Mournblade

Biography

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Mournblade (1997-1989, 1991-present): a Thrash Metal band from Glendale, California, USA.

n 1987 Mournblade was formed by bass/vocalist Jeff Blacky and Rick Auschwitz as guitarist, to record first demos Stealer of Souls and Lord of Chaos. In 1988 they added drummer Jake Blood for sessions of Set and to play early house shows in around Highland Park, LA. In late 1988 they played their first official shows with local bands Tormentor and Sacreligious Death.

In early 1989, Jake Blood dies in a car accident, and in time he would be replaced with Tom Rubain as new bassist so Jeff Blacky could concentrate on vocals. Shortly there-after, demos Keeper and The Blood Throne of the Ursurper were recorded.

But in 1990 the band was put on hold when Jeff Blacky joined Sacreligious Death as bassist. Later that year, Sacreligious Death, would rename itself as Belial and Blacky leaves shortly after. But that project would completely fall apart the next year when vocalist Dave Richard goes to jail for drug dealing resulting in the rebirth of Mournblade with a new drummer taken from Sezure in the form of Danny Leviathan. But his tenure with the act would be short when he leaves to join Jesus Skinned. Undaunted, Blacky starts his next demo with Mournblade with new songs: Black Sword (1992) and Cross of Sin (1993). In 1993 guitarist Rick Auschwitz records new demo tracks for Blood's Been Spilled, while that same year bassist Tom Rubain commits suicide in South Korea. 1994 once again ending Mornblade.

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In 1995 Blacky joins BME (Batman's Enemies), as bassist but that project also doesn't last when vocalist Andy Skate goes to prison on a manslaughter charge of drunk driving.

Between 1996-2000 Mournblade would be an on-again-off-again affair, and small practice sessions plague the band as only founding members Jeff Blacky and Rick Auschwitz keep playing. In 2001 the band returns with new material the day before the infamous 9-11 when they write and record guitar tracks and vocals for Holy War. That October, Jeff Blacky gets mobilized with his National Guard unit in Operation Noble Eagle and deploys for a year long deployment. It wouldn't be until 2002 when Blacky returns to record new version of Hades. Over the course of the next two years, Danny Leviathan returns to the band. And just as things were getting together the Army calls for Blacky again for combat duty overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom.

In 2005 Danny Leviathan returns to bass but no longer plays drums because of the earlier car accident. While Blacky was still deployed overseas, the band played on until Leviathan finds religion and leaves the act for good. When Jeff Blacky returns after 12 plus months deployment, in 2006, the band picks up Todd Irish as session drummer for their CD, Mangled Lies, the EP project being published by 'Open Grave' Records.

Footnote: Do not confuse this Mournblade with the British act of the same name.

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