Paul Kuhr

Paul August Kuhr, III, (born on the 4th of December, 1971, in Berwyn, Illinois, USA), is an American musician, vocalist, lyricist, author, and graphic designer, and is one of the most respected and hard working individuals in the underground death metal, doom metal, and metal communities.

Music

The most recognizable band by most will be the band that Kuhr is a founding member of, Novembers Doom. Starting the band in 1989, his vocal style is what sets Novembers Doom apart from many of their peers. Unlike most death metal bands, Kuhr has a audible vocal style, combining the low end, death metal growl, coupled with a clarity that's hard to name an equal. Not being limited to only death metal growling, Kuhr also uses a very accomplished natural singing voice to offset the growl, and create atmosphere in the music. He adopted this style in the late 1980's, and was one of the first in the genre to do so.

Novembers Doom is regarded by many as the top Doom/Death metal act in the United States.

Other projects Kuhr has been involved in vary from Thrash metal in the 1980's in the form of Laceration (with fellow founding Novembers Doom member Steve Nicholson), to the late symphonic doom band Em Sinfonia. He is also in the band Subterranean Masquerade, where he uses both his distinguishable growl, as well as his singing voice, to help carry a very unique and progressive form of music. Kuhr has also recorded his narrative vocals on the Draconian CD, Turning Season Within.

Kuhr has also been credited as recording with the Chicago based band Earthen, and most recently starting a new band (with fellow founding Novembers Doom member Steve Nicholson), called These Are They. This band is a departure from Novembers Doom, as the style is straight forward death metal.

Kuhr has a diverse vocal register, encompassing many styles, which include death growls, clean, melodic singing with a warm rich tone, deep, dark, gothic vocals, and thrash abrasion.

Graphic Design

Kuhr has worked as a freelance designer, creating CD covers, promotional posters, CD and DVD packaging, and website design. He currently maintains the website for his own band, Novembers Doom. Working on CD projects include an impressive list of bands. Some of these bands include Novembers Doom, Macabre, Antimatter, Skepticism, Bethlehem, Enter Self, Em Sinfonia, Gorgasm, Council of the Fallen, Necrophagia, Katatonia, Broken Hope, Michael Angelo Batio, Jungle Rot, Disinter and Shroud of Bereavement (to name a few).

Family

[www.novembersdoom.com and www.myspace.com/NovembersPaul] Kuhr is married to wife Arline, and together they have a daughter, Rhiannon. Rhiannon has been the topic of two Novembers Doom songs, Autumn Reflection on The Pale Haunt Departure, and Twilight Innocence on The Novella Reservoir.

Lyrics and Health

[book The Wayfaring Chronicles available at www.novembersdoom.com] In 2006, Kuhr released a lyrical explanation book titled The Wayfaring Chronicles. Within the pages of this book, Kuhr explains the root of his personal style of lyrical writing, is multiple issues described as disease in his spine. The first and most serious is an advanced form of Spinal Stenosis. This is a condition due to narrowing of the spinal cord causing nerve pinching which leads to extreme pain, limping, lack of feeling in the lower extremities, with the likeliness of lower paralysis over time. The discs in the spine are degenerating causing the vertebrae to close in on the spinal cord itself. The second is a condition know as Ankylosing Spondylitis. This is is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, hips, and other joints can become involved. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints (vertebrae) that cause severe, chronic pain. In some cases, this inflammation can lead to new bone formation on the spine, causing the spine to fuse in a fixed, immobile position. Spondylitis is the same disease Mick Mars is currently suffering from. There is no known cure for either disease right now.

Musical projects involved with and/or is still involved with

[From Paul Kuhr personal myspace - www.myspace.com/NovembersPaul]
Draconian
Earthen
Em Sinfonia

Laceration

Novembers Doom

Subterranean Masquerade
These Are They