♫♪ #MetalMonday - RIP Poisonblack :(

another band is down for the count :(

Just days after finishing a summer tour of their native country (Finland,) Poisonblack's vocalist Ville Laihiala announced via facebook that after nearly 20 years, they are "laying the band to rest:"

"Greetings oxygen spenders. After these last 15 years we have reached the point in our career that it's time to stop and think about the future. Thou it has been a great ride with ups and downs, great friends, audiences and whatever has been thrown at us, we're going to hit the brakes now and lay the band to rest. For how long remains to be seen. As you all know, it has to be 100% or not at all. Personally, I really have to think about that long and hard.

On behalf of the band I want to thank the people who have supported us throughout the years. Labels, managers, promoters, clubs, festivals, crews... and especially the fans. Without you this could not have been possible." (-quote from Poisonblack's official FB fage, signed "V")

it seemed very random as just two days prior, they had posted a photo and thanked their fans for coming to their gigs this summer. At the very least, when he says :For how long remains to be seen," we have the posibility that this may not be forever. When i think of "Gothic Metal," I think of two bands immediately, one of those being Poisonblack. Starting in the year 2000 out of Oulu (FIN,) they actually had Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto (Northern Kings, Harmaja) as their lead vocalist. JP left in '03 to focus on Charon, the band I know him best from. After his departure was when Ville Laihiala, who was already the main songwriter, took over as vocalist, bringing them even more towards the metal side of the genre. 
Their music is dark, sensual and very heavy. Ville's voice is deep and powerful and they never made a bad song. I've been a fan of the band since highschool, and i was shocked and saddened by the news. Also being an American fan, it shattered any hopes i had for them coming here, but as one of my favorites, they will always live on.
I'll take this time now to share with you some of my all-time favorite Poisonblack songs:
"Nail"
"Love Controlled Despair" the first Poisonblack song i'd ever heard.
"Rush"
If it isn't obvious already, my favorite album is Lust Stained Despair. if you'd like to know more about this band, look up their website: http://www.poisonblack.com/site/
I'm off to go grieve now... thanks for tuning in,