Artist: DISMEMBER
Album: THE GOD THAT NEVER WAS (CD)

Year: 2006
Media type: CD

Swedish extreme Death Metal act DISMEMBER was formed in 1988 as a trio of vocalist/bassist Robert Senneback, guitarist David Blomqvist and drummer Fred Estby. This initial line-up only maintained itself for just over a year but did release two demos in the shape of 'Dismembered' and 'Last Blasphemies'. The original DISMEMBER folded in late 1989 with Estby joining forces with CARNAGE and Blomqvist opting for ENTOMBED. However, shortly before recording of the debut CARNAGE album Blomqvist jumped ship from his new act to join the band.

CARNAGE dissolved when guitarist Mike Amott quit to British extreme Metal act CARCASS leaving Estby, Blomqvist and vocalist Matti Karki to resurrect DISMEMBER. Still a trio, this new line-up released the Tomas Skogsberg produced 'Reborn In Blasphemy' demo before inviting Senneback, then a member of UNLEASHED, to resume his position in the band. DISMEMBER also augmented their sound with the addition of ex-CARBONISED bassist Richard Cabeza. Having signed to Germany's Nuclear Blast label, the first hard product to arrive was the inclusion of two of the latest demo tracks on the 'Death Is Just The Beginning' compilation album.

DISMEMBER garnered huge media attention in 1991 when their 'Like An Ever Flowing Stream' debut album was confiscated by British and Australian customs for being 'indecent and obscene' (hence the title of their 1993 album). Her Majesty's customs had objected to song titles and lyrics such as 'Skin Her Alive' and 'Brutal Orgy Of Flesh'. The subsequent court case shot DISMEMBER's name to the forefront of the current wave of Death metal acts.

The band toured Europe opening for MORBID ANGEL in June 1991 but these dates were curtailed due to disagreements between the two acts. Further live shows included DISMEMBER's appearance at the Rock Hard festivals alongside DEATH, PESTILENCE and NAPALM DEATH.

The band's notoriety was capitalised on by the 1992 mini-album 'Pieces' which saw more live shows in Europe, touring in conjunction with OBITUARY and NAPALM DEATH. A second full album, 'Indecent And Obscene', gave their fans more of the same formula which had so outraged H.M. customs. DISMEMBER followed the record's release with a bout of touring in America in 1993 with SUFFOCATION and DEICIDE before hooking up with MORBID ANGEL once more for a European tour.

Following a lay off period, in which Cabeza worked up the DAMNATION project for the 'Divine Darkness' demo, DISMEMBER returned to the fray in early 1995 as part of the Nuclear Blast organised festivals alongside labelmates MESHUGGAH, HYPOCRISY and BENEDICTION. A single, 'Casket Garden', was released as a taster for the new album. The follow up 'Massive Killing Capacity' gave DISMEMBER their first German chart album. In 1998 DISMEMBER enrolled the CELEBORN and TIAMAT credited Magnus Sahlgren on guitar. This unit cut the 2000 'Hate Campaign' album at Das Boot Studios.

Whilst gaining notoreity within the DISMEMBER ranks bassist Richard Cabeza also moonlighted for UNANIMATED. Matti Karkki and Cabeza would also collude with ENTOMBED's Uffe Cederlund and Peter Stjärnvind for their MURDER SQUAD project. DISMEMBER would be announced as headliners of the June 2002 'Generation Armageddon' festivals in Europe fronting a roster of SINISTER, BLOOD RED THRONE, NECROPHOBIC and MERCENARY.

Yet another DISMEMBER offshoot arrived in 2001, BORN OF FIRE, founded by Cabeza alongside guitarist 'Mr. Dim', and the LOUDPIPES duo of Peter Stjärnvind and Fredrik Lindgren. This act would bow in with the 7" single 'Chosen By The Gods' on Primitive Art. Richard Cabeza would team up with premier Black Metal act DARK FUNERAL for North American touring in the Spring of 2002. European dates for November would be announced with DISMEMBER heading up a package bill comprising SPETIC FLESH, SINISTER and THYRFING.

Embarking upon a mammoth string of European shows throughout October and November of 2002 DISMEMBER created part of a deadly union for the 'Generation Armageddon' festival tour. Joining the band would be Norway's BLOOD RED THRONE, Greece's SEPTIC FLESH, Ireland's PRIMORDIAL, Belgium's ANCIENT RITES, and fellow Swedish heavyweights IMPIOUS.

By January of 2003 DISMEMBER, having signed to Hammerheart Records, where scheduling a new album with the proposed title of 'Where Ironcrosses Grow' for a September release (later pushed back to early 2004). The album would be recorded at Sami Studios in Stockholm during December and saw both David Blomqvist and Richard Cabeza handling bass. Also emerging would be a concert DVD entitled 'Live Blasphemies', a two disc set comprising the band's performance from 27th May 2003 at Klubben in Stockholm with a second disc of documentary and home video footage. Dutch dates in May saw CALLENISH CIRCLE and FLESH MADE SIN as support.

With Rickard Cabeza residing in Dallas, Texas, DISMEMBER announced the addition of bassist Johan Bergebäck of NECROPHOBIC and MORPHEUS to the group's ranks in September of 2004. A short burst of Benelux dates in that same month saw the band united with CALLENISH CIRCLE, OCCULT and HEARSE. Further shows had DISMEMBER allied with Australians PSYCROPTIC, fellow Swedes ANATA and Slovalkian act SANATORIUM for a full European tour commencing 3rd November in Nürnberg, Germany. The band opened 2004 with a January tour of Finland backed by BONEGRINDER and OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Regain Records picked up the DISMEMBER back catalogue for 2005 re-issue, each release being expanded with extra tracks. The first of these, the digipack 'Pieces' EP in June, boasted an additional ten live tracks recorded in Stockholm during 1993. The 'Complete Demos' release collected together promotional sessions 'Dismembered' from 1988, 'Last Blasphemies' from 1989 and 1990's 'Reborn In Blasphemy'.

DISMEMBER parted ways with bassist Johan Bergebäck in August. The band's seventh album, 'The God That Never Was', would once again be produced by drummer Fred Estby at Sami Studios in Stockholm. DISMEMBER teamed up with VITAL REMAINS, GRAVE, DEMIRICOUS and WITHERED for a North American tour beginning in early October.

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TRACKLIST:

01. The God That Never Was
02. Shadows Of The Mutilated
03. Time Heals Nothing
04. Autopsy
05. Never Forget, Never Forgive
06. Trail Of The Dead
07. Phantoms (Of The Oath)
08. Into The Temple Of Humiliation
09. Blood For Paradise
10. Feel The Darkness
11. Where No Ghost Is Holy

LINE-UP:

Matti Karki (vocals)
David Blomqvist (guitar)
Martin Persson (guitar)
Tobias Christiansson (bass)
Fred Estby (drums)