1985 After being active in the undergroundscene since 1981 doing zines, releasing compilation tapes, helping to organize concerts, some friends, all coming from the Belgian city of MOL, started jamming together, making huge noises in the vein of bands such as NEOS, ACCURSED BLUDGEON, LARM, HELLHAMMER, ... (well, we tried to, hahaha). Agathocles recorded some rehearsaltapes in several rehearsalrooms where they got kicked out each time because of the noise. Only some rehearsalrecordings are left from that period. Some of these recordings were used for some compilation tapes from that time. The line-up was: JAN - GUITAR AND VOCALS and ERWIN - DRUMS AND VOCALS.
1986 Some more recordings in their rehearsalroom in MOL were done, even a few gigs for very few people into extreme noise. The band was still looking for a steady line-up and a rehearsalplace where they would not be chased away by the neighbours and police. From this period, only some rehearsalrecordings are left. Some of these recordings were used for some compilation tapes. The band also made an interview on a local radio station. People could not understand such noise being played at that radio station, which of course was a big compliment for the band.
1987 AG found a steady rehearsalplace in the youthclub "JAM" in MOL. In this youthcentre, they recorded several tracks for compilation tapes and they started to organize their own gigs in this place. Other gigs were done in other places, playing with bands such as VIOLENT MOSQUITOS, NAPALM DEATH, PESTILENCE, EXTREEM, DISTRESS, TOTAL MOSH PROJECT, ... The line-up of AG in that year was: JAN - GUITAR AND VOCALS, RONNY - BASS and ERWIN - DRUMS AND VOCALS. In December 1987, JAKKE joined the band on guitar and JAN concentrated on vocals.
1988 AG did recordings for some EP's, like the AG/RIEK BOOIS EP and the "Cabbalic Gnosticism" EP. Both these recordings were originally released on tape. Some other recordings were made, but were not released yet. Their gigs in Belgium continued and AG prepared for their first LP. Some more gigs were done with bands such as EXTREME NOISE TERROR, BELGIAN ASSOCIALITY, ... The line-up was: JAN - VOCALS, JAKKE - GUITAR, RONNY - BASS and ERWIN - DRUMS.
1989 The AG/DRUDGE LP was recorded for the English label DEAF RECORDS. The line-up of the band was still all members coming from MOL, but a second guitarplayer joined the band around March 1989. The line-up was: JAN - VOCALS, JAKKE - GUITAR, GUY - GUITAR, RONNY - BASS and ERWIN - DRUMS. The band was five piece at this time. New recordings were done, for example for the AG/DISGORGE EP, the "Fascination Of Mutilation" EP and the "If This Is Cruel, What Is Vivisection Then?" EP. Other gigs were done with bands like DEATHCORE, ... At the end of 1989, RONNY left the band and JAKKE took over the bass guitar.
1990 In the beginning of 1990, AG recorded the AG/VNA EP with the following line-up: JAN - VOCALS, GUY - GUITAR, ERWIN - DRUMS and JAKKE - BASS. A few months later, around May 1990, there was a major line-up change. Only JAN stayed in the band and found two other members for AG. The line-up was: JAN - BASS AND VOCALS, DOMINGO - GUITAR and BURT - DRUMS. The two new members were playing in the Belgian grindcoreband NECROSIS who only have released 1 demo in 1990. With the coming of these two new members, AG started to rehearse in a Belgian city called ZICHEM, where the drummer comes from. Before that, AG rehearsed in MOL. With this line-up and in 1990, AG recorded the AG/BLOOD EP, the AG/SMEGMA EP, the AG/NASUM EP, the AG/PUTRID OFFAL EP and tons more. AG also went to Denmark for gigs and played a mini-tour with Japanese cultband SOB.
1991 The old drummer ERWIN rejoined the band on bass guitar. For a short time, the line-up was: JAN - VOCALS, ERWIN - BASS, BURT - DRUMS and DOMINGO - GUITAR. But around April 1991, DOMINGO left the band and JAN took over the guitar besides doing the vocals. With this three-piece line-up, AG recorded the "Agarchy" EP in July 1991. At the same time, CHRIS joined the band on guitar and the line-up changed again: JAN - VOCALS, CHRIS - GUITAR, ERWIN - BASS and BURT - DRUMS. With this line-up, the "Theatric Symbolisation Of Life" CD/DOUBLE LP was recorded. A tour in East-Germany with session vocalist TUUR (who died in 1996) from the Belgian mincecore band REIGN OF TERROR also happened in the summer of that year (because CHRIS could not go on tour so JAN had to play guitar). At the end of 1991, ERWIN left the band again and DIRK came in to play bass.
1992 During the first months of 1992, the line-up was: JAN - VOCALS, DIRK - BASS, CHRIS - GUITAR and BURT - DRUMS. But in May 1992, CHRIS and DIRK left AG to start their own band. AG found a new guitar player in STEVE, who was the founder and guitar player of the famous Belgian mince/grind band INTESTINAL DISEASE. The line-up was: JAN - BASS AND VOCALS, STEVE - GUITAR AND VOCALS and BURT - DRUMS. AG continued recording and playing gigs. They went to Sardinia, Italy for gigs. That year, AG recorded stuff like the "Cliché?" LP and the "Use Your Anger" LP.
