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Deep within a dark, desolate forest, hidden amidst the imposing hills of Cochabamba - the heart of a mysterious country called Bolivia that also happens to be the heart of South America- is where the story of FATHOM begins. On one cold, gloomy day, like those perfect for a funeral, David had ventured far out into the forest to seek solace and darkness from the chaos of his life and to play his guitar to the ancient trees. There he chanced upon a monstrous looking mansion with walls decayed and blackened by time and windows that seemed to weep. He heard a distant sound, melodiously tragic and mournful, yet beautifully tantalizing to his ears and hypnotized he crept to the back of the house where the sounds seemed to come from, despite him sensing that all around the place the dreadful presence of evil existed. There, as he peeked into one solemn and cracked window, he spotted a young girl dressed in an old, ragged dress, with long hair that fell to the floor in tangled, cobwebby mess, hiding her saddened face. She was playing a badly tuned organ and singing out with such passion and misery that at first he was shocked. But, soon he recovered and tapped on her window, and she, with only a mild start, ran to him as if she’d known him her whole life and said these despairing words: Please save me.She told him her name was Mariela and that she was held captive by a cruel and insane woman, more a monster than a human, who liked fresh blood. She’d raised her for this purpose, to feed on her everyday, so as to keep her true age of 136 at bay and her false beauty intact. Weakened by this torture, she was never able to escape but she had her music to comfort her. As David watched her weep tears blood-red, he realized her dark soul was a perfect match for his, and decided that music could provide an escape for both of them. So this is how it began. David had been in many bands and had years of experience as a talented lead guitarist. Mariela had innate talent for singing that would grow and grow with practice. They formed a band called Caustica with another troubled man named O, who played the drums like a madman. They became popular in a matter of weeks winning several competitions and playing in other neighboring cities. Mariela would creep out each night and, though considerably blood-drained, was fueled by Metal and was able to perform with the aggression of a true warrior. David poured his soul out onto his strings exposing his true self in his powerful riffing. On every escapade, David would make sure to watch for “the hag†so they would not be caught. But soon the bloodsucker caught wind of what was happening and threatened to lock Mariela up in the dungeons below away from her organ and from David. To escape forever was their only way out and they fled to the USA to start anew as FATHOM and create songs for other dark souls like them to hear and enjoy. “The hag†was left behind to rot and hopefully she will never know of their whereabouts, but one never knows…The band was originally formed in Cochabamba - Bolivia by David and Mariela in February of 1999 under the name of Caustica, later that same year drummer Orly and bassist Pablo joined the band. Caustica initially started mainly as a cover band but also had its own material, with music written by Dave and lyrics written by Mariela. The group participated in several local events and festivals through the year of 2000. The two main members of the band later relocated to Fort Lauderdale - Florida. By the end of 2001 David & Mariela formed a new band, which would have a more sophisticated yet straight forward sound than the previous project, after a long search for the most suited name for this new project the band was reborn under the name of Fathom.
