Blessed Curse, a Northern California-based 4-piece, have been making a name for themselves through selfless hard work playing countless shows all over the United States and unleashing some of the most punishing true heavy metal. Like many, the band began with humble beginnings as childhood friends forging their love of music into their own band and over the past seven years, they've grown up and became a meticulous killing militia primed to join the bigger league and take things to a more international playing field.
Formed in the fall of 2001 by guitarist/ vocalist Tyler Satterlee and drummer Derek Bean in Colfax, California. The two wanted to play music they felt in their hearts and quickly went on to cover many metal classics from bands such as Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath under the band name Atrosity. With a constant revolving door of musicians coming and going, the two finally settled as a three-piece with the addition of the four-string neck-wrecker Patrick Hamby in 2002. Now secured with a solid line-up, the guys continued to cover shitloads of their favorite metal songs and began gigging locally wherever they could by playing the area's live music clubs, high school rallies, and battle of the bands. After a couple years of continuing to cut their teeth in the local music trenches, Atrosity recorded their debut demo on January 1, 2005. This 5-song E.P., appropriately titled "Fuck Everything" quickly sold through the first 100 copies in a day or two and Atrosity quickly established themselves as the true, young thrash metal band in the northern California area. 2005's local "Wrecking Roseville" tour saw Atrosity further build their reputation as the band opened for thrash metal legends Kreator and Overkill. In December 2006, Atrostiy was forced to undergo a name change due to there being an established death metal band from Germany using the proper English spelling of Atrocity.
Quickly deciding on the ultra heavy alternate name of Devastator, the band continued the metal mayhem as the now newly revamped headbanging force needed a release with the new name to get the word out to all the ravenous followers of Atrosity, as well as potential new fans they would set out to convert. Devastator recorded a 5-song E.P. titled "Crush and Kill", which was recorded completely live in the studio in two days. With a new release and a handful of shows under their belts, Devastator signed to the newly formed indie metal label A.T.A. Records based out of L.A. This licensing agreement was to press, distribute, and sell "Crush and Kill" all over the globe, but after thirteen months of delays and horrible communication between the two parties Devastator decided to cut its losses, split with A.T.A., and put out the CD themselves. Released on Friday, October 13, "Crush and Kill" quickly lived up and passed its predecessor to further spread to name of Devastator all over California, as well as the rest of the globe including places like Germany and Japan. Devastator spent the remainder of 2006 as well as most of 2007 playing up and down California with bands such as Merciless Death, Hatchet, Warbringer, Fueled by Fire, Ghoul, Dekapitator, and Avenger of Blood, as well as national touring acts such as Kreator (twice), Sodom, Three Inches of Blood, Napalm Death, Overkill (twice), Hirax, and Dragonlord. In the fall of 2007, Devastator once again headed off to the studio, this time in Petaluma, CA, to record their follow-up E.P., "Slaughtered like Pigs", with the help of Slave Productions. With the new recording now wrapped up, Devastator joined their Bay Area brothers-in-arms Hatchet in a week-long tour of the west coast starting in Berkeley and blazing a path of destruction northward through Oregon and Washington until reaching the border of Canada. After leveling Seattle on January 2, 2008, Devastator headed back to California to wreak havoc on the southern half of their home state traveling south until hitting up the insanity known as Los Angeles. The tour was a resounding success culminating with a gig at the Boardwalk in their hometown of Sacramento. Pushing ever forward, the first quarter of 2008 saw Devastator touring all over California again as well as providing devastation for their neighbors in Nevada. Devastator was fortunate enough to meet Marco Barbieri, former head of Century Media Records, and sign with his new publishing company, Salem Rose Music. Continuing to play live throughout the spring and fall of '08 with notable bands like M.O.D., Heathen, and Agent Steel, Devastator finally geared up to record their next release. "Burn the Beast" was recorded, mixed and mastered in a week by Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios (Testament, Sadus, Machine Head). This collection of songs represents the past, present and future of the Devastator sound.
As of the end of 2010 due to the ever increasing number of bands deciding to use the name Devastator and ".tor" bands that have been springing up these days we have concluded that it is best for our band to stand out from the pack as much as possible, apart from our music alone, by changing our name from Devastator to Blessed Curse.
This new name fits our band to the letter because of our extensive history of being a band from an area where there is not much of anything for a music scene and having to travel abroad to build any kind of fan base, life on the road, all the ups and downs and in betweens of being in a metal band. About a year ago we were fortunate to meet a local fan of our band for many years named Clark Webb, who is now wielding rhythm guitar with us, making our band officially no longer a trio and making us an even more powerful force to be reckoned with in the metal music world.
As of January 2011 we have inked a licensing deal with the label Cyclone Empire based in Germany. As of this year we are 10 years old as a band since we first formed at the young age of 14 in a garage. This is definitely a new and exciting time for our band. Our debut album will have a worldwide release and distribution excluding Canada and America at this time so we are for sure looking for a U.S. label home to get our music everywhere metal heads are to be found.
Always continuing to gig everywhere while writing new material, Blessed Curse is sure to crush, kill, slaughter, and burn wherever heavy thrash metal is needed!
The Devil's Mark Live@ The Gilman 1/18/09
Rise of the Undead/ Slaughtered like Pigs. Live @ The Burnt Ramen 12/27/08
