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NEAERA
Let The Tempest Come
Metal Blade |
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From Metal Blade Press Release:
NEAERA
Benny Hilleke - vocals
Tobias Buck - guitars
Stefan Keller - guitars
Benjamin Donath - bass
Sebastian Heldt - drums
Münster, Westphalia, summer of 2003: Tobias Buck, guitarist in
the death/grind band MALZAN, forms a side project in order to
pursue his interest in hardcore and Swedish death metal. The
original line-up, consisting of Buck, Sebastian Heldt (d), Benny
Hilleke (v), and Benjamin Donath (b), is quickly assembled, and,
just before the debut show, THE NINTH GATE is chosen as the
band’s name. Soon after this show the band is joined by
guitarist Stefan Keller, whose riff ideas further enrich the
creative output of the young group.
New songs are written, and the existing ones are made to fit the
band’s new found twin guitar attack. Over two consecutive
weekends in February 2004 the band lays down a demo at the
Docma-Klang studio in Osnabrück with excellent results. The
sound quality captured by producer Matze turns out to be rather
exceptional for a demo CD.
The CD is immediately presented to fans and label people,
gaining excellent feedback all around. The actual course of
events, however, surpasses everybody’s highest expectations.
2nd April 2004 – less then a year after the band’s inception and
only a few months into the band’s existence in its present
line-up – THE NINTH GATE are offered a recording contract by
Metal Blade Records, literally making the five youngsters’
dreams come true. Understanding that a new name is needed to
replace the old moniker, which had been born more out of
necessity than anything else, the quintet starts brainstorming,
soon emerging with a name that represents the band’s philosophy
as a whole. The name is that of a character from Greek
mythology, a woman who was sold into sexual slavery, being
proscribed, oppressed and exploited all her life. Never entirely
able to overcome her past, she was, however, “allowed” by her
owners to buy her own freedom, a situation which is sadly still
a widespread reality in present times. This woman was called
NEAERA.
A contract is signed between Metal Blade Records and the newly
named NEAERA, who enter Stage One Studio with veteran producer
Andy Classen in November 2004 in order to record their debut
album. “The Rising Tide Of Oblivion” is released on March 21,
2005, being met almost exclusively with positive reviews.
After the release of their debut CD, the band is confronted with
a lot of interviews, booking inquiries and media interest for
the first time, transforming the initially planned side project
into the serious, up-and-coming German death metalcore act it is
today. After a few weekend shows, the band is finally able to
fulfill its second biggest aspiration besides a recording
contract, their first big European tour supporting huge names in
the scene. NEAERA play 24 shows as part of the Hell on Earth
Tour, which also features HEAVEN SHALL BURN, AS I LAY DYING,
EVERGREEN TERRACE, AGENTS OF MAN and END OF DAYS. The tour turns
into the band’s biggest success on a personal and musical level,
becoming a major landmark in their career. Many weekend shows
follow in countries like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland,
Denmark and Estonia. Another short tour with CALIBAN, FEAR MY
THOUGHTS, DESTINY and NARZISS rounds up a fantastic year, in
which NEAERA played a total of 60 to 70 shows.
Musically speaking, the band doesn’t rest on their laurels
either. A studio date for January 2006 at Denmark’s Hansen
studios with producer Jacob Hansen (FEAR MY THOUGHTS, MAROON,
COMMUNIC, SOUL DEMISE) is already booked in June 2005. The
songwriting process takes up the best part of the year, with
Tobias Buck, Stefan Keller and Sebastian Heldt writing roughly
one song a month. The studio sessions with Jacob Hansen turn out
to be extremely gratifying, more than living up to the band’s
expectations. |
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