Zaraza
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Jacek (The DoomHammer) Furmankiewicz, Brian Meagher (Grzegorz Haus ov Doom) |
| Defunct | 2006 (hiatus) |
| Fate | Reunited in 2015 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jacek (The DoomHammer), Brian Damage (Grzegorz Haus ov Doom) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, demos |
| Website | zaraza |
Zaraza—a name derived from the Ukrainian, Polish, and Serbian word for "plague"—is an experimental and industrial death-doom ensemble originating from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Biography
The band was established in early 1993 by Polish-born Jacek (The DoomHammer) Furmankiewicz alongside Montreal-based noise musician Brian Meagher, who later adopted the moniker Grzegorz Haus ov Doom. Zaraza's concept centered on blending doom/death metal with industrial soundscapes. Although their initial plan leaned towards grindcore, they ultimately embraced a doom-influenced style enriched with symphonic industrial textures.
Their reliance on sampler-driven compositions limited their frequency of live performances. Among their rare concerts, a significant appearance occurred during Montreal’s Late Night Atrocity Exhibition, where they honored Laibach’s 15th anniversary by performing four covers of the pioneering group.
Early era (1993–2005)
Following the underground success of their 1995 demo Life Is Death Postponed, Zaraza released their first full-length album, Slavic Blasphemy, in 1997 through Ottawa's Musicus Phycus label. The record received favorable critical attention and was ranked within the Top 10 albums of 1998 by Chronicles of Chaos.
In 1999, the band recorded No Paradise To Lose, which was intended to be accompanied by a bonus EP featuring Laibach covers. However, dissatisfaction with the mix led them to abandon these sessions and enter a hiatus that lasted until 2002. During that year, they performed their sole complete live set as an opening act for Knurl and Merzbow in Ottawa.
Upon resuming activity in 2002, Zaraza revisited No Paradise To Lose, re-recording and remixing it before its release in November 2003 to positive reviews. The initial 50 copies were bundled with a four-track Laibach tribute single titled Montrealska Akropola.
The group dissolved in July 2006, subsequently making their discography accessible through the Internet Archive.
Reunion period (2015–present)
Zaraza reassembled in 2015 to work on new material. Their third album, Spasms of Rebirth, was released on March 4, 2017 via the band's Bandcamp page and received a high rating of 9/10 from doom-metal.com.
Members
- Jacek (The DoomHammer) – vocals, drum programming, samplers, keyboards
- Brian Damage (also known as Grzegorz Haus ov Doom) – operatic vocals, samplers, keyboards
Discography
- Life is Death Postponed (Demo, 1995)
- Slavic Blasphemy (CD, 1997)
- No Paradise to Lose (CD, Total Zero Records, 2003)
- Montrealska Akropola – A Tribute to Laibach (Single, Total Zero Records, 2003)
- Life Is Death Postponed (2004 CD-R reissue with additional tracks)
- Spasms of Rebirth (Digital & CD-R, 2017)