The Leviathan

It’s rare five acclaimed, peaking musicians fuse their fearsome abilities – but the five members of Leviathan have. Working together since August 2011, the Manchester death group’s blackened atmospherics and tempered brutality have an underground effusive in its praise and an ever-growing die-hard following. Not least because those responsible are an experienced murderer’s row of extreme metal’s most talked-about musical creatives. Cumulative decades on the road and in the studio as part of adored acts such as groove metal’s Wolfcrusher (drummer Dan Mikietyn), brutal death metal’s Nailed (guitarists Jim Knights and Dan Cocker), atmospheric metal's Collusion (vocalist Darren Lavery) and Midlands hardcore bruisers Extreme OD (bassist Ian Deaville) have primed the prodigious members of Leviathan to pen their genre’s freshest, smartest and most impressive new output for years. “I don’t want to use the word progressive because it’s become cliché,” explains guitarist Jim Knights. “We play something that’s atmospheric, a bit more soundscapey and we combine it with the brutality and technicality of death metal.” Though Leviathan desire “serious violence” when they take the stage, the group are insistent upon retaining a sense of humour despite the extremity of their product. “It’s going to be brutal, frenetic,” admits Jim. It has to be said that we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We write songs about our favourite sci-fi/fantasy movies/books and have lyrics about dragons! Undisputable talent and unrelenting ambition have Leviathan producing forward-thinking, fist-pumping material. This is the sound of heavy music’s future. Don’t miss it. – Richard Cartey Leviathan plays: Engl Heads and cabs Peavey Heads and cabs Mesa Boogie Amplifiers Natal Drums Sabian Cymbals TC electronics effects Ibanez guitars B.C. Rich guitars Jackson Guitars ESP Guitars Dean Guitars Taylor Guitars A compelling mixture of death, black, thrash and atmospheric metal from Manchester. Lyrical themes include science fiction, dragons and humanity's demise.