Ephel Duath (band)

Ephel Duath, an Italian band blending avant-garde metal with hardcore punk, started in Padua in 1998. The group went through many member changes, with guitarist and songwriter Davide Tiso remaining the only constant figure. Over their career, they put out one demo, five full-length albums, and two remix albums. Their last studio record, *Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness*, came out in 2013.

The band took its name from a mountain range in J.R.R. Tolkien’s *The Lord of the Rings*. Originally a two-person project, their first release was *Phormula* on Code666. After that, they signed with Elitist Records, a branch of Earache, and reissued the debut as *Rephormula* in 2001, adding three tracks from their 1998 demo *Opera* and two remixes. Tiso later brought in musicians from hardcore punk, progressive rock, jazz, blues, funk, and pop. This lineup produced *The Painter’s Palette* in 2003, which mixed hardcore punk with jazz fusion in an unusual way.

*Pain Necessary to Know* followed in late 2005. After recording, drummer Davide Piovesan left, replaced first by Sergio Ponti in 2006 and then by Andrea Rabuini in 2007. In November 2008, vocalist Luciano George Lorusso quit, and professional poker player Guillermo Gonzales took over. That same year, the band posted a new song, “Guardian,” on MySpace. In January 2009, *Through My Dog’s Eyes* came out, featuring drummer Marco Minnemann and Dillinger Escape Plan’s Ben Weinman, who handled electronics on “Bark Loud.” In June 2009, Tiso announced Ephel Duath had left Earache Records, saying he was “thrilled” to be off the label.

From mid-2009 until late 2011, Tiso was the only member. He explained that hiring musicians was too expensive, claiming he received only $400 from his record label. Former members, he said, “were often complaining, without even realizing how many problems I was hiding in front of their eyes. Now it’s just me, and I’m pretty comfortable like this.” In November 2011, Tiso announced a deal with Agonia Records for an EP and two albums. The EP *On Death and Cosmos* was recorded in January 2012 in Oakland, California, mixed by Erik Rutan, and mastered by Alan Douches. A new lineup was announced in December 2011, including Tiso’s wife Karyn Crisis, Steve Di Giorgio, and Marco Minnemann.