The Berzerker
| The Berzerker | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | Death metal, grindcore, industrial metal |
| Years active | 1995–2010 (Indefinite Hiatus) |
| Labels |
Berzerker Industries Earache Records (1995-2007) |
| Associated acts |
Akercocke Abramelin Plague The Wolves Mystic Insight Devolved Headkase Man Must Die KcaveMen KING PARROT |
| Website | www.theberzerker.com |
| Members | Luke Kenny Ed Lacey Todd Hansen Damien Palmer Martin Germ Bermheden Tim Aldridge |
| Past members | Sam Bean Dave Gray Matt Wilcock Gary Thomas |
The Berzerker was an extreme metal band from Melbourne, Australia and was formed in 1995. The band's music, heavily influenced by older death metal and grindcore, can be characterized as a fusion of these with speedcore, and gabber. The band's founding member Luke Kenny described the band's style as industrial death metal.
The Berzerker has produced five full-length albums, The Berzerker (2000), Dissimulate (2002), World of Lies (2005), Animosity (2007) and The Reawakening (2008). These were released through Earache Records, with the exception of the last album, which was self-released through Berserker Industries. During the early part of their career as a live act, band members were identified only as The Vocalist, The Guitarist, The Bassist and The Drummer, distinguishable on stage only by the masks they wore. However, the group eventually abandoned this device, after the masks became unhygienic with age, and to avoid unfavorable comparisons with Slipknot.
A DVD documentary, The Principles and Practices of The Berzerker (2004), includes several hours of live concert footage, as well as the first public images of the band members without their masks.
Most of the band's music videos have been banned from broadcast for reasons such as the possible epileptic fit-inducing imagery contained in the video "Forever", and the horrific imagery of "Reality". The latter features graphic images of cadavers and body parts.
The Berzerker gained the attention of worldwide metal audiences through remixes of songs by death metal bands Deicide and Morbid Angel. They did this by remixing the song with the screams of mentally ill patients with their good friends Stalaggh. Earache signed the act, then consisting only of Luke Kenny as a one-man DJ/programmer. Kenny had previously been a drummer in various Melbourne bands, including an early death metal group called Mystic Insight, but after suffering injuries in a motor vehicle accident which involved twenty 18-wheeler trucks, was forced to give up playing. Earache Records' website suggests that the album was supposed to be recorded at Devin Townsend's Vancouver studio with contributions from well-known metal artists David Vincent (Morbid Angel), Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth, Damaged), Dan Lilker (Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault), and Jed Simon (Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole) until they were all injured in a mysterious event. After disagreements and financial issues, Kenny returned to Australia and worked with friend Sam Bean, who recorded guitar parts, as well as backing vocals. Also enlisted was another Sam contributing backing vocals, dubbed "Toby" due to Bean's seniority. Guitarists Jason and Ed Lacey from local metal band The Wolves were also recruited, and after a lengthy recording session, the band's first album, The Berzerker, was released. The album received wide praise in underground metal magazines, and the band was compared to Napalm Death and Strapping Young Lad. The band's masks and live performances earned them further publicity. Videos for the songs Reality and Forever were released, but were rarely aired on MTV and other mainstream outlets. MTV refused after they received threats for "heads to roll."
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