| Revelation | |
|---|---|
 Live in Indianapolis, Indiana. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Panic |
| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland, USA |
| Genres | Doom Metal, Progressive Metal |
| Years active | 1986 - 1996, 2003 - 2013 |
| Labels | Rise Above Records, Hellhound Records, Leaf Hound Records, Game Two Records, Church Within Records, Bland Hand, Shadow Kingdom |
| Associated acts | Mangog, Beelzefuzz, Earthride, Unorthodox, Against Nature, October 31 |
| Website | |
Revelation were a doom metal band from Baltimore, Maryland. Formed in the mid 1980s this band originally composed Traditional Doom Metal before evolving into more of a progressive metal sound in their later years. Revelation was notable as a key band in the late 80s/early 90s wave of doom metal, having records on Rise Above Records in their early days and at one point being signed to Hellhound Records. All of the members also recorded and performed as the band Against Nature as well.
The band's name was taken from the classic Trouble song "Revelation (Life Or Death)".
History[]
Revelation formed in May of 1986. Comprised of John Brenner - guitar/vocals, Andy Kremer - bass, and Steve Branagan - drums, they released the demo "Face Reality". Shortly afterwards, Andy left and the lineup consisted of John and Steve with John performing the bass duties. Revelation's sound and style became more defined and the demos "Terminal Destiny", and "Images of Darkness" were released. The demos received mass acclaim in the underground network. In February of 1988, Bert Hall Jr. joined as bassist and made the line-up complete. Revelation proceeded to record their fourth demo, "Illusion of Progress", which added a new dimension to their style and gained them label interest.
Revelation appeared on the Doom Metal sampler "Dark Passages" which led to a recording deal with Rise Above Records (owned by Lee Dorrian, of Cathedral/Napalm Death fame). "Salvations Answer", their first full-length recording, was recorded in June of 1990 and released on Rise Above in early 1991. "Salvations Answer" received critical acclaim in magazines and the metal circuit alike. Shortly after their first release, instead of sitting idle, the band decided to record its fifth demo, "The Unbearable Vision". The demo sold out and gained them immense fanzine coverage. Later that year, Bert Hall Jr. left the band and was replaced by Josh Hart. Upon playing many shows locally, including a cable television appearance, Revelation felt it was time to record again.
"Never Comes Silence" was recorded in early 1992 containing 9 songs totalling 70 minutes of music, including the eighteen minute epic title track. Upon receiving different label offers, REVELATION decided to sign with Hellhound Records in the summer of 1992. Their second full-length recording was released in early 1993 and it also gained them critical acclaim.
Unfortunately, shortly after the second release, long-time guitarist/vocalist John Brenner decided to leave the group. Faithful friend and fan of the group, Dennis Cornelius, was recruited as John's replacement. Josh Hart also departed the group, but Dennis and Steve vowed to keep Revelation alive. The two recorded a promotional demo in February of 1994 entitled "Mourning Son", which continued interest in the band from their fans and record label.
Jim Hunter came on board in the Spring of 1994 as permanent bassist, and the three began preparing for their third full-length recording adventure. "...Yet So Far" was recorded in Nov./Dec. 1994 and was released by Hellhound Records in early 1995. The songs highlighted the bands continued progression and received positive reactions from critics and fans alike, including a 4/5 K rating in Kerrang and a position as 3rd best album of the month for March 1995 in Metal Hammer (Germany). The album's release was followed by European tours with Saint Vitus in March and Solitude Aeturnus in May of 1995. The band followed the tours with local shows and began writing new material. After a brief split with Dennis in March of 1996, the band reunited and recorded a new demo in December of 1996 entitled "Frozen Masque". The band would search for a new record label that would not come.
A long hiatus ensued, and the band reunited for the first Stoner Hands of Doom Festival in August of 1999. The band was excited about playing together again and discussed writing material for a new album. The opportunity would not present itself until 2002 when the band was invited to headline the first Doom Shall Rise festival in Germany. The show, which was held in February 2003, also featured many of the great doom bands of Europe and sold out quickly. Revelation also was part of a short tour that followed the festival with Mirror of Deception and Reverend Bizarre.
In April, 2007, previous versions of Revelation played at the now famous Baltimore Doom Festival "Doom or Be Doomed". The "Salvation's Answer" lineup featuring John Brenner, Bert Hall, and Steve Branagan played most of the tracks from the album at the festival while John, Steve, and Josh Hart performed most of the "Never Comes Silence" album.
Also, in 2007, Leafhound Records worked with Revelation to re-release "Salvation's Answer" and "Never Comes Silence" as well as an unreleased recording scheduled to be released in early 2008.
After the "DoBD" festival, John, Bert, and Steve performed at various shows as Revelation and decided to record again as Revelation. Writing and recording began in late 2007 with the new album "Release" on Leaf Hound Records released in June 2008.
The trio as Revelation and Against Nature. The year 2009 was a busy one as Revelation performed at Doom Shall Rise VI in Goppingen, Germany as well as a series of shows in Germany. They recorded a new album entitled "For the Sake of No One" which was released on Shadow Kingdom Records in November 2009 and also released an previously unreleased recording from 1988 on The Church Within Records. As of 2013 the band released their discography on Bandcamp and are no longer active.
Discography[]
Studio Albums[]
- Salvation's Answer (1991, Rise Above Records)
- Never Comes Silence (1992, Hellhound Records)
- ...Yet So Far (1995, Hellhound Records)
- Release (2008, Leaf Hound Records)
- Revelation (2009, The Church Within Records)
- For The Sake Of No One (2009, Shadow Kingdom Records)
- Inner Harbor (2012, Bland Hand Records)
Demos[]
- Face Reality (1987)
- Terminal Destiny (1987)
- Images of Darkness (1987)
- The Illusion of Progress (1989)
- The Unbearable Vision (1991)
- Mourning Son (1994)
- Frozen Masque (1997)
Splits[]
- Fourteen Inches of Fury (With Twisted Tower Dire, Naevus and Mood) (1998, Game Two)
- Lord Vicar / Revelation (With Lord Vicar) (2012, The Church Within Records)
Compilations[]
- Frozen Masque (2003, The Miskatonic Foundation)
- Paleontology (2007, Bland Hand)
Members[]
- Steve Branagan - Drums (1986 - 1996, 2002 - 2013)
- John Brenner - Guitar, Vocals (1986 -1993, 2007 - 2013)
- Bert Hall, Jr. - Bass (1988 - 1991, 2007 - 2013)
- Mike Thiess - Bass
- Andy Kremer - Bass (1986 - 1987)
- Josh Hart - Bass (1991 - 1993, 2007)
- Jim Hunter - Bass (1993 - 1996, 2002 - 2007)
- Dennis Cornelius - Guitar, Vocals (1993 - 1996, 2002 - 2007)