Judas Iscariot (band)
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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
|Name = Judas Iscariot
|Img =
|Img_capt = Band logo
|Img_size = 220px
|Landscape = no
|Background = group_or_band
|Origin = [[DeKalb, Illinois]], [[United States]]
|Genre = [[Black metal]]
|Years_active = 1992–2002
|Label = [[End All Life Productions]]<br>[[Moribund Records]] <br> [[No Colours Records]]<br>
|URL =
}}
'''Judas Iscariot''' was an [[United States of America|American]] [[black metal]] band, originally called Heidegger, formed in 1992 as a [[solo (music)|solo]] project of [[Andrew Harris (musician)|Andrew Harris]], who performed under the [[pseudonym]] [[Akhenaten]] (after the [[Egypt]]ian [[Pharaoh]] of the [[Akhenaten|same name]]). However, with the release of ''Heaven in Flames'' (1999), [[Duane Timlin]] (aka Cryptic Winter) joined the band as a [[Session musician|session]] [[drums|drummer]]. From 1999 to 2000, Akhenaten twice performed live with a line-up featuring members from [[Nargaroth]], [[Krieg]], [[Absu]], and [[Maniac Butcher]].
As is common for the genre, themes often directed against [[religion]] and explored a fascination with [[Nihilism|nihilistic]] philosophy.
After relocating to Germany, Akhenaten announced the demise of Judas Iscariot on [[August 25]], [[2002]].
== Ideology ==
As the band's name implied, Akhenaten's stated goal was to spread [[Anti-Christian sentiment|anti-Christian]] [[ideology]] through music. The emotion was particularly directed toward Christian views of morality and compassion, which he believed promoted human weakness instead of [[Individualism|individuality]] and personal development. Akhenaten considered Judas Iscariot a documentation of one individual's struggle with the moral boundaries set by Christianity.<ref>[http://judasiscariot.no.sapo.pt/statement.htm Statement] from the inlay of Judas Iscariot's final release, "Midnight Frost (To Rest with Eternity)".</ref>
Akhenaten saw himself as a [[Nihilism|nihilist]] filled with deep emotions of hate towards [[capitalism]] and religion, particularly [[Christianity|Christian]] views of [[Ethics|morality]] and compassion. He viewed Christianity as a religion "from a subhuman origin“, "foreign to the Aryan race"<ref name="mourn">[http://web.archive.org/web/20061209110024/http://www.mourningtheancient.com/judas.htm Interview with Akhenaten on ''Mourning the Ancient'']</ref> and as promoting human weakness instead of individuality and personal development. [[Andrew Harris (musician)|Akhenaten]] furthermore expressed deep emotions of contempt towards [[capitalism]], which he dismissed as inextricably linked to [[materialism]].<ref>[http://www.tartareandesire.com/interviews/judaiscariot.html Interview on Tartarean Desire.]</ref>
Judas Iscariot was sometimes called a nazi band, which Akhenaten denied. In interviews Akhenaten disavowed [[sympathy]] with [[Far right|right-wing extremism]] or [[racism]] and statet "that Judas Iscariot is no nazi band. I myself am no nazi either. My utopia is to run through the streets with a flamethrower and burn everyone I see to ashes. If other bands think they have to include politics into their music, it’s their business, but this has nothing to do with my band"<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20040526174330/http://artofmalice.de/interviews/judas_iscariot/ Interview on ''Art of Malice'' (in German)].</ref> He furthermore said he despises "hillbilly 'hate niggers' mentality" and calls racialism a topic which "MUST be approached with intelligence and restraint". On the other hand he finds "the Aryan race to be the most beautiful and the closest to physical perfection"<ref name="mourn"/>. It should also be noted that Akhenaten’s other project [[Weltmacht]] also contributed to the [[National Socialist black metal|NSBM]] compilation "The Night and the Fog. A Tribute to the National Socialist Black Metal Underground".
While Judas Iscariot was conceived of as a personal expression, Akhenaten claimed that releasing the music was intended to give others strength to live in a world compromised by materialism and irrational [[Religion|religious]] ideology.
== Line-up ==
* Akhenaten ([[Andrew Harris (musician)|Andrew Harris]]) – [[Vocals]], [[guitar]], [[bass guitar|bass]] and [[drums]]
* Cryptic Winter ([[Duane Timlin]]) – Session drums (1999-2001)
* Kanwulf ([[Nargaroth|René Wagner]]) – Live guitar
* Lord Imperial ([[Neill Jameson]]) – Live bass (1999-2000)
* Proscriptor ([[Russley Randel Givens]]) – Live drums (1999)
* Butcher (real name unknown) – Live drums (2000)
== Discography ==
=== Full-length Albums ===
* ''The Cold Earth Slept Below'' (1995)
* ''Thy Dying Light'' (1996)
* ''Of Great Eternity'' (1997)
* ''Distant in Solitary Night'' (1998)
* ''Heaven in Flames'' (1999)
* ''To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding'' (2002)
=== EP Releases ===
* ''Arise, My Lord'' (1996)
* ''Dethroned, Conquered and Forgotten'' (2000)
* ''March of the Apocalypse'' (2002)
* ''Moonlight Butchery'' (2002)
=== Split Albums ===
* ''Judas Iscariot/Weltmacht'' (with [[Weltmacht]]) (1999)
* ''None Shall Escape the Wrath'' (with [[Krieg]], [[Eternal Majesty]] and [[Macabre Omen]]) (2000)
*''To the Coming Age of Intolerance'' (with [[Krieg]]) (2001)
=== Live Releases ===
* ''Under the Black Sun'' (2000)
=== Compilation Albums ===
* ''From Hateful Visions'' (2000)
* ''Midnight Frost (To Rest with Eternity)'' (2002)
=== Demos ===
* ''Heidegger'' (1992)
* ''Judas Iscariot'' (1993)
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.no-colours-records.de/judas_iscariot.htm Judas Iscariot] on [[No Colours Records]]
* [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=915 Judas Iscariot] on Encyclopaedia Metallum
=== Interviews ===
* [http://www.geocities.com/abyssusinvocat/EAbysmal_II_Judas_Iscariot.htm Interview] (1997) with Peruvian zine ABYSSUS (in English).
* [http://www.geocities.com/abyssusinvocat/Abysmal_II_Judas_Iscariot.htm Interview] (1997) with Peruvian zine ABYSSUS (in Spanish).
* [http://www.tartareandesire.com/interviews/judasiscariot.html Interview] (1999) with Bruno Zamora on Tartarean Desire (in English).
* [http://artofmalice.de/interviews/judas_iscariot/ Interview] (2000) on Art of Malice (in German).
[[Category:American black metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Illinois heavy metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1992]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2002]]
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