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Thanatos (band)

{{short description|Dutch death metal band}}

{{More citations needed|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Thanatos

| image = Thanatos 2019.jpg

| caption = official band photo from 2014 promo shoot by Erik Negakinu

| image_size =

| background = group_or_band

| alias =

| origin = Rotterdam, Netherlands

| genre = Thrash metal, death metal

| years_active = 1984–1992, 1999–present

| label = Listenable Records

| associated_acts = Hail of Bullets, Asphyx

| website = http://thanatos.info/

| current_members = Stephan Gebédi
Paul Baayens
Martin Ooms
Mous Mirer

| past_members = Aad Kloosterwaard
André Scherpenberg
Ed Boeser
Erwin De Brouwer
Marcel Van Arnhem
Marco de Groot
Mark Staffhorst
Remco De Maaijer
Remo Van Arnhem
Rob De Bruijn
Theo Van Eekelen

}}

Thanatos is a Dutch extreme metal band. With a history dating back to 1984, they are the oldest death metal band from the Netherlands. Their second album, Realm of Ecstasy (some album covers show Realm of {{sic|hide=y|Ecs|tacy}}), received positive marks from Dutch music magazine Oor and various international magazines for its solid compositions and challenging arrangements.[http://www.popinstituut.nl/biografie/thanatos.16777.html "Thanatos," Popencyclopedie, Muziekcentrum Nederland] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117024314/http://www.popinstituut.nl/biografie/thanatos.16777.html |date=2010-01-17 }} 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.

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.fileunder.nl/archives/2004/09/thanatos_undead.php |title=File Under: Thanatos - Undead Unholy Divine |website=www.fileunder.nl |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051016081629/http://www.fileunder.nl/archives/2004/09/thanatos_undead.php |archive-date=16 October 2005 |url-status=dead}} 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.http://www.nedermetaal.nl/content/view/325/30/{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} 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.

In February 2009, the band issued an update containing details about their upcoming album Justified Genocide. It was released on March 15 in Europe and April 6 in the UK and Ireland.[http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=113927 "Justified Genocide Details" - Blabbermouth.net] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117081546/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=113927 |date=2010-01-17 }}

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 Thanatos 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

=Current=

  • Stephan Gebédi (nl) – 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=

{{#tag:timeline|

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bar:Erwin from:10/01/1987 till:12/31/1987 color:bass

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bar:Ed from:01/01/1988 till:09/01/1992 color:bass

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bar:Marco from:06/01/2001 till:09/06/2019 color:bass

bar:Marco from:06/01/2001 till:09/06/2019 color:guitar width:3

bar:Mous from:09/06/2019 till:end color:bass

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

}}

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 re-issue)

=Compilation album=

  • Thanatology: Terror From The Vault (2019)
  • Four Decades of Death (2024)

=EP's=

  • 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)

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://www.thanatos.info/|Thanatos}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thanatos}}

Category:Dutch death metal musical groups

Category:Dutch thrash metal musical groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1984

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1992

Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1999

Category:Dutch musical quartets