GOD SEED, the Norwegian band featuring former
GORGOROTH members
King (bass; real name:
Tom Cato Visnes) and
Gaahl (vocals; real name:
Kristian Espedal), will release its debut album,
"I Begin", on October 30 in Europe and October 23 in North America via
Indie Recordings. The CD was written, arranged and recorded between the fall of 2009 and May 2012. The group laid down ten new songs which "will show the band from a different side but well-rooted in what
Gaahl and
King are known for in the past," according to a press release.
GOD SEED earlier in the year announced its new lineup. It is as follows:
*
Tom Cato Visnes (a.k.a. King) (TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON, OV HELL, GORGOROTH) - Bass
*
Kristian Espedal (a.k.a. Gaahl) (GORGOROTH, TRELLDOM, WARDRUNA) - Vocals
*
Stian "Sir" Kårstad (TRELLDOM, DJERV) - Guitar
*
Kenneth Kapstad (MOTORPSYCHO) - Drums
*
Geir Bratland (DIMMU BORGIR) – Keyboards, Noise
*
Lust Kilman (THE BATALLION, GRIMFIST) - Guitar
Commented
King: "All members of
GOD SEED have been carefully picked for their musical skills and devoted personalities. We aim to release an album which will sound different than what we have done in the past. The new members have been very important for creating a sound that hopefully will come across as unique and defining the new
GOD SEED sound. From this moment,
GOD SEED should not be viewed as a duo anymore, but as a band with six members."
GOD SEED's
"Live At Wacken" DVD and CD was released on January 27 in Europe and January 31 in North America via
Indie Recordings.
"Live At Wacken" includes footage of the group's infamous live show from the 2008 edition of the
Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany where they performed on the main stage in front of 75,000 screaming fans. The effort features session players
Nick Barker (drums) and
Ice Dale (guitar) alongside
King and
Gaahl.
GOD SEED came to life after
Gaahl and
King lost a court battle in early 2009 against guitarist
Infernus (real name:
Roger Tiegs) over the rights to the
GORGOROTH band name.
Commented
King: "
GOD SEED represents a more spiritual side to us than what
GORGOROTH did.
GOD SEED represents the will to grow; the will to be the super man, so to speak. I think it's a suitable name for what we will represent in the future. I am also aware of the fact that we use the word 'God' in the name. It will challenge the weak-minded in the respect that we in the past used the word Satan a lot, but it's all about the same thing. The God within man, and the God within nature. I never believed in a Christian force named Satan. I believe in the God within man."
Gaahl left
GOD SEED in 2009 because he chose to retire from metal music, but has since rejoined the group.
