THANATOS were formed in 1984 as Holland's first ever Death/Thrash Metal band and managed to create quite a buzz in the Metal underground scene in the years from 1985 to 1990, releasing a couple of very successful demo tapes and playing shows with the likes of Napalm Death, Kreator, Sepultura, Bolt Thrower, Autopsy, Death Angel and Messiah. In 1989 THANATOS signed a record deal with Sh**k Records and released their debut album "Emerging from the Netherworlds" in 1990, followed by the excellent "Realm of Ecstasy" in 1992.
Unfortunately, the German record label excelled in incompetence, resulting in poor distribution and a total lack of promotion. When European tours with both Cannibal Corpse and Exhorder fell through and the relationship with the record company got even worse, guitarist/vocalist Stephan Gebédi decided to put the band on ice in 1992.
In the years that followed, the band received numerous requests for copies of the aforementioned albums. And after seven long years where countless bands tried to copy the raw and energetic Metal sound of the eighties and early nineties, the music of one of the absolute pioneer-bands of the European Death/Thrash scene has once again been made available to a new generation of Metal-hungry mutants…….
THANATOS reformed with a new line up and in September 1999 the band signed to Hammerheart records.
"Emerging from the Netherworlds" and "Realm of Ecstasy" were re-released separately featuring demo tapes/ live recordings as bonus tracks.
Following these re-releases, THANATOS recorded a new album, called "Angelic Encounters" which was released in November 2000.
After the release of this album the band played many shows in Europe. In the second half of 2001 the rhythm section that recorded 'Angelic Encounters' was replaced by drummer Yuri Rinkel and bass player Marco de Bruin.
Right now the band is working on new material for their fourth album, which will see THANATOS once again combining the best elements of old school death/thrash metal and the more modern types of death metal… Beware..the best is yet to come !!!
STEPHAN GEBEDI - GUITARS/VOCALS PAUL BAAYENS - LEAD GUITAR MARCO DE BRUIN - BASS YURI RINKEL - DRUMS
