Rivers of Nihil Family Tree

September 28, 2021 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

Metal Family Tree

This is a project aimed at making it easy to see who inspired the bands you love or even hate. For this I try not to use any influences that the band don’t claim themselves. There will be a focus on predecessors but successors will be added as they site the band. These trees become more and more interactive as new bands are added, allowing you to click any band that has a tree and jump to it.

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Rivers of Nihil are a technical/progressive death metal band. Their line has been pretty consistent so far with only positions changing frequently being the drums and otherwise only having one guitar player change. Since the beginning the core has been, Vocalist Jake Dieffenbach, guitarist Brody Uttley and bassist Adam Biggs. Guitarist Jon Kunz was the original second guitarist until Jon Topore in 2014. Ron Nelson was the original drummer, replaced by Alan Balamut in 2014, who was replaced by Dylan Potts who was replaced with current Jared Klein. All members share writing credits except Dylan who didn’t not appear on an album. Brody has stated the he writes the majority of music, but there is collaboration to reach the final product.

John Coltrane

Miles Davis

David Bowie was an influential art rocker. Brody named him as an influence.

The Moody Blues are a progressive / psychedelic / symphonic rock band. Brody named them as an influence.

Frank Zappa was a influential, experimental and progressive rock leader. Brody named him as an influence.

Pink Floyd are one of the most well known progressive rock bands. Brody and Adam name them as an influence. Brody has named them as probably his favorite band.

Jethro Tull are a progressive rock band known for their front man’s flute playing. Brody named them as an influence.

King Crimson are an influential progressive rock band. Brody named them as an influence. Adam named them as his favorite band.

Yes are another influential progressive rock band. Brody and Adam named them as an influence.

Genesis are another influential progressive rock band although they explored new wave and a poppy sound later, Brody named early Genesis as an influence.

Led Zeppelin are one of the most influential bands. Brody said they were a band he grew up listening to.

Gentle Giant, again another progressive rock band named as an influence by Brody.

Rush are an influential progressive hard rock band. Adam named them as an influence.

Steve Vai are considered one of the great guitar virtuosos. Brody named him as an influence when it comes to lead playing.

Swans are an experimental rock band. Brody named them as an influence.

My Bloody Valentine are shoegaze pioneers. Kunz is a fan.

Death are considered by many, fathers of death metal, and for sure are responsible for taking death metal in a progressive/technical direction. Kunz named them as an influence.

Paul Gilbert

Neurosis started as a hardcore band and later turned into a post-metal, sludge, and industrial band. Kunz said he’s a fan.

Boards of Canada are an electronic duo. Bordy named them as an influence.

Soundgarden are pioneers of grunge. Jared said they were an influence on the band.

Cynic are a Progressive notably sharing mebers Sean Reinert and Paul Masvidal with Death at one time. Brody named them as an influence.

Nine Inch Nails are a popular industrial rock band. Brody named them as an influence.

Dream Theater are one of the biggest names in progressive metal. Brody named John Petrucci as an influence on his leads.

Cannibal Corpse are one of the best known Death metal bands. Adam named The Bleeding as a favorite album and CC as one of his biggest influences. — Cannibal Corpse are one of the best known Death metal bands. Adam named *The Bleeding* as a favorite album and CC as one of his biggest influences.

Suffocation are pioneers of brutal death metal. Alan named Mike Smith as an influence.

Slowdive are a dream pop / shoegaze band. Brody named them as an influence.

Aphex Twins are an electronic band. Brody named them as an influence.

Steven Wilson

Necrophagist are an influential technical death band. Adan said they are fans.

Marilyn Manson was the industrial staple music for goth kids in the late 90’s. Adam named Antichrist Superstar as a favorite album. — Marilyn Manson was the industrial staple music for goth kids in the late 90’s. Adam named *Antichrist Superstar* as a favorite album.

Nile are Egyptian themed brutal/technical death metal. Alan named George Kollias and Derek Roddy as an influence.

Behemoth are black/death juggernauts. Adam said they were an influence on them early on. Alan named Inferno as an influence.

Mogwai are a post rock band. Brody named them as an influence.

Cattle Decapitation are a death/grind and later became more technical. Adam named them as an early influence on them.

Sigur Rós are a Icelandic post rock band. Brody and Kunz named them as an influence.

Origin are a technical death band. Adam named them as an early influence on them.

Lamb of God are groove metal masters. Brody said As the Palaces Burn really got him into playing heavy. Topore also named them as an influence. — Lamb of God are groove metal masters. Brody said *As the Palaces Burn* really got him into playing heavy. Topore also named them as an influence.

Spawn of Possession are a technical death metal band. Adam said they are fans.

Explosions in the Sky are a post rock / instrumental rock band. Brody and Kunz named them as an influence.

Gojira are a progressive band with roots in death and groove metal. Adam said they are a band they have looked to for song writing influences.

Mastodon are a progressive band with earlier roots in sludge. Adam named them as a band they looked to for song writing influences.

The Black Dahlia Murder are a popular modern death metal band. Topore named them as an influence.

Russian Circles are a post rock/metal band. Brody named them as an influence.

Caspian an instrumental post rock band. Brody named them as an influence.

Beneath the Massacre are a technical death / deathcore band. Topore named them as an influence.

This Will Destroy You are a post rock band. Brody named them as an influence.

The Faceless are a technical death metal band. Brody named them as an influence particularly their album Planetary Duality. — The Faceless are a technical death metal band. Brody named them as an influence particularly their album *Planetary Duality.*

Soreption are a Swedish technical death band. Topore named them as an influence.

Brody said they all grew up with their dad’s listening to a lot of their progressive rock influences. He said after a long day of heavy metal they will listen to more relaxed stuff like Muse or Radiohead and said they were not against something like Coldplay or post-rock bands (which some the latter are noted above). He said in middle school he was big in to 80’s hair bands like Motley Crue, Ratt, Cinderella, Guns ‘n’ Roses, and Quite Riot.

Adam, when asked about song writing influences he said “maybe even Slipknot". If I see something more concrete I will add them above. Adam said he is more influenced by progressive rock than any metal band. He named his dad as a big influence and tells a story about him being forced to listen to Dark Side of the Moon, and it changed his life. He has talked about listening to rap and Faith No More.

I’m unsure who Jake’s influences are.

I’m unsure of Ron’s influences.

Jared said the band his influenced by Pink Floyd and King Crimson, but I’m not sure if those personal influences or his or just big influences on the band as a whole.

