Thanatos is a Dutch

extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...

band. With a history dating back to 1984, they are the oldest

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

band from the Netherlands. Their second album, ''Realm of Ecstasy'' (some album covers show ''Realm of ''), received positive marks from Dutch music magazine Oor and various international magazines for its solid compositions and challenging arrangements."Thanatos," Popencyclopedie, Muziekcentrum Nederland
After enduring constantly changing line-ups and problems with distribution, promotion, and even ownership of the rights to the second album, Thanatos folded in 1992, the final straw being the cancellation of a tour with

Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1988, now based in Tampa, Florida. The band has released sixteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radio ...

and Exhorder. In 1999, founding member Stephan Gebédi revived the band, which signs with

Hammerheart Records Hammerheart Records (known as Karmageddon Media between 2004 and 2010) is a Dutch independent record label specializing in death metal, black metal, doom metal and folk metal bands from around the world. The label was founded in 1995 and is current ...

. After re-releasing the first two albums with demo and live tracks, the band's third full album, ''Angelic Encounters'', emerged in 2000. In 2002 a mini-CD with original songs as well as covers from

Celtic Frost Celtic Frost () was a Swiss metal music, heavy metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several metal subgenres, particularly extreme metal,Bukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal' ...

and

Possessed Possessed may refer to: Possession * Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else ** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body *** ...

was released by Baphomet. After a few shows in Greece and a short tour with

Pungent Stench Pungent Stench is a death metal band from Vienna, Austria, formed in 1988. Their current lineup consists of Martin Schirenc (vocals/guitar), Jacek Perkowski (bass), and Mike G. Mayhem (drums). Pungent Stench achieved prominence in the death metal ...

, the band recorded their fourth album, '' Undead. Unholy. Divine'', described as a solid return to 1980s metal (in the style of Slayer, Possessed) with the addition of blast beats. Release of a fifth album, ''Justified Genocide'', was postponed when the band's label at the time, Black Lotus Records, went bankrupt;

Dan Swano Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoi ...

finished the mix for the CD.http://www.nedermetaal.nl/content/view/325/30/ To celebrate more than twenty years of Dutch death metal, Thanatos released (on Chinese label AreaDeath Productions) a limited-edition box containing ''Emerging From The Netherworlds'', ''Realm Of Ecstasy'', and ''Angelic Encounters'', besides 56 bonus tracks and 19 videos. In February 2009, the band issued an update containing details about their upcoming album ''Justified Genocide''. It was released on March 15 in

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and April 6 in the UK and

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

."Justified Genocide Details" - Blabbermouth.net
Century Media Records signed the band in 2012. The initial plan was to re-release the five studio albums of the band in 2012 and 2013, but the label offered the band a new recording contract which resulted in a new studio album from Thanatos in 2014, entitled ''Global Purification''. This coincided with the band's 30th anniversary in that year. In 2019, Thanatos celebrated their 35th anniversary with a double-CD compilation album, a 7-inch vinyl EP and a special show in their hometown Rotterdam featuring a lot of former band members. Later that year Thanatos signed a new record deal with French label Listenable Records and started recording their seventh studio album. The album, ''Violent Death Rituals'', had a March 2020 release.

Members

Current

* Stephan Gebédi ( nl) – vocals, guitar (1984–1992, 1999–present) * Paul Baayens – guitar (1999–present) * Mous Mirer – bass (2019–present) * Martin Ooms – drums (2017–present)

Former

* Marcel van Arnhem – drums (1984–1985) * Remco de Maaijer – guitar (1984–1985) * André Scherpenberg – bass (1986–1987) * Rob de Bruin – drums (1986) * Remo van Arnhem – drums (1986–1992) * Erwin de Brouwer – bass (1987), guitar (1988–1992) * Mark Staffhorst – guitar (1987–1988) * Ed Boeser – bass (1988–1992) * Theo van Eekelen – bass (1999–2001) * Aad Kloosterwaard – drums (1999–2001) * Marco de Groot – drums (2009–2012) * Yuri Rinkel – drums (2001–2009, 2013–2017) * Marco de Bruin – bass, guitar (2001–2019)

Timeline

Discography

Demos

* ''Speed Kills'' (1984) * ''Rebirth'' (1986) * ''The Day before Tomorrow'' (1987) * ''Official Live Tape 1987'' (1987) * ''Omnicoitor'' (1989)

Studio albums

* ''Emerging from the Netherworlds'' (1990) * ''Realm of Ecstasy'' (1992) * ''Angelic Encounters'' (2000) * ''Undead. Unholy. Divine.'' (2004) * ''Justified Genocide'' (2009) * ''Global Purification'' (2014) * ''Violent Death Rituals'' (2020)

Live album

* ''Official Live Tape 1987'' (2011 CD re-issue)

Compilation album

* ''Thanatology: Terror From The Vault'' (2019) * ''Four Decades of Death'' (2024)

EP's

* ''Beyond Terror'' (2002) * ''The Burning of Sodom/...And Jesus Wept'' (2006) * ''Thanatos/Asphyx 7 inch split EP; Thanatos: Re-animation (Sacrifice-cover)/ Asphyx: Bestial Vomit (Majesty-cover) ''(2011) * ''Blind Obedience/Thanatos'' (2019)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thanatos Dutch death metal musical groups Dutch thrash metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1984 Musical groups disestablished in 1992 Musical groups reestablished in 1999 Dutch musical quartets