Hollenthon

The innovative, genre-bending metal act Hollenthon is largely the work of Pungent Stench frontman Martin Schirenc, who plays guitar, bass, and keyboards, and also handles vocal and production duties for the band. Their music mixes elements of black and death metal together with synthesized string sections and choirs, ethnic/folk melodies, film soundtrack influences, and more to create an unusual, yet epic and bombastic sound. The idea for Hollenthon stretches back to 1994, at which time Schirenc appeared on an Austrian black metal compilation under the name Vuzem. It took several more years for him to put together his first full-length album, which he did with the help of new drummer Mike Groeger. Released under the Hollenthon banner and entitled Domus Mundi, it eventually came out in 1999 on France's Napalm Records and received rave reviews across Europe and elsewhere in the underground metal community, but it wasn't available in the U.S. until late 2000. The second Hollenthon release, With Vilest of Worms to Dwell, followed in 2001, also on Napalm Records.