More Family Trees

Sources:

http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/brody-uttley-rivers-of_2.htm
https://metalnation.com/rivers-of-nihil-interview-brody-uttley-talks-writing-concepts-and-where-owls-know-my-name/
https://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2014/07/08/brody-uttley-of-rivers-of-nihil-the-heavy-blog-is-heavy-interview/
https://metalinjection.net/interviews/rivers-of-nihil-modern-tech-death
https://exclaim.ca/music/article/rivers_of_nihil_the_death_metal_saxophone_act_you_didnt_know_you_wanted_are_coming_to_canada
https://fouroverfour.jukely.com/artist/rivers-of-nihil-interview/
https://www.antiheromagazine.com/interview-brody-uttley-of-rivers-of-nihil/
https://www.rockfantasy.com/wp/?p=3605
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyW3ku3GYvE
https://thethankslist.com/adam-biggs-rivers-of-nihil/
https://firstorderhistorians.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/5-questions-with-adam-biggs-from-rivers-of-nihil/#more-12172
https://www.metal-rules.com/2013/11/28/rivers-of-nihil-interview/
http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=105103
https://wonderboxmetal.com/2018/03/21/interview-with-rivers-of-nihil/
https://www.invisibleoranges.com/progspot-2-rivers-of-nihil/
https://sickdrummermagazine.com/the-drummers/future-sicko/alan-balamut/
https://thisisreno.com/2019/03/rivers-of-nihil-local-band-plays-slam-and-death-metal/

Carcass Family Tree

September 27, 2021 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Carcass have evolved their sound over the years. Their first album is seen as a grindcore, more specifically goregrind album. Bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker said he’s never considered them grindcore and that what people call grindcore is just bad quality death metal. They went into more pure death metal direction and emerged out the other side as pioneers of melodic death metal. They would even do what is considered a Death ‘n’ Roll album with much more traditional and classic influences. The core line up consists of bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker, although Sanjiv was the vocalist for the first demo. On guitar, Bill Steers, formally of Napalm Death, and on drums Ken Owen. Michael Amott joined as lead guitarist for two albums and Carlo Regadas took his place for one album. Ken Owen suffered a brain hemorrhage in 1999 leaving him unable to drum for the band although he has remained close with them. Since that time they have released one album with Daniel Wilding on drums.

Writing has been primarily done by the core line up of the band, Jeff, Bill, and Ken with Daniel taking on Ken’s role on the most recent album. Michael and Carlo both co-wrote on some songs during their time with the band.

Jimi Hendrix was a revolutionary guitarist. Bill named him as an influence and said types of him from Woodstock was one of the reasons he started playing.

Ten Years After were a hard blues rock band. Bill said guitarist Alvin Lee was a big reason he wanted to play guitar.

Deep Purple are a very influential hard rock / early heavy metal band. Bill named them as an influence.

Status Quo were a hard rock with a more old rock ‘n’ roll sound. Bill named them as an early influence.

Jethro Tull were a progressive rock band, standing out with their front man also playing the flute. Bill said they were an early influence.

Led Zeppelin is one of the most influential hard rock bands. Bill named them as an influence.

Wishbone Ash were a progressive rock band known for their guitar harmonies. Bill is a fan.

Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal and doom. Bill named them as an influence. Michael named them as one of his favorite bands.

Rory Gallagher is an influential Irish blues / Rock guitarist. Bill named him as an influence.

ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) are a progressive rock / pop band. Jeff is a fan.

Thin Lizzy were an influential hard rock band known for their guitar harmonies. Bill named them as an influence. They were also an early influence on Jeff.

Budgie were a heavy rock band sounding like Sabbath while playing like Zeppelin. Bill named them as an influence.

Queen are one of the worlds biggest rock bands and bring an brought an arts approach to what they did. Bill named them as an early influence.

Judas Priest had a huge impact on metal as a genre. Bill named Glenn and K.K. as idols. Michael named them as some of his favorite guitar players.

Rainbow combined the legendary Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio. They were one of Jeff’s early influences.

Motorhead are hard rock / heavy metal legends. Bill named them and Fast Eddie Clark as an influence.

Sex Pistols are one of the most important punk bands. Jeff named them and Steve Jones as an influence.

Angel Witch were an important NWOBHM band. Bill said their first album was meant a lot to him as a kid.

Saxon are one of the earliest and most important NWOBHM bands. Bill named them and Paul Quinn as an influence.

Yngwie Malmsteen is a very influential guitarist known for his neo-classical style. Bill named him as a musical idol.

Iron Maiden are easily the most influential band out of the NWOBHM. Bill named them and Adrian, Dave, and Dennis Straton as an influence. Michael named Adrian and Dave as some of his favorite guitar players.

Tygers of Pan Tang are another NWOBHM band. Bill is a fan.

Discharge are an influential hardcore band. Jeff named them as an influence.

Sisters of Mercy were an important goth rock band. Jeff named them as an influence.

MDC are a hardcore band known for their far left political messages. Jeff named them as an influence.

Tank were a NWOBHM band. Bill named them as an influence.

Mercyful Fate were on the technical side of traditional metal and have been influential. Bill named them as an influence.

Hüsker Dü were a hardcore punk band, later alt rock. Jeff named them as a favorite.

Napalm Death are pioneers of grindcore and Bill’s first band. Jeff named them as an influence.

Slayer were perhaps the most aggressive of the early thrash bands. Bill and Jeff named them as an influence. Michael is also a fan and names Kerry and Jeff as an influence.

D.R.I. are an important crossover thrash band. Jeff named them as an influence.

Queensryche are important for the development of progressive metal. Jeff is a big fan and said they have influenced carcass.

Death are considered the fathers of death metal by many and are at least among the earliest. Bill named them as an influence from the tape trading days. He said that they liked the first album but was more inspired by the Mutilated demo. Bill sai… — Death are considered the fathers of death metal by many and are at least among the earliest. Bill named them as an influence from the tape trading days. He said that they liked the first album but was more inspired by the Mutilated demo. Bill said after touring with them they was inspired to be better musicians. Michael named *Leprosy* as an influence.

Repulsion are among the earliest of the grindcore bands. Bill named them as an influence from the tape trading days. Jeff also named them as an influence.

Siege were an extreme hardcore punk band and many consider them pioneers of grindcore. Jeff named them as an influence.

Sacrifice are a lesser known Canadian thrash band that influenced many death metal bands. Jeff named them as an influence.

Insanity are a bay area death/thrash band. Bill named them as a later influence. Jeff also named them as an influence.

Death Strike were an early death metal band. Bill named them as a later influence.

NYC Mayhem (currently known as Strait Ahead) are a hardcore punk band. Jeff named them as an influence.

Master are an early death metal band, members of which were also in Death Strike. Bill named them as an influence in the tape trading days. Jeff also named them as an influence.

Cryptic Slaughter were a crossover thrash band. Jeff named them as an influence.

Vinnie Moore

Wargasm are Boston thrash band. Bill named them as a later influence.

King Diamond is known for his falsettos and concept albums. Bill named them as a later influence.

Racer X was a speed metal band with Paul Gilbert on guitar. Bill named both Paul and second guitarist Bruce Bouillet as musical idols.

Morbid Angel are an important death metal band. Interestingly, Trey named Carcass as an influence on their first album. Jeff named them as an influence on the first Carcass album which would have been from their demos. Michael named Alters of Madness as an influence. — Morbid Angel are an important death metal band. Interestingly, Trey named Carcass as an influence on their first album. Jeff named them as an influence on the first Carcass album which would have been from their demos. Michael named *Alters of Madness* as an influence.

Macabre are a death/thrash/grind band. Bill named them as a later influence. Jeff also named them.

Cacophony were the shred band of Jason Becker and Mary Friedman. Bill named them as a later influence.

Atheist were very important for progressive death metal, bringing a jazz influence. Bill named them as a later influence.

Greg Howe

Bill said he was influenced by a lot of NWOBHM and that Jeff came more from punk.

