Professional career.

Bernhard Schaub was born in Bern. He was a teacher at a Waldorf school (a type of school based on Rudolf Steiner’s Waldorf pedagogy) in Adliswil, but was fired in January 1993, after his above-mentioned book received publicity and therefore his ideology was unveiled.  Afterwards he worked for the Klubschule in Frauenfeld until 1999 as a "pädagogischer Mitarbeiter" (pedagogic collaborator). He was sacked after a lecture in Munich that took place on 15 June 1998 (quote: "Europa ist die Heimat der weißen Rasse" – "Europe is the home of the white race") Since then he has been a speaker at events, both domestically and internationally, in the far-right extremist scene (e.g. Germany's NPD party).

Activities.

March 1994: Foundation of the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Enttabuisierung der Zeitgeschichte" (AEZ) – "Work community to free history from taboos". Later the group was renamed "Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Erforschung der Zeitgeschichte" (work community for the exploration of history). The founders were four former teachers: Arthur Vogt, Andreas Studer, Jürgen Graf, and Schaub. The related magazine "Aurora", which ran to 13 editions between 1994 and 1997 (print runs up to 200 copies), was predominantly written by Schaub. Furthermore, the group tried to spread Holocaust-denying ideology in Switzerland. They sent out – according to their own statements – propaganda to 6000 political and university addresses ("Zurück ins Mittelalter?" – "Back to the Middle Ages?"). For the same purposes a professionally printed brochure, which denied the existence of gas chambers in Auschwitz, was also distributed ("Das Rudolf-Gutachten" – "The Rudolf Report").  Bernhard Schaub collaborated with the far-right "Partei National Orientierter Schweizer" (Party of Nationally Oriented Swiss Citizens) (PNOS), which included a violent faction among its members. He wrote the party manifesto and also contributed columns for the party’s paper "Zeitgeist". After his apparently voluntary exit from the party, he founded the "" (National Extra-parliamentary Opposition) (NAPO) in Switzerland, which describes itself as a "Sammelbewegung für den echten nationalen Widerstand in der Schweiz" ("collective movement for genuine national resistance in Switzerland"). Schaub is president of the (VRBHV – Organisation for the rehabilitation of people persecuted for denying Holocaust), which was founded by notable Holocaust deniers including Horst Mahler, Manfred Roeder and Ernst Zündel.  He participated in the Holocaust Conference in Tehran in 2006.

Bernhard Schaub (born 1954) is a Swiss holocaust denier and a far right activist. He works in Switzerland and Germany. He gained publicity, particularly in Switzerland, due to his book "Adler und Rose" (1992, self-published).

Bernhard Schaub (* 1954 in Bern) ist ein Schweizer Holocaustleugner sowie Gründer und Kopf des europaweiten Holocaustleugner-Zusammenschlusses „Europäische Aktion“ (EA). Seit einigen Jahren ist er in der Region um Greifswald wohnhaft.


Early life.

Born in Chicago, Chandler was an officer in the US Navy during the First World War and later wrote a weekly news column for a newspaper in Baltimore.  He was ruined in the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and "fed up to the chin with the Depression and the miasma that was enveloping Washington." He moved from the US to France and then to Germany in 1931. There he worked as a journalist who showed Nazi Germany in an ideal light and contributed on that theme to the "National Geographic Magazine".

Propaganda for Nazi Germany.

In April 1941, Chandler began to broadcast Nazi propaganda from Berlin for the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft, German state radio, working as a commentator in its U. S. A. Zone. When Germany declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941, American citizens were repatriated by the US government, but Chandler chose to stay.  Chandler broadcast to the United States under the pseudonym "Paul Revere." His programs began with the sound of clattering hooves and the song "Yankee Doodle" and were mainly anti-Roosevelt and anti-Semitic in content. He appealed to Americans to "throw off tyranny" and to their isolationist sentiment. He also asserted that Washington was under the control of Jewish advisers.  Chandler became known as America's Lord Haw-Haw because of his cultivated American voice. Though he had become a convinced Nazi, his activities were not motivated by idealism alone. He was paid $3,200 a month as a broadcaster, which put him in the top six on the RRG’s payroll.  Towards the end of 1943, the increased Allied bombing of Berlin caused Chandler to be relocated first to Vienna and then to Munich, where he made his last broadcasts sometime in February 1945.

Arrest.

Chandler was taken into custody by the US Army at his home in Durach, Bavaria, in May 1945, but he was released on October 23, 1945. He was then rearrested by the US Army on or about March 12, 1946 at the request of the Department of Justice.  He was then flown to the United States to stand trial and arrived on December 14, 1946.

Trial.

