's Carl Sentance as a guest vocalist as the band did...
, and Neil Taylor (keyboards), who has worked before with Cloven Hoof
Cloven Hoof (band)
Cloven Hoof are a heavy metal band from Wolverhampton that was active from 1979 to 1990, and again from around 2000 onwards. The band were associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, alongside bands such as Iron Maiden and Diamond Head...
, Demon
Demon (band)
Demon are an English rock/metal group, formed in 1979 by vocalist Dave Hill and guitarist Mal Spooner, both hailing from Leek, Staffordshire. They drew their initial audience from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement in 1980....
and the Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
tribute Ozzmosis.
The band released an EP for the rock press. This EP featured five demo tracks for the anticipated album, "Steelbreeze", "Angel of Sin", "Nightmare", "The Black Death" and "Outro". All of these are different versions to those that appeared on the finished album, and two of these songs do not appear on the album at all, making this a highly collectable piece. The taster EP was entitled "The Black Death".
The album Time Will Tell was released in April 2006 at Majestic Rock label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. It featured ten original tracks (eleven on the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese edition) and one cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Paranoid
Paranoid (song)
"Paranoid" is a song by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, featured on their second album Paranoid . It is the first single from the album, while the B-side is the song "The Wizard". It reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100...
". The album was produced by Slater and Wilcox and was mixed by Mark Stuart (Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
). The album also featured the newly recorded versions of "Angel of Sin" and "Sacrifical Wanderer".
In November 2007, Parry was replaced by the Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n born Chitral Somapala
Chitral Somapala
Chitral "Chity" Somapala is a Sri Lankan hard rock and heavy metal vocalist and former lead singer of power metal band Power Quest. He is better known for his work with the now disbanded European Power Metal band Civilization One...
. He had recorded and toured with Firewind
Firewind
Firewind is a Greek power metal band. Formed in 1998, the group is currently signed to Century Media Records and was originally a small project created by guitarist, Gus G. to showcase his demo, Nocturnal Symphony in 1998. Firewind later became a full band over three years later when they recorded...
in the past and is curremtly working also with his own band Civilization One
Civilization One (band)
Civilization One was launched in 2006 by singer Chitral Somapala together with guitarist Aldo Lanobile , Pierre-Emmanuel Pélisson and Luca Cartasegna...
, and the German progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Red Circuit
Red Circuit
Red Circuit is a Progressive metal Supergroup from Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany. It features members and guest musicians from renowned bands such as Vanden Plas, Adagio, Firewind and Elegy. The band's debut album, Trance State, was recorded at "Bazement"- Studios near Frankfurt and released February...
.
Currently the band is working on the release of their second album, 'Raise the Dead'.