Bella Morte

Bella Morte
Founding member and singer Andy Deane of Bella Morte at Dragon Con in 2006
Background information
Origin	Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Genres	Gothic rock, dark wave, industrial, deathrock
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Metropolis
Members	Andy Deane Tony Lechmanski Marshall Camden Branden Shores

Bella Morte is a gothic band that was formed in 1996 in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. They incorporate elements of metal, dark wave, deathrock, alternative and synthpop.^[1] The band's name means "beautiful death" in Italian. According to Andy Deane, the name was chosen to "suggest that beauty can be found in tragedy", which is a theme occurring in every Bella Morte album.^[2]

As of 2015, they are signed to Metropolis Records.^[3] Bella Morte previously released albums through their own label, Some Wear Leather,^[1] and through Cleopatra Records. In early fall 2006, Metropolis Records announced that Bella Morte had reached number one on the company's pre-order sales list with their new album, Bleed the Grey Sky Black,^[4] which was released on October 10, 2006.

The bass guitarist and co-founder Gopal Metro decided to leave the band, playing his last show on March 10, 2007, in Charlottesville. At the same show, the vocalist Andy Deane announced that Tony Pugh would replace Metro. At the beginning of summer 2008 it was announced that Jordan Marchini would not be touring with the band any longer. He returned in 2011.^[5]

Bella Morte has gained a strong following in the underground music scene via word-of-mouth and their still-growing street team, lovingly called "The Fallen".

Current band members

• Andy Deane – vocals
• Tony Lechmanski – guitar
• Marshall Camden – bass guitar

Former band members

• Gopal Metro – bass guitar
• Tony Pugh – bass guitar
• Jordan Marchini – drums
• Branden Shores – drums
• New Jordan – stand in for Jordan Marchini
• Scotty Derrico – drums
• Clay Caricofe – drums
• Chris "Frizzle" – guitars
• Bn Whitlow – guitars
• Micah Consylman – synthesizers (mainly the keytar during live performance)
• James Warnock – synthesizers and lighting

Discography

Full releases

• Remorse (cassette only, demo) (1996)
• Remains (1997)
• Where Shadows Lie (2000)
• The Death Rock EP (Vinyl – limited to 300) (2001)
• The Quiet (2002)
• The Death Rock EP (CD w/ bonus tracks) (2002)
• Remains (Remastered Version) (2002)
• As the Reasons Die (2004)
• Songs for the Dead (2004)
• Bleed The Grey Sky Black (2006)
• Beautiful Death (October 7, 2008)
• Before the Flood (June 14, 2011)
• Rare and Unreleased, volume 1 (February 14, 2012)
• The Best of Bella Morte 1996–2012 (June 25, 2013)
• Exorcisms (2014)

Side projects

Andy Deane released a solo album as "The Rain Within", a reference to the Bella Morte song "The Rain Within Her Hands", in 2010 titled "Pain Management"

Compilations

• The Pink and The Black (1998) (Delinquent Records) – "One Winter's Night"
• The Unquiet Grave Vol 1 (1998) (Cleopatra Records) – "Funeral Night"
• Music from the Succubus Club – Vampire: The Masquerade (2000) (Dancing Ferret Discs) – "Fall No More"
• The Darkest Millennium (2000) (Cleopatra Records) – "The Rain Within Her Hands"
• A Gothic-Industrial Tribute to Smashing Pumpkins (2001) (Cleopatra Records) – "Soma"

Music videos

• "In The Dirt" directed by Lloyd Kaufman was filmed on February 20, 2010, at Con Nooga in Chattanooga, Tennessee
• "Find Forever Gone" directed by Eric Thomas Craven. Released on September 30, 2008
• "On the Edge" directed by Eric Thomas Craven. Released on February 14, 2008
• "Earth Angel" directed by Eric Thomas Craven. Released on February 14, 2007
• "Another Way" directed by Wendy Shuey (2004)

Media appearances

• Bella Morte appears as zombies in the graphic novel "The Abandoned" by Sophie Campbell, published by TokyoPop.
• Andy Deane appeared on The Montel Williams Show in June 1999, in an episode concerning the goth scene.
• Bella Morte are mentioned in Shawn Decker's autobiography My Pet Virus.
• Posters advertising a Bella Morte concert with the 'As the Reasons Die' artwork appear in the Asylum club scenes of the computer game Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.
• Bella Morte lyrics appear in the "Wet Moon" graphic novels by Sophie Campbell (then known as Ross Campbell), published by Oni Press. In volume 3 of the series, the characters attend a live Bella Morte show.
• Members of the band appear in the documentary Why You Do This, directed by Michael Dafferner of Car Bomb. Footage is taken from Bella Morte's 2008 tour with Car Bomb.

References

External links

• Official website
• Bella Morte band at Metropolis Records official website
• Bella Morte's channel on YouTube
• Interview with Andy Dean on COMA Music magazine on YouTube
• Interview @ Legends
• More recent interview @ Legends