Artist: HORRIFIED
Album: IN THE GARDEN OF THE UNEARTHLY DELIGHTS RE-RELEASE (DIGI)

Year:
Media type: CD

Horrified is perhaps one of the most underrated bands to emerge from the Greek underground back in the early 1990’s. Their first official release was the demo “Prophecy of Gore” (1990) which came up after a couple of rehearsal tapes that were circulated around to a few copies. Those were the days of the DIY enthusiasm, the Xeroxed fanzines, the photocopied flyers and of course tape trading. One could see this demo appearing in almost every list and also being reviewed in countless little and bigger fanzines around the globe.

Towards the end of 1990 and during the first weeks of 1991 the band signed a contract with the local label Black Power Records and released the 12’ EP “Eternal God”. Today this is extremely rare to find and it is considered as a cult item. One year later Horrified will release a 7’ EP entitled “The Ancient Whisper of Wisdom”. From this point the band incorporate female vocals, orchestral backgrounds and other avant garde elements being historically among the first few death metal bands to do so! Horrified are also hitting the stages with the likes of Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh and Death Courier.

In 1993 the debut album is unleashed: “In The Garden Of The Unearthly Delights” and while the positive feedback is pilling up one year later the call it a day! Gore (vocals) is relocated in London, guitarist Stavros and bass player Thanos are helping bands like Rotting Christ and Nightfall with their world tours.

Four years of silence… in 1998 a formula of exchanging music ideas over long distances was found and the band reunites. Black Lotus Records was on the hunt so the pact was made. The new album is called “Animal” and re-introduces the band to the scene. The band also plays with Immortal, Sodom, Manowar, Mercyful Fate and Septic Flesh. In 2002 Horrified are recording again. “Deus Diabolus Inversus” is mixed at Fredman studio in Sweden with Fredrik Nordstrom as the producer. It is mastered in The Mastering Room (Dimmu Borgir, Opeth, Hammerfall, etc…) and features guest appearances by Mickael Akerfeldt (OPETH) while the female vocals are delivered by Dr. Petra Ariadne Westerkamp (Lyrical scene of Berlin).

Vocalist Gore is explaining more for the re-release:

“In the Garden of the Unearthly Delights is as far as I’m concerned the most important release of Horrified to date. It was the first release in Greece and among the first worldwide to employ female vocals, orchestra, traditional classic instruments, and I humbly believe it set a lot of standards about what atmospheric dark music should be about. By hearing this albums many things can be explained for other releases that followed from various sources.

At that time of its release there was no serious distribution of it but somehow the album managed to establish itself in the underground scene. It also land us a contract offer from various big record labels from US and Europe, for various reasons though, soon after its release we temporarily split up, I went and lived in UK for 6 years.

I’m very pleased that now, almost 13 years after its first release, “In the Garden of the unearthly delights” will be reborned and will benefit from a good distribution, a sound polish, unrealesed tracks, a booklet with lyrics and new artwork. This album is Horrified.” Gore

LINE-UP:

Gore: vocals
Stavros: guitars
Timos: guitars
Thanos: bass
Stelios: drums