Bill pulled influence from bands like The Sweet and Slade in his other band Gentleman’s Pistols, but he hasn’t named them as an influence used in Carcass. With his other band Firebird he said he pulled influence from Rory Gallagher, and Jimi Hendrix. As a kid he said some of the first music he got into was Deep Purple, Rory Gallagher, Led Zeppelin, and Jethro Tull. He says he let these more traditional and rock influence come out on Swansong. When asked about Bathory, Bill said he liked the first two albums but overall thought they were overrated. When asked about mainstream thrash, he said he liked Exodus and Slayer. He also said he liked the first coupe heavy Pantera albums.

Jeff said early on he was listening to classic rock before getting into punk and later more into metal. He said he also likes some folk.

Jeff attributes Carcass’s sound change to… “Growing older, branching out musically...we couldn't listen to Repulsion etc. all our lives!!! Having said that, the main reason for the 'change' over all the albums is probably due to an ever changing writing situation. Reek was written equally between me, Bill and Ken, tho' Ken probably wrote more riffs and me more lyrics, Symphonies was mostly Ken's riffs/my lyrics, Necroticism was Ken/Bill and Mike Amott who had joined the band/my lyrics, Heartwork was just Bill/Mike's riffs/my lyrics and finally Swansong was mostly Bill's riffs, with a few songs written by me/Carlo Regadas who had joined/my lyrics again.”

In a 1995 interview with Jeff, when asked about what he currently liked he stated “All sorts, from the Four Horsemen, to The Clash, to Mott The Hoople, to Iron Monkey, to Spiritual Beggars, etc. I like other stuff besides guitar stuff...”

Ken had a big part in the band, but I’m unsure of his influences.

Phase Two and Beyond

Phase two dives into new influence brought to the band by members beyond the original core line up.

Mountain are an important early hard rock band. Michael named Leslie West as an influence.

UFO are an influential hard rock band. Michael named Michael Schenker as an influence.

Frank Marino lead Mahogany Rush as well as having solo albums and working with other bands. Michael named him as an influence.

Scorpions are an influential hard rock / heavy metal band. Michael named them as an influence and names Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth.

Kiss are one of the biggest American hard rock bands. Michael said they was one of the first bands he got into as a kid, specifically he names Destroyer. — Kiss are one of the biggest American hard rock bands. Michael said they was one of the first bands he got into as a kid, specifically he names *Destroyer*.

Electric Sun was formed by Uli Jon Roth after he left the Scorpions. Michael names him as an influence.

After leaving UFO, Michael Schenker formed MSG. Amott names his as an influence.

Metallica are the fathers of thrash. Michael named them as an influence and said after hearing Kill ‘em All he got more serious into guitar. — Metallica are the fathers of thrash. Michael named them as an influence and said after hearing *Kill ‘em All* he got more serious into guitar.

Megadeth was formed by thrash father Dave Mustaine after him being kicked out Metallica. Michael named Megadeth and Dave as an influence. Jeff however has said he is not a fan.

Michael said he grew up with his mom listening to jazz and classical and that classical music makes up his earliest memories. He says he also got into some punk and hardcore but didn’t name specific bands.

Carlo said he came from “NWOBHM, classic ’80s metal and shred, punk and hardcore. I’ve never moved on and stayed stuck in that magical window from 1985-1992.” I haven’t found him name any specifics.

Daniel named influences as: Travis Barker, Andols Herrick, Joey Jordison, Lars Ulrich and Dave Grohl. He named favorites as “Dirk Verbeuren, Gil Sharone, Brann Dailor, Kevin Talley, Kai Hahto, Taylor Hawkins, Benny Grebb and John Boecklin.”

Bands influenced by Carcass!

As this project advances, bands will be added here… there are many!

Sources:

https://www.moshville.co.uk/interview/2015/10/interview-bill-steer-of-carcass/
https://echoesanddust.com/2015/10/interview-bill-steer-from-gentlemans-pistols/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/64yqvm/carcass-guitarist-bill-steer-discusses-scottish-seperatism-yorkshire-swagger-and-his-rock-band-gentlemans-pistols
https://crypticrock.com/interview-bill-steer-of-carcass/
http://www.goddamnbastard.org/carcass/interviews/nucleargore.html
http://guitariste-metal.fr/interview-with-bill-steer-carcass-firebird/
https://www.invisibleoranges.com/interview-bill-steer-firebird-carcass/
https://www.yellmagazine.com/2014/04/04/carcass-bill-steer-interview-surgical-steel-decibel-tour/
https://crypticrock.com/interview-jeff-walker-of-carcass/
https://www.westword.com/music/carcass-bassist-jeff-walker-every-bass-player-is-just-a-failed-guitar-player-5684861
https://www.invisibleoranges.com/interview-jeff-walker-of-carcass/
http://www.goddamnbastard.org/carcass/interviews/mindrot.html
http://www.radiometal.com/article/jeff-walker-isn%E2%80%99t-done-gnawing-on-his-good-old-carcass,120610
https://exclaim.ca/music/article/carcass_jeff_walker
https://www.wikimetal.com.br/interview-with-michael-amott-arch-enemy/
https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2018/07/09/carlo-regadas-monstrance-ex-carcass-overcomes-necrotized-organs-cheats-death/
https://sickdrummermagazine.com/the-drummers/death-grind/daniel-wilding/
https://crypticrock.com/interview-michael-amott-of-arch-enemy-2/
https://search.blabbermouth.net/news/arch-enemy-guitarist-is-looking-forward-to-carcass-reunion/
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/arch-enemy-guitarist-nobody-really-sounds-like-us/
https://www.ghostcultmag.com/guitar-gods-michael-amott-talks-hero-worship/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bel-35SlR7v/

Pestilence Family Tree

July 02, 2021 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Support The Metal!

Pestilence started with a death/thrash sound. By their second album they were fully death metal. Their album Spheres brought in a jazz fusion and was a much more progressive death album. Since then they have been playing technical death metal. The heart of the band has been Patrick Mameli on guitar and vocals with the exception of the first two albums where he was only on guitar. Along side guitarist Patrick Uterwijk the two of them wrote the music with Mameli doing most. Bass/Vocalist Martin van Drunen and drummer Marco Foddis wrote lyrics while in the band. Bassits Tony Choy and Jeroen Paul Thesseling each wrote an instrumental on Testimony of the Ancients and Spheres, respectively. Patrick Mameli has written everything since Resurrection Macabre. This list will only focus on Patrick Mameli’s influences. I was unable to find any for Uterwijk.

Chick Corea

Allan Holdsworth

Steve Coleman

Venom are the spiritual fathers of black metal and influenced the beginnings of extreme metal. Patrick said they were listening to them a lot in the early days.

Dave Weckl

Slayer are the most aggressive styled band out of the thrash big four. Patrick said they were an early influence.

Death are often recognized as the fathers of death metal. Patrick named them as an influence and also mentions having old Mantas tapes being a big influence.

Possessed are now seen more as death/thrash, but at the time they were the among the most extreme bands and are often considered fathers of death metal. Patrick is a big fan.

Kreator are one of the big bands of German thrash metal. Patrick named them as an influence for their first album.

Scott Henderson

Sepulture has shaped many genres with early stuff being some of the earliest death metal. Predominantly they were a death thrash band before drifting to more groove metal. Patrick said they were an influence for their first album.

Infernäl Mäjesty are a Canadian thrash band. Patrick named them as an influence.

Ripping Corpse was a death metal band with Erik Rutan on guitar. Patrick named their only album as a favorite.

