Gorefest

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Gorefest
Gorefest in 2007
Background information
Origin	Goes, Netherlands
Genres	Death metal, death 'n' roll
Years active	1989–1998, 2004–2009
Labels	Nuclear Blast
Past members	Jan-Chris de Koeijer Boudewijn Bonebakker Frank Harthoorn Ed Warby Alex van Schaik Marc Hoogendoorn Rene Merkelbach

Gorefest was a Dutch death metal band from Goes in Zeeland. It was founded in 1989 by Jan-Chris de Koeijer, Frank Harthoorn, Alex van Schaik and Marc Hoogendoorn.

Career

Early works (1989-1994)

Within two months of existence, Gorefest recorded their first demo. A Dutch independent label, Foundation 2000, signed them for one album. Before recording Mindloss, they released another demo in 1990, which received positive feedback. As a supporting act for Carcass they traveled through Belgium and the Netherlands impressing the metal-scene also on stage. Colin Richardson was the producer of 1991's album Mindloss.

Before they toured with

Erase was recorded in 1994,^[1] with producer Pete Coleman and revealed a different attitude towards traditional death metal. As a result, public opinion towards Gorefest was divided. Erase, however, proved to be a success as international sales went well through 1994 and 1995. The band reached a broader set of countries in the following tours.

Change in style and subsequent split (1994-1998)

In the Fear EP and "Freedom" single, Gorefest revealed new tracks showing that they wanted to drastically expand upon the musical changes they had applied in Erase (De Koeijer declared in some interviews that he even had thoughts about taking singing lessons). This would be confirmed in 1996 with the rock influenced album Soul Survivor – a total departure from their roots even showing traces of pop – and a very similar album Chapter 13 in 1998.

They abandoned their heavy image and the graphics for these works were less extreme. Many fans turned their backs on them and the sales of the album were a relatively poor, thus they split up in 1998.

Return and final disbandment (2004-2009)

Gorefest reformed in 2004 and played various summer festivals in 2005. The band came out with a new album, La Muerte. They produced the album themselves, with mixing handled by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studios.

In 2006, De Koeyer appeared at Epica's concert in Paradiso (Amsterdam) as a guest grunter on the song "Consign to Oblivion" (A New Age Dawns #3).

The next album, Rise to Ruin, was released in August 2007. The American release was licensed to Candlelight Records.

On 15 June 2009, the band announced that they were calling it quits again, stating that they felt they had gone as far with the band as they could.^[2]

Members

• Jan Chris de Koeijer
  – vocals, bass (1989–1998, 2004–2009)
• Frank Harthoorn – guitar (1989–1998, 2005–2009)
• Boudewijn Bonebakker – guitar (1991–1998, 2004–2009)
• Ed Warby – drums (1992–1998, 2004–2009)
• Marc Hoogendoorn – drums (1989–1991)
• Alex van Schaik – guitar (1989–1991)
• René Merkelbach – keyboards (1996–1998)

Discography

Studio albums

• Mindloss (1991)
• False (1992)
• Erase (1994)
• Soul Survivor (1996)
• Chapter 13 (1998)
• La Muerte
  (2005)
• Rise to Ruin (2007)

EPs and singles

• Live Misery (1992)
• Fear (1994)
• Freedom (1996)

Compilations

• To Hell and Back – A Goreography (2005)
• False/Erase (Re-release) (2005)

Live albums

• The Eindhoven Insanity (1993)

References

External links

• Official website