Thanatos is a Dutch Death metal/Thrash metal band. With a history dating back to 1984, they are the oldest death metal band from the Netherlands. Their second album, Realm of Ecstasy (some album covers show Realm of Ecstacy), had received positive marks from Dutch music magazine Oor for its solid compositions and challenging arrangements. After enduring constantly changing line-ups and problems with distribution, promotion, and even ownership of the rights to the second album, Thanatos folded in 1992, the final straw being the cancellation of a tour with Cannibal Corpse and Exhorder.
In 1999, founding member Stephan Gebédi revived the band, which signs with Hammerheart Records. First came two albums with demo and live tracks, then the band's first full album, Angelic Encounters, in 2000. An EP with original songs as well as covers from Celtic Frost and Possessed is released by Baphomet. After a few shows in Greece and a short tour with Pungent Stench, the band record their fourth album, Undead. Unholy. Divine, described as a solid return to 1980s metal (in the style of Slayer, Possessed) with the addition of blast beats. Release of a fifth album, Justified Genocide, was postponed when the band's label at the time, Black Lotus Records, went bankrupt; Dan Swano reportedly will finish the mix for the CD. To celebrate more than twenty years of Dutch death metal, Thanatos releases (on Chinese label AreaDeath Productions) a limited-edition box (300 copies) containing Emerging From The Netherworlds, Realm Of Ecstasy, and Angelic Encounters, besides 56 bonus tracks and 19 videos.
