Hospital of Death (band)

Infobox musical artist | | Name = Hospital Of Death


Img_size = 250
Img_capt = Band Photo from Manchester summer 2008.
Landscape = yes
Background = group_or_band
Alias = H.O.D.
Origin = Warrington, England
Genre = Thrash metal
NWOBHM
Heavy metal
Years_active = 1994 – Present
Label = DIY
URL = [http://myspace.com/hospitalofdeath Official site]
Current_members = Dave Livett
Ste Bratt
Shak Attack
Kev Fleming
Stu Pendergast

Hospital Of Death are an English heavy metal band based in Warrington and Manchester in England

History

"The founding 3" (1994)

The band Hospital Of Death formed in 1994 as a year 11 high school music project compiled by a music teacher to perform at a graduation disco. Consisting of the founding 3 members (Ste Bratt, Stu Pendergast and Kev Fleming) and session musicians from other classes, the band name was devised from a schoolyard love of the seminal Stormtroopers Of Death from New York. The band formed solely to play a 3 song gig of the following songs:

* "From here To Eternity" by Iron Maiden
* "Refuse Resist by Sepultura
* "Enter Sandman" by Metallica

After the gig, the band split up to go on to college / YTS schemes and tour the local underground scene in various Death metal, Stoner rock, and Thrash metal guises.

"Re-union" (2006)

After the dissolvement of previous bands, being jaded by the scene, and some in cases giving up playing of an instrument altogether, a Hospital Of Death re-union was loosely planned at a christmas party in Jillys Rock World (Manchester) as a bedroom studio project to keep in touch with each other and create the music from 1993 that started the friendship. Tracks were E-mailed to each other, recorded on the Apple Macintosh and the GarageBand software, using a drum machine and without vocals.

Potential was seen in the recordings, and the band set out to make a 4 track demo CD. A fourth member (Dave Livett) was recruited while the band overheard him singing AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long on a karaoke machine in a biker bar while drunk, yet he had no recollection of singing the song when confronted with the situation.Fact|date=August 2008

"HOD Demo 1" (2007)

After having Dave on board, a 4 track demo was made and sent out for free to whoever had a fellow love of Thrash metal or New Wave of British Heavy Metal via internet forums and social networking site myspace, where it gained a niche following. An experimental first gig was played at zavvi music store in Manchester with session drumming from Mike Pilat who went on to audition (and then play) in the Ocean Collective on Metal Blade records.

"Beer, Bitches, Blood" (2008)

Enjoying having the ethos of free music distribution, gaining a replacement drummer and developing on the feedback generated from the demo, a full length recording was done in the Autumn of 2007 with the mindset of “do it cheap, make it free”, "Beer Bitches Blood" was released on January 7th, 2008. The Album is available as BitTorrent from e.g. the torrent directory site mininova [ [http://www.mininova.org/tor/1748417 mininova BitTorrent entry for the album Beer, Bitches, Blood] ] . Since the initial release, a home-made CD bootleg has been available for people wanting a physical release.

HOD Groundrules

The ten commandments of HOD were laid down as the band formed a solid lineup. [ [http://www.myspace.com/hospitalofdeath Myspace official site] ]
# No song shall go beyond 4 minutes – unless it is a ballad
# All instruments will be tuned to E – If is not heavy enough, ditch the song
# Personal issues are just that – Lyrics are for good times
# No acoustic parts shall be in the mix – unless it is a ballad
# No album should go beyond 45 minutes – True to the tape trading scene
# Never again shall HOD pay to play a gig
# Demos will be listened to for 3 months to test for longevity before deemed 'album worthy'
# Albums will have a production sound that is parallel to 1980's vinyl
# Local artists / production will be sourced and promoted
# The 'album ticklist' will be fully completed before it is ready for 'outsiders' (undisclosed)

Musical Influences

The band draws influences from the 1980s Big Four of Thrash Metal (Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer) as well as the era of New Wave of British Heavy Metal Fact|date=August 2008 with a key element of staying traditional Heavy Metal to stay away from current market trends. Childhood influences stem from the overblown guitar solos of Queen's Brian May, to the catchy vocal melody hooks of ABBA. Lyrics are in part, based from having the 1990s moniker and having a medical science related bandname, combined with an homage to television shows and console games.

Band Members (2008)

Members

*Dave Livett "Reverand D" - vocals
*Stu Pendergast "Metal Lord" - guitar
*Ste Bratt "HRK" - guitar
*Kev Fleming "Feemo" - bass
*Shak Raza "Shak Attack" - drums

Discography

Demos & EPs

* Demo Sampler (2007)
* Artist Sampler (promo) (2007)

Albums

* Beer Bitches Blood (2008)

A second album is expected to be released in spring of 2009.

External links

* [http://www.ukthrash.co.uk/forum/index.php UK Thrash forums]

References