PORTUGAL METAL: THANATOSCHIZO

1998
The project is born. One will: to create something unique. The band starts composing some songs and playing all over Portugal. A first "domestic" demo was recorded.
1999
The self-financed EP Melégnia is released. With a different vocalist and bass player, this was a very strange disc that mixed various influences. The international and national press made great critics and, by the end of the year, a Portuguese radio contest (won by Emperor’s Prometheus) considered this EP the ninth best worldwide releases. ThanatoSchizO was placed ahead bands such as Immortal, Dimmu Borgir and Primordial. The Melégnia Tour covered 60 dates, in which ThanatoSchizO played side by side with bands such as Sinister, Asgaroth, Pandemia, Purgatory, Tarantula, Sirius, Clawfinger, Malevolence and Aborted. The band’s performance got wonderful reviews and the strange/theatrical ways and true feeling were widely praised.
2000
The Melégnia Tour proceeded while the band was working hard on the composition
of the first full-length.
2001
schizo level’s release, the first album, through Portuguese label Misdeed Records. A very, very chaotic album that resumes so different areas such as black, death, doom, thrash metal and even progressive rock. The majority of the reviews were very good and this album contains two of the band’s anthems, frequently and heavily requested at live gigs: the ultra dynamic and aggressive Suturn and the very "doomish" peaceful song Nightmares Within. Later this year, the album got the fifth place on a contest by the previously mentioned radio show. The number of fans was clearly growing, especially due to the great live efforts and the huge promotion on the web.
2002
Some gigs to promote the album and a quiet isolation in the rehearsal room, so that the band could create new songs. Signing of the contract with British label Rage of Achilles Records.
2003
Release of the "doomish" InsomniousNightLift album through British Rage of Achilles Records. A very dramatic trip around the epic and progressive music path, which conquered some new fans without abandoning the more aggressive section of the audience. The mixing of different styles gave room to a more simplistic model of death/doom progressive metal. This release was widely praised by international media. Some magazines such as Metal Hammer and Kerrang! rated 4 stars out of 5 possible and, in Portugal, publications like Rock Sound or LOUD! placed this release in the top 3 of the year, as well as mentioning Filipe Miguel (keyboard player) and Miguel Ângelo (bass player) in the top 10 of the best Portuguese musicians of the year. ThanatoSchizO’s intense work created the opportunity to become the support act for Katatonia and Finntroll’s gig in Portugal (Barroselas), in April.
2004
Pre-release of the third album Turbulence through Misdeed Records in Portugal. ThanatoSchizO ascendant popularity lead to another year full of live gigs (including one semi-acoustic performance at Fnac), and the global reaction to the album was very enthusiastic. By listening to this new record, one can perceive the crescent maturity of the group and the intense professional studio production of the album. The year ended with ThanatoSchizO being voted on a reader's poll from the Portuguese magazine LOUD! as the second 2004 best national band (right after the well-known Moonspell) and Turbulence being voted as the best Portuguese album of the year. Moreover, in the journalist’s poll, Turbulence was mentioned by 4/6 of
the members in the 2004 national top 5 and Guilhermino (guitar player)
was elected the third best musician in 2004.
2005
Following the abrupt end of Rage of Achilles, ThanatoSchizO signed a contract deal with Australia's Burning Elf Records for the international release of the Turbulence album. Meanwhile, the band continued the live promotion of that record in Portugal by headlining some gigs, being on the roster of Alta Tensão (itinerant) Festival, organizing the 3rd Liperske Festival and opening for Swedish band Nightrage at Outubro Negro Festival (Lisbon). By the end of the year, the band is back to its lore, focusing on the
composition of new material for an upcoming album.
2006
The group has began the pre-production of five new songs for their as-yet-untitled fourth album, tentatively due next summer. The pre-production recordings will take place at Wagner Studios in Chaves, Portugal (drums) and in the band's own Blind & Lost Studios.
2007
ThanatoSchizO recorded Zoom Code at Rec'n'Roll Studios (Portugal). The masterization process was held by Tommy Newton at Area 51 Studios (Germany). Moreover, the group signed an exclusive deal with Mexican label Sun Empire Productions for the re-released of the first album Schizo Level with a new front cover. The group has also supported Orphaned Land and Samael’s Portuguese tours, thus making a break from the studio sessions in July. In other news, Gauchos de Acero – the Argentinean group aged between 10 and 14 that became famous through YouTube, due to their Sepultura and Iron Maiden covers – made an interesting interpretation of the song Suturn from ThanatoSchizO’s first album Schizo Level.

BAND MEMBERS:

Paulo Adelino - Drums/Percussion
Filipe Miguel - Sampling/Keyboards
Eduardo Paulo - Vocals/Guitar/Percussion
Guilhermino Martins - Guitar/Sampling/Vocals
Patrícia Rodrigues - Vocals
Miguel Ângelo - Bass

DISCOGRAPHY:

Zoom Code
(My Kingdom Music 2008)


Turbulence
(Misdeed Records 2004/Burning Elf Records 2007)


InsomniousNightLift
(Misdeed Records 2002/Rage of Achilles 2003)


schizo level
(Misdeed Records 2001/Sun Empire Productions 2008)


Melégnia
(self-financed EP 1999)