Deus Vult

About

Not to be confused with Progressive Metal band Deus Vult from Pasadena, California. Pictured (left to right): Brent Chasteen, Tom Mangan, Virgil D.B., Aaron Thomas, Mark Engel. Founded in mid 1986 by Mark Engel and Brent Chasteen, who had played together for a couple years previously in the band Ozias. In 1986, they recruited Karl Weitlisbach and Virgil D.B., but Karl left soon after. They then recruited Tom Mangan and Duane Harmon in 1987, and started playing numerous headlining sets at Bogart's, in their hometown of Cincinnati. Tom had connections to the Cleveland scene as well that would soon lead to their breakout into the entire Ohio metal scene. At one of the shows in Bogart's, local singer/bassist Aaron Thomas was in the crowd and was captivated by their technical playing, saying to himself "that's the band I want to be in!". Within a year, after recording a 3 song demo, they parted ways with Duane and Aaron joined as lead vocalist. In November of 88, they went to Group Effort Studios in Erlanger, Kentucky to record their second demo. Although the recording was done "live" and in one take, the members were isolated in separate booths and recorded on 24-tracks before being mixed and mastered on site. The 13-song demo was well received and they started making regular trips to Cleveland to play headlining gigs and to open for numerous national acts including Znöwhite, Chastain, and many others, as well as playing with local acts such as Lanz End, Torment, Purgatory, Breaker, and many more. Later in 1989, Auburn Records sent Deus Vult into Modern Recording Services to record a new version of "Twilight's Last Gleaming", engineered by Jim DeMain and Don Depew (Breaker), for the upcoming Auburn Records Heavy Artillery compilation, which would be released a few months before the bands debut EP. This version has many different lyrics then the previous Group Effort demo version. Originally penned by Duane Harmon (along with "Paranoid Delusions" and others), the GE version includes his entire original lyrics, where the Heavy Artillery version has many key lines, including the very first, re-written by Aaron Thomas. In mid 1990, founding drummer Virgil left the band briefly to take an opportunity drumming for a popular covers band that was touring the US and making considerable money. During this period the band recruited Steve Jacobs and played many shows with him (and even took some promotional photos). Before the end of 1990, however, Virgil returned to his position as full-time drummer for Deus Vult. In 1989 they defeated 75 other bands and won first place in a local Battle of the Bands, the prize being funding and assistance making a demo tape. They used the opportunity, however, to make an EP with very high production values in regards to both audio and the physical release. This EP, Soul Assault, was recorded at Queens City Music and engineered by John Curley and they released it in the first weeks of 1990. It includes a high-quality glossy cover/inlay with fairly simple artwork, and to ensure the highest quality covers possible, they printed them thick, glossy and single-sided, including with the release a fold-out paper insert with all the song lyrics, credits, & promotional information. They received their copies and officially released it on May 18th, 1990. Shortly after the recording of Soul Assault, in late 1989, Tom Mangan and Mark Engel left the band, and were replaced by brothers Pat O'Brien and Danny O'Brien. This was short lived however, as in January 1990 Mark rejoined and Aaron Thomas took over bass duties for the band as well as singing. After Tom's departure, they only made a couple more trips to play in Cleveland, but after a few months of rehearsals and writing they continued playing regularly in Cincinnati, by this time having headlined at Bogart's over 40 times. Pat O'Brien and Aaron Thomas would later play together again in Ceremony. In late 1990, they returned to Queens City Music to record a new demo. Shortly after they started recording, the studio changed its name to UltraSuede Studios and by 1991 they had completed the six-song tape, and began running commercials on several radio stations advertising their return to the live circuit and saying that the 6 song demo would be released soon. However only a few promo copies were sent out before the band parted ways with Aaron Thomas and Deus Vult officially ended. Soon after the split Aaron joined Ceremony and sang on their debut demo in 1992, he also joined Brothers Grimm, singing on their 1992 EP before they split up soon after. Then in 1995 he joined Naked Truth, playing on their 2nd full-length CD "Bookin'", and he's still with them as of 2019. Although Deus Vult was finished in name, Mark, Brent and Virgil continued playing and writing, recording over an album's worth of material in various rehearsal tapes, some with Karl Wietlisbach back on bass. They remained active, although as years passed they began experimenting with a more rock-oriented sound. In 1993, the three Deus Vult founders started a new band, Dock Ellis, and released their first 7" single Money & Drugs in 1994. After the break-up of Dock Ellis a few years later, Mark Engel moved to California and has since been active in several bands as well as his own solo project. Brent, Tom and Aaron all still live in Ohio and are active in various bands and projects. Virgil also still lives in Ohio with his family, but hasn't appeared in any bands for several years. Compilation appearance(s): - "Twilight's Last Gleaming" on Heavy Artillery (Auburn, 1990) "Deus Vult" is Latin for "God Wills it!".

Discography

Look upon Your Master: The Demo Anthology

Compilation · 2020

• 1 Brother's Keeper 5:00 +
• 1 Twilight's Last Gleaming (Heavy Artillery version) 4:22 +
• 2 Let It Be Known 5:38 +
• 2 Spiritus 4:38 +
• 3 Paranoid Delusions 4:38 +
• 3 In the Rain 6:29 +
• 4 Deus Vult 6:08 +
• 4 Waiting for White 6:30 +
• 5 Speaking in Tongues 5:50 +
• 5 Deus Vult 6:16 +
• 6 The Sound and the Fury 4:12 +
• 6 Brother's Keeper 5:03 +
• 7 After the Fall 3:18 +
• 7 Across the System 6:53 +
• 8 Instrumental Case 3:03 +
• 8 Absolute Truth 6:14 +
• 9 Twilight's Last Gleaming 4:18 +
• 9 Transformation 6:19 +
• 10 Nightmare 2:24 +
• 10 Garden of Stone 6:56 +
• 11 The Prophecy 5:49 +
• 11 One True Artist 6:35 +
• 12 Silent Spell 4:29 +
• 12 Across Egyptian Sands 5:30 +
• 13 The Pit 3:55 +

Soul Assault

EP · 1990

• 1 Spiritus 4:36 +
• 2 In the Rain 6:24 +
• 3 Waiting for White 6:25 +
• 4 Deus Vult 6:11 +
• 5 Brother's Keeper 5:01 +

Déus Vult

Demo · 1988

• 1 Paranoid Delusions 4:42 +
• 2 Twilights Last Gleaming 4:22 +
• 3 Let It Be Known 5:41 +
• 4 Silent Spell 4:33 +
• 5 Speaking in Tongues 5:54 +