CHTHONIC To Debut New Look At 'Free Tibet' Concert

Taiwan's CHTHONIC will debut their new look and outfits at the upcoming "Free Tibet" concert. The concert will be held July 11 in Taipei, Taiwan.

For additional information on the event, fans can go to this location.

Band Taiwan and Tibet have shared a similar history, facing threats from the Chinese military forces for over 50 years. CHTHONIC has been fighting for the recognition of Taiwan's independence since the band formed in 1996. After CHTHONIC vocalist Freddy returned from visiting the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala earlier this year, the band decided to hold the "Free Tibet" concert.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan government in exile. To support Tibet is to support the values of human rights and freedom. CHTHONIC has always been a huge supporter of Tiebetan freedom and independence.

The well-known photographer Clive Arrowsmith took the "T-for-Tibet" photo of CHTHONIC with in their new garb.

CHTHONIC has also confirmed the release of a Taiwanese version of their new album, "Mirror of Retribution", on August 8, several weeks before the September 1, English-language release in the U.S. on Spinefarm Records.

A new CHTHONIC track entitled "Rise of the Shadows" is available for streaming at the band's MySpace page.

Formed in 1995, CHTHONIC (a name deriving from a Greek word signifying spirits of the underworld) has delivered an 11-track body of work that touches on both the spirit and mortal worlds, with loss of national identity and the sometimes turbulent history of their homeland recurring themes.

With ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano at the production and mixing helm, "Mirror Of Retribution" sees the award-winning musicians further developing a style that started with the 1999 album "Where The Ancestors' Souls Gathered", blending full-on metal of the darker persuasion with traditional Taiwanese instruments such as two-string violin, the hena.

"The story behind this album combines true historical fact with an ancient myth of hell," explains bassist and band spokesperson Doris Yeh. "Amongst other things, we make reference to the famous '228 Massacre,' which was the biggest ever massacre in Taiwanese history. Tens of thousands of Taiwanese were killed by the Chinese army. The final battle of the event occurred in the middle of Taiwan, where 40 local militia attempted to resist 2,500 soldiers from the Chinese army. In the end, the militia lost their lives near the Sing-Ling Temple.

"Musically, we tried to move the band to a whole new level," continues Doris. "In the past, we've been described in various ways, as 'symphonic black metal' or 'melodic death,' the word 'folk' has also been applied at times, but this was our chance to establish a new place for ourselves in the extreme metal genre."

Never ones to shy away from a just cause, CHTHONIC — in particular frontman Freddy Lim — have been consistently active on the political front at home, whilst away from their hometown of Taipei they have appeared at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany and toured as part of the Ozzfest in the U.S., the first Asian extreme metal band to make such a mark.

CHTHONIC (pronounced "Thonic") is:

Freddy Lim - vocals
Doris Yeh - bass
Jesse Liu - guitar
Dani Wang - drums
CJ - piano/synthesizer