Samsas Traum

 Today in 2001 Samsas Traum released the album Utopia

Marburg, Hesse, Germany Gothic/Avant-garde Black Metal (early), Neoclassical/Darkwave/Gothic Metal (later)

Status:Active

Years active:1996-present

Formed in 1996 by Alexander Kaschte, Samsas Traum was a German (eventually calling Austria home) experimental metal act, encompassing elements of dark wave, black metal, and symphonic metal. The project came together out of Kaschte's frustration with the group dynamic, and he released his first solo work, Nostalgische Atavismen, in 1996. That was followed by a second demo release, Home Recordings, that same year. Following these demo releases on his own, Samsas Traum, ironically, took on members, and became a group. Now a trio, Samsas Traum scored a record deal with Trisol Music Group in 1999. The group's ‘official debut,' Die Liebe Gottes -- Eine märchenhafte black metal --Operette (The Love of God -- A Black Metal Fairy Tale Opera) saw the dark of night in 1999, and was met with mixed reception. Their next album, O Luna Mein, came out in 2000, and was a more avant garde affair. The band released a handful of albums and EPs over the next few years (2001's Utopia, 2002's Ipsissima Verba EP, 2003's Tineoidea oder: Die Folgen einer Nacht -- Eine Gothicoper in Blut-Moll, a best-of in 2004, 2005's DVD and CD release, Einer gegen Alle, and a smattering of re-releases and remixes). In 2007 the band released two markedly different albums, one very black, Heiliges Herz -- Das Schwert deiner Sonne, and one very acoustic and personal, Wenn schwarzer Regen.

Armageddon Shadow

Alexander Kaschte Guitars, Programming, Vocals

Daniel Schröder Bass clarinet, Saxophone

Sebastian Franke Bass

Lydia Budnick Vocals (female)

1. Terra... 02:28  

2. ...an Solaris 07:53   

3. Scherenschnitt 04:22   

4. Phantasai, lieb' Phantasai! 07:11   

5. Alles oder alles! 03:52  

6. Ach Schwesterlein im Eispalast 05:03    

7. Mein großer Scharlatan 04:15   

8. Der Triumph des Herzens 03:51   

9. Stromausfall im Herzspital 04:28   

10. Ein Duell mit Gott 06:45  

11. Die Kinderarmee 04:44  

12. Stirb endlich... 07:16    

13. Terra Titanic (Peter Schilling cover) 04:50  

14. Phantasai, lieb' Phantasai! (Kellerkind Version) 07:11    

  01:14:09  

Re-released in 2005 by Trisol in a DVD-digipack, with different artwork and a bonus CD:

01. Scherenschnitt

02. Schwesterlein im Eispalast

03. Mein großer Scharlatan

04. Ahab

05. Gitter

06. Intro / Ein Name im Kristall

07. K.haos-Prinz und Wind-Prinzessin

08. Für immer

09. Mater Lagrimarum

10. Mater Tenebrarum (Opus Tenebrarum)

11. Tineoidea (Hagbard Celine RMX)

12. Kamikaze!

13. 20 Schritte Freiheit (Teil III)

01-03: Remixes

04-05: Unreleased studio material

06-08: Live tracks (Kulturbrauerei Görlitz / 05.02.2005)

09-10: Rarities from the "Kazanian / Nostalgische Atavismen"-Demotape

11-12: Rarities from the "Ipsissima Verba"-EP

13: Continuation radio play

Re-released in 2006 by Trisol with original artwork and the bonus CD of the 2005 re-release.

Re-released in 2006 by Over the Rainbow Records without bonus material.

Am I Blood

 Today in 2001 Am I Blood released the album The Truth Inside the Dying Sun

Helsinki, Finland Thrash Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 1992-1997 (as St. Mucus), 1997-present
This Finnish band started life under the curious monicker St. Mucus, releasing a debut album (Natural Mutation) in 1995 under that name before switching to Am I Blood a year or two later. During those early days current Amorphis vocalist Pasi Koskinen was the vocalist, leaving one month before the recording of Mutation. Stylewise, Metallica is the primary soundalike here, with Janne Kerminen's vocals being a dead ringer for James Hetfield and the musical style (crunchy, upbeat hard metal, bordering on thrash without really being a thrash band) very reminiscient of mid-period Metallica circa their black self-titled album. They've had their share of record label problems (indeed, The Truth Inside The Dying Sun was finished in 2001 but languished unreleased for four years due to the record label folding), resulting in their last couple of albums being self-released.

