Oathbreaker (band)

Oathbreaker is a Belgian band from Flanders, formed in 2008 and currently signed to Deathwish Inc.[1] The band consists of guitarists Lennart Bossu and Gilles Demolder, drummer Wim Coppers, and vocalist Caro Tanghe who performs both screamed and sung vocals. They are a part of Church of Ra, an artistic collective started by Amenra, a band of which Lennart and Caro are also members. Like Amenra, Oathbreaker emerged from the Belgian underground hardcore punk scene but integrated extreme metal and art music aesthetics.

Oathbreaker
OriginFlanders, Belgium
Genres
Years active2008–present
LabelsThirty Days of Night, Holy Shit!, Deathwish Inc.
MembersLennart Bossu
Gilles Demolder
Caro Tanghe
Wim Coppers
Past membersIvo Debrabandere
Websitetheoathbreakerreigns.com

They have released three studio albums: Mælstrøm (2011), Eros|Anteros (2013) and Rheia (2016). The last two were generally well reviewed, on account of dark atmospheres, extremely intense sound, poetic lyrics, and raw emotion.

History

Formation and early years

Gilles and Caro were childhood friends, meeting when Caro was aged 14.[2] The duo eventually met Lennart Bossu, and formed a band which played in the Belgian hardcore scene, performing live with bands such as Rise and Fall.[3][4] Over time, their style progressively changed, before parting ways with their drummer. In 2008, they had met Ivo Debrabandere, and evolved into what would become Oathbreaker, writing and releasing their debut EP in 2008.

Debut album and first tours (2008–2012)

Over the course of the next two years, the band had begun to gradually write what would become their debut album, Mælstrøm, coming to rehearsal with small pieces and ideas for songs, combining them together. Before the release of the album, Lennart Bossu said in an interview, "It’s the only way we know how to write songs, even though there are faster ways I’m sure." In the Fall of 2010, the and had met with Michael Neyt, and Lander Cluyse, to engineer and record, and with Kurt Ballou to mix it. Lacking a singular recording location, the album had been recorded in a mix of several studios, and bedrooms. In July 2011, the album was released on Thirty Days To Nights Records, to small critical press, with above average to rave reviews. Most reviews had come to a general agreement that the band had a strong future.[5] They then spent the latter half of 2011 into 2012 touring throughout Germany with Italian band Hierophant, as well as Northern and Eastern Europe with Rise and Fall, and The Secret. In 2012 they began their first US tour, on the east coast, before returning to Europe to begin work on their sophomore album.[6]

Eros/Anteros and Rheia (2013–2016)

The band released their second album Eros|Anteros in 2013. The band described the album as the "story of love and the anti-love (life and death), and the growth they have experienced through these trials."[7] Their third album Rheia was released in 2016 and featured a more black metal, blackgaze and post-metal direction. The album received a 7.8 out of 10 from Pitchfork.[8] Both Tanghe and Demolder cited Mark Kozelek as a major influence on the album's lyrics.[9]

Hiatus (2018–present)

In late 2017, the band said that they would be taking a break from touring and played their last show on 20 December in Brussels.[10] The band released the song "Ease Me" for Adult Swim in 2019.[11] The band was set to return from hiatus to play the 2020 ArcTanGent Festival in England.[12] However, the festival was postponed until 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the band did not play.

Musical style

Oathbreaker's eclectic style has been associated with various genres within the realms of punk rock,[13] heavy metal[14] and avant-garde[15] music including black metal,[13][14][16][17] post-hardcore,[13][14][15][18] hardcore punk,[13][17] post-metal,[14][18] post-black metal,[19] screamo,[16] metalcore,[13] crust punk,[13] d-beat,[20] sludge metal,[13] art metal,[21] shoegazing,[14] and post-rock.[20] It has been compared to that of Cobalt[14] and Ghost Bath[15] as well as Deathwish Inc. labelmates Deafheaven,[14][15][20] Converge,[16] Touché Amoré,[20] Loma Prieta,[20] and Planes Mistaken for Stars.[20] Caro Tanghe's vocals have received attention as a prominent aspect of the band's sound; Exclaim noted that her "higher pitched screams rival [Converge's] Jacob Bannon's, while simultaneously being close enough to a black metal shriek, and desperate enough for screamo"[16] while Stereogum praised her singing, stating it is "often melodic, and multi-tracked, and it gives these gigantic songs greater mass and momentum, as well as humanity and maybe even vulnerability."[20] Furthermore, Metal Injection described her lyricism as "haunting and poetic, gothic and honest."[15]

