Death In June Biography
Industrial innovators Death in June emerged in 1980 from the remnants of the punk unit Crisis, reuniting singer/multi-instrumentalist Douglas Pearce and bassist Tony Wakeford; drummer Patrick Leagas completed the original lineup, which made its live debut late the following year with an opening slot for the Birthday Party. The 12-inch "Heaven Street" soon followed, and in 1983 Death in June issued their first full-length effort, The Guilty Have No Pride; from the outset, the group was criticized for its adoption of fascist imagery, and charges of Nazism dogged Pearce throughout his career. Upon completing the Burial LP, Wakeford left the lineup to form Sol Invictus; following the release of 1985's Nada!, only Pearce remained, with Leagas exiting to form his own project, Sixth Comm. Beginning with the 1986 double album The World That Summer, Pearce continued Death in June primarily as a solo concern, aided by a revolving group of collaborators including Current 93's David Tibet, Boyd Rice and Coil's John Balance; the abrasive electronics and martial rhythms of early efforts gave way to an increasingly expansive sonic approach over the course of subsequent outings including 1987's Brown Book, 1989's The Wall of Sacrifice and 1992's But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?, the latter evoking Pearce's longstanding interest in traditional European folk music. The first British act to perform in Croatia following the outbreak of Yugoslavia's civil war, Death in June documented their experiences on 1993's Something Is Coming; subsequent efforts include 1995's Rose Clouds of Holocaust, 1997's Take Care and Control and 2000's Operation Hummingbird. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Blut aus nord Biography: Although not well known in the United States, the French black metal/alternative metal band Blut Aus Nord has enjoyed a small underground cult following in Western Europe since the mid- '90s. Blut...
Basia Biography: Vocalist Basia Trzetrzelewska spent a couple of years in the pop band Matt Bianco, an offshoot of Blue Rondo à la Turk, before she launched a solo career in 1987. With the musical assistance of...
Scatterbrain Biography: Scatterbrain was born out of the remains of Ludichrist, when vocalist Tommy Christ and guitarists Glenn Cummings and Paul Nieder got tired of playing conventional metal. They added drummer...
In the nursery Biography: Formed in Sheffield, England by brothers Klive and Nigel Humberstone in 1981, In the Nursery explored a strange fusion of industrialized military rhythms and classical and film soundtrack music....
Die toten hosen Biography: German punk/metal band Die Toten Hosen formed early in the '80s from the ashes of two Düsseldorf punk bands, ZK and KFC. Considering that three members of the Hosen were named Andreas, they took...
Pastora Biography: The sparkling, stylish trio Pastora mix sweet electro-pop with warm acoustic sounds to create music that's future-minded but comfortable as well. Vocalist Dolo Beltrán and multi-instrumentalist...
Blue man group Biography: Experimental musical theatre troupe the Blue Man Group was founded in 1987 by longtime friends Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink; identical in their blue-painted skin, skullcaps and black...
Kmfdm Biography: Such industrial alt-metal outfits as Nine Inch Nails and Ministry received the lion's share of press and commercial success during the '90s, but there were a handful of other bands that were slugging...