Long-running cult American black/death metal band Acheron have announced that they are breaking up after 22 years of raising satanic hell together. But not until after a few more gigs to show the young pups how it's really done.
The Ohio-based group will perform one last run of gigs they are calling the "Rites of the Black Mass" shows, named after their influential '92 debut (so it's not a stretch to guess they may be playing the entire album at said gigs). But once January 1, 2011, hits, that's it, the band have announced on their MySpace page [via Blabbermouth]. The band's line-up for the final shows will be vocalist/bassist Vincent Crowley, guitarists Art Taylor and Eric Stewart, and drummer Scott Pletcher.
The notoriously satanic band are most known for Rites of the Black Mass. Acheron have struggled to keep a consistent line-up throughout the years; Crowley is the only original member remaining. The band's output throughout their career has been sporadic; their Wikipedia page helpfully suggests that this is because Crowley gets distracted for extended periods of time badgering local televangelists. They've only released five full-lengths in their time together (seven, by some counts of their confusing discography), but regardless of the band's consistency, their influence on today's black/death scene is widely acknowledged.
The band's last album was 2009's The Final Conflict: Last Days of God.
And just to prove these guys went the extra mile, some fun facts: Crowley was appointed a priest in the Church of Satan by none other than Anton LaVey and was also the leader of a satanic youth group (who knew?), Order of the Evil Eye (Crowley has since resigned from the Church of Satan). That, my friends, is cult black metal.
The Ohio-based group will perform one last run of gigs they are calling the "Rites of the Black Mass" shows, named after their influential '92 debut (so it's not a stretch to guess they may be playing the entire album at said gigs). But once January 1, 2011, hits, that's it, the band have announced on their MySpace page [via Blabbermouth]. The band's line-up for the final shows will be vocalist/bassist Vincent Crowley, guitarists Art Taylor and Eric Stewart, and drummer Scott Pletcher.
The notoriously satanic band are most known for Rites of the Black Mass. Acheron have struggled to keep a consistent line-up throughout the years; Crowley is the only original member remaining. The band's output throughout their career has been sporadic; their Wikipedia page helpfully suggests that this is because Crowley gets distracted for extended periods of time badgering local televangelists. They've only released five full-lengths in their time together (seven, by some counts of their confusing discography), but regardless of the band's consistency, their influence on today's black/death scene is widely acknowledged.
The band's last album was 2009's The Final Conflict: Last Days of God.
And just to prove these guys went the extra mile, some fun facts: Crowley was appointed a priest in the Church of Satan by none other than Anton LaVey and was also the leader of a satanic youth group (who knew?), Order of the Evil Eye (Crowley has since resigned from the Church of Satan). That, my friends, is cult black metal.
