Akercocke

London-based quintet Akercocke came together in early 1997 when guitarists Jason Mendonca and drummer David Gray—close friends since their teenage years and former Salem Orchid bandmates—decided to launch a new project that blended death metal with electronic elements. After Salem Orchid dissolved in 1992, the pair pursued separate paths until late 1996, when they reconvened and brought in longtime associates Paul Scanlan on guitar and Peter Theobalds on bass. Drawing influence from Voivod and Killing Joke, the group quickly built a reputation for compelling live performances and cultivated a singular visual identity by appearing onstage in tailored suits. Their self-released debut, Rape of the Bastard Nazarene, arrived on the band’s own Goat of Mendes imprint in early 1999 and earned favorable notices. Underground label Peaceville soon took notice, resulting in the mid-2001 release of The Goat of Mendes. By 2002 the band had shifted to Earache Records, which put out Choronzon the following year. Shortly afterward Scanlan was dismissed; Matt Wilcock, formerly of Australian metal outfit the Berzerker, stepped in on guitar. With the revised lineup Akercocke recorded Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone, issued by Earache in 2006. Extensive road work filled the remainder of that year, and in early 2007 bassist Theobalds departed, making way for ex-Corpsing member Peter Benjamin. Further studio sessions produced the band’s fifth album, Antichrist, which reached stores on May 28, 2007. A lengthy stretch of inactivity followed, culminating in an official breakup announcement in 2012. The musicians reconvened in 2016 to issue the single “Inner Sanctum” and play a series of reunion concerts. The next year they returned with Renaissance in Extremis, their first full-length in a decade, which welcomed back original guitarist Scanlan alongside new bassist Nathanael Underwood.