Music Style Melodic Metal

Artist History The Dutch Arnhem-based band Her EnchantmenT was formed in the spring of 1994. Under the original name of Crucified Corpse, they were a four-man band with Richard (Vocals/Guitar), Nick (Guitar), John (Bass) and Elwin (Drums). After a few months Crucified Corpse recorded their first demo, titled ‘Reflections from the Other Side’. The four tracks were influenced by Death Metal bands like Cannibal Corpse. Late 1994 Marije was introduced in the band to do the female vocals. They advanced towards a more distinctive sound, which was more melodious and atmospheric. Early 1995 Nick was replaced by Dave. In May of that year they hit the studio to record a track for the sampler ‘Sometimes Death is Better 3’. The track was titled ‘Devour thy Soul’. The CD was released by Belgian Shiver Records. September found them in the recording studio for the second time that year to record their second demo. The eight-track demo, titled ‘Servile to the Serene’, was released in November and received well by Aardschok (NL) and Mindview (B). Early 1996 Richard decided to lay down his guitar and concentrate on his vocals. Jasper then joined the band to take over his guitar parts. Late 1997 there were further shifts in the line-up when Marije left the band. In December Nienke joined the band to do the female vocals. 1998 saw another change when the band was renamed Her EnchantmenT, a name more in keeping with their current sound. The band decided to hit the studio again to record their debut album, ‘Sagas’. The eight-track CD was recorded at Harrow Productions and released by Polar Bear Records on 28 May 1999. It was received well by Aardschok, which give it 81 out of 100 points, and Mindview, in which it scored Silver. Summer 1999 Nienke decided to leave the band for personal reasons. In September Marije rejoined the band to take up the female vocals again. The band was back with the old line-up of 1996. In November 1999 the band was contracted by Bone Management. At the end of 2001 Jasper decided to leave the band to concentrate more on his new band Autumn. He was replaced by Teun, who also plays in the Death Metal band Mortal Form. Just before Summer 2002 Richard decided to leave Her EnchantmenT. Replacement was found in former We, the Gods singer Richard Noordzij, who joined the band in July 2002 The early sound of Her EnchantmenT was inspired by Death Metal bands, such as Cannibal Corpse. Later they shifted more towards old-style Anathema, My Dying Bride and the Gothenburg-sound. From that they developed their own distinctive mystic doom and Heavy Metal sound, with striking two part guitar-playing, in which they performed with a great variety of Metal bands, like; Trail of Tears, God Dethroned, Ancient Rites, Callenish Circle, Hammerhawk, etc., etc.

Group Members Richard - Vocals / Marije - Vocals / Dave - Guitar / Teun - Guitar / John - Bass / Elwin - Drums

Albums Sagas

Press Reviews From Rock-E-Zine Sagas" is the debut album of Dutch deathmetal formation Her Enchantment and they are another fine example of the flourishing Dutch metalscene. Some of you might know this band under their former name Crucified Corpse but the band has matured considerably since then. In contrast with some starting bands it was very logical step for Her Enchantment to enter the Harrow recording studios to record an album instead of a demo. "Sagas" is a professional debut albumwith a solid production. The songs on this album are interesting because they contain a lot of different elements from death, doom as well as black metal, there are a lot of changes in tempo and the band has experimented with the vocals. Singer Richard grunts, screams, uses his normal voice and the vocals of Nienke add even more atmosphere to the music. More than once Richard's voice reminds me of ex-Anathema singer Darren but the music is much more uptempo and contains aggressive deathmetal passages and even some black metal influences ('The Gatekeeper'). The melancholic riffs for instance in 'Morpheus' are certainly My Dying Bride like. But Her Enchantment's music is not just a mere copy of the classic doom metal bands, the band certainly has enough potential itself. They do however manage to invoke the same atmosphere as these bands. And in conclusion of this review a big compliment to the artwork, it's magnificent. A band to keep and eye on and definitely worth checking out live. (Maura Kampstra) 8/10

Location Arnhem, Gelderland - Netherlands

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