A ground-shaking heavy metal group based out of Hungary, Ektomorf's punitive blend of atmospheric death metal and groove-laden thrash was lent extra depth early on by the addition of elements of Roma folk music distilled from their Eastern European homeland. Drawing from punk, hardcore, nu metal, and classic Bay Area thrash, the band emerged in the mid-'90s and broke through in 2004 with the release of Destroy, which employed a more straightforward groove metal approach, and was the first of several collaborations with Danish producer Tue Madsen. They continued to hone their distinctive sound (meaty, downtuned guitar riffs paired with relentless percussion, and raw but powerful vocals) well into the next decade via hard-charging outings like Redemption (2010), Fury (2018), and Reborn (2021).
Founded in 1993 by brothers Zoltan (vocals, guitar) and Csaba Farkas (bass) in the city of Mezőkovácsháza, a small town on the Romanian border, the band issued a pair of demos before releasing their full-length debut, Hangok, in 1996. An eponymous sophomore effort arrived two years later, followed by Kalyi Jag in 2000 and I Scream Up to the Sky in 2002, the latter of which saw the band dialing it back a bit on the regional flavors in favor a more straightforward death metal approach that echoed contemporaries like Soulfly and Fear Factory. Working with producer Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, Dark Tranquillity), the band debuted a more modern and defined sound on 2004's Destroy, which also marked their first release for Nuclear Blast. Instinct and Outcast followed suit in 2005 and 2006, respectively, while 2009's What Doesn't Kill Me... saw the group move to AFM Records, where they would spend the next decade. Lineup changes were par for the course during this period, with Zoltan Farkas remaining the sole founding member, leading the charge and keeping a relentless pace on 2010's Redemption, 2012's Black Flag, and 2014's Retribution.
By 2018, Ektomorf's lineup featured Zoltan (guitar, vocals), Szebasztián Simon (guitar), Csaba Zahorán (bass), and Csaba Farkas (drums). Working once again with Madsen behind the board, this revamped quartet issued the band's next studio LP, Fury, which featured a guest appearance by Cannibal Corpse vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher on the track "Aggressor." 2021 saw the band unleash their 15th full-length effort, the reliably unrelenting Reborn. ~ James Christopher Monger
Hometown
Mezőkovácsháza, Hungary
Genre
Rock
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