BIOGRAPHY
Crow Black Sky is a black metal band from Cape Town, South Africa, and has been active since 2009. In April 2009, Crow Black Sky was formed by Gideon Lamprecht, Kean Malcolmson, and Stephen Spinas. They were joined by vocalist Ryan Higgo soon thereafter, and their first live appearance took place later that year in July. After a series of auditions, the band was joined by Lawrence Jaeger (Wings of Aggression, The Broken Result) on drums, and Chris Gilbert (Dogs of War) on guitar.
The band entered the recording studio in February 2010, and began work on their debut album, "Pantheion", which was entirely self-produced. The album was officially released on 18 December 2010, and was well received by many international critics. However, the band has mentioned that they consider it to be more of a demo release than anything else. In response to the praise received, a music video for the song 'Stars of God' was released in December 2012.
CROW BLACK SKY’s debut album, 'Pantheion', had such a massive impact that it gained the band over a hundred thousand fans worldwide in a matter of months, making it one of the most successful metal bands to ever have hailed out of South Africa...
The album garnered critical acclaim from a host of international reviewers, praising the album as, for example, “…the greatest way to blend Amon Amarth, Opeth, and Behemoth.”
Musically, the album is based on a unique style: drawing influence from throughout the extreme metal spectrum and occasionally utilizing progressive, classical and acoustic elements, 'Pantheion' holds a balance between skilled musicianship, atmosphere, intricate riff-work and a heavy foundation of 'blackened metal' laid down by three seven-string guitarists.
"The writing, recording, and production of this album has been one hell of an ambitious and exciting undertaking. Along with building the recording environment one piece at a time, we set out on a seemingly-impossible course to write interesting and truly original music, influenced by the diversity of the many genres on the opposite ends of the world of music.
The atmospheres of the different songs drift between foreboding despair, crushing victory, godless arrogance, composed humility, lost love, magnificent power, and heartless betrayal. The lyrics are also based on many different ideas, such as historical battles where the victors were against all odds, ancient cataclysmic earthly and mythical events, the duty to abandon love and life in service to the homeland, and the individual's dismal pilgrimage toward religious corruption or from religious confinement."
Crow Black Sky was booked for a national tour in support of international death metallers Kataklysm in May 2011, but the tour was subsequently cancelled.
The band has announced that a second album is well underway, despite significant lineup changes. The lineup currently consists of Gideon Lamprecht, Ryan Higgo, Lawrence Jaeger and Brad Saunders.
A remastered version of 'Pantheion' was released for free download in January 2012.
On stage, CROW BLACK SKY delivers monolithic live performances that are considered utterly awe-inspiring spectacles, which easily envelop any metal audience in a shroud of magic entrancement.
Formed in: 2009
Status: Active
Years Active: 2009-Present
LINE UP
Ryan Higgo - Vocals
Gideon Lamprecht - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Brad Saunders - Rhythm Guitar
Lawrence Jaeger - Drums
Location: Cape Town, Western Cape
Country of origin: South Africa
Genre: Melodic Black/Death Metal
Current Label: Unsigned/Independent
Booking: management@crowblacksky.com
Press Contact: contact@crowblacksky.com
Official Website: http://www.crowblacksky.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crowblacksky
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CrowBlackSky
Myspace: http://myspace.com/crowblacksky
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/CrowBlackSky
Merch: http://crowblacksky.bigcartel.com
Pantheion (Full-Length Album - 2010)
Released November 30, 2010
Artwork by Stephen Spinas
Production and Mastering by Gideon Lamprecht