On July 26, 1943, Chandler, along with Fred W. Kaltenbach, Jane Anderson, Edward Delaney, Constance Drexel, Robert Henry Best, Max Otto Koischwitz, and Ezra Pound, had been indicted "in absentia" by a District of Columbia grand jury on charges of treason.  Chandler stood trial at the Boston Federal District Court on June 6, 1947. He entered a defense of insanity because of paranoia and did not testify at his trial. The prosecution relied mainly on the evidence provided by recordings of Chandler's wartime broadcasts from Germany recorded by the Federal Communications Commission station at Silver Hill, Maryland, to show his active participation in propaganda activities against the United States.  Chandler was found guilty of all ten counts of treason on June 28, 1947. He was fined $10,000 and sentenced to life imprisonment by Federal Judge Francis Ford. On being convicted for treason, Chandler also automatically lost his US citizenship. "Death by hanging had been demanded by Special Government Prosecutor Oscar R. Ewing who characterized the tall and gray-haired defendant as a black-hearted traitor who 'gave his heart and soul to Hitler' because he wanted Germany to win the war." His subsequent appeal was denied.

Release.

After 16 years of imprisonment, Chandler's sentence was commuted by US President John F. Kennedy on the condition of immediately leaving the United States. Chandler was released from the federal penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania on August 9, 1963 and returned to Germany. Later reports placed him on the Canary Islands in the 1970s.

Douglas Chandler (May 26, 1889 – unknown) was an American broadcaster of Nazi propaganda during World War II. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1947 but was released in 1963.

Douglas Chandler (* 1889 in Chicago, Illinois; † nach 1963 in Connecticut; auch "Paul Revere" oder "Lord Ho-Hum") war ein US-amerikanischer Journalist und Radiopropagandist des Großdeutschen Rundfunks.


Early life, education, military, and early political career.

Hagel was born in North Platte, Nebraska, a son of Charles Dean Hagel, and his wife Elizabeth (Betty) Dunn. His father was of German heritage, while his mother was of Irish and Polish ancestry. Growing up, Hagel lived across Nebraska; in Ainsworth, Rushville, Scottsbluff, Terrytown, York and Columbus. Hagel was the oldest of four brothers. His father, a veteran of World War II, died suddenly on Christmas morning, 1962, at the age of 39, when Hagel was 16. He graduated from St. Bonaventure High School (now Scotus Central Catholic High School) in Columbus, Nebraska, in 1964, the Brown Institute for Radio and Television in 1966, and he earned a BA degree in history at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1971.  Hagel volunteered to be drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War, rejecting a draft board recommendation that he go to college instead. He served in the United

Business career (1982–1996).

After leaving government employment, Hagel co-founded Vanguard Cellular, a mobile phone service carrier that made him a multi-millionaire. While working with Vanguard, he served as president and chief executive officer of the United Service Organizations and the Private Sector Council, as deputy director and chief operating officer of the 1990 G7 Summit, and on the board of directors or advisory committee of the American Red Cross, the Eisenhower World Affairs Institute, Bread for the World, and the Ripon Society. He also served as Chairman of the Agent Orange Settlement Fund and is

U.S. Senate (1997–2009).

Elections.

In 1996, Hagel ran for the open US Senate seat created by the retirement of Democrat J. James Exon. Hagel's opponent was Ben Nelson, then the sitting Governor of Nebraska.

Senate voting record.

According to David Boaz, of the Cato Institute, during the Bush administration, Hagel maintained a "traditionally Republican" voting record, receiving "a lifetime rating of 84 percent from the American Conservative Union and consistent A and B grades from the National Taxpayers Union." On the Issues describes Hagel as a "libertarian-leaning conservative." According to Boaz, among his most notable votes, Hagel:

Foreign policy.

Hagel co-sponsored the failed Kosovo Resolution, authorizing President Bill Clinton the use of U.S. military force against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.  After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hagel voted in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 23, authorizing "necessary and appropriate U.S. Military force" in Afghanistan against those who planned or aided the September 11 attacks. During his tenure in the Senate, Hagel continued his support for NATO involvement, and funding in the War in Afghanistan. In a 2009 "The Washington Post" op-ed after being nominated as Chairman of President Obama's Intelligence advisory board, Hagel said that "We cannot view U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan through a lens that sees only 'winning' or 'losing,' Iraq and Afghanistan are not America's to win or lose." And that "We can help them buy time or develop, but we cannot control their fates." In 2011, after he left office, Hagel stated that President Obama needs to start "looking for the exit in Afghanistan", and that "We need to start winding this

National security.

In his first term in the Senate, Hagel voted in favor of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act, establishing criminal penalties for possession of Chemical or Biological weapons, and he cosponsored the American Missile Protection Act, deploying an effective National Missile Defense

Veterans affairs.

In 2007, Hagel introduced Senate Amendment 2032, amending the Defense Authorization bill limiting the deployment of U.S. service members serving in Iraq 12 months. The amendment needed 60 votes in the Senate to pass, but was ultimately defeated in a 52-45 vote. In 2008, Hagel was a principal co-sponsor with

Civil liberties.

