Кафедрал: Англиялық дум-метал тобының тарихы

English doom metal band

Cathedral were a doom metal band from Coventry, England. The group gained attention upon release of its debut album, Forest of Equilibrium (1991), which is considered a classic of the genre. However, the band's sound evolved quickly and began to adopt characteristics of 1970s metal, hard rock and progressive rock. After releasing ten full length albums and touring extensively for over two decades, Cathedral broke up after the release of The Last Spire in 2013.

In 1989, Lee Dorrian left Napalm Death because he was reportedly tiring of the punk scene and did not like the death metal direction which Napalm Death was taking. Cathedral was formed after Lee Dorrian and Mark Griffiths (a Carcass roadie) met and discussed their love for bands like Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Pentagram, Trouble, and Witchfinder General. The band was founded in 1989 by Dorrian, Griffiths and Garry Jennings (formerly of thrash metal band Acid Reign).

After the release of the Soul Sacrifice EP, Cathedral signed with Columbia Records. That enabled the successful two month Campaign for Musical Destruction Tour in the United States. Cathedral's experience on Columbia was described by Dorrian as "surreal". Cathedral's major label debut, The Ethereal Mirror, was noted by Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic for its experimentation, upbeat tempos, and groove laden guitar riffs. After releasing The Ethereal Mirror in 1993, Cathedral was dropped by Columbia the following year.

The band resumed its relationship with Earache Records, which lasted until 2001. During this time, Cathedral released four full length albums that continued to explore faster rhythms and 1970s hard rock influenced guitar riffs before returning to a relatively slow cadence for Endtyme in 2001.

Cathedral signed with Spitfire Records and released The VIIth Coming. After releasing a single album on Spitfire, Cathedral signed to Nuclear Blast for their final three albums. These albums included the "inspired" and "quirky" but "uneven" The Garden of Unearthly Delights, the double disc The Guessing Game, which was touted as the "most psychedelic, progressive material in the band's entire catalog" and the "true doom" of the band's farewell album, The Last Spire.

While Cathedral had contemplated disbanding in the past, most recently after the release of The Garden of Unearthly Delights in 2006, in April 2013. Dorrian explained that "It's simply time for us to bow out. Twenty one years is a very long time and it's almost a miracle that we managed to come this far!" Cathedral played their last show in Perth, Western Australia during the Soundwave 2012 tour. Shortly before the release of The Last Spire, Dorrian told Noisecreep that there will never be a Cathedral reunion, and called that idea "absolutely stupid." Guitarist Gaz Jennings added that chances of a Cathedral reunion are "very, very slim", and that he "just can't see" it happening in the future. He also stated that Dorrian has "moved on" and does not want to be involved in a reunion. Three out of four of the final members of Cathedral reformed the band Septic Tank after Cathedral's break up. When asked in July 2020 by Decibel magazine about the possibility of a Cathedral reunion, Dorrian said: "To just reform and cash in on the lucrative offers we've been getting ever since we broke up would feel a bit like we're just doing it for the cash, which is never what it was about in the first place. Never say never, I guess, but it's very doubtful. We ended it for a reason."