HDK

Originating in Holland, HDK first operated under the full name Hate Death Kill before adopting its abbreviated form and took shape in 2005 as a side project launched by After Forever guitarist Sander Gommans. He directed years of accumulated rage and darkness into the material that became the 2009 album System Overload, issued via Seasons of Mist. Gommans assembled the recording lineup by enlisting bassist Peter Vink, keyboardist Joost Van Den Broek, and drummer Arien van Weesenbeek—whose credits include Epica and God Dethroned—together with an array of leading extreme-metal vocalists: Andre Matos (Angra, Shaman, Viper, etc.), Amanda Somerville (Aina, Avantasia, etc.), Patrick Savelkoul (Callenish Circle), Mike Scheijen (Sectarian), Jos Severens, and rapper Paul Niessen.