In 2001, Hagel voted in favor of the Patriot Act. Although Hagel originally indicated a "nay" vote in reauthorizing expiring provisions of the Patriot Act in 2006, Hagel voted in favor of reauthorization. After calls from the Bush Administration for the House and Senate to reform FISA, the House introduced the Protect America Act of 2007, expanding provisions allowing electronic surveillance of foreigners outside of the U.S. with a warrant. In a 68–29 vote, the Protect America Act of 2007 passed the

Immigration.

Hagel co-sponsored the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. He supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 and, with Senator Bob Menendez proposed an amendment to allow immigration authorities to consider family-unification petitions submitted by people for an additional two years, which would have allowed approximately estimated 833,000 additional individuals to seek permanent residency. The proposal received 51 votes but was defeated by a procedural maneuver. The bill failed to pass. Hagel voted in favor of the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which aimed to build a double fence along the Mexico–United States border and appropriated $1.2 billion for the fence and a systematic surveillance system.

Criticism of Bush administration.

On August 18, 2005, Hagel compared the Iraq War to Vietnam, and openly mocked Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion that the Iraqi insurgency was in its "last throes." In November 2005, Hagel defended his criticism of the Iraq war, stating "To question your government is not unpatriotic — to not question your government is unpatriotic." In December 2005, in reference to Bush, the Republican Party, and the Patriot Act, Hagel stated "I took an oath of office to the Constitution, I didn't take an oath of office to my party or my president." In January 2006, Hagel took issue with Karl Rove's statement that the Republican and Democratic worldviews were "post-9/11" and "pre-9/11", respectively. Hagel stated, "I didn't like what Mr. Rove said, because it frames terrorism and the issue of terrorism and everything that goes with it, whether it's the renewal of the Patriot Act or the NSA wiretapping, in a political context."  In July 2006, Hagel criticized the Bush administration on its handling of the 2006 Lebanon War, saying "The sickening slaughter on both sides must end and

2008 presidential election.

In the 2008 presidential election, Hagel was seen as a likely choice to hold a top cabinet position in a future John McCain or Barack Obama administration. In 2006, McCain told "The New York Times" that he would be "honored to have Chuck with me in any capacity. He'd make a great Secretary of State."  Hagel was rumored to be a possible running mate for Vice President for then Senator Barack Obama, in his 2008 presidential campaign. On June 20, 2008, Hagel said he would consider running with Obama if offered the VP spot, though he

Retirement from U.S. Senate.

During his first campaign, Hagel indicated that, were he to be elected, he would retire in 2008 after two terms in the Senate. In August 2004 Hagel acknowledged that he was considering a presidential

Hiatus from public service (2009–2013).

"America: Our Next Chapter".

In Hagel's 2008 book, "America: Our Next Chapter: Tough Questions, Straight Answers" (with Peter Kaminsky), he suggests that the United States should adopt independent leadership and possibly another political party. He also believes that the Iraq War is one of

Service in academia and on boards of directors.

Following Hagel's retirement from the Senate, in February 2009 he accepted a position as Distinguished Professor in National Governance at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He was chairman of the Atlantic Council, a foreign policy think tank; co-chairman of President Obama's Intelligence Advisory Board; a member of the Defense Department's Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee and the Energy Departments Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future; a member of The Washington Center's board of directors; and a member of the Public

Endorsement of Senate candidates.

In 2010, Hagel endorsed Democratic Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak in his run for the

Secretary of Defense (2013–2015).

President Obama nominated Hagel to succeed Leon Panetta and serve as his second term Secretary of Defense on January 7, 2013. Hagel, who became, upon confirmation, the first former enlisted combat soldier to hold the office of Secretary of Defense, was interviewed by the Senate Armed Services Committee during a seven-and-a-half-hour hearing on January 31, 2013.

Nomination process.

Criticism of the nomination.

According to Jon Swaine writing in "The Daily Telegraph", Hagel has been accused of having "views [that] verged on anti-Semitic" due to his stating in a 2006 interview with Aaron David Miller that "[t]he Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people [on Capitol Hill]", and "I'm not an Israeli senator. I'm a United States senator." Hagel later clarified these remarks saying he was referring to the Israel lobby. Hagel also has been criticized by the American Jewish Committee for an incident in 1999 where he was the only senator not to sign an open letter to Russian President Boris Yeltsin threatening to cut aid to Russia if it did not take action against rising anti-Semitism in the country. However, Hagel's refusal to sign the letter was consistent with his policy of never signing letters to foreign heads of state. Hagel, instead, wrote to Bill Clinton on this issue, saying "Anti-Semitism or any form of religious persecution should never be tolerated."  Hagel was criticized by the "Christian Science Monitor" and many Republicans, including senator John McCain, for opposing some sanctions against Iran, and for calling for dialogue with Iran and Hamas.  Some of Hagel's policy

Support for the nomination.

