Astarus
Thrash/Death Metal
1993 September – drummer Jan Chin and bass/vocalist Pablo Maquiling, Jr. formed their first original band, ABADDON. 1995 March – ABADDON broke up. April – Chin and Maquiling joined JOE MARKUS, an old school hard core band. Chin plays bass guitar and Maquiling on standing vocals. They recorded a demo song entitled “Hepap.” – Joe Markus discontinued after 2 months. July – Chin joined RED VETTE together with ABADDON guitarist Ray Soco. August to October – RED VETTE joined contest gigs like JAG ROCK BIVOUAC, RJ Battle of the Bands and others. November – RED VETTE broke up. December – Chin and Maquiling teamed up with Arman Gabia from HANZ/RED VETTE to form LAPIDA which will be later known as NEVERMIND. – LAPIDA played in Tubigon, Bohol for one night and disbanded. 1996 January – Gabia continued with LAPIDA and submitted a demo entitled ?BUDHI NG ALAK? for 99.5 RT?s BUGS II. – He was joined by bassist Mark Bascones and drummer Jose dela Victoria III from JOE MARKUS. Bascones changed their name to NEVERMIND. May – Chin and Maquiling formed back ABADDON with a new name under NOSFERATU. – Chin later chooses ASTARUS to be the new name before releasing their debut LP, Bound To Carrion in the next 2 years. – They were joined by guitarists Carlo Jaca of ASTAROT/RED VETTE and Louie Sarcon of ASTAROT/AMNESIA, the original ASTARUS line-up. December – Jaca is fired from ASTARUS and was replaced by SIGNOS/ABYSS guitarist Glenn Dacua. 1997 July ? Maquiling left ASTARUS and was replaced by Enrique del Mar, Jr. of KUNDINADO. December – ASTARUS’ first out-of-town concert gig at Tubigon, Bohol. 1998 August ? the debut LP ?BOUND TO CARRION? is released as a cassette tape with 9 tracks, including the ironic visayan ballad song ?PAGDILI SA DRUGA.? 1999 March – ASTARUS headlined ?NECROFEAST: A CRACKS THE SILENCE CONCERT? in support of their BOUND TO CARRION LP. May ? Chin and Dacua got arrested for drug charges, but were later released the next day. August – del Mar left ASTARUS after being converted to Born Again Christian. October – del Mar played guitar, recorded and released an album with a Christian-punk band called RAPTURE. 2000 January – Dacua is fired from ASTARUS. February – Cesar Solis of KUNDINADO/BETRAYER filled the slot left vacant by del Mar. March ? vocalist Juno Pegarido of 5 LITTLE INDIANS/KUNDINADO joined ASTARUS handling standing vocal duties. May ? Maquiling returned to ASTARUS after Pegarido failed to show up for a gig and was immediately replaced permanently. August – ASTARUS played in ?METALFEAST: A CRACKS THE SILENCE CONCERT II? with Maquiling handling guitar after some “dickhead” cried before the band and begged very hard for them to let him sing. September ? lead guitarist Bobby Tadlip of KILLER TOMATOES joined ASTARUS making the band a five-piece metal act. 2001 January – The first Official ASTARUS Homepage is created. January to December – Chin and Del Mar played live with the punk band CLINTON?S BILL. Chin played drums while Del Mar on guitars. They also recorded a 2-song demo which appeared in the punk compilation CD entitled ?NO HARMFUL MATTER.? – Chin played drums live with the newly-revived JOE MARKUS in different local clubs. JOE MARKUS played mostly cover songs from FILTER. 2002 January ? Solis left ASTARUS. – Maquiling returned to the bass/vocal duties, setting the band back to it?s original four-piece line-up. 2003 May – A new line-up was considered with Paul Camoro of ABYSS handling bass/vocals after Maquiling relocated to Manila. June ? the line-up, however, never materialized after Sarcon was recruited by Camoro to play guitar instead, for an RNB band called HARD PART (previously MODE 101). Sarcon later refuses to play live with ASTARUS anymore. 2004 April – OPEN THE CASKET EP is released as a 5-track CD which included a cover version of METALLICA?s Creeping Death. October ? With only two remaining members, drummer Jan Chin and guitarist Bobby Tadlip were joined back by singer Juno Pegarido and bass guitarist Cesar Solis, filling the vacant slots for a concert gig at Emall in downtown Cebu City. 2005 July – Tadlip left ASTARUS. August – Glenn Dacua returned to ASTARUS filling in for Tadlip’s departure while Juno Pegarido picked up the Bass when Cesar Solis retired indefinetly from playing music. – ASTARUS joined the prestigious global battle of the bands. They played their new heavy metal ballad “RAIN MAN” in front of social audiences at RATSKY’s AYALA with two additional “guest” musicians on bass and on guitar. ASTARUS lost to AVRIL LAVINGE on one night. November ? ASTARUS performed at Inilog Grill in Mandaue City for the ?LIVE BLASPHEMIES? fund raising concert. This is the band?s contribution for the benefit of CEBU EXTREME MUSIC PRODUCTION. 2006 January – Jan Chin and Juno Pegarido formed their other band ARPEGGIO playing heavy metal in an attempt to play nighlty in local clubs. April – drummer Rol Plan joined ASTARUS replacing for the first time Jan Chin, Chin later switched to guitar and vocal duties. May – ARPEGGIO’s 3 other members started to leave the band one by one, leaving Chin and Pegarido with no choice but to disband. August to September – ASTARUS continues to participate in concerts, this time CEBU EXTREME MUSIC PRODUCTION is teaming up with ZUGLU PRODUCTIONS, with different venues from Inilog Grill Restaurant to Boss Grill Restaurant. – Glenn Dacua and Jan Chin met with guitar hero and DANGER DANGER’s “new axeman” Rob Marcello at a product demo in SM City-Cebu. October ? the new Official ASTARUS Homepage is created. November – guitarist Arnel Patatag of Kundinado joined ASTARUS, switching Jan Chin’s role to standing vocals. – A week later, Jan Chin leaves ASTARUS after being in the band for 13 years. He is the last remaining original member of the band to leave. 2007 May – Jan Chin and Louie Sarcon returned to ASTARUS, replacing Rol Plan and Arnel Patatag who are being considered to join former bassist Cesar Solis in forming back KUNDINADO. August – Louie Sarcon is replaced by Arpeggio guitarist James Pantonial. November – Louie Sarcon is hired back while Rol Plan temporarily fills in for Jan Chin indefinetly.
INFLUENCES:
Megadeth, old Sepultura, Slayer, Death, Death Angel, old Metallica, Sodom, Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Angelo Batio
Astarus Members: Juno Pegarido – Bass/Vocals, Glenn Dacua – Guitar, Louie Sarcon – Guitar, Rol Plan – Drums
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