Bio

Founded in the 2000, by Max Gutierrez (guitarists) and Jorge Chacon (former keyboards), December’s Cold Winter (a.k.a DCW) saw light officially that same year on a well received first concert, quickly gaining space and name in the Costa Rican metal scene. That same year they obtained 1st place in the National Battle of Metal Bands The original line-up was: Isak Arroyo (Guitars), Jorge Chacon (Keyboads), Max Gutierrez (Guitars), Esteban Monestel (Bass), Alberto Montero (Vocals) and Christian Rodriguez (Drums). By 2001 Monestel and Rodriguez left the band and Jonathan Leon (Bass) and Allan Chaves (Drums) joined DCW. The band regrouped itself to continue developing: such changes bred new forces within and they continued conquering audiences with devastating success, which brought the opportunity of being invited to Panama twice between 2001 and 2002. In such period the band also won the National Battle of Metal Bands contest for the second time, demonstrating that they were being capable of reinventing themselves in their very unique musical offerings. After that show, Leon decided to leave the band and Esteban Gonzalez (Bass) joined the band as the full time bass player. DCW was invited to open for the well known Brazilian band Sepultura on a double date show in late 2003, in San José Costa Rica. After four years of hard work, unstop rehearsing and live shows, the band was able to put out their first album, Decaying Recollections, released through local label Freak World Entertainment on October 2005, having Steve Austin (who also worked with Today is the Day and Lamb of God among others) mixing it. The album was reviewed very positively by fanzines, metal magazines like Metal Maniacs and online metal information media. Then they put together an official tour named Awakening Tour along with friend band Pneuma. Founder keyboard player was replaced by Allen Obando (Keyboards) before the touring duties initiated. After continuous hard work, and more successful live shows including DCW performed on national festivals and supporting international acts such as Dismember, Behemoth, Fear Factory and Death by Stereo on their Costa Rican venues. In late 2007 DCW decided to continue without keyboards in order to explore a more straight forward Death Metal sound. In May 2008 Alfredo Guzman (Vocals) joined DCW and merged as a whole on creating the lyrics, arranging the music and working on the art concepts for the new album. After all recording sessions were finished for the new record, Chavez left the band on September 2008, and his position was fulfilled by Alex Ovares (Drums). After several efforts, DCW’s second album was released on December 2009 under the name ABLAZE ALL SHRINES, out as an independent record and fully produced, recorded and mixed by Gutierrez. During the first semester of 2009, the album was widely and positively reviewed in several specialized zines and sites like Metal Eater, Metal Storm and Zero Tolerance among many others. All songs from the album are usually played in radio stations from USA to Netherlands, France, Spain and Japan. The album also has North American Distribution with one of the most important Metal Labels all around the World: Relapse Records. It’s also distributed in Mexico, Colombia, Japan, Spain and has been sold through the band’s website to fans from Malaysia to Australia. The song “Manipulating Human Emotions” can be found in UK's Zero Tolerance Covermount CD for Issue 027. It's distributed in UK, Europe, North America, Canada and Australasia with a News-stand distribution of 17000 copies. On May 2009, Isak and Max won the ACAM (Costa Rica’s Authors and Composers Association) 2008 Best Metal Album per the composition of all the Ablaze All Shrines songs. During June 2009, prior the beginning of the Envenomed Tour, the band and Guzmán split up half way and Roy Zumbado (Vocals) joined right away. The album gathers the most sincere and merciless evolution of the band, as it was intended; along with a whole renewed set of intelligence, inventiveness, melodic brutality and surely relentless approaches to Death Metal, not just musically but lyrically, expressing their world’s conception in compositions and words. This record is a frank and ruthless invitation to awake.