Tearstained

Mikael's first musical excursions were in 1988, playing guitar and writing the music/lyrics for the local band MORBID ECSTASY, for which only a 2 song rehearsal tape exists. After that band split, Mikael played small guitar stints in the bands SECLUDED VIOLENCE (in 1988) and then RAID (in 1989). In 1990 Mikael joined/formed the band ASTAROTH and played the Guitar as well as did vocals on one song. ASTAROTH saw Mikael's first live shows being played at local clubs. But Mikael left ASTAROTH in 1992 before anything official was ever recorded, and joined the then-forming band BURIED BENEATH. In BURIED BENEATH Mikael played guitar, but then moved on to also doing the vocals and keyboards as members left the band and Mikael's songwriting became dominant. From 1992 - 1995 Buried Beneath released 3 demo tapes. 3 years after Buried Beneath split up (in 1998), a CD "The Last Rays Of The Moon" was released on Dark Trinity/Majestic Union Records and it contained "fixed up" songs from the 2nd and 3rd demos. When Buried Beneath split up in 1995, a new band was formed from it's ashes: NIGHT CONQUERS DAY. With NCD, Mikael played virtually all the instruments at first until a full band could be established. NCD released 2 CD's on Hammerheart Records (NL), "The First Snowfall" in 1998 and "Rebellion Is The Art Of Survival" in 1999. During this time (mid-1990's) Mikael had a few solo-projects going simultaneously. There was INTO THE SUNLESS MERIDIAN, where Mikael played ALL the instruments, wrote and recorded everything, put out 2 demos (one in 1994 "Anno Satanas" and a 2nd in 1995 "Sex Magic") and eventually recorded and released a self-titled CD "Into The Sunless Meridian" in 1998 on Near Dark Productions. . There was also SHADOWCASTER, a non-metal dark-atmospheric project which consisted of only keyboards, synths and vocals. There were 2 demos released (both in 1994), a debut CD "Abandonment" released in 1996 on a crap Greek label, and then 2 simultaneous CD's released in 1999 "Temptation" (a collection of early recordings) and "Psychelectronic Experience" on the now-defunct Wild Rags Records. All the while Mikael was active in NIGHT CONQUERS DAY. He also did session keyboards with local doom act ...AND HERE I LIE, appearing on one Comp track. But by 2000 Night Conquers Day split up....and thus TEARSTAINED was borne. Hailing from Rochester, NY, on the southern shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Genesee River, TEARSTAINED originally began in December 1995 as both a solo-project of Mikael, as well as the first experimentations in his new personal 8 track analog recording studio Mortuary Temple. A one-song promo was recorded and spread through the tapetrading circuit as well as to many underground mags. It even received praise from Nordic Mag who usually hated most US demos. In 1997-1998 an album was recorded and it was sent to several labels, one of whom signed TEARSTAINED and released the debut CD "Monumental In Its Sorrow" in 1999. Then that label basicly disappeared off the face of the earth. TEARSTAINED was then contacted by Barbarian Wrath because they were wondering when a 2nd album was coming out since it was now 2001 already and they were fans of the music. A new deal was inked and BW became TEARSTAINED's new home. By this time the band that Mikael was playing in, Night Conquers Day, had released 2 albums and then split up. So Tearstained became the primary focus at this point. The second Tearstained CD was released in late 2001 and is entitled "There Is No Hope". This album is Part II of what is the Suicide Trilogy albums. These first 3 albums are depressive black cult dealing with everything personal, depressing, melancholy, desparaging, suicidal thoughts and deep depression and anger. And the primary inspirations of Mercyful Fate, Bathory & Celtic Frost can definitely be heard the most on these albums. In 2003 the 3rd album, and the Conclusion of the Suicide Trilogy was released. It is entitled "Final Thoughts" and seems to be the favorite album of most. Even voted Album Of The Month in Metallian mag in August 2003. In 2005 Barbarian Wrath re-released the debut CD that was now out-of-print due to demand for it. Especially for this re-issue Mikael recorded 2 brand new songs that fit in totally with the Suicide Trilogy theme. They are on the re-issue only, not on the original album from 1999. The 4th CD was released in 2006, on June 6th, and is entitled "Homicidal Tendencies". This album shows Tearstained on a full frontal aggressive assault, thus an AGGRESSIVE BLACK CULT sound. Still sounds like Tearstained, but then Tearstained has a unique and varied sound in itself. This 4th album is a concept album, one of aggression, revenge, killing, venting anger through violence, and the ability we each might have within us to just snap. Musically this album has a strong nod to the 80's German and US thrash sound and even the vocals have barely any falsetto this time around. And now in 2008 the 5th album entitled "Nightmare Visions" is released, which is another new theme and will introduce you to regressive black cult. Another feature of every Tearstained CD is the inclusion of 2 hidden bonus tracks on each CD. They are coversongs, one of which is always a Bathory song since I fucking love Bathory!!!! R.I.P. Quorthon. Check out my renditions of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond songs as well. I'll post them eventually. I shall rotate what MP3's I have in here. There are also 2 MP3's from each Tearstained CD on the page of BARBARIAN WRATH here in My Space. He's at the top of my friends list, easy to link to. You'll also find Night Conquers Day MP3's in a fan site made for NCD. See Night Conquers Day in my friends list. Feel free to download my MP3's. Of course CD quality is always better. Tearstained dies when my pulse ceases. And so far I still breathe.....