(Dictius Te Necare-era Bethlehem)
Bummer break-up news: German black metal institution Bethlehem are calling it quits… kind of. Well, taking an extended hiatus at the very least. Multi-instrumentalist Jurgen Bartsch posted the following statement on their Facebook page today and, you know, some of it makes sense! The tendinitis part: that we get. Anyway, former vocalist Rainer Landfermann placed in our Top 30 Greatest Extreme Vocalists of All Time list and Bethlehem’s Dark Metal was #66 in our Top 100 Black Metal Albums of All Time special issue. Here’s the full statement:
Game over !
Hey guys. Bethlehem has split-up and does a break. If there will be a comeback or won’t isn’t certain yet. Obviously isn’t. Bethlehem has to stay pure anarchy – against all odds – and certainly isn’t a playground for wannabes. The fuck off. All shows for 2015 got canceled, NYC (Stardust) & Austria (Sick Midsummer) already have found a surrogate. Informations can be requested from the organisers. NYC would be done at another time if this band should dare a comeback. If so, this first would result in a new longplayer anyways. Fingers (double) crossed !
Other than that I got a tendinitis again. This time it’s the right wrist/underarm which fully gets swallen after practising two songs and which makes it impossible playing my instrument at the moment. We also no longer can rehearse and the momentary line-up does not want to perform without me. After the “Devil’s Asylum Tour” this shit already appeared at the left wrist/underarm and was put in a cast for months. Practising my instrument(s) daily and for decades, completely ignoring all danger signs been sent by the body, damn caused the problem which also is for other instrumentalists I know. Actually, surgery would be wiser than a plaster cast which basically won’t solve the problem. Certainly another reason why a break is more than just welcome. Even typing this crybabies message here produces pain a lot.
Therefore, you no longer can count on us. We’re done for the moment or forever. Ain’t get no clue yet cos I’m no foreboder. Like “Stefan Raduta” already said it: future does not exist. So all we can do is keeping our fingers crossed until they break cos all hope is gone like Slipknot said…tho I still belive in myself and my skills. At least something.
take it easy,
Mr. Bartsch
