Celestial Season

The Career Of Holland's Celestial Season Was Characterized By Two Very Distinct Stylistic Phases As The Group Started Out Life As A Somber Epic-Minded Doom Metal Band Then Shifted Gears A Few Years Later To Conclude Its Existence As A Groovier Rock-Based Stoner Group. This Might Seem Like A Minor Difference Upon First Glance But One Listen To The Group's First And Final Albums Reveals Just How Much Wiggle Room Actually Exists Between The Further Reaches Of These Two Sister Genres. Inspired By The Work Of Doom Metal Giants Such As Candlemass And Saint Vitus Celestial Season Formed In 1991 And Initially Featured Vocalist Stefan Ruiters Guitarists Robert Ruiters And Jeroen Haverkamp Bassist Lucas Van Slegtenhorst And Drummer Jason "Bong-Ra" Kohnen. The "Promises" Demo And Flowerskin EP From 1992 Set The Stage For Their Independent Debut Of The Following Year Forever Scarlet Passion Which Boasted Competent If Rather Unadventurous Pure Doom Metal. The Similarly Slothful And Depressing Solar Lovers Album From 1995 Would Redress This Issue Somewhat Enriching The Band's Sound With The Addition Of Full-Fledged Violin Arrangements Courtesy Of Jiska Ter Bals And Maaike Aarts. Guitarist Pim Van Zanen And Guitarist/bassist Olly Smit Had Replaced Haverkamp And Van Slegtenhorst For This Release Which Was Supported By A European Tour With Countrymen The Gathering But Before The Year Was Out Celestial Season Would Undergo A Drastic Metamorphosis With The Arrival Of New Singer Cyril Crutz And The Transitional Sonic Orb EP. Inspired By The New Gospel Being Preached By California Desert Stoner Rock Combos Such As Masters Of Reality Fu Manchu And Especially Kyuss The Group Was Soon Stripped Down To The Bare-Bones Quartet Of Crutz Van Zanen Smit And Kohnen For The Recording Of 1997's Brusque Creative Facelift Orange. Signifying A Virtual Product Relaunch Of Celestial Season Mark II The Album Delivered A Surprisingly Convincing "California Desert Party" Feel Considering It Was Coming From A Dutch Band. But With The Subsequent Departure Of Last Remaining Original Member Kohnen Replaced By Former Kong Drummer Rob Snijders There Was No Denying That Celestial Season Had Effectively Become An Entirely New Group. This Lineup Plus New Bassist Jacques De Haard Carried On For Three Further Releases Of Pounding Stoner Rock Namely 1999's Chrome Which Led To Appearances At The Dynamo And Roadburn Festivals 2000's Lunchbox Dialogues And 2001's Songs From The Second Floor EP Before Calling It Quits Claiming That The Band's Musical Quest Had Been "fulfilled." MEMBERS
Last Line-Up * Cyril Crutz 1995 - 2001 - Vocals Also Drums 1996-99 * Rob Snijders 1999 - 2001 - Drums See Also Agua De Annique Kong Garcia Plays Kyuss * Olly Smit - 1994 - 2001 - Guitar Bass 1994 - 95 * Pim Van Zanen 1994 - 2001 - Guitar * Jacques De Haard 1999 - 2001 - Bass See Also Agua De Annique Garcia Plays Kyuss Former Members * Stefan Ruiters 1991 - 95 - Vocals * Jason Kohnen 1991 - 97 - Drums Bass 1996 - 97 See Also Bong-Ra * Robert Ruiters 1991 - 96 - Guitars * Jiska Ter Bals 1994 - 95 - Violins * Maaike Aarts 1995 - Violins * Jeroen Haverkamp 1991 - 93 - Guitars * Lucas Van Slegtenhorst 1991 - 93 - Bass Session Musicians * Edith Mathot - Violin On "Forever Scarlet Passion". * Sylvester Piyel - Keyboards On "Forever Scarlet Passion". * Atie Aarts - Cello On "Solar Lovers". * Lex Vogelaar - Vocals On "Solar Lovers" Discography * Promises Demo 1992 * "Flowerskin" Single 1993 * Forever Scarlet Passion 1993 * Fire In The Winter/Above Azure Oceans Split With Lords Of The Stone 1994 * Promo 1994 Demo 1994 * Solar Lovers 1995 * Sonic Orb EP 1995 * 3 Track Demo Demo 1996 * "Black Queen Is Dynamite" Single 1997 * Orange 1997 * Demo '99 Demo 1999 * Chrome 1999 * Lunchbox Dialogues 2000 * Songs From The Second Floor EP 2001 read less