In December 2012, nine former United States Ambassadors, including five former ambassadors to Israel, wrote a letter in support of nominating Hagel. Brent Scowcroft, Anthony Zinni and nine other retired senior military officers signed a separate letter of support. Robert Gates and Colin Powell also endorsed Hagel for the nomination, with Powell calling him "that kind of independent and bold leader who thinks in and out of the box" who can "deal with the strategic and resource challenges [the Department of Defense] will be facing over the next several years." Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Omaha, Nebraska since 1988, wrote in a CNN article that "[Hagel's] record shows strong support for Israel" and that Hagel understands "the Israeli people and their desire to live in

Senate hearing and votes.

During his Senate hearing opening statement Hagel said that he endorsed use of American military power, supported Israel and supported using special operations forces and unmanned combat aerial vehicles ("drones") on terrorist groups in Yemen, Somalia and North Africa. He stated "I believe, and always have, that America must engage—not retreat—in the world". During the hearing he explained his 2001 and 2002 votes against unilateral American sanctions on Iran as being for strategic reasons. He said he supported President Obama's drawing down troops in Afghanistan and said he would do "everything possible under current law" to support gay and women service members equal benefits and combat roles.  Hagel faced sharp questioning from Republicans. Senator John McCain berated him for refusing to give a yes or no answer to the question of whether the Iraq War troop surge of

Cloture and final vote.

Despite the committee's February 12, 2013, 14-to-11 vote to approve Hagel, committee member James Inhofe vowed to use procedural tactics to delay a full Senate confirmation vote. Inhofe told the National Review "Each day that goes by will make it more difficult for Democrats who say they are pro-Israel to hold out." On February 14 Republicans refused to close debate on Hagel's nomination, which would require 60 votes, even though the nomination was assured the simple majority of votes needed

Criticism of the process.

The hearings were criticized in the media. In "Time" magazine Brandon Friedman presented a chart showing that Israel was mentioned 106 times while Afghanistan was mentioned only 24 times; nuclear-armed Pakistan was barely mentioned. Friedman asked if the Senate committee was more concerned with Hagel's "relationship with Israel than with the future of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the fate of U.S. troops engaged in both locations." A Michael McGough Op-Ed in the "Los Angeles Times" was entitled "Hagel hearings: Is Israel more important than Afghanistan?" Gene Healy in "Reason" called the hearings "farcical" and wrote there was "plenty of bloviating, grandstanding and browbeating—but, apparently, not enough time for serious deliberation over key policy questions facing

Tenure.

Hagel was sworn in on February 27, 2013, taking over from Leon Panetta.  In May 2013, during a visit to Asian countries whose "main doubt" was American staying power in the region, Hagel called the decline of American military power a "good thing", because it forced American allies to share responsibilities.  On July 31, 2013, Hagel announced the results of his Strategic Choices and Management Review, undertaken in response to the budget sequestration in 2013. One of the options he highlighted was to reduce the navy's Aircraft carrier groups down from 11 to as little as eight.  On August 27, 2013, Hagel told the BBC that the United States was ready to launch a strike against Syria if given the orders.  Hagel has pushed National Guard leadership to provide benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships, as directed by the Department of Defense.  Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in November 2013, Hagel announced the Pentagon's new Arctic strategy emphasizing the commitment of the United States "to detect, deter, prevent and defeat threats to the United States, and continue to exercise US sovereignty in

Resignation.

On November 24, 2014, "The New York Times" reported that Hagel would be resigning from his position as Secretary of Defense under pressure from the Obama administration. Later that day, President Obama announced Hagel's resignation and thanked him for his service. Hagel said in a statement, "You should know I did not make this decision lightly. But after much discussion, the President and I agreed that

Awards and honors.

In 2001, Hagel was awarded the Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans. He was also granted the title of Nebraska Admiral by Nebraska's Governor, an honorary title, considering Nebraska is a landlocked state.  On June 7, 2001, Hagel gave the commencement address for North Central College and was given an honorary L.L.D. He was the keynote speaker at the College of William & Mary's Charter Day in 2007,

Personal life.

Hagel has two younger brothers: Thomas is a professor at the University of Dayton School of Law, and Michael, an artist resident in Omaha, Nebraska. Hagel's third brother, James, died in an automobile accident at the age of 16. Hagel was raised in the Roman Catholic faith, but converted to Episcopalianism.  In 1979, Hagel married Patricia Lloyd. The couple separated in 1981 and divorced a year later. He married his second wife, Lilibet Ziller, in April 1985. The couple live with their daughter, Allyn, and son, Ziller, in McLean, Virginia.  While a Senator, Hagel had a tradition of wearing costumes to work on Halloween, usually masquerading as one of his colleagues or other notable political figures, including Joe Biden, John McCain, Colin Powell, and Pat Roberts in past years. He gave back a portion of his salary for the 2013 fiscal year in solidarity with his department's workers who are facing 14 days of furloughs.  Hagel is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.

