Mistress (band)
{{Short description|British metal band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2011}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Mistress
| image =
| caption =
| image_upright =
| alias =
| origin = Birmingham, England
| genre = Sludge metal, grindcore
| years_active = 1999–2008
2009 (partial reunion)
| label = Earache Records
| website =
| current_members = Misery
Dave Hunt
Dirty Von Arse
Mick Kenney
Drunken
| past_members =
}}
Mistress were a British extreme metal band from Birmingham, England. The members of this five-piece band adopted pseudonyms as stage-names including: Drunken and Misery on guitars, Dirty Von Arse on bass, Dave Cunt on vocals and Migg on drums. Dave Cunt (a.k.a. Dave Hunt) is also a member of Anaal Nathrakh and Migg (a.k.a. Mick Kenney) is in several other bands, including Anaal Nathrakh, Exploder, Fukpig and Frost. Misery (Paul Kenney, Micks Older Brother), also plays in Fukpig and Kroh. Mistress announced their split in 2008.
History
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The band formed at the end of the 1990s in Birmingham and began playing their own take on the vitriolic Iron Monkey / Eyehategod sludge sound. The band became noted for their offensive, yet intellectual lyrics and incredibly heavy, dirty, downtuned sound.
In 2001, Mistress released two demos, entitled Fuck Off and Lord Worm, which got them signed to the underground Rage of Achilles extreme music label. Their first full-length album for the record label was the self-titled Mistress in April 2002, which received broadly good critical reviews.{{cite web |last1=Rivadavia |first1=Eduardo |title=Mistress Biography by Eduardo Rivadavia |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000900273#biography |website=Allmusic |access-date=4 January 2024 |archive-date=6 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906233333/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000900273#biography |url-status=live }} The follow-up to this, October 2003's Mistress II: The Chronovisor, helped to more firmly establish them as a metal band, along with their growing live reputation.
The band's ability to create filthy sonic rage ensured that they were soon picked up by the much larger Nottingham-based Earache Records, who issued Mistress' third full-length album In Disgust We Trust in June 2005.{{cite news |title=Earache Records signs Mistress |url=https://lambgoat.com/news/3707/earache-records-signs-mistress/ |access-date=4 January 2024 |work=Lambgoat |date=2 August 2004 |archive-date=1 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201192835/https://lambgoat.com/news/3707/earache-records-signs-mistress/ |url-status=live }} In July 2005 Mistress recorded a live session of songs from the album for broadcast on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show.{{cite web |title=MISTRESS Complete Live Session For BBC Radio 1 'Rock Show' |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/mistress-complete-live-session-for-bbc-radio-1-rock-show |website=Blabbermouth.net |access-date=5 January 2024 |date=13 July 2005 |archive-date=5 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105085245/https://blabbermouth.net/news/mistress-complete-live-session-for-bbc-radio-1-rock-show |url-status=live }} In the same year, Earache also re-issued the band's first two albums.
After being dropped from the Earache roster during 2006, the band were signed to Mick Kenney and Shane Embury's new record label, FETO Records. On 23 April 2007, they released their fourth studio album through FETO Records, entitled The Glory Bitches of Doghead, which has dropped the sludge sound in favour of enhancing the grind elements. The album also has an ambient track running throughout (consisting of various noises, including what seems to be rain) created by Misery, which can be heard distinctly between songs, adding depth to the vicious music being played.
Mistress appeared on the Christmas special of Never Mind the Buzzcocks performing Christmas carols in sludge metal.{{cite web |title=Dani Filth on Never Mind The Buzzcocks: "I punched Mark Lamarr's assistant" |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/dani-filth-on-never-mind-the-buzzcocks-i-punched-mark-lamarrs-assistant |website=Metal Hammer |access-date=4 January 2024 |date=22 September 2021 |quote=Never Mind The Buzzcocks was always something of an oddity. Part comedic-panel show and part pop-culture bonfire, the British show revelled in its ability to entertain while giving just about every genre under the sun a good kicking. Metal was no exception - from the chuckles about Napalm Death's grindcore grunts to Mistress playing Christmas songs |archive-date=5 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105085246/https://www.loudersound.com/news/dani-filth-on-never-mind-the-buzzcocks-i-punched-mark-lamarrs-assistant |url-status=live }}
Mistress announced their demise in March 2008.
= One last gig =
Mistress performed one last gig on 24 October 2009 at Damnation Festival.
Members
- Dave Hunt (also known as Dave Cunt, Vitriol) — vocals
- Misery (Paul Kenney) — guitar
- Drunken (Duncan Wilkins) — guitar
- Dirty Von Arse — bass
- Mick Kenney (also known as Migg, Irrumator) — drums
- Earl Robinson — bass for first demo and first few gigs
Discography
= Demos =
- Fuck Off (2001)
- Lord Worm (2001)
= Albums =
- Mistress (2002){{cite web |last1=Schiffmann |first1=Andreas |title=Mistress: Mistress (Review) |url=http://www.musikreviews.de/reviews/2005/Mistress/Mistress/ |access-date=4 January 2024 |work=musikreviews.de |archive-date=27 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627054603/http://www.musikreviews.de/reviews/2005/Mistress/Mistress/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Rivadavia |first1=Eduardo |title=Mistress Review by Eduardo Rivadavia |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mistress-mw0000172385 |website=Allmusic |access-date=4 January 2024 |archive-date=6 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906185053/https://www.allmusic.com/album/mistress-mw0000172385 |url-status=live }}
- Mistress II: The Chronovisor (2003){{cite web |last1=Feratu |first1=Ross |title=REVIEWS MISTRESS s/t CD / II: The Chronovisor CD |url=https://www.ox-fanzine.de/review/s-t-cd-ii-the-chronovisor-cd-43660 |website=Ox-Fanzine |date=2006|access-date=4 January 2024}}
- In Disgust We Trust (2005){{cite web |last1=Kubassa |first1=Uwe |title=REVIEWS MISTRESS In Disgust We Trust CD |url=https://www.ox-fanzine.de/review/in-disgust-we-trust-cd-42467 |website=Ox-Fanzine |access-date=4 January 2024 |date=2005 |archive-date=5 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105085139/https://www.ox-fanzine.de/review/in-disgust-we-trust-cd-42467 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Pratt |first1=Greg |title=Mistress In Disgust We Trust |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/mistress-in_disgust_we_trust |access-date=4 January 2024 |work=Exclaim! |date=1 July 2005 |archive-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930200618/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/mistress-in_disgust_we_trust |url-status=live }}
- The Glory Bitches of Doghead (2007){{cite web |last1=Garland |first1=Robert |title=Mistress The Glory Bitches of Doghead |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/54017/Mistress-The-Glory-Bitches-of-Doghead/ |website=sputnikmusic |access-date=4 January 2024 |archive-date=5 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105085239/https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/54017/Mistress-The-Glory-Bitches-of-Doghead/ |url-status=live }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071106123816/http://www.geocities.com/drindmetal/ Official website] (archived)
- {{allmusic}}
- {{Discogs artist}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Musical groups established in 1999
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2008
Category:Earache Records artists
Category:Rock music groups from Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:British sludge metal musical groups