Cardavercus

Took the name Cardavercus in 1998, and led by ex-Severe Warning founder Bryan Renken and main songwriter Ace The Raven in 1998. Formed from the combination of two previous bands. Renken, led by Renken, Ace, Darrin Winne, and Gary "Meat" Vosecky from 1993 to 1994 (which also recruited Mike Marczak in 1994), and 1996-1997, and an unnamed band of Ace, Scott, and Mike that lasted from 1994 to 1996, before they combined into the new Renken lineup in 1996. This lineup would record a 5 song demo in June of 1997 that includes future-Cardavercus songs. This lineup then changed their name to Cardavercus in early 1998, a name that Ace thought of in August of 1997 and was included in a list of possible band names to change Project Raven to, until this project was put on hold to focus on Renken. Under both names, Renken and Cardavercus, they would end up playing some previous Project Raven songs, and newer Ace-penned songs that he would later bring back his solo project after Cardavercus split up. The 1997 demo included "Immune" and "The Secret (Non Omnis Moriar)" and "Life Will Decay", all past Project Raven songs, and after the name change to Cardavercus they would play these as well as "Free" and "Threshold", "The Dark Plan", "Blinded", "The Unseen" and others, many later recorded on the Ace the Raven album "Fortress of Apathy" in 2005. Cardavercus also even played a cover of Nitefall's "Island of Courage... Sea of Despair", which Project Raven and Ace The Raven both also covered, although both versions are unreleased. During the early days of Renken, 1993-1994 they would play many re-structured Severe Warning songs, as well as future-Cardavercus songs such as "Cold Vengeance", "Water Into Wine" and "Dying Day", as well as future Ace The Raven songs such as "Hell Is Above" and "Journey Into Fear". Cardavercus' recorded their debut 4-song demo in early 1999 and independently released it in spring of the same year. Their official press packs of the era list Venom, Mercyful Fate and Sepultura as some of their influences. In late 1999 they went back into Digitrax Recording Studio and began working on their second CD "Cardavercus II: We Return Again, but unfortunately they split up for good during the recording process and it was never completed. In 2005 Ace The Raven re-issued the demo, with a varied front cover and on an enhanced CD with a bonus QuickTime Video clip of the song "Dying Day", recorded in concert in 1999 from one of shows that Severe Warning bassist Darrin Winne played with them for. This is another song that dates back to Renken rehearsals in 1994. After the Renken/Cardavercus lineup of Renken/Ace/Scott/Mike was established Renken started another band as well, called Bat Rastard. This band included both Renken drummers in the band officially, alongside original Severe Warning bassist, Poyzon-founder, future Cardavercus bassist Darrin Winne, and Bryan Renken on guitars and vocals. Bat Rastard recorded a 3 song demo "Bat Rastard Live at Practice", played live onto on 8-Tracks on July 8th 1997, and soon after played their only 2 live shows, with Greg on drums for one and Scott on drums for the other. After their split Darrin would fill in live for several Cardavercus shows in 1998 and 1999, before officially replacing Mike Marczak in 2000 shortly before the band split up.