Fantom Warior

Infobox musical artist
Name = Fantom Warior


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Background = group_or_band
Origin = Union, New Jersey, USA
Genre = Thrash metal Speed metal Heavy metal
Years_active = 1984-1989
Label = Token Records (independent)
Associated_acts = Slayer
Metallica
Anthrax
Kreator
URL =
Current_members = Keith Pires
John Chernack
James Jensen
Steve "Schley" Schlehuber
Past_members =

Fantom Warior was an American thrash metal band founded in 1984 in Union, New Jersey.Citation
last=Sorensen
first=Esben Slot
title=Fantom Warior
journal=Blackthorn Magazine (Denmark)
volume=
issue=4
year=1986
pages=25
url=http://a578.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/l_6b48c9a3358195db1cf585e462959589.jpg] The members consisted of John Chernack, bass and vocals, Keith Pires, guitar and vocals, James Jensen, drums, and Steve Schley, guitar. The bands major influences were Slayer, Metallica, and Anthrax.cite web | url=http://www.myspace.com/6fantom6warior6.htm| title=Fantom Warior MySpace Page | accessdate=2008-03-01 | work=] Fantom Warior had a self distributed demo and album as well as an appearance on a compilation album.cite web | author=Meat|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=14693| title=Encyclopeadia Metallum:Fantom Warior | accessdate = 2008-03-01 | year=1984|work = Reviews for Fantom Warior's Fantasy or Reality] Fantom Warior's music style was said to be hardcore thrash similar to Slayer and Kreator with changes throughout their songs that mix speedcore and very heavy thrash. Their music contained a blend of speed and technical development unknown to some of the other bands of their time.Citation
name="Metal Forces Magazine Fantom Warior article"
last=Exley
first=Mike
title=Fantom Warior
journal=Metal Forces Magazine (UK)
volume=
issue=20
year=1986
pages=12
url=http://a855.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/96/l_ad25d7d6a56fb73871abe66aac484cd6.jpg]

History

Fantom Warior initially started as a heavy metal cover band under the name Phantom Lord in 1984 in Union, New Jersey. The original lineup featured guitarist Keith Pires, drummer James Jensen, bass player John Chernack, guitarist Steve Schley, and vocalist Dave Montini. The band transitioned through a number of lead vocalists, most notably Jason Glicken (a.k.a. Raeph Glicken) who continued his music career as a drummer for a number of hardcore punk bands such as S.F.A., Kill Your Idols, and The Arsons, as well as the black metal band Black Anvil. [cite web | url="http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=330296"|title=Billboard.com|accessdate=2008-03-20|work=Kill Your Idols Biography] [cite web | url="http://www.myspace.com/blackanvilny"|title=MySpace|accessdate=2008-03-20|work=Black Anvil] [cite web | url="http://www.myspace.com/thearsons"|title=MySpace|accessdate=2008-03-20|work=The Arsons] In early 1985, the lineup of John Chernack, Keith Pires, James Jensen, and Steve Schley, with John and Keith taking on vocal frontmen duties, changed the band name to Fantom Warior due to the emergence of a NY band using the name Phantom Lord. [cite web | url =http://www.bnrmetal.com/v2/bandpage.php?ID=PhLo| title = The BNR Metal Pages | accessdate = 2008-03-14 | work = Phantom Lord] The group's first live performance as Fantom Warior was at the Show Place in Dover, New Jersey in May of 1985.

