Sympathy (band)

Sympathy is a technical death metal band from London, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1991. Sympathy has gotten some notable attention in the Benelux, Germany and Switzerland as those are the countries where their label Fear Dark is usually marketing its bands. The band is known for its professional musicianship. Sympathy's albums are distributed in the United States, Europe and Canada through Displeased Records, Deadsun Records, Megarock Records, Facedown Records and The Omega Distribution. Their lyrical themes tend to revolve around subjects such as Christianity, Philosophy, and Death. They have released two albums, Invocation and Arcane Path and an EP titled Abyssal Throne. In February 19, 2008, the band was signed to Bombworks Records. The third album titled Anagogic Tyranny is expected to be released by mid 2008.

Biography

Sympathy started out as a five-piece thrash metal band in vein of Celtic Frost and produced its first demo in 1991. One by one the other musicians left Sympathy and eventually it ended up being Dharok's solo project. During the years 1993–1997, the musical style took a more technical death metal direction, and Dharok released the recordings Arrogance and Ignorance (1993), Age of Darkness (1995) and Realms of Chaos (1996).

The band's influences include: Spawn of Possession, Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Death, Emperor, Kreator, Cannibal Corpse, and Dimmu Borgir. In 2001, Sympathy signed a record deal with the Dutch extreme metal label Fear Dark and soon recorded its first commercially available studio album titled Invocation. The album received positive feedback in underground metal circles, magazines such as BW & BK, and was mentioned in Metal Maniacs magazine as one of the "reader's albums of the year for 2002".

On the following releases, Tim Roth of Into Eternity, as well as other members from that particular band, and other bands began to fill in the spot. In 2004, Sympathy released its second album titled Arcane Path which took a more technical blackened death metal direction and showcased a more polished production. Arcane Path featured frontcover artwork as well as a new logo design by the reputive Dutch artist Kris Verwimp. The album was well-received and brought them more exposure.

In late 2005, Sympathy released an EP titled Abyssal Throne which featured two re-recorded songs from Invocation, two new songs and a cover of Suffocation's "Torn into Enthrallment". Abyssal Throne was released on the Norwegian label Momentum Scandinavia, and the packaging artwork was done by the Swedish graphic designer Samuel Durling. Later in 2005, a fellow Canadian, Jeff Lewis, known from his work in Australian band Mortification and his solo project Abolishment of Hate, would join forces with Sympathy.

Currently the band is working on two different albums, the other being a more black metal influenced release while the other continues on the technical blackened death metal direction heard on Arcane Path.

In February 19, 2008 the band was signed to Bombworks Records. The third album titled Anagogic Tyranny is expected to be released by mid 2008.