Formed in 2012 from constantly boiling musical cauldron that is Austin, TX, Destroyer of Light has taken a straight forward approach to tempering the disparate and harmonious parts of their influences into a total sum of slow motion tidal heaviness that bows to no altar but that of the riff. With the smoky flavors of hazed out doom and the stomping cadence of rock’s heyday, the band both tickles and deafens the ears with the theatrical flashes of Mercyful Fate, the ominous tones of Electric Wizard, and the ferociously feral feedback of a Sleep dirge.
“What I love so much about Destroyer Of Light is that even though they play music that could be categorized as doom metal, they are very much a rock band. In a genre where many take themselves too seriously and create crushing odes to how sad they are, Destroyer Of Light manage to bring in guitar harmonies and flashy solos to lighten things up. That being said – don't think that the band isn't monumental in their own right – their headbanging magic is accented by minor key solos and melodies that tear at the heart. Willing to play it fast and loose, Destroyer Of Light use their frontman's unearthly cleans to guide you on a unique musical journey that is weird, demented, and far too much fun.”
HELL OBELISCO was born in the second half of 2015, with the intention of forming a well-defined musical entity, characterized by a heavy/sludge sound but, at the same time, by definite rhythmic dynamics. The engagement of Doc and Fraz (guitars) was the decisive step to start a shared path also in terms of attitude.
The evolution of HELL OBELISCO was mainly determined by the cohesion of the band and a refinement of sound and arrangements, made possible also by the addition of Fraz to the choirs. The band's style is the result of twenty-five years of activity in very different musical experiences, but it is mainly influenced by a cinematographic inspiration and by directors like John Carpenter and David Cronenberg, as well as the very first Steven Spielberg (Jaws) and Ridley Scott (Alien). The debut of the HELL OBELISCO, Swamp Wizard Rises, is the natural development of a couple of songs composed for promotional purposes, which draw the attention of Argonauta Records, the most qualified label in this kind of sound. The recordings with Para at the Boat Studios and the mixing with Paso at Studio 73 highlighted the band's personality, taking advantage of modern technology and bringing out some particularly representative songs like Teenage Mammoth Club and Earth Rage Apocalypse.
The Swamp Wizard Rises features vocalist Tony J.J. (Transport League and B-Thong) and Carmelo Orlando (Novembre). Considering that every member of HELL OBELISCO is a fan of these artists, their collaboration respectively with the songs Voodoo Alligator Blood and Biting Killing Machine was not only a matter of prestige, but a quality improvement of the album in a general sense.
The reference point of HELL OBELISCO for the cover and the artwork of Swamp Wizard Rises has always been the illustrator Roberto Toderico, a fantastic artist who was able to capture the band's imagination and develop it in the most complete way. Despite a great variety of settings and scenarios, including ancestral rites practiced in the swamps, violent robberies and mother earth rebelling against man's greed, the central figure of the concept is a sorcerer who identifies the darkness of the human being and the world around him.
The release of Swamp Wizard Rises represents for HELL OBELISCO the achievement of a great goal in terms of creativity and receptivity from the widest possible audience. The intention of the band is promoting their hard work playing live in Italy and abroad, as this is the ambience from which the disruptive energy and the entertainment skills of HELL OBELISCO emerge in the most genuine way.
“Bogwife is a newly formed band from november 2018. They are all localfrom Aalborg, Denmark. Playing fast, slow and hard. Simple repeating riffs overdrived and fuzzed”