Cannibal Corpse are one of the best known death metal bands. Patrick said they were an influence in their early career, but like many of their early influences they moved away from. (Note: Pestilence was releasing music before CC)

Wolfgang Muthspiel

Tha Dogg Pund

Tha Dogg Pound are a hip hop duo. Patrick named them when naming favorite albums.

WC is a west coast rapper. Patrick named his first album as one of his favorites.

Patrick says he doesn’t listen to metal anymore. Before discovering heavier music he was listening to bands like AC/DC and Kiss.

I have been unable to find influences or even interviews with Patrick Uterwijk, perhaps there just aren’t any English ones.

More Family Trees

Sources:

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/pestilences-patrick-mameli-im-not-influenced-by-anything-i-dont-listen-to-metal/
https://www.metal-rules.com/2018/06/30/pestilence-interview-with-patrick-mameli/
https://www.emptywords.org/InterviewPatrick.htm
http://www.metal-discovery.com/Interviews/pestilence_interview_2009_pt2.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf3w9kUZSYY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1QG1FIvHHI
http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles.aspx?id=1-1094

Morbid Angel Family Tree

May 20, 2021 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Morbid Angel is one of the most prominent and influential death metal bands. Trey Azagthoth is the only original member and has been with the band since the beginning. The vast majority of music has been written by him. David Vincent was on vocals/bass for the first four albums and returned again later be part of their worsted received album. Between those albums and after his spot was filled by Steve Tucker. Both have contributed to writing to some extent. The second guitar position has been filled by several players starting with Richard Brunelle, then Erik Rutan, Destructhor, and Dan Vadim Von. Only Erik and Destructhor contributed to writing while in the band. Mike Browning was the original drummer, Pete Sandoval was with the band from the first album till 2010. The current drummer is Scott Fuller. Mike contributed at least once to lyrics, Pete was responsible for some of the instrumental keyboard stuff, and Scott co-wrote some songs on the Kingdoms Disdained. All members not mentioned were live or session musicians and did not contributed to any writing on albums. (possibly some early members may have contributed to early demos)

Franz Joseph Hayden was a classical composer, a mentor to Mozart and tutor to Beethoven. Pete named him as his biggest classical influence.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a classical prodigy. Pete named him as an influence.

Ludwig van Beethoven is probably the best known classical composer. Pete named him as an influence.

Jimi Hendrix was a revolutionary player. Trey named him as an influence.

Pink Floyd are one of the best known progressive rock bands. Trey has mentioned being a fan.

Alice Cooper is the original shock rocker. David named him as an influence.

Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal and doom. Trey, David, and Rick named them as an influence. Pete said he would listen to them after school as a kid.

UFO were a very influential hard rock band. Trey named them as an influence.

Scorpions are an influential hard rock and one of the earliest metal bands. Trey named them as an influence.

Judas Priest had a huge impact on the establishment of metal as a genre. Trey, David, Steve, and Erik named them as an influence.

Motorhead are hard rock / heavy metal legends. Steve named Lemmy as an influence. (Trey at one point said he’s not a big motorhead fan but had respect from them and said they was very professional and nice guys)

Van Halen had a huge impact when they emerged. Trey named Eddie as an influence and the first four albums as his favorites.

Iron Maiden are one of the most influential metal bands. David and Erik named them as an influence. Pete named Killers as an influence. Steve said Iron Maiden was the band that really got him into metal. — Iron Maiden are one of the most influential metal bands. David and Erik named them as an influence. Pete named *Killers* as an influence. Steve said Iron Maiden was the band that really got him into metal.

Venom were a huge influence for extreme metal genres starting. Trey named them as an influence.

Ozzy’s solo career after Black Sabbath has been hugely influential. Trey and Erik named Ozzy as an influence.

Mercyful Fate took traditional metal into a very technical direction with tons of riffs and changes in their songs. Trey named them as an influence.

Metallica are the fathers of thrash. Trey and Erik named them as an influence. Pete named the first album as an influence. Steve named James as one of his biggest influences and named Master of Puppets as his favorite all time album. — Metallica are the fathers of thrash. Trey and Erik named them as an influence. Pete named the first album as an influence. Steve named James as one of his biggest influences and named *Master of Puppets* as his favorite all time album.

W.A.S.P. are a hard rock / heavy metal band often associated with the glam bands. Steve named Blackie Lawless as a big influence.

Slayer were the most aggressive of the early thrash bands. Trey, Steve, and Erik named them as an influence. Pete named Dave Lambardo as an influence.

Ronnie James Dio is among the most legendary metal signers. Steve named him as an influence.

Terrorizer is a grindcore / death metal band and the first band of Pete. Trey was influenced by their demos and that is why he wanted Pete in the band. Morbid Angle’s first demos predate Terrorizer’s

Carcass started as a grindcore band, moved to a more death metal sound, and were melodic death pioneers. Trey named them as an influence. He named Symphonies of Sickness specifically which came out after Alters of Madness. Interestingly Jeff of Carcass said Morbid Angel influenced their first album which came out before Alters. Morbid Angle’s first demos predate Carcass’s — Carcass started as a grindcore band, moved to a more death metal sound, and were melodic death pioneers. Trey named them as an influence. He named *Symphonies of Sickness* specifically which came out after Alters of Madness. Interestingly Jeff of Carcass said Morbid Angel influenced their first album which came out before Alters. Morbid Angle’s first demos predate Carcass’s

In more recent years Trey said he is a big fan of The Gathering.

As a kid David sung in the church choir, he took piano lessons when he was six and he played stand up bass in the school orchestra. Growing up his mom played a lot of Kingston Trio and The Beatles. He said he sung along and memorized stuff from the Kingston Trio as a kid. Kiss is often cited as one of his influences but I haven’t found him say this although he has talked about them in other contexts. He said he got into some blues and R&B through watching the Blues Brothers. Before playing he says he liked punk and hardcore bands like Misfits, Black Flag, Minor Threat, and Iron Cross. He said he was also liked some funk bands such as Ohio Players.

Steve Tucker replaced David for three albums before his return, but once again replaced him and is the current bassist/vocalist. When asked about favorite death metal albums he named De Profundis by Vader as his all time favorite. He also names Retribution by Malevolent Creation, the first three Immolation albums, Deicides first album, and anything Cannibal Corpse. He names Unleashed, Malevolent Creation, Morbid Angel, and Cannibal Corpse as favorite bands along side Destruction, Slayer and The Cure. He says his biggest influences are thrash and early death metal bands.

Richard Brunelle was the guitarist along side Trey on the first two albums. He has no writing credits and I’m unsure of his influences.

Erik said he loves classic death metal and named albums from Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Suffocation as favorites.

Pete played and wrote the keyboard instrumentals on Heretic and some on Formulas Fata to the Flesh. He is not credited for writing anywhere else. Besides noted above he metions listingin to AC/DC and Black Sabbath after school. He said all his influences were “speed metal” and specifically named Slayer and Metallica as his biggest influences that got him into playing thrash playing. He also mentions Exodus, Exciter, Dark Angel, Possessed, Bathory, Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, and Hellhammer.

Mike Browning was the original drummer and appeared on their early demos. Early on he was listening to bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd. He got really hooked on metal after hearing Angel Witch and Mercyful Fate. He named his influences as Black Sabbath, Slayer, Angel Witch, Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, and stuff like that.