Charles Timothy Hagel ( ; born October 4, 1946) is an American military veteran and former politician who served as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 1997 to 2009 and as the 24th United States Secretary of Defense from 2013 to 2015 in the Obama administration.

Charles Timothy „Chuck“ Hagel (* 4. Oktober 1946 in North Platte, Nebraska) ist ein US-amerikanischer Politiker der Republikanischen Partei. Der Vietnam-Veteran war von 1997 bis 2009 US-Senator für den Staat Nebraska. Er arbeitete in Ausschüssen des Außenministeriums und von Nachrichtendiensten und lehrt in Washington, D.C. seit 2009 an der Georgetown University. Vom 27. Februar 2013 bis zum 17. Februar 2015 bekleidete er das Amt des Verteidigungsministers der Vereinigten Staaten in der Regierung von Präsident Barack Obama.


History.

The club was established in 1934. In 1945 they reached the cup final, but lost 1–0 to Hapoel Tel Aviv in a final that was abandoned after 89 minutes due to a Petah Tikva player refusing to leave the field after being sent off for insulting the referee. That year's tournament, which was known as the "War Cup" and was boycotted by Beitar-affiliated clubs, was not recognised by the Israel Football Association until recently. Nowadays, the IFA recognize this cup edition (along with the 1943 Palestine Cup) as part of the competition's history.  The club was included in the new Israeli League in 1949 and finished fourth in the first post-independence championship, with their 3–2 home defeat to Beitar Tel Aviv annulled.  In the 1954–55 season the club won their first championship, but missed out on doing the double when they lost the cup final 3–1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv. They finished second for the next three seasons, winning the cup for the first time in 1957 (beating Maccabi Jaffa 2–1), before winning the title again in 1958–59. They retained the title in 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62 and 1962–63, setting a record for the number of consecutive championships (the next best is three, achieved by Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa). In both 1959 and 1960 the club also reached the cup final, but lost on both occasions, 4–3 to Maccabi Tel Aviv and 2–1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv respectively.  Hapoel finished second in 1964–65 and 1966–68 and reached the cup final again in 1968, but lost 1–0 to Bnei Yehuda. In the 1974 final they lost 1–0 to Hapoel Haifa after extra time.  At the end of the 1975–76 season the club were relegated for the first time in their history, and dropped into Liga Artzit. They returned to the top flight in 1978, but were relegated again at the end of the 1981–82 season, in which they finished bottom of the table with only three wins from 30 matches. The club returned to Liga Leumit in 1984. In 1986 they won the Toto Cup for the first time.  Despite a two-point deduction for breaking budget rules, Hapoel finished second in 1988–89 and qualified for the Intertoto Cup. They also finished as runners-up in 1989–90 and 1990–91, winning the Toto Cup in both seasons. In the latter they also reached the State Cup final, but lost 3–1 to Maccabi Haifa. The following year the club also reached the final, this time winning, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–1 after extra time, qualifying for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.  In their first season in Europe, Hapoel beat Strømsgodset 4–0 on aggregate in the first qualifying round, before losing on away goals to Feyenoord. Domestically, Hapoel struggled during the 1992–93 season, finishing second from bottom, only avoiding relegation after beating Maccabi Jaffa in a play-off.  In 1996–97 Hapoel finished second, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. After beating Flora Tallinn and Vejle in the qualifying rounds they were knocked out by Rapid Vienna. In 2005 they won the Toto Cup for a record fourth time (the record has since been equalled by Maccabi Haifa).  In 2006–07 the club finished bottom of the Israeli Premier League (which had replaced Liga Leumit as the top division), and were relegated after 23 successive seasons at the top flight. However, they made an immediate return to the top division after finishing as runners-up in the 2007–08 Liga Leumit, also winning the Liga Leumit Toto Cup.  The club have developed a yo-yo pattern. Relegated in 2011–12, the club were promoted in 2013–14, before being relegated immediately.

Stadium.

The home ground of Hapoel Petah Tikva is HaMoshava Stadium which opened at the end of 2011, and replaced Petah Tikva Municipal Stadium as the home ground of the team.

Hapoel Petah Tikva F.C. () is an Israeli football club based in the city of Petah Tikva. Their most successful period was the late 1950s and early 1960s, in which the club won six championships, five of them in consecutive seasons. Although they have not won the title since 1963, Hapoel still hold the record for the number of back-to-back titles. The club's last piece of major silverware came in 2005 when they won the Toto Cup, and of all the clubs to have won the State Cup, Hapoel have the worst record in the finals, having won on only two of their nine appearances in the final.

