Astarte (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Athens , Greece |
| Products | Black metal music albums |
Astarte was a Greek all-female black metal ensemble originating from Athens, named after the ancient goddess Astarte.
History
Established in September 1995 in Athens, the band initially performed under the name Lloth. The original members were Maria "Tristessa" Kolokouri handling bass, guitar, keyboards, and later lead vocals; Nemesis on guitar; and Kinthia providing vocals and guitar. Their 1997 demo, Dancing in the Dark Lakes of Evil, was recorded with drummer Psychoslaughter from the Greek group Invocation and released under the Lloth moniker. Shortly thereafter, they rebranded as Astarte, drawing inspiration from the Semitic deity associated with sexuality. Their first full-length album, Doomed Dark Years (1998), appeared on Black Lotus Records, followed by two additional albums on the same label. After Nemesis and Kinthia departed, replaced by Katharsis on keyboards and Hybris on guitar, Astarte issued their fourth and fifth records through Avantgarde Music, including the 2007 release Demonized. In 2003, they took part in the Celtic Frost tribute compilation Order of the Tyrants via Black Lotus Records, performing a rendition of "Sorrows Of The Moon".
On December 30, 2013, Nick Maiis, Maria Kolokouri’s spouse, revealed her critical battle with leukemia. Although she initially overcame the illness by August 9, 2014, subsequent complications led to her passing on August 10, 2014. Following Maria's death—the band’s founder and sole constant member over nearly twenty years—Astarte officially disbanded.
In September 2014, former members announced a reunion under their original name Lloth. They intended to produce a new album honoring Tristessa’s memory and involving some early contributors. The group introduced a redesigned logo emphasizing the letter "t" in Lloth as a tribute to Tristessa.
Final lineup
- Derketa – keyboards
- Nikos "Ice" Asimakis – drums
- Lycon – session guitars, bass
- Hybris – guitar (2003–2014)
Former members
- Nemesis – guitar (1995–2003)
- Kinthia – guitar, lead vocals (1995–2003)
- Katharsis – keyboards (2003–2008)
- Psychoslaughter aka Aithir – session drums (1995–1997)
- Stelios Darakis – drums
- Stelios Mavromitis – guitars
- SIC – vocals
- Maria "Tristessa" Kolokouri – bass, guitar, keyboards (1995–2014), vocals (2003–2014; until her death)
Special guests
- Spiros Antoniou of Septicflesh ("Astarte" on Quod superius sicut inferius)
- SIC from Lloth ("Bitterness of Mortality (Mecoman)" on Sirens)
- Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir ("The Ring (of Sorrow)" on Sirens)
- Sakis Tolis from Rotting Christ ("Oceanus Procellarum (Liquid Tomb)" on Sirens)
- Attila Csihar from Mayhem ("Lycon" on Demonized)
- SIC from Lloth ("God Among Men" on Demonized)
- Henri Sattler from God Dethroned ("Queen of the Damned" on Demonized)
- Angela Gossow from Arch Enemy ("Black at Heart" on Demonized)
Discography
- Lloth
- Dancing in the Dark Lakes of Evil (1997)
- Astarte
- Doomed Dark Years (1998), Black Lotus Records
- Rise From Within (2000), Black Lotus
- Quod superius sicut inferius (2002), Black Lotus
- Sirens (2004), Avantgarde Music
- Demonized (2007), Avantgarde Music