DESCENSION is Kansas City's first Black Metal band.  After years of watching the same types of bands stagnate the local scene (with a few exceptions) the members of Descension formed to not only show Kansas City what Black Metal was, but to also bring something unique, original and shocking to the area.  Musically Descension create something original and refreshing, yet retain their Black Metal roots.  Influences range from Iron Maiden and The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal to current bashers such as Emperor, Immortal, Sentenced, Dark Throne and Borknagar.  The band takes these influences, throws them into a musical blender, adds some magic of their own and spews forth epics that while retaining the dark, black metal sound the scene is known for, also bring new dimensions and textures into the music WITHOUT selling out and polluting the art with other forms of music such as Industrial or hip hop.

The line-up for Descension is finally solid, a joining of six unholy souls to bring about this dark art.  The members are:  Draxon Blaspherion - Lead and Rythm Guitar, Knighstorm IX - Bass Guitar, Anshar Daemonchrist - Vocals, Astoroth Occultus - Rythm and Lead Guitar, Arrestaad - Drums and Percussion and Azheldark on keyboards.  The band has had many different members come and go, and finally both Draxon and Anshar were tired of trying to find a mortal to join the ranks so they summoned forth the demon Astoroth from the wretched pit and with their own blood drew a contract that he would indeed join them in their unholy crusade.  The summoning of the demon came at a price, however, as the former drummer Rigor Diablo Mortis had to be sacrificed to the great demon Baphomet as payment for Astoroth.  The band quickly placed ads for a new drummer in the local morgues and unholy cathedrals and were promptly contacted by the incredibly unstable Arrestaad.  Bringing a new dimension to the band, the drummer pounds out rhythm to bring the dead back to life - and send the squeamish cowering in their cribs!  Anshar lets loose with his voice from beyond in ways no mortal can understand.  His words penetrate the soul like a thousand wasps as they sting the flesh.  Arrastaad lets loose the cannons of  destruction, blazing a trail of hyper-speed one minute, yet grooving the next, like an undead psychopath marching to hell.  Knightstorm brings the feeble to their knees when he crashes the thunderous strings of his mighty four stringed battle axe and forces Christians to sob and cower with the sheer devastation of the tone.  Ravendark brings the choirs of demons up from hell, his keyboard a gateway to the voices from other worlds, other dimensions.  Together, this band will conquer the weak trends, the lazy who refuse to take chances, the close-minded... they will force change, they will force originality and they will not be stopped.  


Former drummer Rigor Diablo Mortis
before he was swallowed up into the
darkest pits of hell.


 

Rigor Diablo Mortis after the demons
came forth and tore him from his mortal
life.  The band found him this way and
quickly snapped the pic.



The ultimate goal in Descension is to bring music to the masses that is full of energy, pride and honesty.  To showcase the songs with a stage show to remember, to make each time they play an event!  To entertain an audience like never before at this level. There are local bands that have proven that Kansas City is a vialble music center, a place for all forms of music from Punk to Ska to Metal.  Some of these bands went on to big success, some didn't.  Many local bands have proven that there are talented musicians here, in bands that break through and showcase songs that are catchy and exciting, yet there has never been a band like this one in Kansas City.  In some cases, bands form only to last a few weeks then break up.  Other bands simply follow the trends and rehash what they see on MTV day after day.  There is a difference... Descension is it.

New developments:  Descension have recorded a live "bootleg" that is now being released in January 2001 on CD.  It was done with two microphones hooked into a simple cassette deck.  The quality surprised the band and they decided is a was a great representation of how the band sounds now in a live setting.  Plans are also underway for the first full length CD to be recorded over late Winter and early Spring for a mid-Summer release.  The CD will still be called "Inventing Chaos."  Fans in Los Angeles can plan on hearing select tracks from the CD during December on KNAC radio.  Other radio stations are also interested in playing the CD, both in America and in Europe and Asia.  Descension is also picking up a huge roster of affiliates that will be linked soon, via our main page.  Many of these are magazines and websites devoted to metal bands that have noticed the band and have approached them for stories, reviews and interviews.  In tour news, there are plans forming now for a 7 state spring tour with some larger independent metal bands.  Details will be given as soon as contracts are signed.  Before that, the band has been approached to play select dates in Oklahoma, St. Louis, MO and Arkansas as well as Lawrence Kansas.  Keep an eye on the TOUR page for more info.  



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