Hapoel Petach Tikwa (auch "Hapoel Petah-Tikva") ist ein 1934 gegründeter israelischer Fußballverein. Der in Petach Tikwa beheimatete Club ist der israelischen Arbeiterbewegung (→ Histadrut) entsprungen. Das Wort "Hapoel" bedeutet "[der] Arbeiter".


Geography.

Before damming, the high granite formations produced a valley with an average depth of and a maximum depth of over ; the length of the valley was with a width ranging from an eighth to a half of a mile (0.2 to 0.8 km). The valley floor consisted of roughly of meadows fringed by pine forest, through which meandered the Tuolumne River and numerous tributary streams. Kolana Rock, at, is a massive rock spire on the south side of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Hetch Hetchy Dome, at, lies directly north of it. The locations of these two formations roughly correspond with those of Cathedral Rocks and El Capitan seen from Tunnel View in Yosemite Valley. A broad, low rocky outcrop situated between Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome divided the former meadow in two distinct sections. The valley is fed by the Tuolumne River, Falls Creek, Tiltill Creek, Rancheria Creek and numerous smaller streams which collectively drain a watershed of. In its natural state, the valley floor was marshy and often flooded in the spring when snow melt in the high Sierra cascaded down the Tuolumne River and backed up behind the narrow gorge which is now spanned by O'Shaughnessy Dam. The entire valley is now flooded under an average of water behind the dam, although it occasionally reemerges in droughts, as it did in 1955, 1977 and 1991.  Upstream from the valley lies the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, while the smaller Poopenaut Valley is directly downstream from O'Shaughnessy Dam. The Hetch Hetchy Road drops into the valley at the dam, but all points east of there are roadless, and accessible only to hikers and equestrians. The O'Shaughnessy Dam is near Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about.  Wapama Falls, at, and Tueeulala Falls, at – both among the tallest waterfalls in North America – are both located in Hetch Hetchy Valley. Rancheria Falls is located farther southeast, on Rancheria Creek. Formerly, a "small but noisy" waterfall and natural pool existed on the Tuolumne River marked the upper entrance to Hetch Hetchy Valley, informally known as Tuolumne Fall (not to be confused with a similarly named waterfall several miles upriver near Tuolumne Meadows). The waterfall on the Tuolumne is now submerged under Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

Geology.

The Hetch Hetchy Valley began as a V-shaped river canyon cut out by the ancestral Tuolumne River. About one million years ago, the extensive Sherwin glaciation widened, deepened and straightened river valleys along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, including Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley, and Kings Canyon farther to the south. During the last glacial period, the Tioga Glacier formed from extensive icefields in the upper Tuolumne River watershed; between 110,000 and 10,000 years ago Hetch Hetchy Valley was sculpted into its present shape by repeated advance and retreat of the ice, which also removed extensive talus deposits that may have accumulated in the valley since the Sherwin period. At maximum extent, Tioga Glacier may have been long and up to thick, filling Hetch Hetchy Valley to the brim and spilling over the sides, carving out the present rugged plateau country to the north and southwest. When the glacier retreated for the final time, sediment-laden meltwater deposited thick layers of silt, forming the flat alluvial floodplain of the valley floor.  Compared with Yosemite Valley, the walls of Hetch Hetchy are smoother and rounder because it was glaciated to a greater extent. This is because the Tuolumne catchment basin above Hetch Hetchy is almost three times as large as the catchment area of the Merced River above Yosemite, allowing a greater volume of ice to form.

Flora and fauna.

Hetch Hetchy is home to a diverse array of plants and animals. Gray pine, incense-cedar, and California black oak grow in abundance. Many examples of red-barked manzanita can be seen along the Hetch Hetchy Road. Spring and early summer bring wildflowers including lupine, wallflower, monkey flower, and buttercup. Seventeen species of bats inhabit the Hetch Hetchy area, including the largest North American bat, the western mastiff.  Before damming, the valley floor contained abundant stands of black oaks, live oak, Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and silver fir bordering the meadows, with alder, willow, poplar and dogwood in the riparian zone along the Tuolumne River. The valley's abundant plants provided nourishment for mule deer, black bears and bighorn sheep. Due to large cataracts on the Tuolumne River upstream, Hetch Hetchy Valley may have been in the uppermost range for native rainbow trout in the river.  Due to its abundant wetlands and stream pools, Hetch Hetchy was notorious among early travelers for becoming infested with mosquitoes in the summertime. Said San Francisco resident William Denman in 1918, "The first time I went into the Hetch Hetchy the mosquitoes were intolerable. They would light upon a man's blue shirt and turn it brown, and were voracious as mosquitoes would be."

History.

Indigenous peoples.