Drummer Scott Fuller co-wrote three songs with David on Kingdoms of Disdain. I’m unsure of his influences.

Guitarist Destructhor wrote two songs on Illud Divinum Insanus. I’m unsure of his influences.

Bands influenced by Morbid Angel!

As this project advances, bands will be added here… there are many!

One of the biggest of new wave thrash

Sources:

http://www.enslain.net/interviews/morbidangel.html#:~:text=Trey%20%E2%80%93%20My%20influences%20were%20like,out%20of%20the%20guitar%20playing.
http://angemorbide.free.fr/interview13.html
https://www.metal-rules.com/interviews/MorbidAngel-Sept2003.htm
https://crypticrock.com/interview-david-vincent-of-morbid-angel/
https://tonefreqs.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/artist-feature-friday-david-vincent/
http://mhf-mag.com/news/interview-with-erik-rutan-of-hate-eternal/
https://distortedsoundmag.com/interview-erik-rutan-hate-eternal/
https://metaladdicts.com/interview-with-pete-sandoval-terrorizer/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5-VOU_PY_8
https://web.archive.org/web/20170206184422/http://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/Interviews/MIKE-BROWNING--6977.html
https://capitalchaostv.com/2018/04/19/morbid-angels-steve-tucker-says-james-hetfield-is-the-epitome-of-a-frontman/
https://allabouttherock.co.uk/steve-tucker-morbid-angel-warfather-interview/
http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=29195
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOZNDkWu6wQ&t=97s
https://www.angelfire.com/ar/lachish/morbidangel.html
https://www.guitarworld.com/features/david-vincent-i-started-on-upright-bass-when-i-was-nine-it-was-a-beast-to-get-on-and-off-the-school-bus

Cannibal Corpse Family Tree

April 19, 2021 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Cannibal Corpse is one of he most well known death metal bands. They have been an influence to many and their imagery alone has left a mark on the world of metal. The line up of the band has had relatively few changes over the years. Bassist Alex Webster and Drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz have been steady member since the inception of the band. Chris Barnes was on vocals for the first four albums before the current singer Gorge “Corpsegrinder” Fisher joined the band. Jack Owen was on guitar till 2004. Also in the original line up, Bob Rusay was also on guitar for the first three albums. Rob Barrett took his place for two more albums before Pat O’Brian joined an remained in the band until recently. Rob Barret returned to the band in 2005 replacing Jack Owen. The newest release will have Eric Rutan on second guitar. Chris Barnes was important in shaping the gore themes of Cannibal Corpse while in the band. All members are credited with writing over the years with the exception of Corpsgrinder who has only rarely contributed to lyrics. George and Eric’s influences will not be included in the main list.

Andrés Segovia was a classical guitarist. Inspired by seeing Andrés, Pat studied classical guitar for a while.

Deep Purple are a hugely influential hard rock and early heavy metal band. Pat’s Jackson profile lists them as one of his influences.

Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. Alex said they all love Sabbath and asks what metal head doesn’t? Chris named Born Again has his favorite Sabbath album and Cannibal Corpse covered a song from that album. Pat named Tony as one of his all t… — Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. Alex said they all love Sabbath and asks what metal head doesn’t? Chris named Born Again has his favorite Sabbath album and Cannibal Corpse covered a song from that album. Pat named Tony as one of his all time favorite guitarists. Rob also named them as an influence and favorite, saying he still listens to them probably more than any other band.

Rush are an influential progressive hard rock band. Alex named Geddy as an inspiration and influence when it comes to melodic playing. He said when he started he wasn’t good enough to play like him but he did inspire him to practice. Paul named N… — Rush are an influential progressive hard rock band. Alex named Geddy as an inspiration and influence when it comes to melodic playing. He said when he started he wasn’t good enough to play like him but he did inspire him to practice. Paul named Neil Peart as one of his biggest influences.

Kiss are one of the most influential American hard rock bands. Jack said that Ace was the reason he first wanted to play guitar.

Judas Priest are the quintessential metal band. Chris and Rob named them as a favorite. Paul is also a fan.

Gary Moore is an influential blues/rock guitarist. He was listed as an influence on Rob’s Dean Guitars profile.

AC/DC are the quintessential hard rock band. Alex named them as an early influence. Pat’s Jackson profile lists AC/DC one of his influences. Rob’s Dean Guitars profile listed Malcolm Young as an influence.

Motorhead are hard rock/ heavy metal legends. Jack named them as an influence.

Van Halen were a revolutionary when they emerged. Rob’s Dean Guitars profile listed Eddie as an influence.

Rock Duster was a local Cincinnati band from the late 70’s and early 80’s. Pat described them as sounding like Judas Priest although I’m not sure if they released anything other than a single. He said seeing them live when he was young was a big i… — Rock Duster was a local Cincinnati band from the late 70’s and early 80’s. Pat described them as sounding like Judas Priest although I’m not sure if they released anything other than a single. He said seeing them live when he was young was a big influence on him.

Accept are German heavy metal legends. Alex named them and Peter Baltes as a big influence on him.

Iron Maiden are among the most influential metal bands. Alex named them as an influence and Steve Harris as someone he looks up to a lot. Paul name Clive as an early influence. Jack named them as an influence. Chris and Rob named them as one of … — Iron Maiden are among the most influential metal bands. Alex named them as an influence and Steve Harris as someone he looks up to a lot. Paul name Clive as an early influence. Jack named them as an influence. Chris and Rob named them as one of his favorites.

Venom are the first extreme metal band and hugely influential to death and black metal genres. Alex named them as an influence.

Ozzy was surly blessed with great musicians in his band after his time with Black Sabbath. Rob’s Dean Guitars prolife listed Randy Rhoads as an influence.

Steve Vai is considered by many as one of the greatest guitar players. Rob’s Dean Guitars profile listed Vai as an influence.

The Accused were an important hardcore / crossover thrash band. Alex named them as a main influence on the band.

Mercyful Fate are are among the more technical of the traditionally metal bands. Pat’s Jackson profile lists them as one of his influences.

Sodom are one of the earliest and biggest German Thrash bands. Alex named them as a main influence on them.

Metallica are the fathers of thrash. Alex named them and Cliff as a huge influence on him. Paul named Lars as an early influence. Pat’s Jackson profile listed them as one of his influences.

Anthrax are one of the big four of thrash. Paul named Charlie Benante as an influence.

Slayer were the most aggressive sounding thrash band in the early days of thrash and had a huge influence on metal. Alex named them as a huge influence on them. Paul named Dave Lombardo as one of his biggest influences. They both highly praise Re… — Slayer were the most aggressive sounding thrash band in the early days of thrash and had a huge influence on metal. Alex named them as a huge influence on them. Paul named Dave Lombardo as one of his biggest influences. They both highly praise *Reign in Blood.* Chris named Slayer as an influence and Hell Awaits as his favorite Slayer album and said it was more of an influence to him than albums that came after. Rob said Slayer one was one of the bands baggiest influences. Corpsegrinder also named them as an influence.

Dark Angel are a lesser known but influential thrash band. Alex named them as a main influence on the band. Paul named Gene Hoglan as one of his biggest influences.

D.R.I. were a important crossover thrash band. Chris said they were one of his favorite bands.

Leviathan was a death/thrash band and the original band of Chris Barns. Paul named drummer Angelo Lacocoa as an influence.

