Be'lakor
{{Short description|Australian melodic death metal band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Be'lakor
| image = Be’Lakor Party.San Metal Open Air 2023 25.jpg
| image_size =
| landscape = yes
| alt =
| caption = Be’Lakor live in 2023
| alias =
| origin = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| genre = Melodic death metal, progressive metal
| years_active = {{Start date|2004}}–present
| label = Kolony, Prime Cuts, Descent, Napalm
| website = {{URL|belakorband.com}}
| current_members = George Kosmas
Shaun Sykes
Steven Merry
John Richardson
Elliott Sansom
| past_members = Jimmy Vanden Broeck
}}
Be'lakor is an Australian melodic death metal band from Melbourne, Victoria. The band's name originates from the character Be'lakor the Dark Master, in the Warhammer Fantasy game setting.
History
Be'lakor formed as a band in 2004, but did not start playing live shows until 2005.{{cite web|url=http://www.seaoftranquility.org/article.php?sid=1412 |title=Interviews: Australia's Be'lakor Avoid the Sophomore Jinx with Stone's Reach |date=25 October 2009 |last=Pardo |first=Pete |access-date=28 November 2009 |publisher=Sea of Tranquility}} In 2007, the band self-released their debut album, The Frail Tide, which received generally positive reviews.{{cite web |url=http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showinterview.php?id=2000 |title=Be'lakor |author= Lords Of Metal - Issue 77: January 2008 |access-date=28 November 2009 |publisher=Lords of Metal |date=January 2008}}{{cite web|url=http://www.themetalforge.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1268|publisher=The Metal Forge |title=Belakor, The Frail Tide|access-date=28 November 2009}} In 2008, Be'lakor signed with Descent Productions, and re-released The Frail Tide in digipack form.{{cite web |url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=36797 |title=Be'lakor Signs With Descent Productions |author=deathbringer |publisher=Metal Underground |date=22 May 2008 |access-date=28 November 2009}} In 2009, Be'lakor embarked on a national tour, and signed with Prime Cuts Music.{{cite web |url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=45026 |title=Be'lakor Announces Australian Tour |author=deathbringer |publisher=Metal Underground |date=1 June 2009 |access-date=28 November 2009}} Their second album, Stone's Reach, was released on 20 June 2009
and received much praise by reviewers.{{cite web |url=http://masterful-magazine.com/recenzja_result.php?wynik=detail&rodzaj=recenzje&id=2636 |title=Be'lakor - "Stone's Reach" (Australia) |publisher=Masterful Magazine |access-date=28 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031202456/http://www.masterful-magazine.com/recenzja_result.php?wynik=detail&rodzaj=recenzje&id=2636 |archive-date=31 October 2009 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=8183 |title=Review: "Be'lakor: Stone's Reach" - Sea of Tranquility |date=7 September 2009 |last=Pardo |first=Pete |access-date=28 November 2009 |publisher=Sea of Tranquility}} In November 2009, Be'lakor signed with Kolony Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=50397 |title=Be'lakor Signs To Kolony Records |date=20 November 2009 |author=xFiruath |publisher=Metal Underground |access-date=28 November 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091123162040/http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=50397| archive-date= 23 November 2009 | url-status= live}}
In March 2010, Be'lakor's album Stone's Reach took first place in Metal Storm's "Best Melodeath/Gothenburg Metal Album" for 2009.[http://www.metalstorm.ee/awards/categories.php?cat_id=4 The Best Melodeath/Gothenburg Metal Album]. MetalStorm.net. Retrieved 16 September 2010. Be'lakor also supported Turisas on their national tour of Australia in May. They were the opening act for Alestorm in Melbourne for their "PLUNDER DOWNUNDER” tour in June 2010. The band also performed at the Summer Breeze Open Air Festival in Germany in August 2010.[http://www.summer-breeze.de/site.php?name=News News/Newsletter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504104856/http://www.summer-breeze.de/site.php?name=News |date=2010-05-04 }}. Summer-Breeze.de. Retrieved 16 September 2010 and 2012.
Be'lakor released their third album Of Breath and Bone in June 2012. They began touring Europe, playing Brutal Assault in the Czech Republic. They also performed at the Summer Breeze Open Air Festival in Germany during August 2012. They supported Apocalyptica in Melbourne during their 2012 Australia tour in September, and At the Gates in Melbourne during their tour in November.
In August 2015, the band returned to Europe and played Brutal Assault in Czechia,{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/belakor/2015/vojenska-pevnost-josefov-jaromer-czech-republic-6bf646ea.html|title=Be'lakor Setlist at Brutal Assault XX|website=setlist.fm|access-date=2018-02-16}} Rockstadt Open Air in Romania{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/belakor/2015/cetatea-rasnov-rosenau-romania-13f789d9.html|title=Be'lakor Setlist at Rockstadt Extreme Festival 2015|website=setlist.fm|access-date=2018-02-16}} and Summer Breeze.{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/belakor/2015/flugplatz-des-aeroclubs-dinkelsbuhl-dinkelsbuhl-germany-7bf782c0.html|title=Be'lakor Setlist at Summer Breeze 2015|website=setlist.fm|access-date=2018-02-16}} Matt Dodds of Arbrynth took over lead guitar duties for Shaun due to illness.
On 21 September 2015, the band announced that their fourth album would be released in March 2016. Later, on 29 December, drummer Jimmy Vanden Broeck left the band to pursue other musical ventures. He was replaced by Elliott Sansom, who also performs with Melbourne-based bands Dusk Cult & Okera.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Elliott_Sansom/135702|title=Elliott Sansom - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives}} On 24 June 2016 Be'lakor released Vessels, the band's fourth album.[http://belakorband.com/release/vessels-2016 Release details of Vessels]. belakorband.com. Retrieved 30 September 2016. Coherence followed five years later, on 29 October 2021.
Band members
Current
- George Kosmas – vocals, guitars (2004–present)
- Shaun Sykes – guitars (2004–present)
- Elliott Sansom – drums (2015–present)
- Steven Merry – keyboards, piano (2004–present)
- John Richardson – bass (2004–present)
Former
- Jimmy Vanden Broeck – drums (2004–2015)
Touring
- Matt Dodds – guitars (2015)
=Timeline=
{{#tag:timeline|
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id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitars
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
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bar:Sykes text:"Shaun Sykes"
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bar:Sansom text:"Elliott Sansom"
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bar:Sykes from:01/08/2015 till:29/12/2015 color:Guitar width:4
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bar:Sansom from:29/12/2015 till:end color:Drums }}
Endorsements
Discography
- The Frail Tide (2007)
- Stone's Reach (2009)
- Of Breath and Bone (2012)
- Vessels (2016)
- Coherence (2021)
Awards and nominations
=Music Victoria Awards=
The Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.
{{awards table}}
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| Music Victoria Awards of 2016
| Vessels
| Best Heavy Album
| {{won}}
|rowspan="1"| {{Cite web|url= https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-nominees|title= Previous Nominess|website= Music Victoria|accessdate= 13 August 2020|archive-date= 19 September 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200919214225/https://www.musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-nominees|url-status= dead}}{{cite web|url=https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|title=Previous Winners|website=Music Victoria|accessdate=13 August 2020|archive-date=31 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731040330/https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|url-status=dead}}
|-
{{end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{cc}}
- {{official website|http://belakorband.com/}}
- [https://www.facebook.com/belakorband Be'lakor] at Facebook
- {{allmusic}}
{{Be'lakor}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Australian melodic death metal musical groups
Category:Australian musical quintets