Agathodaimon

H

yperion (guitar), Sathonys (Real Name: Martin Wickler; guitar), Vampallans (Real Name: Rusu Andrei; keyboards), Marko Thomas (bass) and Matthias Rodig (drums) were the names to remember for yet another punk black metal act demanding our souls, but unlike their peers, Agathodaimon had the twist of location by being from Germany rather than Norway or Sweden. Nonetheless their address didn't soften their Scandinavian influences. Getting a deal with 'Nuclear Blast' from the strength of their demos they released their debut album Blacken the Angel (1998) with one Romanian singer Vlad Dracul joining just prior to it's recording, but being refused entry back into Germany after a vacation home before the support tour. While Dracul continued to write the lyrics in exile, Akaias (Real Name: Frank Nordmann), a friend, would take his place to sing them on both the tour with Gorgoroth and Children of Bodom and then on the follow-up album Higher Art of Rebellion (1999).