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Cryptic Wintermoon - Biography


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Biography

The band "Cryptic Wintermoon" evolved in 1993 out of its predecessor "Black Prophecies", which had been in existence since 1991. The change of designation was made to find a less frequently used name. In its inital configuration the band consisted of Bernd Seeberger (vocals/keyboards), Larsen Beattie (guitars), Christian Reichel (bass guitar) and Marek Karakasevic (drums).

After a few local concerts, Bernd Seeberger and drummer Karakasevic left the band in 1994. Ronny Dörfler from local thrash metal band "Terrible Somnium" assumed the vocal and keyboard duties, while Alexander Pöhlmann, a former guitar player from the same band would take a seat behind the drums.

In August 1995 the first demo tape "Voyage Dans La Lune" was recorded.

A little later, in 1995, Andrea Walter took over at the keyboard, so Ronny was free to concentrate on his vocals. Since then she has been the atmospheric cornerstone in the bands Death-, Black and Thrash metal compound.

In 1996 personal and musical differences between the band and Christian Reichel resulted in another line up change. Christian Ender became the new bass player and Jochen Kressin was introduced as second guitar player.

A self produced Mini CD was published in 1997. After Michael Schürger had replaced Jochen Kressin at the second guitar, a split EP was released together with "Lord Astaroth" in 1998. This was done - without a contract - over Perverted Taste Records. During those years the band played a number of gigs in Germany as support of better known bands and was able to build a reputation in the metal underground.

Another Promo tape won them a contract with Ars Metalli late in 1998. Initially things gained momentum steadily. In early summer 1999 the recordings for the band's first full CD were executed in the band's own facilities, which are called the "Frost Studios" and are conveniently located in Larsen's home. Later that year the CD was published under the name "The Age Of Cataclysm".

While this work was bestowed with many honorable reviews, fortune left the band for a while. Drummer Alexander Pöhlmann and bass player Ender left the band and the cooperation with the band's label left a lot to be desired. Vital items such as promotion, merchandise and production of CDs were lagging behind schedule. In 2000 legal help was sought by the band to step back from the contract without the release of a second album.

Meanwhile Andreas Schmidt had become the new drummer and Jens Löhner the new bass player. A tedious search for a new label was flanked by the recordings of a new promo and finally a whole new CD which is dubbed "A Coming Storm".

In contrast to the more atmospheric debut this second full release is leaning more on the aggressive and heavier side, without giving up too much of the atmospheric component. Bruno Kramm - a famous and experienced producer of the Gothic scene - happens to live nearby and could be won to give the CD its finishing touch. He also proved helpful in arranging a contract with Massacre Records, which was signed early in 2003. Around this time the young multi-talented Nikolaj Rüster had become the new bass player of the band, after a short intermezzo of Gary Kietz, who had stepped in for Jens Löhner.

With this more stable line up a couple bigger festivals were played, the most prestigious being Wacken in Summer 2003. Already in spring 2004 recordings started for yet another full CD. All the band's formerly established style elements stemming from Black-, Thrash and Death metal went into this project. The lyrics were focussed on wartime events as well as on fantasy matters, which had already dominated the previous releases. Special emphasis was put on new and fresh synthesizer sounds for the album.
Again Bruno Kramm was available for mastering the CD and it was finally released in March 2005 by Massacre Records.

Recordings for the next album are already in progress.