Cantar (band)
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Cantar is a Belgian doom/black metal band that creates atmospheric music. The band describe themselves as 'Flemish baroque'.
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[edit] History
The band was founded early 1994 by Ruben and Kristof. Even though the band consisted only of a guitar player and a drummer, synth parts were already composed, so the band needed expansion in order to play more easily. In the earliest rehearsals, these parts were played by a stand-in.
By April 1995, two more members had joined the band: Filip G. on bass and Hanne on violin. The latter brought more expression and emotion to their music. In June, Elke joined Cantar on keys as a permanent member.
This allowed the band to record their first demo 'Victim Of Your Imagination' in the J&T studio. These recordings were made on eight-track, which didn't fit the band's needs. Despite this, the public reacted positively to the demo. After the recording, Filip G. switched from bass to guitar and Cantar attracted Tom B. from The Darkening to play bass. This completed the line-up and in early 1996 the recordings for a new demo were planned. Due to internal struggles this demo never saw daylight; rehearsals stopped altogether and Elke left the band.
It's not until spring of 1997 when Cantar restarts the work on the demo. A replacement for Elke was found in Tom S. and the new recordings were finished by the summer in the Soundshape Studio. The release was called 'Beyond The Last Breath'. Reactions were even more positive: even international magazines praised the overall quality of Cantar's compositions. As a result, the band worked hard to create a massive song consisting of three parts, called 'Lament'. This trilogy was recorded in a renewed Soundshape Studio on digital equipment between December 1998 and February 1999. The new equipment boasted their massive composition to new heights. The trilogy spans over half an hour and relies on the emotional dialogue between desire and loss. Unfortunately, due to extension and cancellations these recordings were never released. Conflicting schedules forced the band to go on hiatus again.
Spring 2001 saw a new recording in the Motormusic Studio that consisted of a re-recording of 'Lament', some songs of 'Beyond The Last Breath' and a new composition. Two members, Tom B. and Hanne, had left the band for various reasons and the violin parts were performed by temporary replacement Saskia.
The band was able to go full force when they found new members in early 2002: Filip VDP on bass and Caroline on violin. Eventhough plans for new recordings have existed since 2002, no new material has been released yet, even though Cantar continues to play gigs to this day.
[edit] Members
[edit] Current members
- Ruben Drijkoningen - Guitars/Vocals (1994-)
- Kristof Naulaerts - Drums (1994-)
- Filip Goris - Guitars (1995-)
- Tom Slegers - Synth (1997-)
- Caroline Boven - Violin (2002-)
- Filip Vandeputte - Bass (2002-)
[edit] Former members
- Tom B. - Bass (1995-2001)
- Hanne - Violin (1995-2001)
- Elke - Keyboards (1995-1996)
[edit] Discography
- Victim Of Your Imagination (Demo, 1995)
- Beyond The Last Breath (Demo, 1997)
- Lament (Demo, 1998, unreleased)
- Cantar (Album, 2001)
[edit] External links
- Cantar Official Website (not updated since 2003)
