Jucifer

Biography

Jucifer, founded in Georgia in 1993, are pioneers of the sludge / doom metal two piece. They are notorious for their use of massive amplification, and for their entirely nomadic lifestyle and have spent all year, every year on the road since moving into their tour vehicle 11 years ago.

They typically utilize a wall of speakers approximately 10 feet high and 15 feet wide. (The band is baffled as to why anyone would have to ask — but yes, they are all “real” and in use!)

Years based in Athens, Georgia from 1991 until 2001 were pivotal both for Jucifer and the Southern scene itself, which has evolved to strongly reflect bands such as Jucifer and their contemporaries (Harvey Milk, Eyehategod, Cavity, Floor, Crowbar) embracing their style of artistic exploration anchored in brutal heaviness.

In 1994 Jucifer saw its first release, four track demos on hand dubbed cassettes. During this time they also recorded at a friend’s home studio, Rock Central. The 1994 recording (Nadir) is being mastered for re-issue and will see the light in summer 2011. The only songs known to be available from the Rock Central session are the two which made Jucifer’s 1995 7″.

’94 and ’95 also saw Jucifer begin to build their audience, landing opening spots with legends like the Melvins (who they would go on to support many more times) Mark Arm, and Lubricated Goat.

Jucifer’s second foray into the studio produced the iconoclastic Calling All Cars On The Vegas Strip. The album was released on local Athens indie label Crack Rock Records in 1998, two years after its recording was completed.

In the interim Jucifer toured regionally and also joined Meltbanana, Keelhaul, and Man Or Astroman during their US tours.

When it was finally released Calling All Cars charted on college radio with little promotion, and was widely acclaimed by critics as groundbreaking. Attention from this drew scouts from various major labels— most notably Capricorn Records, then home of 311, as they would sign Jucifer in 1999.

Capricorn re-issued Calling All Cars On The Vegas Strip in 2000. The label then released Lambs (2001), I Name You Destroyer (2002) and War Bird (2004).

Following the re-issue of Calling All Cars, Jucifer began to tour full time. During this period they did US tours with High On Fire, Unsane side project Cutthroats 9, and the Melvins, and were themselves supported by such future luminaries as Mastodon, Big Business, Lightning Bolt and Skeletonwitch.

In 2006, following the demise of Capricorn, Jucifer signed to iconic metal label Relapse. Relapse immediately issued If Thine Enemy Hunger, a leftover from the band’s Capricorn deal. In 2008 Relapse released Jucifer’s acclaimed double album L’Autrichienne.

In 2010 Jucifer formed their own label Nomadic Fortress and inked a distribution deal with Relapse.

Jucifer’s latest album Throned In Blood was released April 6, 2010.

The band will soon re-issue Nadir, a mastered version of their 1994 four track demos, via Nomadic Fortress.

Jucifer is currently in pre-production for a new album (expect in 2012) and will also be releasing some splits and side projects in the near future.