Eternal Champion (band)

Eternal Champion
OriginAustin, Texas, United States
GenresHeavy metal
Years active2012-present
LabelsNo Remorse Records

Eternal Champion is a heavy metal band founded in Austin, Texas in 2012.[1]

History

Eternal Champion formed in 2012 and released their debut album The Armor of Ire in 2016. Fenriz of Darkthrone placed the album in second position in his top 15 albums released in 2016.[2] Columnist Stefan Glass of the German magazine Rock Hard gave it a score of 8.5 out of 10.[3]

The group visited Europe for the first time in spring 2017 when they were invited to the Keep It True festival.[4] Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol,[5] two musical influences of Eternal Champion were also present at this festival.[6]

On May 29, 2024, Brad Raub, who was the band's bassist in their 2020 album Ravening Iron, died at the age of 36. No cause of death was revealed.[7]

Influences

The name comes from writer Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion. Besides Moorcock, singer Jason Tarpey cites thematic influences of Robert E. Howard, Karl Edward Wagner and Howard Phillips Lovecraft.[8] He mentions among others Klaus Meine, Mark Shelton of Manilla Road and Robert Lowe of Solitude Aeturnus among his influences as a singer.

Discography

Studio albums

  • The Armor of Ire (2016)
  • Ravening Iron (2020)

Demo albums

  • The Last King of Pictdom (2013)

EPs

  • Retaliator / Vigilance (split with Canadian band Gatekeeper) (2015)
  • Parallel of Death (2017)
  • Terminus Est (2019)

References

  1. ^ "Eternal Champion". Metalorgie. Retrieved 2020-08-27..
  2. ^ "Fenriz Isn't Big on Lists, But Told Us His Favorite Albums Of 2016 When We Asked Nicely". Noisey. 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  3. ^ Glas, Stefan. "ETERNAL CHAMPION - The Armor of Ire". Rock Hard.
  4. ^ "KEEP IT TRUE 2017 part 2". RockMeeting - Rock / Metal mélodique. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 2020-08-27..
  5. ^ "Eternal Champion". www.hornsup.fr. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
  6. ^ "Keep It True Festival 2017 - 28/04/2017". www.concerts-metal.com. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
  7. ^ Kennelty, Greg (2024-05-30). "SUMERLANDS & ETERNAL CHAMPION Bassist BRAD RAUB Has Died". Metal Injection. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  8. ^ "The Heavy Metal Bard: An Interview with Jason Tarpey of Eternal Champion". Decibel Magazine. 2016-10-26. Retrieved 2018-03-24.