In March, 1986, Fantom Warior released a five track demo tape containing original material entitled "Morbid Invasion". The demo was distributed worldwide and was well received by a number of metal magazines in both the US and in Europe.Citation
last=Kaye
first=Dan
title=East Coast Report
journal=Aardschok America Magazine (Oregon, USA)
volume=
issue=November
year=1986
pages=38
url= ] Citation
last=Berry
first=Bob
title=Fantom Warior
journal=Thrash Til Deaf Magazine (Indiana, USA)
volume=
issue=3
year=1986
pages=4
url= ] Citation
last=Criou
first=Stephane
title=Fantom Warior
journal=Troubadour Magazine (France)
volume=
issue=3
year=1986
pages=29
url= ] Citation
last=Baas
first=Frank
title=Fantom Warior
journal=Crionics Magazine (Holland)
volume=
issue=1
year=1986
pages=6-7
url= ] Citation
last=Kuper
first=Wolfram
title=Fantom Warior Morbid Invasion
journal=Shock Power Magazine (Germany)
volume=
issue=11
year=1986
pages=31
url= ] Citation
last=Glu II
first=La
title=Fantom Warior Morbid Invasion
journal=D.O.D. (Decibel of Death) Magazine (France)
volume=
issue=4
year=1987
pages=6
url= ] Citation
last=Murgia
first=Massimo
title=Fantom Warior Morbid Invasion
journal=Shadows Magazine(Italy)
volume=
issue=3
year=1987
pages=34-35
url= ] Citation
last=Rimbaud
first=Franck
title=Fantom Warior Morbid Invasion
journal=Metalorgie Magazine(France)
volume=
issue=8
year=1987
pages=21
url= ] Critic Esben Slot Sorensen of the Danish metal magazine Blackthorn writes "This is a killer demo! Fantom Warior will be a very possible subject for the 'demo of the year 1986' poll ... you must take a look on the cover just too assure you that it is not Tom Araya who's singing". Critic Mike Exley for the UK metal magazine Metal Forces writes "Morbid Invasion is both a classic and a must for true metal fans and bands to listen to ... Morbid Invasion leads off with a solid riff, but it's the middle section of this song that has me foaming at the mouth". Writer Andrew Sakowicz from the Chapel Magazine felt that with bands like Fantom Warior, "the East Coast is finally a scene to be reckoned with".Citation
last=Sakowicz
first=Andrew
title=Fantom Warior Morbid Invasion
journal=The Chapel Magazine (NY, USA)
volume=
issue=2
year=1986
pages=12
url= ]

In April, 1987, Fantom Warior was one of nine artists of various music genres to appear on a compilation album distributed by Merlin Recording Studios. The record album entitled "Merlin Music Presents . . ." featured a track from Fantom Warior entitled E.R.C. (Eat the Rotting Corpse) which did not appear on their "Morbid Invasion" demo.

In October, 1987, Fantom Warior released a 10 track record album entitled "Fantasy Or Reality" distributed under the bands independent label Token Records. This album, as with the "Morbid Invasion" demo, was also distributed and sold directly by the band via mail order and local music stores throughout New Jersey and New York.

Prior to the popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web in the early 1990's, Fantom Warior, as did many 1980's metal bands, established a worldwide fan base with the help of reviews and articles that appeared in the metal magazines and the underground metal fanzine networks. [ cite web | url = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet| title = "Internet --- Wikipedia{,} The Free Encyclopedia"|accessdate = 2008-03-16] The publishing of Fantom Warior's contact information in these articles, initially in the UK Magazine, Metal Forces, and then the Dutch Magazine, Blackthorne, as well as many other regional fanzines, helped jump start Fantom Warior's worldwide distribution of the "Morbid Invasion" demo, the "Fantasy Or Reality" album, and other merchandise. Although the Fantom Warior name and music spread worldwide, Fantom Warior played primarily in venues throughout Northern New Jersey and metropolitan New York such as the Show Place in Dover, NJ, Billy O's (a.k.a. October's and The Rock Palace) in Staten Island, NY, CBGB, Manhattan, NY, and L'amour in Brooklyn, NY. Fantom Warior was known to co-headline performances with another Union, New Jersey metal band Insaniac.Citation
last=Berry
first=Bob
title=Insaniac Interview
journal=Thrash Til Deaf Magazine (Indiana, USA)
volume=
issue=3
year=1986
pages=13-15
url= ]

The lack of professional management and touring that would have come with a contract with a major label as well as the downturn of thrash metal during the late 1980s made it difficult for unsigned bands, such as Fantom Warior, to thrive. [cite web | url = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrash_metal| title = Thrash metal --- Wikipedia{,} The Free Encyclopedia| accessdate = 2008-03-16] [cite web|url = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanzine|title = Fanzine --- Wikipedia{,} The Free Encyclopedia|accessdate = 2008-03-16] The band eventually separated in 1989.

Discography

*"Morbid Invasion" (Demo, 1986)
*"Merlin Music Presents . . ." (studio compilation, 1986)
*"Fantasy Or Reality" (Full-length, 1987)

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/6fantom6warior6 Fantom Warior @ MySpace]
* [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=1863 Fantom Warior Profile @ Encyclopaedia Metallum ]

References