Independent

Janne Kerminen Vocals
Pekka Kulmala Guitars
Hans Lanblade Guitars
Toni Grönroos Bass
Sale Drums

1. Gone with You 03:52
2. War of My Misery 04:59
3. The Truth Inside the Dying Sun 04:20
4. Lies Wrote Mysteries 04:10
5. Struggle in Disarray 05:13
6. The One Who Forgives 05:01
7. The Saddest Grief 06:17
8. Painful Ignorance 04:35
9. Nothing Realistic 04:08
10. Collapse of Ritual Belief 05:26
11. Supremacy of Failure 06:47
54:48

Originally intended to be released through Screaming Banshee CAT# 001, but the company folded and the album was poorly distributed.

Virgin Steele

 Today in 1999 Virgin Steele released the album The House of Atreus: Act I

Long Island, New York Heavy Metal/Hard Rock (early), Heavy/Power Metal (later)

Status:Active

Years active: 1981-present

Virgin Steele have been around since the early 80's, at which time they briefly achieved some acclaim for their early albums before seemingly disappearing from view. But they've always been around, garnering a considerable European following in recent years. On the more recent albums (since, say, Invictus), their experience shines brightly, a classic 80's power metal style (with more than a passing nod to mid-period Manowar), but at a higher level of maturity than a lot of bands jumping on the eighties bandwagon. With the recent The Book Of Burning, Virgin Steele shows no signs of slowing down.

T&T Records

David DeFeis - all vocals, keyboards, orchestration, effects, producer

Edward Pursino - acoustic and electric guitars, bass

Frank Gilchriest - drums

1. Kingdom Of The Fearless (The Destruction Of Troy) (7:39)

2. Blaze Of Victory (The Watchman's Song) (3:59)

3. Through The Ring Of Fire (5:24)

4. Prelude In A Minor (The Voyage Home) (1:13)

5. Death Darkly Closed Their Eyes (The Messenger's Song) (1:25)

6. In Triumph Or Tragedy (1:43)

7. Return Of The King (4:24)

8. Flames Of The Black Star (The Arrows Of Herakles) (6:30)

9. Narcissus (1:13)

10. And Hecate Smiled (2:57)

11. A Song Of Prophecy (2:16)

12. Child Of Desolation (4:48)

13. G Minor Invention (Descent Into Death's Twilight Kingdom) (2:58)

14. Day Of Wrath (1:51)

15. Great Sword Of Flame (4:29)

16. The Gift Of Tantalos (1:56)

17. Iphigenia In Hades (2:01)

18. The Fire God (4:42)

19. Garden Of Lamentation (1:47)

20. Agony And Shame (5:16)

21. Gate Of Kings (3:45)

22. Via Sacra (1:34)

Total Time: 74:00

"The Fire God" first appears on the 1986 Piledriver LP "Stay Ugly".

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed at Media Recording, Bellmore, NY.

Additional engineering by Ed Warrin (Last Chance Studios), Bellmore, NY.

Mastered at Frankford Wayne Mastering Labs, NY.

The House of Atreus Act I, released in 1999, is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It has the subtitle A Barbaric-Romantic Opera. This album is the first part of a metal opera inspired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which concerns the end of the curse on the House of Atreus. The music was intended to be the soundtrack for theatrical shows, with actors impersonating the characters of the tragedy. The metal opera was actually performed under the name "Klytaimnestra - The House Of Atreus" in European theatres from 1999 to 2001, with the production of the Memmingen Opera House company and Landestheater Production.

