Inquisition (metal band)

Inquisition
Live at Hole in the Sky, Bergen Metal Fest 2008
Background information
Origin	Cali, Colombia
Genres	Black metal, thrash metal (early)
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Sylphorium, Defiled, War Hammer, , No Colours, Season of Mist
Members	Dagon Incubus

Inquisition is a metal band that formed in Cali, Colombia in 1988 and later relocated to Seattle, Washington. The band possessed a thrash metal sound on its earliest recordings, but began incorporating more black metal influences in 1996 with its first extended play (EP), Incense of Rest.

Inquisition was formed in 1988 in Cali, Colombia, by Dagon as a thrash metal act named Guillotine. The band changed their name to Inquisition in 1989. The name, frontman Dagon later explained, was chosen because it represented humanity's "need to establish dominance, control and order based on a particular period of our world's history". Dagon viewed this historical event as emblematic of "man's [general] need to impose his rule over others". In 1996, Dagon relocated to the United States and recruited Incubus on drums and Debandt on bass. Debandt departed the band shortly after the release of Inquisition's full-length debut, Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult. The band chose to remain a two-piece and all subsequent releases were recorded solely by Dagon and Incubus.

Dagon has suggested that the band's formation in Colombia and subsequent development in the United States affected Inquisition's sound. Observing that "Many second and third world countries have an environment in them that suits Black Metal and Death Metal perfectly," Dagon explained that "life in some of them mean nothing. The high social tension and rebellion in those areas of the world only intensify this music and make 'evil' much more of a reality". Recalling "seeing people get shot and stabbed [by] the Cali and Medellin cartel", Dagon portrayed the environment surrounding the band's formative years as "true darkness in flesh and blood". He described Inquisition as combining "the South American attitude" with "the musicianship and skills of the European scene". Dagon later downplayed geographic and cultural influences in favour of emphasizing the band's metaphysical inspiration: "I don't think of anything particular in our music as being rooted in a particular area culturally. Sure, there can be external influences based on geographical location, or your heritage can play a role, but in this band's case it just doesn't happen. We keep things detached from that and aim for a sound that is inspired from a much more distant and mystical element".