Altar

Formed in the Christian stronghold of Hardenberg, Holland, death metal band Altar came together with the mission of challenging the laws and doctrines of organized religion. Vocalist Edwin Kelder, guitarists Marcel Van Haafe and Bert Huisjes, bassist Nils Vos, and drummer Marco Arends began their counter-crusade with 1992′s And God Created Satan to Blame for His Mistakes demo, before debuting in 1994 with the Youth against Christ album. With their uncompromising brutality, these quickly endeared the band to local fans, and 1996′s more diverse Ego Art (featuring new guitarist Marcel Verdurmen) would further raise their profile, culminating in a slot at that year’s Dynamo Festival. New members Richard Ludwig (guitars) and Sjoerd Visch (drums) completed the band’s definitive lineup soon after, and the band has continued to improve and mature with each subsequent release, including 1998′s Provoke, 1999′s In the Name of the Father, 2000′s Until Heaven Forbids mini-album, and 2001′s Red Harvest (issued worldwide by Crash Music). ~ Eduardo Rivadavia