About Leviathan

At least 18 artists have used the Leviathan moniker: 1) Leviathan, aka Wrest, is a one-man black metal project from San Francisco, California. The band was brought to life in 1998 and was put on hold in Oct. 2007 due to a legal dispute with the record label. Wrest brought the project back in January 2008 to release the latest album. Wrest plays every instrument found in Leviathan's music; guitar (electric + acoustic), drums, bass, synths, and vocals. Leviathan has 15 demos from between 1998 and 2002. All of these, chronologically, are as follows: - Demo 1 was never 'released' - Time End (Demo 2) Three (Demo 3) MisanthropicNecroBlasphemy (Demo 4) V (Demo 5) Shadow of No Light (Demo 6) Seven (Demo 7) Video Brolo (Demo 8) Inclement Derision (Demo 9) Ten (Demo 10) Intolerance (Demo 11) Howl Mockery at the Cross (Demo 12) White Devil, Black Metal (Demo 13) The Tenth-Sub Level of Suicide (Demo 14) XV (Demo 15) As well as this exhaustive list there exists a compilation entitled "Sacrifice Love at he Altar of War" released in 2001 collecting the best representations of Wrest's work up to that date. There are also numerous other untitled demos that remain unreleased and uncirculated which contain some material which can be found on the splits and full-lengths. Little information is known about the latter uncategorised (outside the original 15) demos. Four full length albums have been released: 2003 - The Tenth Sub-Level of Suicide 2004 - The Tentacles of Whorror 2008 - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life 2011 - True Traitor, True Whore There have been two CDs which compiled tracks from some of many of his demos which could be mistaken as full length albums: 2005 - Howl Mockery at the Cross 2002/2006 (recently re-pressed) - Verrater (2xCD) Released in a strict amount of 500 and on vinyl only, was the 'A Silhouette In Splinters' album which, in the big scheme of things, was a compilation of intros / outros and more ambient works from previous demos with renamed song titles (some Lurker of Chalice tracks are in effect, the same). This album has since been re-released on CD by Moribund Records. Recently, in another strict amount of 500 and on vinyl only, was the 'The Speed of Darkness' mini-LP which is just all his tracks from the CD split with Iuvenes released by No Colours in 2003. Another LP released in late 2006 was 'The Blind Wound', this too was material previously released from one of many split CDs. This however, was pressed in an edition of about 2000 copies. Leviathan also covered 'My War' by Black Flag for a Thrasher (skate board mag) compilation. The track can also be found on the latest Southern Lord Records sampler CD. Beyond doing Leviathan, Wrest has a 'side project' under the name of Lurker of Chalice which blends the lines of black metal and neo-folk with a dark ambience. Wrest has also performed with Sunn O))) and Twilight as well as playing drums for Nachtmystium for some live appearances. Also noteworthy is his prior band called Gift Horse, a Cali based instrumental rock band in which he played drums for. Wrest's real name is Jef Whitehead (one F, please reference Black Heart Tattoo's web/myspace page for correct spelling), and outside music he is a famous tattoo artist and artist (created the cover art for the recent Cult of Daath 2xLP (released by NWP!) and works with Hildolf (aka Tim Lehi, who is Draugar) at Black Heart Tattoo. As of Oct. 24, 2007, Blake from Nachtmystium and owner of Battle Kommand Records has posted the following about demise of Leviathan: "This is now a Nachtmystium / Lurker of Chalice split as Wrest has completely killed off Leviathan and will be working primarily under the LoC moniker from now on. nothing else to say about that..." The post he created about the situation can be viewed here. Leviathan's new album, 'Massive Conspiracy Against All Life' was released on March 24 and March 25, 2008 in Europe and the US (respectively) via Moribund Records despite the possibility of it being shelved and / or being released via Battle Kommand Records under his Lurker of Chalice moniker. As of January 9th, Wrest was arrested and charged with raping his girlfriend with his tattoo tools as well as assaulting her. The majority of his charges were later dropped, and he was only found guilty of aggravated domestic battery. After serving 94 days in prison, he was finally sentenced to two years probation. 2) Leviathan was a Thrash Metal band from Buffalo, New York. They proved to be the thrash and death metal pioneers who would help pave the way for Buffalo New York's next wave of up and coming extreme metal artists. Formed in 1985, the band bonded immediately and it was their devotion to both extreme metal and hardcore punk in those glorious pre-"crossover" days that inspired 1987's "Legions of the Undead" demo. Thanks to a vast international network of passionate underground tape traders the demo found it's way into the collections of enthusiastic metal fans worldwide eventually winding up in the hands of Metal Forces magazine's Bernard Doe whose interest led to the bands contribution of two tracks to Metal Forces first compilation LP "Scream Your Brains Out". As word spread throughout the underground, record label interest began to generate. Leviathan began to prepare new material for a second demo and an inevitable LP release but unfortunate personal problems forced the departure of drum wunderkind Angelo Lococo. After several disheartening auditions the band decided to disband. Leviathan was known primarily for the contributions of the young Chris Barnes who was the original Cannibal Corpse vocalist and is now the vocalist in the band Six Feet Under. 3) Leviathan from Sweden is a black metal band who released the album 'Far Beyond the Light' in 2002. Is a project of Sir A. from Armagedda. 4) Leviathan is a dark ambient project from UK under Monkeyhouse Records. Albums: The Throne of Bones (2002), Machinery of Hell (2003), Shrouded By Fog (2003). Now known as LVTHN. 