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The History of Holy Dragons:
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Holy Dragons were invented by guitarist Jurgen Thunderson (ex-Kingspeed
(1989-1991,) Axcess (1992-95), Izverg (1993-94)) and Chris
Caine (ex- GB-5 (1991-94), Lamia (1994-95)
in May 1997.
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Jurgen
Thunderson |
"Lamia" |
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| The first album was recorded in 28 hours of studio time at
the local 32 channel digital studio. The album "Dragon Steel" contained 12
tracks . This album was finished on the 19th of May
in 1998 . The recording of the instruments was finished on the 25th of December in 1997,
but according to some technical reasons, the band could take the material only 5 months
later. The same year the local label “Centre
Records” released the 65 minute album “Dragon Steel”
on a tape. This recording was the first and till recent times the only one official
release of a rock band in Kazakhstan. In this period Holy Dragons were creating their own
studio. It was just the beginning of 1999 and we also started the recording of “Knights of Kamelot”. The recording went by fits and starts as the bass-guitarist and drummer
were not completely ready for it, despite the fact that all songs were not new for them.
They were not to go any further with this after that! But the album was recorded anyway. |
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So, Jurgen and Chris started to search for the new crew. A new birthday of Holy Dragons was
on the 10th of July when new people joined the band. They were : Daniel Throne
(vocal) and Dreiko (bass-guitar) both ex- “Voock”. It was demanded by the musical
material (permanent drummer appeared only in the end of 2000). All the drummers who played
on concerts for the band were only session–men. In 1999 one local firm which was dealing
with business far from musical industry made a decision to sponsor and promote the band
under the condition that the band will create a ballad album. As we had enough ballads so
far, the first test for the new crew was that ballad album. Soon this album was recorded,
containing 8 songs. In September 1999 it was completely mixed and finished. It got the
name “Rock Ballads”. The interesting fact was that all the songs were specially created
for it, but not taken from the other albums as it is usually done. |
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Unfortunately the firm didn’t implement
any of its promises, but the local label got interested in it. At the same time our
friends were making an amateur video for the song “Christmas Time”, which was specially
made for the 2000 the year of the metallic dragon (according to the Eastern horoscope). It
was actively rotated on the local music channels till some "good person" lost
the original S-VHS studio tape and we only got the video, recorded from the TV on the home
video recorder. Approximately at the same time the local TV programme “Jazz city, Blues city” shot a live show with the interview of the band. Its half an hour version
was also broadcasted on the local TV channels. |
In September 1999 the “House of the Winds” were recorded, but the band was busy with concerts and the vocal for it was
recorded later. In April of 2000 the local label “Fair Play” released the collection of
early songs of Holy Dragons on a tape , called “The best”. It was made of "Dragon Steel" and "Rock
Ballads". |
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| In October 2000 “Thunder...” was created. We took 5
our favourite songs, and added some new ones. “Legend of warriors” and “Mr. Drunkenstein” were first planned to be in “House...” but ... “Glory war”
and “Fury under control” were created right in the studio. On the 27th of December 2000 “Thunder ...”
was finished. |
| Very soon Jurgen and Chris create an Internet site and
are giving lots of interviews to different magazines and web-zines. And "Thunder..." is being broadcasted on many international Internet and ordinary radios. But
at that period the atmosphere in the band grows tense and it is being torn by the grave
contradictions between the members of the band. But despite it the "Dragons" continue to work on the new material. On the 14th of May in 2001 it was
finished, (8 tracks, totally 37 minutes) but because of all the misunderstanding and
difficult psychological climate inside HD the recording didn't satisfy the founders of HD and there were
a great deal of clashes and very serios conflicts. |
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Chris
and Jurgen, trying to save the band make compromises. The result of such compromises
was the creation of two "strange" songs "Starlight Stranger" and "Highway Lights" and an odd demo "Warlock". At the same time as the result of great efforts of the band
members one of the local labels release a long tape (90 minutes) with two albums "Thunder ..." and "House..." and one single "Starlight
Stranger". This release gets the name "Rage of the Dragon Lords". In a flash there were sold all the 3000 copies. But the band breaks up on the 16 of December 2001. |
| But Chris was haunted by the idea to give the new album a name "Judgement Day" and in the period of 10th of January-29th of March Jurgen and Chris record
instrumental for the new album. This name has played an unpleasant trick on the authors.
As they remember the recording sessions of the that period, they say that it was the real "Judgement Day" for them. |
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Everything was getting out of order, twice the recording
was very close to be stopped and the whole recorded material went into the waste basket,
but finally they've got through. But there still remained the problem of a vocalist. In autumn of 2002 the band finally find a singer. It was Holger Komaroff (btw,
he already worked with Jurgen in Axcess in 93-94) and without any previous rehearsing they record the voice
for the unlucky "JD" (Russian language version), then HD invite bassist Chris Larson from
Black Fox and the formation of the new crew is finished. |
But again the band never stops and they
record a brand new album with the name "Gotterdamerung" ("Twilight
of the Gods") the recording session goes very fast
beginning on the 4th of January 2003 and finishes on the 16th of March (Russian version).
But as it was only the Russian language version, Chris at the moment (07.04.03) is working
on the English language version of Gotterdamerung.
After the recording was finished a young
drummer from the band Phoenix Jurii Morev joined the band. Despite his young age he is easilly coping with
the most difficult and quick double kick drum parts. |
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Soon the band signed a contract with the newly created
russian label MetalisM Records. Two albums "Judgement
Day" and "Gotterdamerung" were released
on the 1st of December by MetalisM and the biggest russian record company Soyuz Music. ___________________________________________
- Final line-up:
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- Holger Komaroff (vocal)
- Jurgen Thunderson (guitar)
- Chris Caine (guitar)
- Chris Larson (bass-guitar)
- Jurii Morev (drums)
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 Further development of events see in the "News" section
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Last upgrade:
11.02.04
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