GOD DAMNED FAST DEATH METAL FROM HOLLAND
CENTURIAN started in January 1997 as the continuation on the fast Death/Thrash band INQUISITOR. INQUISITOR had a lot of success in the European underground scene with their CD Walpurgis – Sabbath of Lust (SHIVER RECORDS 1995) and with their live shows. The band almost died at the end of 1996 after a year of line-up problems and mutual differences of opinion. Two members; Wim, the drummer who played for over seven years in INQUISITOR and Rob, the guitarist who just joined the band after the original guitarist left to join ANCIENT RITES, decided to go on with the band. At first they continued under the name INQUISITOR but some months later they changed their name into CENTURIAN to start all over again, mainly because of the fact that both sound and style had changed a lot since their cooperation. From the day they started CENTURIAN plays very fast, extreme, aggressive but well-structured Death Metal. Bands like MORBID ANGEL, KRISIUN and DEICIDE had a big influence on the musical style they created. The band has a very own sound though. In May 1997 CENTURIAN found vocalist Seth to join them and together they started playing gigs. After playing for eight months CENTURIAN recorded their first demo called Of Purest Fire in October 1997.
In 1998 FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS released CENTURIAN’S MCD Of Purest Fire. This demo / promo CD contains eight tracks of filthy Death Metal with covers from INQUISITOR and MORBID ANGEL. Rob painted the very nice cover. Of Purest Fire got lots of promising reviews in the underground Metal scene and also some nice offers from record labels. In February 1998 CENTURIAN did not only found Patrick, the long awaited bassist but they also signed a deal with FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS; a very promising label to promote CENTURIAN in the years to come. According to the deal FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS will release two full-length CENTURIAN CDs, but before this they re-released the Of Purest Fire demo as their first MCD in April 1998. Thanks to a very well-organized promotion campaign the first pressings of the MCD were sold out in a matter of weeks and good reviews came in from all over the world. After the first release CENTURIAN played gigs with bands as GOD DETHRONED (HOL), MARDUK (SWE), PENTACLE (HOL), DESASTER (GER), SINISTER (HOL), HAMMERHAWK (HOL), ALTAR (HOL), ANCIENT RITES (BEL), KRISIUN (BRA) and lots more. Next to this they started preparing their first full-length CD which they recorded in January – February 1999, again with producer Vincent Dijkers at the Q.S.A. studio, Utrecht, Holland. This CD, called Choronzonic Chaos Gods (CD FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS 1999) has nine violent and fast acts of brutal satanic Death Metal terror, which are all created with CENTURIAN’s own blood and sweat. Again this CENTURIAN release has a cover made by guitarist Rob, this time he painted it in his own blood!!! With the release of the Choronzonic Chaos Gods CD and helped by the promotion campaign from FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS CENTURIAN will definitely place themselves on the top of today’s Death Metal scene. The release date for Choronzonic Chaos Gods was set on 15 July 1999, two weeks before CENTURIAN’s gig at the MILWAUKEE METAL FEST, U.S.A. where also the new promotion campaign starts.
Can you tell us something more about CENTURIAN’s latest release?
Our latest release is the Choronzonic Chaos Gods CD. After our mini CD Of Purest Fire this is CENTURIAN’s first full-length CD. The mini CD did very well in the underground; it sold already over 5000 times and brought CENTURIAN very good things.
What happened with INQUISITOR?
INQUISITOR had some great years in the past. But in the last year we had a lot of problems. We did not like the contract we signed with that Belgian sh!t label SHIVER RECORDS and we had a lot of problems with our singer because he was f*cking up his life (and the band) with his drug abuse, so I kicked him out!!! After this the guitarist left to join ANCIENT RITES because he thought he had a better future with that band. Then I kicked also the bassist out of the band and started all over with new guys: later known as CENTURIAN.
Who writes the lyrics? What are the main topics? Where does the inspiration come from?
Rob, our guitarist, writes the CENTURIAN lyrics. All CENTURIAN lyrics are very s@t@nic lyrics, they all glorify Chaos, Death and Destruction of anything that stands for order.
Did you perform across the borders of Holland? Where and with whom?
We have just returned from a trip to the USA where we played at the MILWAUKEE METAL FEST in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We played there with over 150 well-known bands. Some of them were: @N@L BLAST, KRISIUN, IN FLAMES, NILE, MONSTROSITY, IMMOLATION, LIVIDITY, MORTICIAN, INCANTATION, DYING FETUS, PESSIMIST, USURPER and a lot more.
What is your ultimate playlist?
In no particular order: KRISIUN – Apocalyptic Revelation, MORBID ANGEL – Altars of Madness, IMMORTAL – Blizzard Beasts, MARDUK – Heaven Shall Burn when we are Gathered, NILE – Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka. This list changes every day, next to fast music I play a lot of Heavy Metal bands.
What can we expect from the new songs?
The Chaos that CENTURIAN stands for.
What is the available CENTURIAN merchandise?
Of Purest Fire – mini CD FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS 1998
Choronzonic Chaos Gods – CD FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS 1999
Of Purest Fire – T-shirt
Hell at Last – T-shirt
Soon Choronzonic Chaos Gods full-colour T-shirts
Do you have any other activities?
No, because almost everybody else does.
Beer or wine or strong drinks or…? Top 3?
Beer, more beer and much more beer.
At what age did you start listening to Metal? What was the first Metal album you bought?
I started listening to Metal when most of the people in today’s scene were sucking their mother’s t!ts, over twenty years ago to be exactly.
What are the plans for the future?
At the moment CENTURIAN is very busy preparing gigs and tours for coming winter. Besides this we are already busy with songs for the next CD, which is scheduled for late 2000.
Thanks, Wim & CENTURIAN!
THRONE OF ABSENCE 