5) Since their formation in 1989, Colorado's LEVIATHAN have battled against trend after trend while following their hearts by playing progressive heavy rock - a musical genre that has been treated as a virtual non-entity by the music press in the band's homecountry. Refusing to succomb to the unfavorable odds, the group issued a self-titled five song EP, LEVIATHAN (1992), and a full length studio album, Deepest Secrets Beneath, with a line up from which only the two guitarists, Ronnie Skeen and John Lutzow, remain today. While offering only a glimpse into the impressive songwriting chemistry and musicianship that makes LEVIATHAN so unique, the two Jim Morris-produced releases provided the group with a strong foundation in the hard rock scene and garnered positive reviews in virtually every major metal publication in the world. In addition, Deepest Secrets Beneath reached #8 on the Japanese import charts in 1995, selling nearly 10,000 copies without the benefit of proper distribution. After parting ways with the rest of the group last year, Skeen and Lutzow joined up with drummer Trevor Helfer, vocalist Jeff Ward and bassist Derek Blake to create their most dazzling and musically advanced effort to date. Produced by the band themselves and mixed by Morris, Riddles, Questions, Poetry & Outrage sets a totally different mood with each and every song, producing an album that is very textural and diverse without losing sight of its musical focus. Songs like "Census of Stars" and "Pages of Time" showcase the quintet's ability to create technical yet accessible music, while ballads such as "Are First Loves Forgotten?" and the album's epic conclusion "Passion Above All Else" exhibit the group's talent for writing with depth and feeling. Despite the lack of recognition afforded the band back home, LEVIATHAN are determined to press on with their musical endeavors and recently contributed a track to the second volume of the JUDAS PRIEST Tribute Album ("Night Comes Down") and have a possible European tour in the works for early 1997. In 1997 Corrosive Records released their third foul length album, "Scoring The Chapters" and later the band broke up. Source: http://web.archive.org/web/19990203052839/http://home.mho.net/leviathan/ They reunited in 2010 planning to film a gig to be released on DVD. 6) Leviathan from Turkey, released the album 'Cold Caress' 7) Leviathan is an underground rapper from Minneapolis signed to Insides Music. In 2006 he released his first album Thief Acrobat and Armed Response. His style is spoken word poetry over mellow, lo-fi backing, similar in sound to The Last Poets or Gil Scott-Heron, crossed with the wordplay of modern artists such as The Gift Of Gab but with a more laidback flow than all of these. 8) Leviathan from Germany, released two demos and had a member from Necrophagist 9) Leviathan from Spain who had members in InnerSelf 10) Leviathan from Argentina who released three full length albums 11) Michel Klaasen, known as Tellurian and Leviathan, is the man behind the Cenobite label. The music on this label is a mix between underground Trance and hardcore: Trancecore! Lately he also has a live act together with the Predator. Aliasses: Brainiac, Fearless, Micado, Michel Klaassen, Tellurian http://www.cenobite.nl http://www.cenobiterecords.com 12) Leviathan from Italy, a progressive rock band who, in 1988 and 1990, released two neo-prog albums in the English language before a lengthy hiatus. In 1998, the band returned with an Italian language album of a similar musical style. Another album in Italian followed in 2004. 13) Leviathan from England. http://www.myspace.com/metalleviathan A true heavy thrash metal band from the south of england residing in a small town named gosport ready to take on and conquer the world! Despite the bands young average age it does not hinder them from getting kicked out of pubs across the south of england and gaining a reputation for their rowdy fans. They have recently released their first EP entitled No Man's Land. More details on their old lastfm page under the name: Sirloin. 14) Ｌｅｖｉａｔｈａｎ is a visual kei band from Japan. 15) Leviathan was also the handle of Amiga/demoscene musician Andy Carlson, from the USA. His song Dust To Dust was one of very few to be awarded the maximum 5 star rating in the Hornet Archive, the main hub for demoscene musicians in the mid 90s. 16) Leviathan were an industrial band from Melbourne Australia in the mid nineties and released a cd album and several tracks on compilation albums. 17) Leviathan (Odessa, Ukrain hardcore band.) classic New York hardcore style. http://leviathanhc.bandcamp.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_H0QZ2bTOg 18) US Hard Rock/Progressive outfit LEVIATHAN was formed in 1972, originally from Little Rock, Arkansas but later having their base of operations out of Memphis, Tennesse according to the few sources available. The band consisted of Wain Bradley (bass, guitars, vocals), Peter Richardson (vocals, organ) Don Swearingen (piano), Grady Trimble (guitars), John Sadler (mellotron) and Shof Beavers (percussion). They were an active band in the southwest US live scene, and besides opening for acts such as Electric Light Orchestra they also headlined shows themselves, at the height of their career in front of an audience 8000 strong in Memphis, Tennessee. The band issued one album before disbanding, a self-titled affair that eventually saw the light in 1974. The album had been a long time in the making though, as many of the band members were meticulous in their approach to the art of making music. Trained percussionist Beavers (who abhorred the description drummer) amongst the most detailed-oriented members of a band with perfectionism as a priority. Leviathan did record a second album, "The Life Cycle", but by the time it was finished the interest of their particular brand of music had declined considerably, and no label showed a particular interest in releasing it.