Yelworc

For years the harsh, shadowy electro-industrial project YelworC occupied a space more mythical than tangible. Online forums lauded the duo, numerous industrial acts cited them as inspiration, yet locating any physical release proved nearly impossible. Only after peer-to-peer networks spread did most listeners encounter the material, after which YelworC tracks circulated rapidly inside the scene. Peter Devlin and Dominik van Reich, both German, assembled the group—named by reversing Aleister Crowley—in 1988. Eight demo cassettes preceded their 1991 signing to Celtic Circle, which issued the trio of full-lengths Brainstorming in 1992, Blood in Face in 1993, and Collection: 1988-1994 in 1995 before the partnership dissolved. Devlin retained the YelworC moniker while Reich adopted the reversed moniker amgoD, and the early catalog promptly disappeared from print. During the ensuing decade, those fortunate enough to obtain the out-of-print titles consistently highlighted the ferocious rhythms and bleak imagery, likening the work to an even more obscure Skinny Puppy. Surprise greeted the announcement of a comeback. Metropolis issued the opening chapter of a projected trilogy, the conceptual album Trinity, in early 2004.