Sacrifice were a Canadian raw sounding thrash band. Paul named them as an influence.

Celtic Frost had a huge influence on early death and black metal bands. Alex named them as an influence. Corpsegrinder also named Tom Warrior as an influence.

Widely seen as the fathers of death metal by many. Alex named them as an influence on the band. Corpsegrinder named Chuck as his biggest influence.

Possessed are a death/thrash band on the verge of death metal and many consider them as such. They are hugley important for the development of death metal. Alex named them as a main influence of the band. Corpsegrinder also named them as an influ… — Possessed are a death/thrash band on the verge of death metal and many consider them as such. They are hugley important for the development of death metal. Alex named them as a main influence of the band. Corpsegrinder also named them as an influence.

Kreator are one of the big German thrash bands and hugely influential. Alex named them as an influence on the band. Corpsegrinder also named them as an influence.

Testament are Bay area thrash legends. Corpsegrinder named Chuck Billy as an influence.

Obituary are a classic Death Metal band. Corpsegrinder named John Tardy as an influence.

Morbid Angel were a very inspirational death metal band. Alex named them as a main influence on the band. He said David Vincent is a big influence on him.

Sadus are a death/thrash, tech thrash band. Alex names Steve DiGiorgio as an influence and particularly his work on the first Sadus album. Chris named them as an influence on the band.

Blood Feast were a aggressive US thrash band. Alex is a big fan.

Autopsy are a death, death/doom band. Alex named Steve DiGiorgio’s session work on Severed Survival as an influence. Chris named them as an influence on the band. — Autopsy are a death, death/doom band. Alex named Steve DiGiorgio’s session work on *Severed Survival* as an influence. Chris named them as an influence on the band.

Ice T is a pioneer of Gangster Rap. Besides his solo albums he was with crossover band Body Count. Chris Barns has said he’s a fan of all of his stuff.

Atheist are a progressive death band who incorporated jazz elements. Alex named Roger Patterson as an influence.

Deicide are a staple of death metal. Chris said they were a band that they all listened to. Cannibal actually released their first album the same year as deicide’s first and are more peers to them. Corpsegrinder also named them as an influence.

Alex when trying to improve his technique called Steve DiGiorgio, who at the time was in Sadus, to ask him about his fingering technique. Alex said he practiced his method but was able to use it to come up with something different that he uses. At the time Alex had never met Steve and was glad he did hang up on some random crazy fan.

Alex was listening to AC/DC and Van Halen when he first started to play bass. It gave him the sense that playing bass would be easier to learn than guitar. He says along with them Motley Crue were one of the first bands he got into when he was around 11 years old. The first year he was playing bass he seen some of the best bass players at the time live, Chris Squire (Yes), Geddy Lee (Rush), Steve Harris (Iron Maiden), and Billy Sheehan (in Talas at the time). He said this had a big impact on him. He named D.D. Verni (Overkill) as on of his favorites even though he plays with a pick where Alex doesn’t. Over the years he has listened to a lot of jazz-fusion which he says has some the best bassists and it has probably influenced his playing. He has also listened to a lot of classical which he said probably influenced his writing. He said as practice he has ran through jazz and funk bass books. He said as a kid he listened to his dad’s rock ‘n’ roll records like Elvis, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino. He says he was more into 50’s rock ‘n’ roll than anything modern at the time and tried to learn guitar but the only lessons were teaching folk and he wasn’t interested. Before discovering metal as a kid he listened to all sorts of stuff, even Devo.

Alex says that Iron Maiden and Slayer are band they really look up to for their consistency in style and presentation.

Alex named Sean Malone (Cynic) and Geddy Lee (Rush) as influences for more melodic stuff. I believe he is using these influence outside of Cannibal Corpse but not so much within.

Paul also plays guitar, he wrote riffs in the early days and full songs later on.

Paul named Kiss as the first band that made him want to play music. He later got into traditional metal bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Accept before the emergence of his true love, thrash metal. He said he gravitated toward faster and heavier. Now days when he’s relaxing at him he says he listens to late 60’s early 70’s rock like James Gang and Grand Funk Railroad.

Jack said as a kid he listened to stuff his older brother was listening to like Yes, Kiss, Emerson Lake and Palmer and his dad would play old country like Hank Williams and both influenced him as a kid. There are also videos of Jack strumming some country on an acoustic much like he described his dad doing. I haven’t found many good interviews with Jack so his influence list is short.

Bob Rusay was the original guitarist along side Jack. I was unable to find his influences.

Chris when asked about influences said that they loved all death metal bands but only named Deicide specifically at that time.

Rob when asked about what he normally listens to at him named Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Slayer.

Rob had influences listed with his Dean Guitar profile but that page no longer is up. I have seen multiple pages listing his influences with broken links to Dean’s site. I will be using these influences and believe them to be accurate. Typically info on endorsement profiles come directly from the artist.

Corpsegrinder has only contributed to lyrics a small amount and is not otherwise noted as writing in the band. In the early days he was singing along with bands like Slayer, Deicide, Possessed, and Kreator. He said Chuck Schuldiner (Death) was his biggest influence.

Bands influenced by Cannibal Corpse!

As this project advances, bands will be added here… there are many!

More Family Trees

Sources:

https://web.archive.org/web/20080827220023/http://www.themetalweb.com/cannibalcorpseinterview2
https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2011/11/03/extreme-metal-bassist-an-interview-with-alex-webster/
https://www.invisibleoranges.com/interview-cannibal-corpses-alex-webster/
http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/alex_webster_cannibal.htm
https://www.westword.com/music/qanda-with-alex-webster-of-cannibal-corpse-5716319
https://www.metal-rules.com/2011/09/10/cannibal-corpse-alex-webster-interview/
https://www.metal-rules.com/2014/06/25/interview-with-alex-webster-of-cannibal-corpse/
https://metalrefuge.wordpress.com/2004/01/15/interview-alex-webster-cannibal-corpse/
https://bravewords.com/news/cannibal-corpse-bassist-alex-webster-the-first-bands-i-liked-were-accept-ac-dc-and-motley-crue
https://sickdrummermagazine.com/the-drummers/sick-drummer-hall-of-fame/paul-mazurkiewicz/
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/cannibal-corpse-drummer-talks-vegetarianism-and-the-origins-of-death-metal-8545273
https://www.metal-rules.com/2005/08/21/paul-mazurkiewicz-of-cannibal-corpse/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzgIOoT5iAA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WewvwF2eTVY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t71i-Ge8Kk
http://www.metalunderground.com/interviews/details.cfm?newsid=23209
https://www.metal1.info/interviews/saitengespraeche-jack-owen-six-feet-under/?lang=english
http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/interview.php?interview_id=827
https://www.loadedradio.com/exclusive-audio-six-feet-under-guitarist-jack-owen-talks-to-loaded-radio/
https://echoesanddust.com/2013/03/interview-chris-barnes-from-six-feet-under/
http://themetalist.net/a-second-interview-with-chris-barnes-six-feet-under/
https://www.metal-rules.com/2005/06/26/six-feet-under-vocalist-chris-barnes/
https://disposableunderground.com/cannibal-corpse-interview-with-chris-barnes-from-the-vault/
http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/pat-o-brien-cannibal.htm
https://www.guitarworld.com/features/cannibal-corpse-gory-details
https://www.jacksonguitars.com/artists/pat-o%27brien-bio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6EwPs513Eo
https://loudwire.com/cannibal-corpse-guitarists-new-book-new-album-early-influences/
https://en.linkfang.org/wiki/Rob_Barrett#cite_note-1
http://www.markprindle.com/fisher-i.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FQr_5AGiiw

Kataklysm Family Tree

September 27, 2020 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

Metal Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

No need to pretend otherwise, let the world know
Metal > All

Kataklysm are a Canadian death metal band that brings in more melodic and groove influences. Guitarist Jean-François Dagenais and former bassist now vocalist Maurizio Iacono have been in the band since the beginning. Stephane Barbe stepped in to play bass when Maurizio switched to vocals on the third album after Sylvain Houde was no longer in the band. As for drummers they have changed often having six different drummers that have recorded albums. I am uncertain of who contribute the most to writing and who doesn’t. This list will focus on Jean and Maurizio, I’ve haven’t found much from other members nor am I confidant that they have shaped the sound of Kataklysm that much.

