Nucleus Torn

Nucleus Torn was founded in 1997 as a one-man band by Fredy Schnyder, a versatile musician playing a variety of instruments including acoustic and electric guitars, the piano, recorders, the hammered dulcimer, the bouzouki, percussions, the oud, and others.[http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=2901&bandname=Nucleus+Torn Nucleus Torn band info on Metalstorm.net] Two years later, Schnyder was joined in 2004 the band's second EP Krähenkönigin was released by the Swiss producer Kunsthall, following a two-track demo release titled Submission (2003). In fact, Krähenkönigin had been recorded in 1998 by Fredy Schnyder alone, but it was not released until 2004 --- and even then the release was limited to 300 copies.[http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=2901&bandname=Nucleus+Torn Nucleus Torn band info on Metalstorm.net] Fredy Schnyder himself explains this delay in the production/release of Krähenkönigin by the fact that the material had originally been composed by him in "pieces for solo classical guitar" and without access to studio recording equipment.[http://www.nucleustorn.ch/Nucleus_Trnotes.htm Liner notes and credits to Travellers on the band's official web page] Stylistically, Krähenkönigin is a solo classical guitar album, with the tracks sharing the same general motif and almost comprising a single piece of music. The acoustic guitar themes would be further developed by the band in their later albums, but none of them any longer pertain to the "purely classical" genre as does Krähenkönigin. The three EPs (Krähenkönigin, Silver and Submission) were later remastered and re-released by the band (together with two previously unreleased tracks) on their compilation album Travellers (Prophecy Productions, 2010).[http://www.nucleustorn.ch/Nucleus_Tr.htm Travellers info on the band's official web page]

In 2006, Nucleus Torn released their first full album (CD) Nihil; this was also their first release with the German label Prophecy Productions. The official information on the album mentions that it was the result of "roughly three years of labour".{{Cite web |url=http://www.prophecy.cd/ |title=Band info on Prophecy Productions |access-date=2010-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030080214/http://www.prophecy.cd/ |archive-date=2007-10-30 |url-status=dead }} This album deviates in its musical style from the band's previous releases: if the EPs can be attributed to the folk rock, neoclassical or neofolk genres,[http://www.discogs.com/Nucleus-Torn-Krähenkönigin/release/1014056 Krähenkönigin release information on Discogs.com] Nihil features a decidedly broader stylistic pattern, bringing the band into the scene of progressive rock and extreme metal.{{Cite web |url=http://www.prophecy.cd/ |title=Band info on Prophecy Productions |access-date=2010-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030080214/http://www.prophecy.cd/ |archive-date=2007-10-30 |url-status=dead }} The band's founding member Fredy Schnyder explains this change in the playing style by the desire to blend different genres to convey more emotions:

With ‘Nihil’, we want to cover a broad array of emotions, and for that, we use different styles of music. Apart from that, we wish to prove that different styles of music (being defined as such by people) need not be mutually exclusive at all, if there is an adequate emotional framework for integrating various sounds.

Nihil is the first part of an album trilogy that was projected by the band. In 2008, the second part of the trilogy was released as a CD under the title Knell.

The third and final part of the trilogy entitled Andromeda Awaiting was released by the same label in November, 2010. The official description of this album is as follows:

With every new album, Nucleus Torn open new vistas of sound in the realm of avant-garde rock music. Fredy Schnyder, multi-instrumentalist and founder of this ambitious project from Switzerland, plays up to twenty electric and acoustic instruments and ventures radical musical innovations. Following "Nihil" (2006) and "Knell" (2008), "Andromeda Awaiting" provides the disillusioned, yet conciliatory completion of a conceptional trilogy.

As on the two precursors, Nucleus Torn are creating a new sonic realm on "Andromeda Awaiting." This acoustic and ethereal production blends elements of Progressive Rock with influences from Early Music (Middle Ages, Renaissance) and Impressionism as well as Folk and Jazz. Unique musical and compositional abilities are reflected in a pioneering synthesis of various stylistic elements often deemed incompatible. With "Andromeda Awaiting", Nucleus Torn release the most daring and ambitious album of their career to date --- they have reinvented themselves and their music for the third time in a row.

Andromeda Awaiting received some high ratings from a number of international musical magazines, including 5/5 points by METAL OBS,[http://www.metalobs.com/ Andromeda Awaiting review by Metal Obs] 9/10 points by METALGLORY.DE,[http://metalglory.de/reviews.php?nr=20382 Andromeda Awaiting review by Metalglory.de] 6.5/7 points by METALNEWS.DE,[http://metalnews.de/?metalid=05&action=show&cdid=5271 Andromeda Awaiting review by Metalnews.de] 8/10 points by IMPERIUMI.NET.[http://imperiumi.net/index.php?act=albums&id=11286 Andromeda Awaiting review by Imperiumi.net]

In December 2011, the band released a new album called Golden Age.[http://www.prophecy.de/front_content.php?idcat=258&idart=397&releaseid=235&lang=1 Golden Age release announcement by Prophecy Productions] Fredy Schnyder himself sees the new album as a "prequel to the trilogy" comprised by "Nihil", "Knell" and "Andromeda Awaiting".[http://www.prophecy.de/front_content.php?idcat=258&idart=397&releaseid=235&lang=1 Golden Age release announcement by Prophecy Productions]

For further information on the history of the releases, see the [http://www.nucleustorn.ch/Nucleus_Trnotes.htm liner notes and credits to Travellers on the band's official web page].

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.nucleustorn.ch/ Nucleus Torn official web site]
• [http://www.prophecy-productions.de/ Prophecy Productions official web site]

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Category:Swiss heavy metal musical groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1997

Category:English-language musical groups from Switzerland