Moonshine

Moonshine were the first death metal band in South Korea -- a fact that they underscored in a not very subtle way in 1993 with their original name, Deathrasher, although in the 2000s the band moved on to black and goth metal. The group was formed by Amon (real name Won Gang-Hoon; vocals and guitar) and Giga (Park Jae-Sung; bass), who recorded their first grindcore-leaning demos Malediction & Benediction and Donor with Rotten Guts using a drum machine (the drummer Noh did a very short stint with the band, but didn't stick around). The addition of guitarist Shin allowed Deathrasher to begin playing live, but in 1994 he and Amon were drafted into military service (which is mandatory in South Korea because of its restless northern neighbor). The loss of two members didn't do the band in: Giga, who changed from bass to drums, brought in bassist Kang and guitarist Yoon. In 1996, Amon was discharged and rejoined the group, which changed its name to Moonshine. Despite Amon and Giga's daytime jobs, the band put out the demos Moonshine and Shined by Darkness, which caught on with the press and eventually brought them a contract with Pony Canyon, but Moonshine were still only able to record their proper full-length debut, Wake Up the Moon, in 2000, and that thanks to Amon's company going on strike. The album was released in 2001, and the same year one of their songs was included in the soundtrack for the video game Death Gate, but even that didn't speed Moonshine up: their next album, Songs of Requiem, was only delivered in 2005, done with the lineup of Amon, Giga, and Pain, who produced the record. Songs of Requiem brought Moonshine a nomination for Best Rock Album at the Korea Pop Music Awards, but then they hit another semi-hiatus, returning in 2008 stripped down to core members Amon and Giga, who recorded Moonshine's third full-length, Eternal. ~ Alexey Eremenko