Iron Maiden are one of the most influential metal bands known for their twin lead harmonies (and now triple lead). Maurizio named them as an influence saying a lot of their melody comes form them but Kataklysm does it in a darker way. Maurizio said … — Iron Maiden are one of the most influential metal bands known for their twin lead harmonies (and now triple lead). Maurizio named them as an influence saying a lot of their melody comes form them but Kataklysm does it in a darker way. Maurizio said that they are Jean’s favorite band.

Napalm Death are a pioneer of grindcore. Maurizio named them as an influence.

Metallica are the fathers of thrash. Maurizio said his first metal album was Kill ‘em All and changed everything for him. — Metallica are the fathers of thrash. Maurizio said his first metal album was *Kill ‘em All* and changed everything for him.

Sacrifice were a Canadian thrash band. Jean said he was a big fan back in the day.

Testament are a bay area thrash band that has been very influential. Maurizio said he is a huge fan.

Bolt Thrower are a widely loved British death metal band. Jean named early Bolt Thrower as an influence.

Sacred Reich are an American Thrash band. Jean named them as an influence and they even covered “The American Way”.

Nuclear Assault were an big band in the East coast thrash metal scene. Maurizio named them as an influence.

Carcass started as a grindcore band before turning to death metal and then being pioneers of Melodic Death. Maurizio named early Carcass as an influence.

Dismember are Swedish death metalers. Maurizio named them as an influence.

Suffocation are a death metal band considered pioneers of brutal death. Maurizio named them as an influence, saying he was blown away by the vocals.

Deicide are one of the most well known death metal bands with their over the top blasphemous themes. Maurizio named them as one of his favorite bands.

Pantera changed the world of music with Cowboys From Hell. Jean named Dime as an influence. — Pantera changed the world of music with *Cowboys From Hell.* Jean named Dime as an influence.

Deftones are a “alternative metal” band that have very little to do with metal at all and come from more from new wave. Jean named guitarist Steven Carpenter as an influence.

Jean when asked about other Canadian bands he mentions liking Voivod and thrash band Sacrifice.

Maurizio talks about his mom playing Tom Jones and Elvis when he was very young. He later got into Metal, with Kill em’ All being his first metal album. He said he was also in to bands like Motley Crue and Guns ‘n’ Roses at the time. He said his first album was Thriller from Michael Jackson. He talks about respecting MJ on how he could guide his band into playing playing music he wanted just by singing the parts. He said he sometimes does the same and will call up the band and sing a riff idea.

Maurizio said they took some influence from the Gothenburg melodic death scene but most of their melodic influence comes from Iron Maiden. He says he considers Kataklysm a hybrid band that is in between death metal and melodic death metal.

Stephane is said to be a huge black metal fan, this is according to Jean I haven’t found his influences.

Sylvain Houde was the original vocalist for the first two ablums, I’m unsure of his influences.

More Family Trees

Sources:

https://spotlightreport.net/on-the-spot-2/interview-jf-dagenais-of-kataklysm-talks-australian-tour
http://heavymetalhistory.libsyn.com/139-jean-francois-dagenais-kataklysm
http://www.therockpit.net/2013/INTERVIEW%20KATAKLYSM%20Jean-Francois%20Dagenais.php
https://www.therockpit.net/2019/interview-maurizio-iacono-kataklysm/
http://www.gryphonmetal.ch/InterviewKataklysm.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYUZayXVDEw
https://deadrhetoric.com/features/kataklysm-death-metal-outsiders/
http://www.metalcovenant.com/pages/interviews/interview_kataklysm.htm
http://carlbegai.com/2013/11/01/bwbk-interview-kataklysm-burning-your-soul-people-want-that-element-of-danger/

Incantation Family Tree

August 26, 2020 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

Metal Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Incantation, although not actually from New York, are considered an important band of the New York death metal scene. At the heart of the band has always been guitarist John McEntee who has also taken over vocals in recent years. The first two albums featured guitarist/vocalist Craig Pillard and drummer Jim Roe. The first two albums were written by the entire band. Bass players were very inconsistent except in more recent years. The first album had Ronnie Deo and the second, Dan Kamp. The third album brought in Daniel Corchado on bass and vocals. It also brought in long time drummer Kyle Severn who would appear on every album since with the exception of Infernal Storm. The fourth and fifth album brought in Mike Saez on vocals and he also played guitar on the forth one. Rob Yench would play bass on the forth album and the next three would have Joe Lombard on bass. Starting with the album Decimate Christendom John took over guitars and vocals although he would eventually bring in other guitar players again. Alex Bouks played guitar on two albums and Sonny Lombardozzi would play on the most recent two both would also contribute to writing. Chuck Sherwood would come in on bass and be the main lyricist at the same time Alex did. The middle albums are mostly written by John and Kyle.

Few people have inspired as many guitar players as Jimi Hendrix. John named him as an influence.

Some of the earliest progressive rockers, Pink Floyd. John named them as an influence. Craig also names them as an early influence.

Deep Purple has been a very important and influential band. John named Ritchie as an influence.

Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. John named them as his favorite and most inspiring band. Daniel also named them as one of his biggest influences. Tony was also a big influence on Alex.

UFO has had a big influence on metal with Michael Schenker on guitar. John named UFO and Schenker as an influence.

Kiss are a huge American hard rock band, although you probably know that. John says he was first interested in music by being drawn to Kiss a the the ripe old age of 6 or 7 years old.

Rainbow had the magical combination of Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio. John named Ritchie as an influence for both Deep Purple and Rainbow.

Judas Priest are the metal gods who really defined metal. John and Daniel names them as an influence as well as Alex who named them as one of the most important bands to him.

AC/DC are the quintessential hard rock band. John and Craig named them as an early influence.

Motorhead are a very important band especially for influencing the generation that would create thrash. John named them as an influence. Alex also named them as an influence and said Eddie is one of his all time favorite guitar players.

Yngwie Malmsteen took classical influenced metal to a new level. John is a big fan of almost all of his stuff.

Iron Maiden are easily one of the most influential metal bands. John, Alex and Daniel named them as an influence.

Accept bring heavy metal from Germany and have been an important band. John and Daniel names them as an influence.

After his time being part of the invention of metal with Black Sabbath, Ozzy went on to start his own band with some very influential guitar players. John named Ozzy as an influence.

Venom are hugely important and can bee seen as the precursor to both death and black metal. John and Craig named them as an influence.

