Austria's BELPHEGOR have visions of being the world's most brutal band. Musically the group plays ridiculously fast; melodies and riffs being thin on the ground. The band's second album was released with two different covers; one features an injured baby in the booklet. Very tasteless and reckoned to be worse than better known Grindcore acts have concocted.

The band is rooted in the Salzburg forged BETRAYER in 1991. This unit involved vocalist / bassist Maxx, guitarist Sigurd, second guitarist Helmuth (a.k.a. Hel Lennart) and drummer Chris. BETRAYER released the demos 'Kruzifixion' in April 1991 and 'Unborn Blood'. With a name switch to BELPHEGOR in 1992 the band bowed in with the demo 'Bloodbath In Paradise'. Signing to Perverted Taste Records the EP 'Obscure And Deep', issued on pink and transparent blue vinyl. This release featured the BLACK SABBATH cover version 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'.

The first full-length album, 'The Last Supper', saw release in January 1995 on Lethal Records. Second album set 'Blutsabbath' arrived in October 1997. Man of MASTIC SCUM supplied session drums.

Touring wise BELPHEGOR traversed Europe in During April and May 1998 in an 18 date trek allied with BEHEMOTH and ANCIENT. The live line up for these dates would feature the SCENT OF PARADISE and PATHETIC credited Mario Klausner on bass guitar.

The 2000 re-release of the debut 'The Last Supper' album came clad in all new artwork and featured an additional six extra tracks from the 'Obscure And Deep' EP, included amongst which was a cover version of BLACK SABBATH's 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'. In January 2001 a short burst of German headline gigs was executed with guests DUNKELGRAFEN and DAWN OF DREAMS upfront of outdoor showings at 'Fuck The Commerce IV', 'With Full Force VIII' and 'Hell On Earth'. 2002 festival appearances included showings at events such as 'Summerbreeze', 'Brutal Assault' and 'Morbide Festspiele' prior to further German gigs that December.

BELPHEGOR added MOR DAGOR drummer Torturer during 2002. The 'Infernal Live Orgasm' album of that same year saw issue through the band's own imprint Phallelujah Productions. Signing to the Napalm label in 2003 BELPHEGOR debuted for their new partners with the 'Lucifer Incestus' album, this offering being produced by Alex Krull of ATROCITY. These recordings marked the entrance of a new rhythm section, bassist Barth and drummer ("Snareblastfetishist") Torturer. However, the latter candidate severed ties with the group that December.

BELPHEGOR entered Mastersound Studio in Fellbach during September of 2004 with producer Alex Krull to craft their fifth album entitled 'The Goatreich - Fleshcult'. The group undertook a November a mini-tour with DISASTROUS MURMUR, then closing out the year as one of the main attractions at the annual 'X-Mass Fest' roving European festival dates in alliance with NAPALM DEATH, MARDUK, VADER, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and FINNTROLL. Emerging in February of 2005 'The Goatreich - Fleshcult' came in various formats included a limited edition of 1000 vinyl pressing. Digipack variants added the instrumental track 'Heresy Of Fire' as a bonus.

Severing ties with drummer Torturer in February 2005 the band drafted Nefastus from Germany as substitute. BELPHEGOR unified with ARKHON INFAUSTUS, IN AETERNUM and ASMODEUS for the 'Goetreich - Fleshcult Europa Tour Pt. I' in April. The band severed ties with Napalm Records in October, claiming "we don't want others to meddle into our things because we know for ourselves what's the best". Undaunted, BELPHEGOR entered producer Andy Classen's Stage One studios in November to craft a new album. The band announced European gigs allied with HATE ETERNAL for April 2006 but withdrew before the tour started as Barth suffered a severe injury to his hand.

In July the group revealed they had signed the 'Pestapokalypse VI' album to Nuclear Blast Records. Once these sessions were completed drummer Nefastus took his leave. BELPHEGOR announced the addition of bassist Serpenth to the group's ranks in October. That same month Nuclear Blast issued a special ammunition box variant of the 'Pestapokalypse VI' album, limited to just 500 copies and packed with the CD in digipack, a patch, a belt and "emergency provisions". A vinyl version of the album was also restricted to 500 copies. 'Pestapokalypse VI' was further promoted by a promotional video for the song 'Bluhtsturm Erotika' directed by Florian Werner.

Live work planned in December across Europe was to see the band hooking up with GOREFEST, MADDER MORTEM, TRAIL OF TEARS, PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT and DARZAMAT for the 'X-Mass' festivals set to commence December 8th at the Berlin K17 venue. However, this entire trek was cancelled just days beforehand.

Lille Gruber of German Death Metallers DEFEATED SANITY filled in on drums for a 2007 North American tour alongside UNLEASHED and KRISIUN. The group was back out on the European touring circuit in early May 2007, heading up the 'Midvinterblot European Tour Part II' dates backed by KATAKLYSM and UNLEASHED then ARKHON INFAUSTUS.

'Bondage Goat Zombie' arrived in April 2008. As well as a standard CD release this album came in a variety of formats including a limited edition digipack, complete with a DVD disc hosting video clips, behind the scenes footage, a studio "making of" documentary, live footage and a "freak" section, a further limited option in Stahl helmet packaging complete with dogtag and a red vinyl version restricted to 1000 copies.

BELPHEGOR once again entered producer Andy Classen's Stage One Studios in Kassel, Germany in early February 2009 to begin recording new album tracks. KREATOR and BELPHEGOR undertook an extensive nationwide tour of the USA commencing on 7th April 2009 at the Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland with strong support from EXODUS, WARBRINGER and EPICUREAN.

A promotional video for the song 'Der Geistertreiber' was filmed in July. BELPHEGOR's eighth full-length studio album, entitled 'Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn', was scheduled for release on 9th October 2009 in Europe and 2oth October in North American via Nuclear Blast Records.

Garry Sharpe-Young