Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Grand Belial's Key is a black metal band formed in 1992 by guitarist Gelal Necrosodomy and vocalist Lord Vlad Luciferian. Lord Vlad Luciferian was later ejected from the group due to internal differences and joined the formerly Norwegian band Ancient that had moved to the USA, using the new stage name Lord Kaiaphas.
The band was signed to Drakkar Productions until their disbanding due to the death of their most recent vocalist, Richard P. Mills, in 2006. Mills, who also went by Grimnir Wotansvolk and G. Heretik, (the grandson of horse breeder Alice duPont Mills) was the owner of the NSBM record label and distributor Vinland Winds. Having released such acts as Pantheon Vinland's Ergriffenheit 10" vinyl as well as Spear of Longinus and Graveland vinyls to boot. Its last release was an exclusive US release of Russian thrash metal band Corrosia Metalla in 2008. The same year, the last Grand Belial's Key recordings were released as a split album with Absurd from Germany and Sigrblot from Sweden.
The band is now active again as of 2009. In December 2009, they played Chicago's Hooligan Black Metal show, along with Heathen Hammer, Martial, and Absurd.
Although they are sometimes associated with and have performed alongside NSBM bands, contrary to popular belief, Grand Belial's Key is not a National Socialist Black Metal Band, instead opting for a lyrical approach in the form of general anti-Judeo-Christianity, and on the earlier releases, Satanism.
History
The band started in 1992 with "Gelal" on guitars, bass and keyboards and "Bestial Luciferian" on drums and vocals. By the end of the year they recorded their debut demo, "Goat of a Thousand Young". The next year they played their very first show with "Kommando" on bass (from Arghoslent) and with Tom Philips (from While Heaven Wept) on keyboards as guests. After the show Gelal quit the band due to his hatred toward "Bestial Luciferian."
Grand Belial's Key soon split up, but "Bestial Luciferian" (now "Lord Vlad Luciferian") tried to reform GBK, bringing with him Demonic on bass. Tom Philips was set to replace Gelal before Demonic convinced him to rejoin. This lineup then recorded the "Triumph of the Hordes" demo in 1994.
After the release of the demo Gelal and Demonic found out that Lord Vlad added some female voices at one of the tracks of the recording without asking and screwed-up the deals with several record companies. Gelal, now even more angry towards Lord Vlad fired him from the band. To this day he is now credited in Grand Belial's Key as "Lord Fag Pussyferian."
After this Demonic quit the band due to lack of time, so Gelal asked The Marauder (guitar player of Arghoslent at the time) to play bass and recruited The Black Lourde of Crucifixion on drums/vocals (Cazz Grant from Crucifer) and this was the line-up which recorded the "A Witness To The Regicide" EP in 1996.
The next Lp is what would make Grand Belial's Key one of the most controversial acts in the United States Black Metal underground. Bassist Der Sturmer would replace the Marauder and the lineup then recorded the LP "Mocking The Philanthropist" on now the defunct Beligian label Wood-Nymph. The booklet of the CD release contained pictures of the band wearing shirts of far-right political bands (Bound for Glory and Spear of Longinus), leading to tour boycotts, problems and other controversy. In their first nine years, Grand Belial's Key had only played nine gigs. The album was refused distribution in Germany due to the suppossed offensive booklet despite that there was nothing National-Socialist related in the music. Wood-Nymph refused to print a new booklet and as a result the label soon died due to the poor distribution of the album. The CD would later be repressed by Morbidund Cult and Drakkar Productions in 2004 and 2006 respectively.
The follow-up to Mocking the Philanthropist was "Judeobeast Assassination," now considered a black metal classic. The album's lyrics focused on the inseperatibility of Judeo-Christianity, now mocking both the New Testament as well as the Old Testament (as opposed to MtP which focused only on the New Testament). The lyrics themselves were much more provactive and sexually perverse, although in theory were an extension of the ones found on Mocking the Philanthropist. The music of the album had a more bass-heavy mix and a thicker sound, creating a much heavier atmosphere, something relatively uncommon in Black Metal. The album itself was almost twenty minutes shorter, in order to fit onto a piece of vinyl.
In 2002, The Black Lourde of Crucifixion left Grand Belial's Key to focus more on Crucifer and wasn't interested in touring Europe. The lineup for the "Pimps of Gennesarret Tour" was Grimnir Wotansvolk on vocals, Gelal Necrosodomy on guitar, Demonic on bass, and the Gulag on drums, the same linuep that would record "Kosherat" in 2005.
Kosherat was released in 2005 on Drakkar, and would be the final album before their disbandment. The album featured the new lineup of Grimnir Wotansvolk (later changed to Grimnir Heretik) on vocals, Gelal Necrosodomy on guitar, Demonic on bass, and the Gulag on drums. The album's central focus was on pre-Christian Judaism, mocking such rituals as the Red Heifer and male circumcision. The album also featured three re-recorded tracks from their vinyl EPs as well as two Chaos 88 covers.
In 2006, Grimmir Heretik had died of a drug overdose, signaling an end for Grand Belial's Key. Even before his death however, they had already talked of Kosherat being their last album. Their final release was a split album with Absurd, and Sigrblot titled "Weltenfiend," released in 2008.
In 2009-2010, Grand Belial's Key briefly reformed, playing successful gigs with a brief lineup of Unhold (ex-Absurd, Luror, ex-Cryogenic) on vocals, Gelal on guitar, Demonic on Bass, and Ulfhedinn (from Arghoslent) on drums.