The song "The Fire God" first appears on the 1986 Piledriver LP Stay Ugly

Vintersorg

 Today in 1999 Vintersong released the album Ödemarkens son

Skellefteå,Sweden Viking/Folk Metal, Progressive Metal

Status:Active

Years active:1994-1996 (as Vargatron), 1996-present

The origins of Vintersorg the band come from a band called Vargartron in 1994. The band eventually folded, but Vintersorg (the man) decided to continue with some of the band ideas, and so Vintersorg the band was born. Mostly a one-man project with only a couple of guests helping out (though guitarist Mattias Marklund is now considered an official full member), the Vintersorg style is epic, post-black metal, with occasional folk influences. Vintersorg's midrange vocals are unique (the closest comparison might be Dan Swano's clean/non-death style), he is a fine vocalist and a very good songwriter, as the songs have none of the self-indulgence one might expect from a one-man band.

Vintersorg (the man) has recently joined Borknagar as their vocalist, but this band remains an ongoing project. He is also a member of two other bands, the more folky Otyg and the gothic-inspired Havayoth, both of which have recorded albums.

Napalm Records

Vintersorg Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards

Guest/Session

Vargher Keyboards, Drum Programming

Cia Hedmark Violin, Vocals (additional) (track 2, 4)

Andreas Frank Guitars (lead) (track 1, 5, 8, 9)

1. När alver sina runor sjungit 04:46

2. Svältvinter 04:36

3. Under norrskenets fallande ljusspel 03:54

4. Månskensmän 05:46

5. Ödemarkens son 05:17

6. Trollbunden 02:44

7. Offerbäcken 04:29

8. I den trolska dalens hjärta 05:55

9. På landet 06:35

44:02

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Ballerina Audio between the 31st of May and the 16th of June 1999.

Drums and keyboards created in Wolf's Lair 1999.

The Kovenant

 Today in 1999 The Kovenant released there debut album Animatronic

Bergen,Norway Electronic/Industrial Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 1992-1999 (as Covenant), 1999-present
The Kovenant, the band known formerly as Covenant, has come a long way since their early days. As Covenant, this band released two albums, with the first (In Times Before The Night) a rather typical black metal affair, and the latter (Nexus Polaris) widely regarded as a classic in the black metal field, though by this time the band was broadening its style and was already uncomfortable being labelled as black metal. To avoid legal conflicts with a Swedish band also called Covenant, the band decided to switch names to The Kovenant, but the change did not end there. Stripped to a trio, all of which took new stage names, the band also made a stylistic change on the newer Animatronic album, taking a bit of the Nexus sound and combining it with a sort of spacey, industrial/techno blend. Comparisons to bands such as Marilyn Manson and Rammstein have been made (neither of which are completely valid, though one can find some traces of both on Animatronic) -- though the new album is somewhat more accessible than its predecessor, the shift isn't quite as drastic as others have claimed. Not surprisingly, the change in image and sound sharply divided fans, some of whom welcomed the new look and others who wanted more of the Nexus style.
Quiet for the next couple of years, The Kovenant decided on an interesting move, opting to add modern effects (in keeping with their current direction) to the In Times debut, essentially releasing an updated, enhanced version of the album. Finally, 2003 saw the release of their proper followup to Animatronic, in the form of S.E.T.I.. Their progression away from black metal is now complete, as the band is now firmly in the techno/electronic metal arena, somewhat like a cross between the recent albums of Atrocity and Theatre Of Tragedy. Again, anyone expecting their recent material to sound anything like Nexus Polaris might be disappointed, but their new direction is intriguing, and S.E.T.I. is an interesting album in a not so crowded field.
Nuclear Blast Records
Lex Icon Vocals, Bass
Psy Coma Guitars, Keyboards, Programming
von Blomberg Drums
Guest/Session
Eileen Küpper Vocals (soprano)
1. Mirrors Paradise 05:01
2. New World Order 04:30
3. Mannequin 05:00
4. Sindrom 05:30
5. Jihad 05:58
6. The Human Abstract 04:55
7. Prophecies of Fire 04:38
8. In the Name of the Future 04:56
9. Spaceman (Babylon Zoo cover) 05:23
10. The Birth of Tragedy 05:16
51:07
CD comes in a slipcase for its first edition. A silver sticker with black lettering
"... ex - Covenant (N) ..." and the rating of the album in three magazines
was on the slipcase.
The first catalog number is printed on the slipcase and jewelcase spines.
The second one is printed on the back cover (both slipcase and jewelcase) and the disc front.
This was the beginning of the group taking an electronica approach towards their metal music.
All music and lyrics by The Kovenant, except "Spaceman" by Babylon Zoo.
Japanese bonus track:
11. New World Order (Remix by Mat Sinner)
Issued as a limited edition Pic-LP (Nuclear Blast Picture Disc Series).
Recording information:
Recorded at Woodhouse Studios.

