WAXEN IS, FOR NOW, NO MORE, BUT THE LEGACY WILL LIVE ON. WAXEN WAS NOT A BAND PER SAY, BUT A ONE MAN PROJECT IN THE VEIN OF OCTINOMOS, DIABOLI, TARTAROS, GRAVELAND AND COUNTLESS OTHERS. MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST TOBY KNAPP BECAME AM EXTREME SUPPORTER OF UNDERGROUND BLACK METAL IN THE EARLY NINETIES, BUT STOOD ON THE SIDELINES AS A FAN. KNAPP HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DISCOVERED AS A "GUITAR PRODIGY" AT A YOUNG AGE BY MIKE VARNEY'S SHRAPNEL RECORDS WHOM RELEASED HIS DEBUT INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM "GUITAR DISTORTION" IN 1993. KNAPP HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT "CROSSING OVER" TO A THEN EXCLUSIVE "MEMBERS ONLY" GENRE, BUT COULDN'T RESIST BLACK METAL'S RELENTLESS CALL. A FRIEND, NECROTRITON, URGED HIM TO COMBINE HIS TECHNICAL SKILLS WITH THE RAWNESS OF BLACK METAL (IN 1995 IN THE U.S. THIS WAS AN ORIGINAL IDEA). THE RESULT WAS THE DARKEN DEMO "REIGN FROM FUNERAL THRONES" WHICH FEATURED KNAPP ON ALL INSTRUMENTS AND NECROTRITON'S HORRIFIC SCREAMS. A POSITIVE IF NOT EXCELLENT RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED BY EVERY LABEL AND ZINE THE DEMO WAS SUBMITTED TO, AND THE LABELS CAME COURTING IMMEDIATELY. DARKEN SOON SIGNED WITH DEFILED RECORDS WHOM RELEASED THEIR SELF TITLED DEBUT IN 1997. DARKEN MEANT TO GO ON HIATUS AS IT CREATED A BIZARRE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE BAND "ONWARD" INTO EXISTENCE. ONWARD ACHIEVED SIMILAR SEEMINGLY INSTANT SUCCESS AND DARKEN DISBANDED. FAST FORWARD TO 2004 AFTER ONWARD'S BRIEF BUT PRODUCTIVE TENURE. KNAPP'S OBSESSION WITH THE PUREST STRAINS OF BLACK METAL ONCE AGAIN TOOK POSSESSION. FED UP WITH THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF BANDS HE ONCE LOOKED UP TO FOR INSPIRATION, KNAPP SOUGHT OUT MORE SINISTER FORMS OF THE MUSIC FOR INSPIRATION, AND IN A DEEP STATE OF DEPRESSION WAXEN'S "FUMAROTH WAS CREATED. WITHIN A MONTH WW3 RECORDS (THEN GOING THROUGH TRANSITIONS) CONTACTED HIM "BLOWN AWAY" AND WERE READY TO NEGOTIATE, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED. FRUSTRATED AND IN NO MOOD TO "SHOP" THE ALBUM FOR A DEAL, IT WAS SHELVED AS A "PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT" FOR HIMSELF AND THE EARS OF A SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. IN 2006 A SMALL LOCAL LABEL RELEASED WAXEN'S ALBUM GIVING IT AT LEAST A MODICUM OF EXPOSURE. ALTHOUGH WAXEN REMAINS OBSCURE (AS INTENDED) IT'S IMPACT ON THOSE THAT "GOT IT" AND THOSE THAT WILL IN THE FUTURE REMAINS STRONG. KNAPP PLANS ON ONE DAY OFFICIALLY RELEASING THE DEMO THAT STARTED SUCH A LARGE CHAIN OF EVENTS, DARKEN'S "REIGN FROM FUNERAL THRONES". KNAPP IS CURRENTLY GUITARIST FOR THE BAND GODLESS RISING AND IS WRITING MUSIC FOR THEIR NEXT RELEASE ON MORIBUND RECORDS.
Myspace Layouts + Myspace Graphics
