Alastis

Alastis
Alastis (2002)
Background information
Origin	Sion, Switzerland
Genres	Black metal Gothic metal
Years active	1987–2004
Labels	Head Not Found Records Adipocere Records Century Media Records
Associated acts	Samael
Website	www.alastis.ch
Members	War D. Nick Raff Sebastian Graven X

Alastis was a Swiss gothic black metal band formed in 1987 in Sion, Valais.

The band formed in 1987 with the name Fourth Reich, playing death metal. The initial line-up was War D. on guitar, Zumof on vocals, Acronoise on drums, and Masmiseim (b. Christophe Mermod, Acronoise's brother) on bass. In 1989 Fourth Reich changed name to Alastis, a derivation of Alastor, the executioner of hell, and moved towards black metal; two years later Masmiseim left in order to join Samael, with Zumof departing soon after. Samael’s current vocalist/guitarist Vorph did guest vocals on one track from the demo Black Wedding, and the band issued their debut album, The Just Law, on Head Not Found Records. After several more line-up changes, they signed to Adipocere Records, who issued their second album, ...And Death Smiled, in 1995. The same year, Alastis toured with bands Anathema and Theatre of Tragedy in support of the album.

Much like their fellow countrymen Samael, gothic and industrial musical elements played an important role in their sound during their later career, starting as a raw black metal before signing to Century Media records in 1996, who began distributing the group's output in the United States.The Other Side was released in 1997 and promoted with a gig at the Wacken Open Air heavy metal festival in Germany. The band released their fourth album, Revenge, in 1998. The musician line-up at this stage was War D. on guitar/synthesizer/vocals, Acronoise on drums, Nick on second guitar, and Raff on bass.

"The Other Side" is generally considered the band's cornerstone album. The title track and opener "In Darkness" are some of their best-recognized songs, with the latter track appearing on the 1997 Nuclear Blast compilation CD Beauty In Darkness, Vol 2, along with work by bands Dimmu Borgir, Therion, In Flames, Sentenced, My Dying Bride and several others.

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