Lux Occulta

 Today in 1999 Lux Occulta released the album My Guardian Anger

Dukla (early), Cracow (later),Poland Black Metal (early), Extreme Avant-garde Metal (later)

Status:Active

Years active: 1994-2002, 2011-present

Lux Occulta had a relatively short run in the late nineties, but remains the clear BNR favorite among Polish metal bands. Formed in late 1994, they reached their peak with 1999's My Guardian Anger, where they harnessed their highly original brand of frenzied, technical black metal, most notable for some brilliant keyboard and drum work. The followup, 2001's The Mother And The Enemy, went off the rails a bit, clearly showing a band in conflict, as the album featured several tracks in the mold of their previous works but also tracks that branched out in bizarre directions, such as the odd but ultra-cool Portishead-styled trip-hop of "Midnight Crisis" and "Yet Another Armageddon", and the industrial death march of "Gambit". To some these alternate tracks made no sense whatsoever, though to these ears they were a fresh addition and a great contrast to their more traditional works. Unfortunately it was this lack of direction that most likely led to the band's demise soon after Mother's release. As late as 2007 a revamped lineup was still in existence, but all was quiet until 2012, when formal work commenced on a new album, now set for a spring 2014 release.

Pagan Records

Fool Vocals

Hermit Keyboards

Magican Guitars (rhythm)

Death Drums

Devil Guitars (lead)

Sun Bass

Guest/Session

Dorota Szostak Vocals

Magdalena Drozdowska Viola

Maria Kowalkowska Viola

1. The Heresiarch 06:26   

2. Kiss My Sword 05:36   

3. Triangle 01:08   instrumental

4. The Opening of the Eleventh Sephirah 09:35   

5. Nude Sophia 05:52  

6. Cube 01:04   instrumental

7. Library on Fire 07:11  

8. Mane - Tekel - Fares 09:05    

  45:57

Recorded and mixed at Selani Studio, December 1998 - January 1999.

Co-produced by Lux Occulta.

Mastered in Studio 333.

Korn

 Today in 1999 Korn released the album Issues

Bakersfield, California, Nu metal, alternative metal

Status:Active

Years active 1993–present

The downtuned guitars, the hip-hop influences, the chaotic vocal style -- for a time there it seemed everyone was playing nu-metal, but Korn have been doing it longer than most, and thus deserve acclaim as being one of the originators of the style (Deftones deserve credit too), as well as the scourge of "real metal" fans who believe their style to not be metal at all (an opinion not fully shared here). Now more than two decades into their career, Korn continues to release albums that set them apart from their many imitators, though at the same time they really haven't broadened their horizons significantly since their seminal 1994 debut. Having weathered the storm that was the well-publicized departure of guitarist Brian Welch in 2005 (and subsequent return 8 years later), the band has shown renewed vigor as of late and still are at the top of their game.

Epic

Jonathan Davis - vocals, bagpipes, additional drums, programming

Fieldy - bass, programming

Munky - guitars

Head - guitars

David Silveria - drums

1. "Dead" 1:12

2. "Falling Away from Me" 4:29

3. "Trash" 3:27

4. "4 U" 1:42

5. "Beg for Me" 3:53

6. "Make Me Bad" 3:55

7. "It's Gonna Go Away" 1:29

8. "Wake Up" 4:07

9. "Am I Going Crazy" 1:00

10. "Hey Daddy" 3:44

11. "Somebody Someone" 3:47

12. "No Way" 4:07

13. "Let's Get This Party Started" 3:41

14. "Wish You Could Be Me" 1:07

15. "Counting" 3:37

16. "Dirty" 7:50

Total length: 53:16

Issues is the fourth studio album by American nu metal band Korn, released on November 16, 1999 through Immortal Records. Since its release, the album has sold over 13 million copies worldwide. The album was promoted throughout 2000 by the band's highly successful Sick and Twisted Tour.