Unseen Terror was a British extreme metal band formed by Shane Embury (later of Napalm Death) and Mitch Dickinson (Heresy), and played extreme metal with a technical edge.[1] Their most notable feat took place in March 1988, when they recorded tracks for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 program.
Unseen Terror | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Birmingham, England |
| Genres | Extreme metal Hardcore punk Grindcore |
| Years active | 1987–1990, 2001 |
| Labels | Strange Fruit Records Earache Records |
| Members | Mitch Dickinson Shane Embury Mick Harris |
| Past members | Pete Giles |
History
To set the record straight - The band was not named after the S.O.B track "Unseen Terror". This song from S.O.B came quite a while later. The band was actually named after Mitch was listening to the band SEPTIC DEATH. Here is the story. The song "Terrorain" by this classic band has the lyric "Unseen Death - Terrorain". The Chernobyl disaster was very fresh in the minds of many at the time, and Mitch thought of the term "Unseen Terror", as the radation in the air around the area of the disaster was invisible. It was literally an unseen terror.
This short-lived, but highly influential group was founded in early 1986 by singer/guitarist Mitch Dickinson and Shane Embury. (Re: The album cover - They were later joined very briefly by Pete Giles (Harmony as One, Scalplock) on bass during the summer of 1987).
Mitch and Shane wrote many songs together as a two piece band during mid 1986. These rehearsal tapes were distributed on an international level via the tape trading network of the time. These tapes caught the attention of Digby Pearson who later founded Earache Records.
In the meantime, the band were invited to contribute two tracks to the compilation LP Diminished Responsibility, a 1987 Thrash compilation album,[2] the group landed a record contract at Earache Records. The album Human Error was recorded by Mitch Dickinson and Shane Embury as a two piece band during September 1987. After their debut-album, Napalm Death drummer Mick Harris joined the band as singer. By then, Giles was no longer a member of the group as he did not really fit in. The band were invited to a recording session for BBC Radio One legend John Peel,[3] and a one-off performance in Nottingham with bassist Wayne Aston. Incidentally, Wayne Aston did not appear on the Peel sessions recordings.
Band members
- Mitch Dickinson - vocals, guitar, bass
- Shane Embury - drums
- Pete Giles - bass
- Mick Harris - vocals
Discography
- Rehearsal demo tape (1987)
- Diminished Responsibility (Comp LP), 1987
- Human Error (Album, Earache Records, 1987)
- Hardcore Holocaust, 1989
- Hardcore Holocaust II, 1989
- The Peel Sessions (12", Strange Fruit Records, 1989)
- 21 Years of Alternative Radio One, 1989
- Grind Crusher (Compilation album, (Earache Records, 1990)
- Human Error" CD Reissue (with bonus tracks), 2001
- Grind Madness at the BBC (3 CD Compilation), 2010
References
- ^ Liner notes of Earache Records' Human Error reissue
- ^ Napalm Death, Unseen Terror, Warhammer: An Interview with Shane Embury
- ^ The Peel Sessions: Unseen Terror, Spirit of Metal Webzine