Thanatos (band)

Thanatos is a Dutch death/thrash metal band from Rotterdam, formed in 1984. They have released seven studio albums.

History

With a history dating back to 1984, Thanatos is the oldest death metal band from the Netherlands.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their second album, Realm of Ecstasy (some album covers show Realm of Template:Sic), received positive marks from Dutch music magazine Oor and various international magazines for its solid compositions and challenging arrangements.<ref name="popinstituut">"Thanatos," Popencyclopedie, Muziekcentrum Nederland Template:Webarchive</ref> After enduring constantly changing line-ups and problems with distribution, promotion, and even ownership of the rights to the second album, Thanatos folded in 1992, the final straw being the cancellation of a tour with Cannibal Corpse and Exhorder.<ref name="popinstituut" />

In 1999, founding member Stephan Gebédi revived the band, which signs with Hammerheart Records. After re-releasing the first two albums with demo and live tracks, the band's third full album, Angelic Encounters, emerged in 2000. In 2002, a mini-CD with original songs as well as covers from Celtic Frost and Possessed was released by Baphomet. After a few shows in Greece and a short tour with Pungent Stench, the band recorded their fourth album, Undead. Unholy. Divine, described as a solid return to 1980s metal (in the style of Slayer, Possessed) with the addition of blast beats.<ref name="file">Template:Cite web</ref> Release of a fifth album, Justified Genocide, was postponed when the band's label at the time, Black Lotus Records, went bankrupt; Dan Swano finished the mix for the CD.<ref name="interview">Template:Cite web</ref> To celebrate more than twenty years of Dutch death metal, Thanatos released (on Chinese label AreaDeath Productions) a limited-edition box containing Emerging from the Netherworlds, Realm of Ecstasy, and Angelic Encounters, besides 56 bonus tracks and 19 videos.<ref name="popinstituut" />

In February 2009, the band issued an update containing details about their upcoming album Justified Genocide. It was released on 15 March in Europe and 6 April in the UK and Ireland.<ref name="details">"Justified Genocide Details" – Blabbermouth.net Template:Webarchive</ref>

Century Media Records signed the band in 2012. The initial plan was to re-release the five studio albums of the band in 2012 and 2013, but the label offered the band a new recording contract which resulted in a new studio album from Thanatos in 2014, entitled Global Purification. This coincided with the band's 30th anniversary in that year. In 2019, Thanatos celebrated their 35th anniversary with a double-CD compilation album, a 7-inch vinyl EP and a special show in their hometown Rotterdam featuring a lot of former band members. Later that year, they signed a new record deal with French label Listenable Records and started recording their seventh studio album. The album, Violent Death Rituals, had a March 2020 release.

Members

File:Thanatos Party.San Metal Open Air 2019 07.jpg

Thanatos performing in 2019

Current

• Stephan Gebédi – vocals, guitar (1984–1992, 1999–present)
• Paul Baayens – guitar (1999–present)
• Mous Mirer – bass (2019–present)
• Martin Ooms – drums (2017–present)

Former

• Marcel van Arnhem – drums (1984–1985)
• Remco de Maaijer – guitar (1984–1985)
• André Scherpenberg – bass (1986–1987)
• Rob de Bruin – drums (1986)
• Remo van Arnhem – drums (1986–1992)
• Erwin de Brouwer – bass (1987), guitar (1988–1992)
• Mark Staffhorst – guitar (1987–1988)
• Ed Boeser – bass (1988–1992)
• Theo van Eekelen – bass (1999–2001)
• Aad Kloosterwaard – drums (1999–2001)
• Marco de Groot – drums (2009–2012)
• Yuri Rinkel – drums (2001–2009, 2013–2017)
• Marco de Bruin – bass, guitar (2001–2019)

Timeline

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id:guitar    value:green     legend:Guitar
id:bass    value:blue      legend:Bass
id:drums   value:orange    legend:Drums
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id:studio   value:black     legend:Studio_album
id:other   value:gray(0.5) legend:Other_release

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bar:Erwin        text:"Erwin de Brouwer"
bar:Ed            text:"Ed Boeser"
bar:Theo        text:"Theo van Eekelen"
bar:Marco      text:"Marco de Bruin"
bar:Mous       text:"Mous Mirer"
bar:Marcel     text:"Marcel van Arnhem"
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bar:Remo      text:"Remo van Arnhem"
bar:Aad         text:"Aad Kloosterwaard"
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bar:Marco2   text:"Marco de Groot"
bar:Martin   text: "Martin Ooms"

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bar:Stephan    from:04/01/1999 till:end  color:vocals
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bar:Mark        from:03/01/1987 till:01/01/1988  color:guitar
bar:Paul         from:04/01/1999 till:end  color:guitar
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bar:Marcel     from:01/01/1984 till:12/01/1985  color:drums
bar:Rob         from:01/01/1986 till:12/01/1986  color:drums
bar:Remo      from:10/01/1986 till:09/01/1992  color:drums
bar:Aad         from:04/01/1999 till:06/01/2001  color:drums
bar:Yuri         from:06/01/2001 till:06/01/2009  color:drums
bar:Marco2   from:06/01/2009 till:06/01/2012  color:drums
bar:Yuri         from:06/01/2012 till:04/01/2017  color:drums
bar:Martin       from:07/10/2017 till:end   color:drums

</timeline>

Discography

Demos

• Speed Kills (1984)
• Rebirth (1986)
• The Day Before Tomorrow (1987)
• Official Live Tape 1987 (1987)
• Omnicoitor (1989)

Studio albums

• Emerging from the Netherworlds (1990)
• Realm of Ecstasy (1992)
• Angelic Encounters (2000)
• Undead. Unholy. Divine. (2004)
• Justified Genocide (2009)
• Global Purification (2014)
• Violent Death Rituals (2020)

Live album

• Official Live Tape 1987 (2011 CD reissue)

Compilation albums

• Thanatology: Terror from the Vault (2019)
• Four Decades of Death (2024)

EPs

• Beyond Terror (2002)
• The Burning of Sodom/...And Jesus Wept (2006)
• Thanatos/Asphyx 7-inch split EP; Thanatos: Re-animation (Sacrifice cover) / Asphyx: Bestial Vomit (Majesty cover) (2011)
• Blind Obedience/Thanatos (2019)

External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:Allmusic