B I O G R A P H Y

Bolt Thrower are five piece Death Metal band from the United Kingdom, Birmingham area. They started in September 1986 as a hardcore punk/ thrash metal band, influenced by thrash metal bands such as Slayer and hardcore punk bands, including Discharge and Crass. The band was founded by bass-player Gavin Ward together with guitarist Barry Thompson in a Coventry pub toilet during a hardcore punk gig. Later Alan West, who was a friend of Barry joined as a singer. A drummer was found in Andy Whale who joined shortly thereafter. In April 1987 the 'In Battle There Is No Law' demo was recorded with this line-up. Hence, the following line-up was established:

Their next challenge was the 'Concession of Pain' demo, which they recorded in September of the same year (1987). Gavin had switched to guitars and they recruited Alex Tweedy to play the bass guitar. However, Alex did not show up at the recording and therefore Gavin recorded the bass and the guitars for the second demo. Two weeks after the recording of this demo Jo Bench replaced Alex. Now the line-up consisted of:

With this line-up Bolt Thrower recorded their first Peel session on 3 January 1988, with John Peel, the alternative diskjockey of BBC radio one. He had received their second demo and became enthusiatic about the band. They recorded four tracks for it, which resulted in a deal with Vinyl Solution to release one album. Just before the recording of their very first full-length album they replaced their singer with their backline driver Karl Willetts who was a friend of Andy. And what a move that was.... Anyway, now they were able to record their debut album 'In Battle There Is No Law'. It lasts only half an hour, and sounds quite primitive. Natheless they really showed some quality in some songs, especially the title track, which can still compete with their more recent stuff (if it was not for the mediocre production).

They were not satisfied about Vinyl Solution, which was after all a pure hardcore punk label at that time. The label did little promotion for Bolt Thrower and their death grind style. It seemed that they hardly knew what death metal would sound like. So after one album Bolt Thrower decided to leave Vinyl Solution and the heaviest label ever at that time signed them: Earache. They were working a little on their style, that changed towards faster, more aggressive and powerful songs. They became more and more a grindcore, death metal band. However the production of this recording is not great either, but an improvement to say the least.

The artwork was done by Games Workshop (they produce games such as Warhammer). One other game they produce is called similar to the album Bolt Thrower was about to release. After GWS heard of the recording of the songs for Bolt Thrower's second Peel session, which was recorded on 6 November 1988, they offered Bolt Thrower to do the (very expensive) artwork for the album. The band accepted this offer. At first GWS also wanted to finance the release of 'Realm Of Chaos' themselves but later Earache got involved. The record was released in 1989 with the title of 'Realm Of Chaos' and with the subtle subtitle 'Slaves To Darkness'. As well as the artwork, most of the lyrics to the songs were also influenced by the game, but not merely because of the deal with Games Workshop. Karl, Andy and Gavin were very much into the games that GWS produced and they wrote a couple of songs about these games. Some obvious examples are 'Plague Bearer' and 'World Eater'. Most lyrics can however be projected on the general theme Bolt Thrower uses: War and its consequences. After the recording of 'Realm of Chaos' they went on the Grindcrusher Tour with labelmates Napalm Death, Carcass and Morbid Angel. On the 'Cenotaph' EP one song ('Realm Of Chaos') appears that is recorded during this tour. The EP also features the two CD-bonus tracks from third album 'War Master' and 'Realm Of Choas' plus 'Cenotaph'.

Continuing, they recorded their third and final Peel session on 22 July 1990. On this three songs from the upcoming album were performed in raw versions as well as 'Lost Souls Domain' off 'Realm of Chaos'. Next step in the history of Bolt Thrower was their 'breakthrough' album called 'War Master'. The songs on this piece of art are quite similar stylewise to those on 'Realm Of Chaos' but far more ingenious. They put in some more quality in playing but did not lose their extreme grind edge at the same time, making it all sound far more sophisticated. And this time the production was done skillfully. It was recorded, as the previous album in the Slaughterhouse Studios, Driffield, which burnt down two weeks after the recordings were completed. Again Games Workshop offered them to do the art-work. But as it was too expensive to do, Bolt Thrower declined the offer. The former head-designer of Games Workshop would do the artwork instead. This resulted in quite similar artwork as that on 'Realm Of Chaos'. For the War Mass US tour they did to promote the 'War Master' album, they used an old US school bus as tour bus, loaded with quite some computer games. All three Peel Sessions were then released on one CD in 1991.