People have lived in Hetch Hetchy Valley for over 6,000 years. Native American cultures were prominent before the 1850s when the first settlers from the United States arrived in the Sierra Nevada. During summer, people of the Miwok and Paiute came to Hetch Hetchy from the Central Valley in the west and the Great Basin in the east. The valley provided an escape from the summer heat of the lowlands. They hunted, and gathered seeds and edible plants to furnish themselves winter food, trade items, and materials for art and ceremonial objects. Today, descendants of these people still use milkweed, deergrass, bracken fern, willow, and other plants for a variety of uses including baskets, medicines, and string.  Meadow plants unavailable in the lowlands were particularly valuable resources to these tribes. For thousands of years, Native Americans subjected the valley to controlled bushfires, which prevented forest from taking over the valley meadows. Periodic clearing of the valley provided ample space for the growth of the grasses and shrubs they relied on, as well as additional room for large game animals such as deer to browse. In the 19th century, the first white visitors to the valley did not realize that Hetch Hetchy's extensive meadows were the product of millennia of management by Native Americans; instead they believed "the valley was purely a product of ancient geological forces (or divine intervention)... this was fundamental to its allure as a destination and subject."  The valley's name may be derived from the Miwok word "hatchhatchie", which means "edible grasses" or "magpie". It is likely that the edible grass was blue dicks. Chief Tenaya of the Yosemite Valley's Ahwaneechee tribe claimed that "Hetch Hetchy" was Miwok for "Valley of the Two Trees", referring to a pair of yellow pines that once stood at the head of Hetch Hetchy. Miwok names are still used for features, including Tueeulala Fall, Wapama Fall, and Kolana Rock.  While its cousin Yosemite Valley to the south had permanent Miwok settlements, Hetch Hetchy was only seasonally inhabited. This was likely because of Hetch Hetchy's narrow outlet, which in years of heavy snowmelt created a bottleneck in the Tuolumne River and the subsequent flooding of the valley floor.

Exploration and early development.

In the early 1850s, a mountain man Nathan Screech became the first non-Native American to enter the valley. Local legend attributes the modern name "Hetch Hetchy" to Screech's initial arrival in the valley, during which he observed the Native Americans "cooking a variety of grass covered with edible seeds", which they called "hatch hatchy" or "hatchhatchie". Screech reported that the valley was bitterly disputed between the "Pah Utah Indians" (Paiute) and "Big Creek Indians" (Miwok), and witnessed several fights in which the Paiute appeared to be the dominant tribe. About 1853, his brother Joseph Screech (credited in some accounts for the original discovery of the valley) blazed the first trail from Big Oak Flat, a mining camp near present-day Lake Don Pedro, for northeast to Hetch Hetchy Valley. During this time, the upper Tuolumne River, including Hetch Hetchy Valley, was visited by prospectors attracted by the California Gold Rush. Miners did not stay in the area for long, however, as richer deposits occurred further south along the Merced River and in the Big Oak Flat area. After the valley's native inhabitants were driven out by the newcomers, it was used by ranchers, many of whom were former miners, to graze livestock. Animals were principally driven along Joseph Screech's trail from Big Oak Flat to Hetch Hetchy. Its meadows provided abundant feed for "thousands of head of sheep and cattle that entered lean and lank in the spring, but left rolling fat and hardly able to negotiate the precipitous and difficult defiles out of the mountains in the fall."  In 1867, Charles F. Hoffman of the California Geological Survey conducted the first survey of the valley. Hoffman observed a meadow "well timbered and affording good grazing", and noted the valley had a milder climate than Yosemite Valley, hence the abundance of ponderosa pine and gray pine. The valley was slowly becoming known for its natural beauty, but it was never a popular tourist destination because of extremely poor access and the location of the famous Yosemite Valley just twenty miles to the south. Those who did visit it were enchanted by its scenery, but encountered difficulties with the primitive conditions and, in summertime, swarms of mosquitoes. Albert Bierstadt, Charles Dorman Robinson and William Keith were known for their landscapes that drew tourists to the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Bierstadt described the valley as "smaller than the more famous valley... but it presents many of the same features in his scenery and is quite as beautiful."  When Yosemite Valley became part of a state park in 1864, Hetch Hetchy received no such designation. As the grazing of livestock damaged native plants in the Hetch Hetchy Valley, mountaineer and naturalist John Muir pressed for the protection of both valleys under a single national park. Muir, who himself had briefly worked as a shepherd in Hetch Hetchy, was known for calling sheep "hoofed locusts" because of their environmental impact. Muir's friend Robert Underwood Johnson of the politically influential "Century Magazine" and several other prominent figures were inspired by Muir's work and helped to get Yosemite National Park established by October 1, 1890. However, ranchers who had previously owned land in the new park continued their use of Hetch Hetchy Valley – a "sheep-grazing free-for-all [that] threatened to denude the High Sierra meadows" – before disputes over state and private properties in respect to national park boundaries were finally settled in the early 1900s.  Interest in using the valley as a water source or reservoir dates back as far as the 1850s, when the Tuolumne Valley Water Company proposed developing water storage there for irrigation. By the 1880s, San Francisco was looking to Hetch Hetchy water as a fix for its outdated and unreliable water system. The city would try repeatedly to acquire water rights to Hetch Hetchy, including in 1901, 1903 and 1905, but was continually rebuffed because of conflicts with irrigation districts that had senior water rights on the Tuolumne River, and because of the valley's national park status.

