Voice Of Destruction

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Voice Of Destruction

Posted by Frank Riester 21 May 2010

Featured South African Band

Voice Of Destruction was formed in 1986 by guitarist Greg McEwan Marriott. The band performs in and around their native Cape Town, steadily building a loyal following. The demo Snail My Little Man is released in 1988.By 1991 the band’s fanbase grows by leaps and bounds with the release of the very popular The Seventh....

1993 sees the release of the classic If I Had A Soul - Parts 01 & 02 and is followed by the Black Cathedral album, cementing their position as the most popular & influential metal act nationwide.

A slew of newcomers and imitators follow and the South African ‘90s metal explosion begins. V.O.D continues to dominate the scene throughout the first half of the decade, constantly on tour, performing to capacity audiences.
What sets them apart from the others is their unique sound, compositions without the obligatory guitar solos but rather fine, interesting rhythm work in its stead.
Finale Dead is released in 1994.

In 1995 V.O.D signs to German record label Morbid Records and in a pioneering move for a local metal group temporarily relocates to the UK to expand their horizons and fan base. The move also serves to ensure capturing the band’s essence and sound in a production environment not ignorant of its particular requirements.

In 1996 the now legendary Bloedrivier album is recorded at famed Academy Studios (known for its production of many a classic Heavy Metal album) in Yorkshire, England.

The release is followed by a grueling European tour in the autumn of ‘96 and covers venues throughout the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Netherlands, Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Austria and the UK. Tour mates are Katatonia from Sweden and In The Woods from Norway.

*note: Bloedrivier saw wide European distribution but was only available to South Africans through import. In 2006, the 10th Anniversary of the album, a special edition was released locally through ENT Entertainment. Titled The V.O.D Archives Vol.I – Bloedrivier Special Edition the album includes a host of bonus material.

Upon their return to SA the band performs a thunderous two consecutive nights at the 1998 OppiKoppi rock festival. In 1999 V.O.D performs their last decimating live show, closing the Woodstock Festival in Heidelberg, after which the four members pursue their individual careers…

vocalist Francois Breytenbach Blom with his SAMA-award winning band K.O.B.U.S!
dummer Paul André Blom with his Industrial-Metal group Terminatryx & HorrorFest Film Festival
bssist Diccon Harper with the UK based doom/power metallers Pagan Altar
guitarist Greg McEwan Marriott editing his own community newspaper, The Footprint, on the SA west coast.

VOICE OF DESTRUCTION Reunion Tour – Feb/March 2009

Since disbanding in 1999 the group had constantly received requests to perform again but due to either geographic division or the individual commitments of the four members a reunion seemed unlikely.

But now the legendary South African Metal pioneers Voice of Destruction (also referred to as V.O.D) will embark on a once-off South African reunion tour during late-February and throughout March 2009.

The tour marks the 23rd anniversary of the band’s formation and is accompanied by the release of their 2nd retrospective compilation, this time on DVD: The V.O.D Archives Vol.II digging into the video vault. The DVD will feature the band’s two video releases from the mid-‘90s: ‘Welcome To South Africaaaargh!!! – Live ’93’ and ‘XXX Video Vixens’ on their time in Europe (‘95-’96).

Still to come is the third in the V.O.D Archives series on CD - a collection of over a dozen rare tracks, demos and audio classics, among them the epic If I had a Soul saga, the grim Black Cathedral, the insanity of My Cat’s Cock and the pounding Stormbringer, this treasure chest of rare demos and older recordings will ensure that this release is another collectors’ item bursting at the seams with rarities. An in-depth documentary is currently in production on the quarter century of the Godfathers of SA Metal, from their Punk origins to the present day.

VOICE OF DESTRUCTION Reunion TOUR DATES:

27 Feb
RAMFEST, Worcester

06 Mar
ZEPLINS, Pretoria
with special guests Insek and Laconia.

07 Mar
THE DOORS, Edenvale JHB
with special guests Agro

27 Mar
KLEIN LIBERTAS THEATRE, Stellenbosch
with guests Strident

28 Mar
THE ASSEMBLY, Cape Town
with special guests Mind Assault

This will be the last chance to witness the frenetic energy of the legendary V.O.D live.