Restless And Dead
Encyclopedia
Restless and Dead is the debut album by Swedish thrash metal band Witchery
. Released in 1998 on Necropolis Records, the album features members of the band Satanic Slaughter
. The title is a play on the Accept
album Restless and Wild.
split up, leaving only the vocalist Ztephan Dark. The other members of the band formed Witchery, along with Sharlee D'Angelo (Arch Enemy, Mercyful Fate
) on bass guitar. Restless And Dead was their first studio album released under the Witchery
moniker and was recorded in a week in Blue Hill Studios, Linköping, Sweden
.
The album is in the style of thrash metal
, though with some use of black metal
and death metal
aesthetics. These additions to the thrash metal template are less noticeable than in Satanic Slaughter and give the album a distinctive sound due to the combination of styles being a rarity when the album was recorded.
This album is the first to feature the distinctive Witchery "W", a sign that band mascot Ben Wrangle shows on the front cover and also on the CD itself. The "W" is a misappropriation of the "devil horns" hand gesture invented by Ronnie James Dio
during his tenure as vocalist with Black Sabbath
.
Witchery
Witchery is a Swedish thrash/speed metal band, formed by former members of Satanic Slaughter in 1997. The current lineup consists of vocalist Emperor Magus Caligula , ex-Devian), guitarists Patrik Jensen and Rickard "Richard Corpse" Rimfält, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, and drummer Martin Axenrot...
. Released in 1998 on Necropolis Records, the album features members of the band Satanic Slaughter
Satanic Slaughter
-History:Having previously performed under the name Evil Cunt, the group first adopted the name Satanic Slaughter in 1985. The group went through several guitarists and other lineup changes in its early years before releasing its first demo, One Night in Hell, in 1988. The group split late in 1989...
. The title is a play on the Accept
Accept
Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s...
album Restless and Wild.
Background
In 1997, the cult Swedish thrash metal band Satanic SlaughterSatanic Slaughter
-History:Having previously performed under the name Evil Cunt, the group first adopted the name Satanic Slaughter in 1985. The group went through several guitarists and other lineup changes in its early years before releasing its first demo, One Night in Hell, in 1988. The group split late in 1989...
split up, leaving only the vocalist Ztephan Dark. The other members of the band formed Witchery, along with Sharlee D'Angelo (Arch Enemy, Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate was a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen. Initially active from 1981 to 1985, they reunited in 1992. The band went on hiatus again in 2000, when frontman King Diamond decided to continue his solo career...
) on bass guitar. Restless And Dead was their first studio album released under the Witchery
Witchery
Witchery is a Swedish thrash/speed metal band, formed by former members of Satanic Slaughter in 1997. The current lineup consists of vocalist Emperor Magus Caligula , ex-Devian), guitarists Patrik Jensen and Rickard "Richard Corpse" Rimfält, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, and drummer Martin Axenrot...
moniker and was recorded in a week in Blue Hill Studios, Linköping, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
The album is in the style of thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, though with some use of 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....
and 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....
aesthetics. These additions to the thrash metal template are less noticeable than in Satanic Slaughter and give the album a distinctive sound due to the combination of styles being a rarity when the album was recorded.
This album is the first to feature the distinctive Witchery "W", a sign that band mascot Ben Wrangle shows on the front cover and also on the CD itself. The "W" is a misappropriation of the "devil horns" hand gesture invented by Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
during his tenure as vocalist with 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...
.
Track Listing
All music and lyrics written by Jensen unless otherwise stated.- "The Reaper" - 2:19 (lyrics by Toxine)
- "Witchery" - 3:06
- "Midnight At The Graveyard" - 3:32 (music by Jensen/Toxine)
- "The Hangman" - 4:00
- "Awaiting The Exorcist" - 3:18 (music by Jensen/Corpse)
- "All Evil"- 3:21 (music by Jensen/Corpse)
- "The House Of Raining Blood" - 3:46 (lyrics by Jensen/D'Angelo)
- "Into Purgatory" - 4:05
- "Born In The Night" - 5:11 (music by Jensen/Corpse)
- "Restless And Dead" - 3:03
Personnel
- Toxine - vocals
- Richard Corpse - lead guitar
- Mique - drums
- JensenPatrik JensenPatrik Jensen is a Swedish guitarist who formed the Swedish thrash metal musical group The Haunted in 1996 with Adrian Erlandsson. He was formerly a member of Seance and Satanic Slaughter and is also a founding member and sole music/lyric writer of Witchery. He is sometimes just referred to as...
- rhythm guitar - Sharlee D'AngeloSharlee D'AngeloSharlee D'Angelo is the bassist for Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, as well as the Swedish hard rock band Spiritual Beggars.Sharlee has also been in various bands in the past, either as a studio session player or full member. Some of these include IllWill and Mercyful Fate as well as...
- bass guitar - Johan LarssonJohan LarssonJohan Larsson is a former bassist of the Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames. He was a member of In Flames from 1993 until 1997. Johan was also the original bassist of the Swedish power metal band HammerFall, but quit before the band ever released a studio album.-Album appearances:* Lunar...
and Andreas Deblén - additional vocals
- Engineered by Gunnar Jangbrant and Janne Karlsson
- Mastered by Göran Finnberg at the Mastering Room
- Produced by WitcheryWitcheryWitchery is a Swedish thrash/speed metal band, formed by former members of Satanic Slaughter in 1997. The current lineup consists of vocalist Emperor Magus Caligula , ex-Devian), guitarists Patrik Jensen and Rickard "Richard Corpse" Rimfält, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, and drummer Martin Axenrot...