If music is the universal language, ChthoniC might be its conscience.
This summer, the Taiwanese extreme metal band kicked off an extensive international tour dubbed "UNlimited," named to protest how the United Nations (UN) limits Taiwan's full participation as an independent country. The moniker also aims to inspire, says vocalist Freddy Lim: "We want to emphasize the 'unlimited' potential of Taiwan and the Taiwanese people. Hopefully, more and more international friends will understand and support Taiwan through the 'unlimited' power of music."
The first leg of the "UNlimited" tour saw the group play 60 shows across North America, highlighted by a second-stage slot at Ozzfest, rock's most popular annual event. Never before had the traveling festival tour featured an Asian band among its performers, and never before had the group's music -- and message -- reached such a large audience. Extensive press coverage followed in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and the Washington Post, among others.
Although ChthoniC -- whose latest album, Seediq Bale (DownPort/Lockjaw), incorporates Taiwanese history, myths and culture, much like its earlier works -- might be a new name to many ears, the group has been building momentum internationally for more than a decade. The Taipei Times has called ChthoniC "the Black Sabbath of Asia," and the band has earned the Eastern Asian equivalent of a Grammy -- an award presented to them by the President of Taiwan.
ChthoniC derives its name (pronounced "THON-ick") from a Greek word signifying spirits of the underworld, and fittingly, the group's albums -- which attempt to bring ancient legends into modern times -- reflect similar mythological themes. Its debut, Where The Ancestors' Souls Gathered, described the perilous sea journey between China and Taiwan. Sophomore recording 9th Empyrean, meanwhile, told of an epic battle between Chinese Han spirits and the spirit gods of Taiwan's aboriginal people, and its follow-up, Relentless Recurrence, relayed a Taiwanese folk legend about a demonic ghost.
Seediq Bale, ChthoniC's finest hour yet, compellingly conveys the tragic (and true) tale of a long-standing Taiwanese tribe whose rebellion against colonial oppression was violently thwarted by the Japanese army in the early 20th Century. Upon its release last fall, the album received rave reviews in such major European publications as Kerrang!, Terrorizer and Metal Hammer, while Asian rock magazine Burrn! featured the group prominently in three consecutive issues. Even America, where the group had never before toured when the album was released, took note, with Revolver praising Seediq Bale as "a booming blend of beautiful brutality and theatrical gloom."
Although the band's image might recall the black metal legends of Scandinavia, in truth ChthoniC's visual inspiration comes from Taiwanese folklore, in which corpse paint allows certain deities the power to judge good and evil. Similarly, the band's symphonic black metal features a decidedly Oriental twist, as the group prominently features the "hena" (also known as the "erhu"), a traditional Eastern two-stringed violin known for its weepy and melancholy sound.
ChthoniC has been pushing boundaries throughout its career, and having singlehandedly launched an extreme metal scene in their home country, the group now sets its sights squarely on the rest of the world. The band continued taking its message abroad in August when it performed at Wacken Open Air, Germany's largest annual metal festival, and it will embark on its first European tour this fall. A new album will follow in 2008. And while the "UNlimited" tour must eventually come to an end, the group hopes its inspirational message reverberates long after the final notes are played.
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Thanks much for the add! We cannot WAIT for another ChthoniC US tour!! Any news on the new album (the drummer is going crazy waiting for it!) Great band that are amazingly cool. (Porphyry says hello. )
hey you..re a great band but you..re always coming to U.S. but i would like to see you in latin america speacially in Dominican Republic, cause there..s a lot of fans here waiting for a chance to see you, so i hope one day you could surprise us!!!