Their next step to perfection was 'The IVth Crusade'. It is called 'The IVth Crusade' because it is their fourth album (not counting the Peel sessions). They took out most of the grindcore influences, downtuned their guitars even more and wrote slower songs which are heavier and more bombastic. Also they put in even more perfection and a superior sound. It tends more to doom metal inspired by for example Candlemass, in combination with their own, massive death metal sound. The album was followed by the tour 'World Crusade' with the Polish death act Vader and the Swedish masters of death metal Grave in Europe. Bolt Thrower also went to the US again and even played some gigs in Australia with Armoured Saint. Also a single was released called 'Spearhead' containing a very heavy remix of the CD track 'Spearhead' plus two new tracks and 'Dying Creed' off the album.

Their next album is called '...For Victory' and it was the final album with Karl Willetts and Andrew Whale. Both left Bolt Thrower because simply wanted to do different things with their life, like go to college, get married, etc. Additionally they were quite fed-up with touring as the latest American tour did not go too well. There seemed to be some rumours about a quarrel between them and the rest of the band, though contradicted by the band. They somewhat made their return to their grindcore roots, whilst not forgetting their doom influences. Also the vocals tend to sound a bit different, less growling, but a bit more hardcore-like; more screaming, especially on 'When Glory Beckons' and 'Armageddon Bound'. After the release Karl Willetts was replaced by Martin van Drunen and Martin Kearns took over the drum kit.

A few years and two tours later Martin van Drunen decided to leave the band again, due to various reasons; one being that he felt he never really became a part of Bolt Thrower, another that he suffered a disease that made his hair fall out. For at least one show in Germany long time friend Dave Ingram stood in. Also Martin Kearns decided to leave again. The position at the drumkit is now taken by one Alex Thomas. Karl Willetts has temporarily rejoined the band to do the vocal duties on the next album. In the meantime, they also switched record labels, from Earache to Metal Blade, because since the US '...For Victory' tour things did not work out any more. Actually, Earache wanted to get rid of them and Bolt Thrower wanted to leave Earache asap.

The album is out since 8 September 1998 in Europe and is released on 10 November 1998 in the USA, titled 'Mercenary' and it features 9 tracks. It is a splendid album, which is over all a bit slower than its predecessors. However it is definitely very heavy and sounds very much Bolt Thrower. And Karl returned to perform his previous style of singing; the hardcore influences have disappeared again. After the album recording, Karl left the band again and the band have recruited Dave Ingram after he left Benediction. He is a permanent member now.

Released in November 1998, is an album on Earache featuring various older recordings, such as the songs from the Spearhead EP and Cenotaph EP. That one is titled "Who Dares Wins". Bolt Thrower themselves do not agree on this album, as it is a cheap cash-in from Earache and they warn not to buy it. Originally it was titled 'No Guts - No Glory' but the title was changed because one song on 'Mercenary' has the same title and Metal Blade objected. Followed by a Earopean tour, called 'into the Killing Zone' with Dave Ingram on vocals.

After a short European tour in Januari 2001 (only 5 dates), Bolt Thrower started to work on a new album. Honour - Valour - Pride is released in late 2001 on Metal Blade and shows a progression of the direction taken on Mercenary. It contains 9 tracks, the digipak has one bonus track. Martin Kearns is now back with the band after he settled his things in life and Alex has departed since Bolt Thrower was not really his thing after all (some sources say he thought that the music was too complicated).

And in 2004, Bolt Thrower started working on new material for a then untitled album. It was planned to be recorded it in May, whereafter it will be released at the end of the year by Metal Blade. Meanwhile a European tour and a US tour were being prepared. Unfortunately, right before the recording of the new album Dave Ingram decided to leave, largely due to health issues. This has put off the new record and tours for a while and priority is set to finding a new singer.

On 18 November 2004, the new singer was announced: It is Karl Willetts. They re-recorded the vocals of Honour - Valour - Pride as a warming-up Karl. Then in May of 2005, the band finally started to record the new album. The album, Those Once Loyal was released in 11 November in Germany, 14 November in the rest of Europe and 15 November in the USA. A world-tour is announced, and currently the European leg is taking place in January and the beginning of February 2006. A second leg of the tour is being set-up to include Scandinavian countries. A US is currently not foreseen; all plans are scrapped due to lack of financial support from Metal Blade.

The year 2007 was a quiet year, with only a single festival appearance. In 2008 Bolt Thrower started working on a new album. However, in June they announced that postponed it indefinitevily due to lack of inspiration and refusal to release a so-so album. For August they scheduled three gigs, in respectively The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

The current line-up is:

The classic line-up (from 1988 to 1994) is:


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