Riffipedia - The Stoner Rock Wiki
Advertisement
Houses of the Unholy
Houses of the Unholy
Studio album by Church of Misery
Released April 20 2009
Recorded November 2008 - January 2009 at Los Angeles Club Studio in Tokyo, Japan
Genre Doom Metal, Psychedelic Rock
Length 48:15
Producer Church of Misery, O-Mi Kihara
Church of Misery chronology
Dennis Nilsen
(2008)
Houses of the Unholy
(2009)
Greetings From Jonestown
(2009)

Houses of the Unholy is the third official studio album by the Japanese doom metal band Church of Misery, released in 2009 in what would be the band's first release on English label Rise Above Records. The title of the album is a play on the classic Led Zeppelin album "Houses of the Holy" while the cover depicts the serial killer Albert Fish at his trial in 1935.[1]

The band originally recorded the album in 2008 in Den Haag with Guy Tavares (Orange Sunshine) but due to recording issues among other things the sessions were scrapped.[2] Thus, recording would take place with longtime engineer O-Mi Kihara at Los Angeles Studios in Tokyo through November 2008. Mastering would take place at Peace Music in January 2009. When the sessions would be finished, vocalist Hideki Fukasawa would abruptly leave the band, as announced on 23 January 2009, with Yoshiaki Negishi taking his place for two hometown shows and a tour of Europe.[3] It had been stated that Hideki simply disappeared without warning, forcing the band to eventually recruit Negishi after talking things out.[4]

Houses of the Unholy would be released in England on 20 April 2009 and on 7 July 2009 in the United States via Metal Blade Records.[5] Houses of the Unholy would be released in the following versions:

  • Rise Above Records Jewelcase CD
  • Rise Above Records Digipak CD (Black Disc)
  • Metal Blade Records Jewelcase CD
  • Transparent Sepia Brown Vinyl (300 copies; Die Hard Edition)
  • Pink Sparkle Vinyl (300 copies)
  • Transparent Lime Vinyl (400 copies)
  • Clear Vinyl (400 copies)
  • Black Vinyl (600 copies)
  • 2019 Reissued CD
  • Gold Sparkle Vinyl (1000 copies; Rise Above Records 30th anniversary edition)

Tracklist[]

All music written by Tatsu Mikami except where noted.

  • 1. El Padrino (Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo) (8:51) (Tatsu Mikami, Tom Sutton)
  • 2. Shotgun Boogie (James Oliver Huberty) (4:16)
  • 3. The Gray Man (Albert Fish) (5:46) (Mikami, Sutton)
  • 4. Blood Sucking Freak (Richard Trenton Chase) (8:34) (Mikami, Sutton)
  • 5. Master Heartache (5:17) (Sir Lord Baltimore)
  • 6. Born to Raise Hell (Richard Speck) (7:33)
  • 7. Badlands (Charles Starkweather & Caril Fugate) (7:58)

Personnel[]

  • Tatsu Mikami - Bass
  • Junji Narita - Drums, Percussion
  • Tom Sutton - Guitar
  • Hideki Fukasawa - Vocals, Synthesizers
  • The Choir of The Damned - Backing Vocals (1, 7)
  • O-Mi Kihara - Engineer, Mixing, Tambourine, Shaker
  • Souichirou Nakamura - Mastering
  • James Miyazawa - Artwork, Design
  • Patrick Wiltsch - Band Photography

External Links[]

References[]

V·T·E Church of Misery
Current Members Tatsu MikamiKazuhiro AsaedaFumiya HattoriToshiaki Umemura
Selected Past Members Tomohiro NishimuraJunji NaritaYoshiaki NegishiTakenori HoshiHideki FukasawaTom SuttonEric LittleDave SzulkinScott CarlsonHiroyuki TakanoYukito Okazaki
Studio Albums Master of BrutalityThe Second ComingVol. 1Houses of the UnholyThy Kingdom ScumAnd Then There Were None...Born Under a Mad Sign
Extended Plays Taste The PainMurder CompanyBoston StranglerDennis NilsenGreetings From Jonestown
Splits Doomsday RecitationBorn Too LateAcrimony / Church of MiseryChurch of Misery / Deer CreekChurch of Misery / Sourvein
Compilation Albums Early Works Compilation
Live Releases Houses of the UnholyLive in Red, Eurotour 2005Live at Roadburn 2009Terror in Tokyo
Sonic Flower Sonic FlowerSonic FlowerRides AgainMe and My Bellbottom Blues
Associated Bands and Artists CoffinsNepenthesThe Order of IsrafelFirebirdHorisontEarthrideBlood FarmersInternal VoidCathedralSithterPsychotoblackCathedralEternal Elysium
Advertisement