Epoch of Unlight

Epoch of Unlight is an American black metal band with death metal influences that originated in Memphis, Tennessee. The group came together in 1990 and initially performed under several different monikers, such as Enraptured and Requiem, before permanently adopting the name Epoch of Unlight in 1994.

Their first demo as Epoch, a four-song cassette titled *Beyond the Pale*, came out in 1994. A second demo, the four-song MCD *Within the Night…*, followed in 1995. In May 1997, they recorded three new tracks for a promo CD called *Black & Crimson Glory*. This material caught the interest of multiple labels, and in the winter of 1998, the band signed with The End Records. Their debut full-length album, *What Will Be Has Been*, was released in 2001, described as a mix of black and death metal. To support the release, they played numerous shows across the USA.

Their second album, *Caught in the Unlight!*, was recorded in December 2000 with producer Keith Falgout (known for work with Soilent Green, Crisis, Crowbar, and Cephalic Carnage). This record shifted away from the black metal elements of their earlier work, favoring a more melodic and technical death metal sound. The band promoted it with extensive live performances across the country, including a two-week national tour with Enslaved and an appearance at the first annual Northern Lights Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

In 2003, Epoch of Unlight contributed a cover of Kreator's "Betrayer" and At the Gates' "Raped by the Light of Christ" to a split 7-inch single with Goatwhore, released through Bloated Goat Records. On October 27, 2004, they entered Big Blue Meenie studio in New Jersey to record their third album for The End Records, *The Continuum Hypothesis*. The album was engineered and co-produced by Erin Farley (who had worked with All Out War, Agnostic Front, Sick of It All, Madball, M.O.D., and Overkill). This release also marked the debut of new vocalist B.J. Cook (also known as Lord Hellspawn), previously of Arkansas' Fallen Empire.

In October 2021, the band returned to AB Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, with Alan Burcham to record their fourth full-length album, *At War With the Multiverse*—their first since 2005.