The band was formed in May of 1997 by two guitarist, bass guitarist, lead singer, drummer and synth player. Five songs were written during the summer of the same year, which showed the musical way of Vale of Tears: the atmospheric, melodic black-death metal. However, gothic elements were recognized in our music. Lyrics were written in English, one of our friends, Tamás Fodor translated them, who still helps us.
In September of 1997, the synth player left the band. We continued work in a decreased number and held the first live performance on 13th of December, 1997 with the company of Dying Wish in Karcag. We have been close friends ever since and we play together a lot with pleasure.
We spent the next couple of months with writing song and playing live until the summer of 1998. The synth player joined us in the end of June and we started to prepare for the recording of our first demo cassette. In August we began work in Sándor Kiss's mobile studio. The cassette, titled The Lord Of Illusion was released at the end of September by our own financial support. After releasing the demo, two members left the band (synth player, guitarist). Fortunately, we found new members soon, and held the first concert with them in January of 1999.
The Lord of Illusion demo was distrubuted by us in Hungary, László Kaposvári and Backwood Productions helped the foreign distribution. Due to promotional measures we had taken, we managed to deliver the cassettes to many places, we got outstanding responses and the demo aroused the interest of many Hungarian and foreign fanzines. Besides, we wrote songs continuously, and played as much as we could.
In August, 1999 we were recording our new EP, titled The Curse again in Sándor Kisss mobile studio, the Ep was released in September. Hungarian distribution was carried out by Hammer Music Prod. Next period of time was about concerts. Besides clubs, we played on GOTHICA festival, organized by MHH, NIGHTBREED and NEPHILIM festivals and finally DÚVAD fest in Karcag.
After releasing The Curse EP, Nephilim Records offered a deal. Beside concertes, we wrote the songs for the new album continuously, but studio work and releasing the album were late by special reasons. First of all, the bassist and the synth player left the band. Gyula Havancsák became our bass player, we continued work in a reduced number of five members without synth player. Hardly we could start recording, bad luck had intervented again: Nephilim Records bankrupted. We were sorry, since we got a great offer from them. After these, we continued writing new songs & finilazing those that we had already had. In the beginning of 2002 our guitarist left the band and were followed by Mike from De Facto. After teaching him the songs, we started studio work again with Sándor Kiss (who by that time had become our friend) in the summer of 2002. This first full length album titled From Birth to Expiration was released by Nail Records. After the studio work, the drummer left us and was followed by a local guy, Pál Fazekas. The fact that Vale of Tears cannot exist without changing band members could be turned out easily by our story.
The late releasing of the album had advantages and disadvantages. It containes old songs that could have been interchanged by newer ones. The advantage is that we could form the older songs. Our style has changed a lot since the first two release, due to leaving synth out of music, which has become guitar orientated. Quickening the songs and tuning down guitars resulted a quite hard sound. No gothic elements can be found now, only melodic, guitar orientated death metal. Songs, written after recording the album, follow the same way. Due to Mike, we have possibilities on the level of vocals we have already used clean vocals in two songs, that haven't happened in the story of the band.
During the year of 2003 we played a lot and wrote songs. By Autumn of 2004, songs have been about to be finalized. At this time another member - change happened: Gyula could no longer do his duty in the band (mostly because of his work). After a long period of time spent with searching for new bass player we finally found the suitable person: György Nedoluha joined the band in Spring, 2004 and proved soon, he is the one who follows Gyula. Here we'd like to say thank you to Gyula for everything that he have done.
In November 2004 we recorded our second album in Studio Denevér, Szolnok with Zoltán "Töfi" Cserfalvi. The album titled "Destined For Desolation" was released in April, 2005. We promoted this record on summer's festivals and on an autumn tour throughout the country with the bands Remorse, Casketgarden and Megazetor. A video was shot for the song "Surrounded By Walls".
Actually we're preparing for summer's gigs and writing new songs for the following album.
SURROUNDED BY WALLS (Destined For Desolation - 2005.)
Discography
Destined For Desolation(full length, 2005, Nail Records)
(full length, 2003, Nail Records)
(demo, 1999)
(demo, 1998)