Judas Iscariot (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Judas Iscariot


Img_capt = Band logo
Img_size = 220px
Landscape = no
Background = group_or_band
Origin = DeKalb, Illinois, United States
Genre = Black metal
Years_active = 1992–2002
Label = End All Life Productions
Moribund Records
No Colours Records
URL =

Judas Iscariot was an American black metal band, originally called Heidegger, formed in 1992 as a solo project of Andrew Harris, who performed under the pseudonym Akhenaten (after the Egyptian Pharaoh of the same name). However, with the release of "Heaven in Flames" (1999), Duane Timlin (aka Cryptic Winter) joined the band as a session drummer. From 1999 to 2000, Akhenaten twice performed live with a line-up featuring members from Nargaroth, Krieg, Absu, and Maniac Butcher.

As is common for the genre, themes often directed against religion and explored a fascination with nihilistic philosophy.

After relocating to Germany, Akhenaten announced the demise of Judas Iscariot on August 25, 2002.

Ideology

As the band's name implied, Akhenaten's stated goal was to spread anti-Christian ideology through music. The emotion was particularly directed toward Christian views of morality and compassion, which he believed promoted human weakness instead of individuality and personal development. Akhenaten considered Judas Iscariot a documentation of one individual's struggle with the moral boundaries set by Christianity. [ [http://judasiscariot.no.sapo.pt/statement.htm Statement] from the inlay of Judas Iscariot's final release, "Midnight Frost (To Rest with Eternity)".]

Akhenaten saw himself as a nihilist filled with deep emotions of hate towards capitalism and religion, particularly Christian views of morality and compassion. He viewed Christianity as a religion "from a subhuman origin“, "foreign to the Aryan race" [http://web.archive.org/web/20061209110024/http://www.mourningtheancient.com/judas.htm Interview with Akhenaten on "Mourning the Ancient"] ] and as promoting human weakness instead of individuality and personal development. Akhenaten furthermore expressed deep emotions of contempt towards capitalism, which he dismissed as inextricably linked to materialism. [ [http://www.tartareandesire.com/interviews/judaiscariot.html Interview on Tartarean Desire.] ]

Judas Iscariot was sometimes called a nazi band, which Akhenaten denied. In interviews Akhenaten disavowed sympathy with right-wing extremism or racism and statet "that Judas Iscariot is no nazi band. I myself am no nazi either. My utopia is to run through the streets with a flamethrower and burn everyone I see to ashes. If other bands think they have to include politics into their music, it’s their business, but this has nothing to do with my band" [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20040526174330/http://artofmalice.de/interviews/judas_iscariot/ Interview on "Art of Malice" (in German)] .] He furthermore said he despises "hillbilly 'hate niggers' mentality" and calls racialism a topic which "MUST be approached with intelligence and restraint". On the other hand he finds "the Aryan race to be the most beautiful and the closest to physical perfection". It should also be noted that Akhenaten’s other project Weltmacht also contributed to the NSBM compilation "The Night and the Fog. A Tribute to the National Socialist Black Metal Underground".

While Judas Iscariot was conceived of as a personal expression, Akhenaten claimed that releasing the music was intended to give others strength to live in a world compromised by materialism and irrational religious ideology.

Line-up

* Akhenaten (Andrew Harris) – vocals, guitar, bass and drums
* Cryptic Winter (Duane Timlin) – Session drums (1999-2001)
* Kanwulf (René Wagner) – Live guitar
* Lord Imperial (Neill Jameson) – Live bass (1999-2000)
* Proscriptor (Russley Randel Givens) – Live drums (1999)
* Butcher (real name unknown) – Live drums (2000)

Discography

Full-length Albums

* "The Cold Earth Slept Below" (1995)
* "Thy Dying Light" (1996)
* "Of Great Eternity" (1997)
* "Distant in Solitary Night" (1998)
* "Heaven in Flames" (1999)
* "To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding" (2002)

EP Releases

* "Arise, My Lord" (1996)
* "Dethroned, Conquered and Forgotten" (2000)
* "March of the Apocalypse" (2002)
* "Moonlight Butchery" (2002)

Split Albums

* "Judas Iscariot/Weltmacht" (with Weltmacht) (1999)
* "None Shall Escape the Wrath" (with Krieg, Eternal Majesty and Macabre Omen) (2000)
*"To the Coming Age of Intolerance" (with Krieg) (2001)

Live Releases

* "Under the Black Sun" (2000)

Compilation Albums

* "From Hateful Visions" (2000)
* "Midnight Frost (To Rest with Eternity)" (2002)

Demos

* "Heidegger" (1992)
* "Judas Iscariot" (1993)

References

External links

* [http://www.no-colours-records.de/judas_iscariot.htm Judas Iscariot] on No Colours Records
* [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=915 Judas Iscariot] on Encyclopaedia Metallum

Interviews

* [http://www.geocities.com/abyssusinvocat/EAbysmal_II_Judas_Iscariot.htm Interview] (1997) with Peruvian zine ABYSSUS (in English).
* [http://www.geocities.com/abyssusinvocat/Abysmal_II_Judas_Iscariot.htm Interview] (1997) with Peruvian zine ABYSSUS (in Spanish).
* [http://www.tartareandesire.com/interviews/judasiscariot.html Interview] (1999) with Bruno Zamora on Tartarean Desire (in English).
* [http://artofmalice.de/interviews/judas_iscariot/ Interview] (2000) on Art of Malice (in German).