NEAERA
Benny
Hilleke - vocals
Tobias Buck - guitars
Stefan Keller - guitars
Benjamin Donath - bass
Sebastian Heldt - drums
Münster,
Westphalia, summer of 2003: Tobias Buck, guitarist
in the death/grind band MALZAN, forms a side project
in order to pursue his interest in hardcore and Swedish
death metal. The original line-up, consisting of Buck,
Sebastian Heldt (d), Benny Hilleke (v), and Benjamin
Donath (b), is quickly assembled, and, just before
the debut show, THE NINTH GATE is chosen as the band’s
name. Soon after this show the band is joined by guitarist
Stefan Keller, whose riff ideas further enrich the
creative output of the young group.
New
songs are written, and the existing ones are made
to fit the band’s new found twin guitar attack.
Over two consecutive weekends in February 2004 the
band lays down a demo at the Docma-Klang studio in
Osnabrück with excellent results. The sound quality
captured by producer Matze turns out to be rather
exceptional for a demo CD.
The
CD is immediately presented to fans and label people,
gaining excellent feedback all around. The actual
course of events, however, surpasses everybody’s
highest expectations.
2nd
April 2004 – less then a year after the band’s
inception and only a few months into the band’s
existence in its present line-up – THE NINTH
GATE are offered a recording contract by Metal Blade
Records, literally making the five youngsters’
dreams come true. Understanding that a new name is
needed to replace the old moniker, which had been
born more out of necessity than anything else, the
quintet starts brainstorming, soon emerging with a
name that represents the band’s philosophy as
a whole. The name is that of a character from Greek
mythology, a woman who was sold into sexual slavery,
being proscribed, oppressed and exploited all her
life. Never entirely able to overcome her past, she
was, however, “allowed” by her owners
to buy her own freedom, a situation which is sadly
still a widespread reality in present times. This
woman was called NEAERA.
A
contract is signed between Metal Blade Records and
the newly named NEAERA, who enter Stage One Studio
with veteran producer Andy Classen in November 2004
in order to record their debut album. “The Rising
Tide Of Oblivion” is released on March 21, 2005,
being met almost exclusively with positive reviews.
After
the release of their debut CD, the band is confronted
with a lot of interviews, booking inquiries and media
interest for the first time, transforming the initially
planned side project into the serious, up-and-coming
German death metalcore act it is today. After a few
weekend shows, the band is finally able to fulfill
its second biggest aspiration besides a recording
contract, their first big European tour supporting
huge names in the scene. NEAERA play 24 shows as part
of the Hell on Earth Tour, which also features HEAVEN
SHALL BURN, AS I LAY DYING, EVERGREEN TERRACE, AGENTS
OF MAN and END OF DAYS. The tour turns into the band’s
biggest success on a personal and musical level, becoming
a major landmark in their career. Many weekend shows
follow in countries like Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
Holland, Denmark and Estonia. Another short tour with
CALIBAN, FEAR MY THOUGHTS, DESTINY and NARZISS rounds
up a fantastic year, in which NEAERA played a total
of 60 to 70 shows.
Musically
speaking, the band doesn’t rest on their laurels
either. A studio date for January 2006 at Denmark’s
Hansen studios with producer Jacob Hansen (FEAR MY
THOUGHTS, MAROON, COMMUNIC, SOUL DEMISE) is already
booked in June 2005. The songwriting process takes
up the best part of the year, with Tobias Buck, Stefan
Keller and Sebastian Heldt writing roughly one song
a month. The studio sessions with Jacob Hansen turn
out to be extremely gratifying, more than living up
to the band’s expectations.