Grim Reaper are a NWOBHM band mostly known for being cheesy but also everyone secretly loves them. John said they were one of his favorite bands as a teenager.

Mercyful Fate have been an influential band to many. John and Alex named them as an influence.

Exciter represent the heavy metal / speed metal movement out of Canada. John named them an influence.

Sodom are one of the most important of the German Thrash bands. John named them as an influence.

Dark Angel are a relatively underground thrash band maybe best known as the Band Gene Hoglan got his start in before playing with every other band in the world. John named them as an influence.

Slayer were one of the most aggressive thrash bands early on. John said he was influenced by early Slayer. Craig also named them as an influence. Daniel named them as one of his biggest influences.

The band that preceded Celtic Frost, Hellhammer had a huge impact on death and black metal. John and Alex named them as an influence.

Celtic Frost has been a big influence on both death and black metal bands. John, Craig, Alex and Daniel named them as an influence.

Sacrifice were a Canadian thrash band. John named them as an influence.

Destruction are one of the important thrash bands to come out of Germany. John and Daniel named them as an influence.

Carnivore, which featured Peter Steel on vocals, could be considered a blackened band similar to Venom. Craig named them as an influence.

Voivod are Canadian thrashers / prog band. John and Alex named them as an influence.

Possessed are pioneers, turning thrash into a more death metal sound. John and Craig named them as an influence.

Death are often considered the fathers of death metal by many. John, Craig, and Alex named them as an influence.

Necrophagia were one of the earliest death metal bands and are known for their horror themes. John named them as an influence.

Bathory are the band that brought black metal to it’s modernly recognized sound. John, Craig, Alex and Daniel named them as an influence.

Trouble were one of the early bands to resurrect the doom metal sound of Sabbath. John named them as an influence.

Candlemass took doom and gave it a new “Epic” sound. John and Daniel named them as an influence.

Aggression are a Canadian thrash band. John said they were one of his favorite thrash bands.

Kreator are another hugely important thrash band to come out of Germany. John and Daniel named them as an influence.

Sepultura are mostly known for their death/thrash and groove metal stuff but their first split was strait up death metal. John named their early stuff as an influence. Daniel also named them as an influence.

Death Strike were a death metal band that had one demo and later one album in 1991. John named them as an influence.

Hatred were a New Jersey death metal band who released demos from 85-87. John named them as an influence.

Sarcófago were an extreme metal band from Brazil. John and Daniel named them as an influence.

Morbid Angel are one of the most influential old school death metal bands. John was really into their early demos.

Soothsayer are Canadian Thrashers. John named them as an influence.

Necrovore were an underground death metal band that released two demos in the late 80’s. John and Daniel said they were an influence.

Incubus were a Florida Death/Thrash band. John said he was listening to their early demos.

Nihilist might not be a band you recognize, but you will probably know the band they changed their name to, Entombed. John was really into their early demos

Immolation are a classic New York death metal band. John said he listened to a lot of their early demos as well as demos from Rigor Mortis which they were previously knowns as.

John said he followed his own music progress and wanted to continue to play heavier not necessarily faster. He criticizes bands that sound to tight and likens it to pop music.

John in a reddit Q&A was asked about best 80’s albums this is the list he gave “yngwie j. malmsteen - rising force Metallica - ride the lightning Exciter - heavy metal maniac Slayer - hell awaits Merciful fate - Melissa Judas priest - defenders of the faith Iron Madian - killers Necrophagia - seasons of the dead Steeler - steeler terrorizer - world downfall Carcass - reek of putrefaction. Morbid angel - abomination or desolation. Celtic frost - to mega therion Voivod - Rrröööaaarrr”. He also said Manowar rules. When asked about black metal he said he was a fan of Dark Throne and Immortal. When asked about favorite non metal bands he names Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, ZZ Top, and Cream. He also mentions listening to Paradise Lost's first album Lost Paradise, Entombed's Left Hand Path, Asphyx, and Immolation.

Craig Pillard did vocals and guitar on the first two albums and co wrote with John

Daniel Corchado was bassist and vocalist on their third album. He has one co-writing credit. He named his biggest influences as Black Sabbath and Slayer. He also names Judas Priest, Saxon, Manowar, Accept, Bathory, Destruction, Celtic Frost, Sepultura, Sarcophago, Mutilator and Panic, Entombed and Dismember. In an interview discussing his time in Cenotaph he talks about the band being influenced by Incubus, old Sepultura, Immolation, old Napalm Death, Messiah, Grave and Carcass. In another interview he names as favorites : “CANDLEMASS, SLAYER, SABBATH, ARROW, MAGMA, HAPPY FAMILY, ESPERANTO, NIFELHEIM, MAIDEN, ACCEPT, SAXON, CELTIC FROST, AUTOPSY, CARNAGE, POKOLGEP, TANK, VANGELIS, KREATOR, SARCOFAGO, ILL BALLETO DI BRONZO, BLASPHEMY, DEAD CONSPIRACY, NECROVORE, ABSU, MERCILESS, MUTILATOR, PENTAGRAM (CHI), MESSIAH, DEFENDER, STORMWITCH, DEMON EYES, CITRON, OSTROGOTH, BLACK SHEPERD, PRIEST, DIO, BLOOD FEAST, and a lot, lot more”

Kyle Severn has been the long time drummer playing on nearly all but the first two albums and has writing credits as well. I have been unable to find specific influences other than him saying heavy thrash bands from the late 80’s.

I’m not sure what the writing credits are for The Infernal Storm.

Bassist Joe Lombard and vocalist Mike Saez have contributed to lyrics. I’m unsure if they contributed to music. I don’t think they did, but I will need to revisit them if they have.

From 2012 onward writing writing has been collaborative.

Chuck is currently the main lyricist of the band but I’m unsure how much he contributes to writing music. I haven’t been able to find his influences.

Sonny said after seeing the movie “Crossroads” with Steve Via, “I started doing private lessons for about five years, doing all different styles, jazz, blues, rock. I went to school for classical guitar, and jazz guitar, and got my masters in that, so I’m pretty well-rounded for a death metal guitar player.” His influences come more from the virtuoso type players like “Racer X, Tony MacAlpine, Greg Howe, of course the Cacophony stuff ya know, then I really started rocking when I saw the Freight Train video from Nitro with Michael Angelo Batio”

More Family Trees

Source:

https://www.invisibleoranges.com/interview-incantations-john-mcentee/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Metal/comments/6txoux/hi_im_john_mcentee_from_incantation_ask_me/
http://ydbcn.blogspot.com/2014/05/incantations-john-mcentee-interviewed.html
https://www.revolvermag.com/artist-interview/incantation-humble-beginnings-and-nazi-sympathizing-allegations/23571
http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles.aspx?id=1-751
http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles.aspx?id=1-427
https://wormgearzine.com/2009/01/04/the-chasm-interview/
https://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/interviews.php?intid=50
https://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/music-interviews/incantation-interview/
https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2012/11/28/inside-the-shredder-s-studio-4-alex-bouks-of-incantation/
https://www.nocleansinging.com/2020/10/14/an-ncs-interview-incantation/#more-188307
http://www.midnightmassmusic.com/arise-from-worms-sonny-lombardozzi-forges-ahead/
https://www.haloguitars.com/store/sonny-lombardozzi-exclusive-halo-guitars-interview-incantation