1993 That year, the line-up stayed the same. With the line-up of three members (Jan, Burt and Steve), AG went on tour in countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Belgium, Holland, ... together with the German band FH 72, who have split up now. AG recorded stuff such as the "Distrust And Abuse "EP, the AG/SOCIAL GENOCIDE EP, the AG/MAN IS THE BASTARD EP, the AG/PATARENI EP and a lot more.
1994 There were no line-up changes in 1994 so the line-up stayed the same (Jan, Burt and Steve). AG did a big tour in Spain in July 1994, where they also recorded their famous "Mince Mongers In Barna" EP, which was recorded in the rehearsalroom of the Spanish mincecore band VIOLENT HEADACHE. Studiosessions continued and resulted in records such as the "Black Clouds Determinate" CD/DOUBLE LP, the AG/ROT EP, the "Back To 1987" EP, the AG/PLASTIC GRAVE EP and a lot more.
1995 AG recorded their "Razor Sharp Daggers" CD with the line-up of Jan, Burt and Steve, containing 25 brand new songs. AG also got included on the METALOPOLIS compilation CD from the national Belgian radio station, Studio Brussel. In the summer of 1995, STEVE left the band and MATTY joined AG on guitar. The line-up was: JAN - BASS AND VOCALS, BURT - DRUMS and MATTY - GUITAR AND VOCALS.
1996 The line-up (Jan, Burt and Matty) stayed the same during 1996. Beginning of that year, AG went to Istanbul and Turkey for gigs. There they played with the Turkish band RADICAL NOISE. Later that year, AG went on tour in the Czech Republic with their Czech mince-brothers MALIGNANT TUMOUR. On this tour, they made a video and a double tape, as a benefit for a Czech animal rights movement. The same year, AG recorded a studiosession on the national Belgian radio station. The AG/UNHOLY GRAVE EP, the AG/PREPARATION H EP, the AG/VOMIT FALL LP, the AG/AUTORITAR EP, the "Thanks For Your Hostility" CD/LP and a lot more were recorded.
1997 Most of 1997, the line-up with Jan, Burt and Matty stayed the same. AG recorded their "Humarrogance" CD/LP and did a Peelsession, a studiosession in the BBC radio studios in London, England. Other recordings that were done that year are: the AG/DEPRESSION CD, the AG/EXCRUCIATING TERROR EP, ... AG also did a mini-tour in Germany with DRILLER KILLER from Sweden. At the end of November 1997, Vince joined AG on bass guitar. The line-up became: JAN - VOCALS, VINCE - BASS, MATTY - GUITAR and BURT - DRUMS. With this line-up, AG recorded at the end of 1997 the AG/BWF EP and the AG/DIE EP.
1998 With the line-up of Jan, Burt, Vince and Matty, AG did another mini-tour in Germany with the famous Swedish band DRILLER KILLER. But in June 1998 the AG line-up changed again. Since June 1998, AG was: JAN - BASS AND VOCALS, BURT - DRUMS and DIRK - GUITAR AND VOCALS. AG recorded a lot of new stuff such as the AG/DEADMOCRACY LP, the AG/SUPPOSITORY CD, the AG/COMRADES CD, the AG/BLOODSUCKERS EP, ...
1999 With the line-up of Jan, Burt and Dirk, AG went on tour in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and recorded new stuff such as the AG/GRIND BUTO EP, the AG/DISCULPA LP, the AG/UNHOLY GRAVE LP, the AG/DISREANTI... EP, ... During this year, AG played gigs with bands such as UNHOLY GRAVE from Japan, MY MINDS MINE, MALIGNANT TUMOUR, ...
2000 The AG "To Serve... To Protect" CD was released on the Italian label VACATION HOUSE RECORDS. Other stuff that was released that year are the AG/EMBALMING THEATRE EP, the AG/LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER EP, the AG/MONOLITH EP, the AG/ABORTION EP, ... In April 2000, AG recorded 3 new studiosongs for the AG/KONTATTO EP which was released by the people of KONTATTO in Italy. Also that year, AG did some gigs with bands such as ANGRY MINDED, ABSTAIN, COMRADES, NYCTOPHOBIC, TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION, HAEMORRHAGE, ULRIKE'S DREAM, BBB, ...
2001 The line-up is still the same: JAN - BASS AND VOCALS, BURT - DRUMS and DIRK - GUITAR AND VOCALS. Early that year, SELF MADE GOD released the "Mince Core History 1989-1993" CD and the "Mince Core History 1985-1990" CD, as part of a 3 CD series. Also that year, some other AG releases saw the light of day like the AG/MITTEN SPIDER EP, with recordings from 1997 with the short existing 4-piece line-up, released in the USA. In July 2001, AG recorded 25 studiosongs for the new full AG studio album called "Superiority Overdose".
2002 In 2002, AG released the new full studio album "Superiority Overdose" which contains 25 studio songs of intense old school mince-core. Around the same time, the AG "Live in Gierle, 1989" CD was released as well on 500 copies, containing 20 live-blasts from a gig in Gierle in Belgium. These live-recordings were done with the line-up of the AG/VNA split 7"EP. In July 2002, AG played at the OBSCENE EXTREME FESTIVAL in Trutnov, Czech Republic, where around 2500 people made a big party. Since August 2002, AG has a new drummer called ROEL. AG is working on new songs for upcoming releases.
Source: http://www.agathocles.com/