Members
Current
  • Lennart Bossu – guitar (2008–present)
  • Gilles Demolder – guitar, bass guitar (2008–present)
  • Caro Tanghe – vocals[1] (2008–present)
  • Wim Coppers – drums (2016–present)
Former
  • Ivo Debrabandere – drums (2008–2016)[22]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs
  • Oathbreaker (2008)[1]
  • Amenra/Oathbreaker – Brethren Bound by Blood 3/3 (2011)
  • An Audiotree Live Session (2016)

Singles
  • Ease Me (2020)

Live albums
  • Live at Vooruit (2015)

Compilations
  • Metal Swim 2 (2019)[24]

Music videos
Year Name Director
2011 "Origin"
"Glimpse Of The Unseen Olli Bery[25]
2013 "No Rest For The Weary" Jeroen Mylle and Fabrice Parent[26][27][28]
2016 "10:56" / "Second Son of R."
"Immortals"

References
  1. Oathbreaker Archived 2016-10-07 at the Wayback Machine on Deathwish Inc.
  2. "(((O))) INTERVIEW: CARO TANGHE AND GILLES DEMOLDER FROM OATHBREAKER". Echoes and Dust. 14 January 2017.
  3. "EXCLUSIVE Rise and Fall with Oathbreaker Interview". Blow The Scene. 19 March 2012.
  4. "Oathbreaker Interview". Blow The Scene. 15 August 2011.
  5. "Oathbreaker Maelstrom Review". Scene Point Blank.
  6. "Interview with Oathbreaker: Breaking Borders". The Aquarian. 22 September 2023.
  7. Inc, Deathwish. "Oathbreaker "Eros|Anteros"". Deathwish Inc. Retrieved 2023-05-20. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  8. O'Connor, Andy. "Oathbreaker: Rheia". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  9. "Unpredictable & Audacious: Our Interview With Oathbreaker". MUSIC&RIOTS Magazine. 2016-10-15. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  10. Kennelty, Greg (2017-09-21). "OATHBREAKER To Work On A New Album, Might Not Play Any Shows In 2018". Metal Injection. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  11. "OATHBREAKER Announce 'Ease Me' Release". lambgoat.com. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  12. wookubus (2020-01-29). "Oathbreaker To Return From Hiatus For 2020 'ArcTanGent Festival', Swans, The Locust, Etc. Also Added". Theprp.com. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  13. "Oathbreaker: Eros|Anteros". PopMatters. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  14. "Oathbreaker: Rheia Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  15. "Album Review: OATHBREAKER Rheia - Metal Injection". Metal Injection. 2016-10-05. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  16. "Oathbreaker Eros/Anteros". Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  17. "Oathbreaker: Eros | Anteros". Metal Hammer. 2013-09-17. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  18. Barry, Sean; Hadusek, Jon. "The Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  19. Colin Kauffman (November 10, 2016). "Promises Kept: How Oathbreaker Have Raised The Bar for Post-Black Metal". Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  20. "Oathbreaker – "Immortals"". Stereogum. 2016-09-08. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  21. "The Top 10 Arty Metal Bands". LA Weekly. 11 April 2017.
  22. "Announcement by Ivo Debrabandere". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  23. "Rheia, by Oathbreaker". Oathbreaker. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  24. "Adult Swim releases Metal Swim 2 compilation featuring Baroness, Sunn O))), and more: Stream". 3 May 2019.
  25. "OATHBREAKER "Glimpse Of The Unseen"". YouTube.
  26. "Oathbreaker "No Rest For The Weary" Official Video"". YouTube.
  27. "Oathbreaker "10:56" / "Second Son of R." (Official Video)". YouTube.
  28. "Oathbreaker "Immortals" (Official Video)". YouTube.
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