Pandemia

I

n July of 1995 three former members of Death metal band Suffering, namely Matthew (vocals), Alex Marek (guitar) and Jarda Hajek (bass), decided that a change of direction was needed and renamed themselves Pandemia, as well as recruiting new drummer Pavel Kouba. After three months of practice they launched their debut 1995 demo The Dust On The Eyes. A Year later, Michal joined the band to take over vocal duties.

January of 1997 would see the launch of a single sided EP in the form of Dance in Vicious Circle featuring five songs of mid-paced Death metal; a production that was followed-up with a tour with Vader and Krabathor throughout the Czech and Slovak republics; after the tour Tom Brtník would step in to assume the drum role. This second effort then got noticed by local underground label 'Anti Nazi Productions' who then released it as a split tape with another Czech band called Exhumace. The band then resumed touring, this time with Dimmu Borgir, Kreator, Krisiun and Krabathor, most notably in Prague in front of an audience of 2000, and later playing with Death, also in Prague. Their debut demo was then picked up in September of 1998 on 'Soundless Records', a label from Lithuania who released it as a split effort with South African grinders Groinchurn.