Charlotte, NC's Darkmoon evolved from a previous band called Demonic Christ in 1997, and is mainly the work of vocalist/guitarist John Vesano. Straddling the fine line between death and black metal, the group's astoundingly vicious music and stridently anti-Christian (though not necessarily Satanic) values were first showcased on their eponymous EP later that same year. With guitarist Chuck Drummond, bassist/vocalist Devon, and drummer Scott Pletcher in the fold, Darkmoon truly hit their stride with two albums of singular fury and speed, these being 1998's Vengeance for Withered Hearts and 1999's Seas of Unrest. Sadly, these radical experiments in sonic hatred proved far too challenging for all but the most selective extreme metal fans, and Darkmoon eventually split up following 2001's .308 Antichrist EP so that main man Vesano could join death metal titans Nile as bassist and part-time vocalist. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia