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Leviathan (musical project)

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This article is about the solo project. For the death metal band, see Chris Barnes (musician).
Leviathan
OriginSan Francisco, California, U.S.
GenresBlack metal, dark ambient
Years active1998–present
LabelsMoribund Cult
Profound Lore Records
MembersJef Whitehead
Website[1]

Leviathan is an American black metal solo project that started in 1998 by Jef Whitehead under the pseudonym Wrest. On all Leviathan albums, Wrest records all instruments and performs vocals on his own.

Wrest is a tattoo artist and is also known for his other project Lurker of Chalice, which released two demos and one full-length album in 2005 released before it dissolved.

History

Leviathan's debut album, The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide, was released in 2003, recorded entirely by Wrest on a Tascam four-track tape recorder. In 2005, Wrest released the only album under the Lurker of Chalice moniker. He also contributed to Sunn O)))'s 2005 album Black One, which received an 8.9 "Best New Music" review from Pitchfork.[1]

Despite having early problems with the release of the fourth album Massive Conspiracy Against All Life, it was released March 24, 2008 in Europe and on March 25, 2008 in North America. Whitehead briefly ended Leviathan after its release, allegedly due to a legal struggle between himself and Moribund Records. Due to these issues, Wrest felt as though the project had no future and described feeling "raped by a label." During this time period, Wrest was known to refuse all interview requests.[2]

A second Lurker of Chalice album, Perverse Calculus, was planned for release on Blake Judd's Battle Kommand label, but Moribund's contract with Whitehead stated that he could release music on other labels. As a result, Whitehead to release himself from his record deal, and the severance agreement meant that Massive Conspiracy Against All Life had to be released through Moribund, and Wrest was legally prohibited from releasing new Leviathan material for six months.[3]

On January 9, 2011, Whitehead was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated domestic battery and one count of criminal sexual assault after allegedly choking his girlfriend unconscious and penetrating her with a tattoo machine.[4] Whitehead initially faced a 34-count indictment which carried a 60-year sentence, but the state dropped 28 of the counts before the trial.[5] In 2012, he was ultimately found not guilty on all except one count of aggravated domestic battery, which court documents indicated referred to the strangulation. Whitehead was sentenced to two years of probation.[6]

Whitehead's legal issues influenced his fifth album True Traitor, True Whore, which was released in 2011. However, four years later, Whitehead said that "True Traitor sucks. That record is fucking terrible."[5] In 2023, Whitehead claimed that the album "is not about my Jane Doe" but moreso the Whore of Babylon, Lilith and Eve.[3]

Leviathan's sixth album, Scar Sighted, was released on 3rd March 2015 through Profound Lore Records. In 2018, Whitehead revealed that he was working on a seventh Leviathan record titled Die to This, but the recording of the album was postponed as a result of issues surrounding Whitehead's record store.[7]

Discography

Studio albums

EP's and Split releases

  • 2003 - Live In Eternal Sin / The Speed of Darkness (split with Iuvenes)
  • 2004 - Leviathan & Crebain (split with Crebain)
  • 2004 - Black Metal Against the World (split with Ad Hominem, Funeral Winds and Eternity)
  • 2004 - Leviathan & Xasthur (split with Xasthur)
  • 2005 - Portrait in Scars (split with Blackdeath)
  • 2006 - Leviathan & Sapthuran (split with Sapthuran)
  • 2006 - The Speed of Darkness (EP)
  • 2006 - The Blind Wound (EP)
  • 2009 - Sic Luceat Lux (split with Acherontas)
  • 2014 - Leviathan / Krieg (split with Krieg)
  • 2018 - In the Valley of Death, Where Black Metal Is King (split with Nachtmystium, digital release)
  • 2018 - Crawl / Leviathan (split with Crawl)

Demos

  • 2000 - Leviathan
  • 2000 - Time End
  • 2000 - Three
  • 2000 - MisanthropicNecroBlasphemy
  • 2000 - Black of Cult
  • 2000 - Shadow of No Light
  • 2001 - Seven
  • 2001 - Eight
  • 2001 - Nine (Inclement Derision)
  • 2001 - Ten
  • 2001 - Eleven
  • 2002 - Howl Mockery at the Cross
  • 2002 - White Devil, Black Metal
  • 2002 - The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide
  • 2002 - Fifteen

Compilation albums

  • 2001 - Intolerance
  • 2001 - Sacrifice Love at the Altar of War
  • 2002 - Verräter (2 CDs)
  • 2005 - Demos Two Thousand
  • 2005 - Howl Mockery at the Cross
  • 2016 - Leviathan (5 CD boxed set)
  • 2017 - The First Sublevel Of Suicide
  • 2018 - Unfailing Fall Into Naught
  • 2021 - Portrait in Scars / The Speed of Darkness
  • 2022 - Shadow of No Light

Other appearances

  • 2005 - "Hissing and Sullen" on Destroyers From The Western Skies: As Night Devours The Sun
  • 2007 - "My War" on Within the Church of Thee Overlords
  • 2015 - "My War" Flexi-disc single

Lineup

  • Wrest (Jef Whitehead) – all instruments, vocals (Twilight, Lurker of Chalice, Nachtmystium, GiftHorse,[8] Steeltoes,[9] GASM)

References

  1. ^ Stusoy, Brandon. "Sunn O))): Black One". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  2. ^ "Leviathan Breaks His Silence". Pitchfork.com.
  3. ^ a b "Leviathan|Lurker of Chalice interview". Bardo Methodology. 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  4. ^ "Cops: Tattoo Artist Charged With Sex Assault - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  5. ^ a b Millard, Drew (2015-02-11). "The Devil and Jef Whitehead". Vice. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  6. ^ Galil, Leor (2012-06-21). "Jef Whitehead, aka Leviathan, aka Wrest, sentenced to two years probation". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  7. ^ "Leviathan interview". July 18, 2018.
  8. ^ "GIFTHORSE SF 1991-1996". Saucefaucet.com. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  9. ^ "Steeltoes | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.com. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
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