Damming.

In 1906, after a major earthquake and subsequent fire that devastated San Francisco, the inadequacy of the city's water system was made tragically clear. San Francisco applied to the United States Department of the Interior to gain water rights to Hetch Hetchy, and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of the Interior, James R. Garfield, granted San Francisco the rights to development of the Tuolumne River. This provoked a seven-year environmental struggle with the environmental group Sierra Club, led by John Muir. Muir observed:  Proponents of the dam replied that out of multiple sites considered by San Francisco, Hetch Hetchy had the "perfect architecture for a reservoir", with pristine water, lack of development or private property, a steep-sided and flat-floored profile that would maximize the amount of water stored, and a narrow outlet ideal for placement of a dam. They claimed the valley was not unique and would be even more beautiful with a lake. Muir predicted that this lake would create an unsightly "bathtub ring" around its perimeter, caused by the water's destruction of lichen growth on the canyon walls, which would inevitably be visible at low lake levels.  Since the valley was within Yosemite National Park, an act of Congress was needed to authorize the project. The U.S. Congress passed and President Woodrow Wilson signed the Raker Act in 1913, which permitted the flooding of the valley under the conditions that power and water derived from the river could only be used for public interests. Ultimately, the city sold hydropower from the dam to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), which led to decades of legal wrangling and controversy.  Work on the Hetch Hetchy Project began in 1914. The Hetch Hetchy Railroad was constructed to link the Sierra Railway with Hetch Hetchy Valley, allowing for direct rail shipment of construction materials from San Francisco to the dam site. Construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam began in 1919 and was finished in 1923, with the reservoir first filling in May of that year. The dam was then high; its present height of was achieved only later, in 1938. On October 28, 1934 – twenty years after the beginning of construction on the Hetch Hetchy project – a crowd of 20,000 San Franciscans gathered to celebrate the arrival of the first Hetch Hetchy water in the city.  The Early Intake (Lower Cherry) Powerhouse began commercial operation five years before the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed. The first Moccasin Powerhouse in Moccasin, California began commercial operation in 1925 followed by the Holm Powerhouse in 1960 (the same month the Early Intake Powerhouse was taken out of service). In 1967 the Robert C. Kirkwood Powerhouse started commercial operation followed by a New Moccasin Powerhouse in 1969 when the Old Moccasin Powerhouse was taken out of service. Finally, in 1988, a third generator was added to the Kirkwood Powerhouse.

Hetch Hetchy Project.

Hetch Hetchy Valley serves as the primary water source for the City and County of San Francisco and several surrounding municipalities in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The dam and reservoir, combined with a series of aqueducts, tunnels, and hydroelectric plants as well as eight other storage dams, comprise a system known as the Hetch Hetchy Project, which provides 80% of the water supply for 2.6 million people. The project is operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The city must pay a lease of $30,000 per year for the use of Hetch Hetchy, which sits on federal land. The aqueduct delivers an average of of water each year, or per day, to residents of San Francisco and San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda Counties.  As completed, O'Shaughnessy Dam is long, spanning the valley at its narrow outlet. The dam contains of concrete. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir created by the dam has a capacity of, with a maximum area of and a maximum depth of. From Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the water flows through the Canyon and Mountain Tunnels to Kirkwood and Moccasin Powerhouses, which have capacities of 124 and 110 megawatts, respectively. An additional hydroelectric system comprising Cherry Lake, Lake Eleanor and the Holm Powerhouse is also part of the Hetch Hetchy Project, adding another 169 megawatts of generating capacity. The entire system produces about 1.7 billion kilowatt hours per year, enough to meet 20% of San Francisco's electricity needs.  After passing through the powerhouses, Hetch Hetchy water flows into the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct which travels across the Central Valley. Upon reaching the Bay Area near the city of Fremont, the aqueduct splits into four pipelines. These are called Bay Division Pipelines (BDPL) 1, 2, 3, and 4, with nominal pipeline diameters of 60, 66, 78, and 96 inches (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.4 m, respectively). All four pipelines cross the Hayward fault. Pipelines 1 and 2 cross the San Francisco Bay to the south of the Dumbarton Bridge, while pipelines 3 and 4 run to the south of the bay. In the Bay Area, Hetch Hetchy water is stored in local facilities including Calaveras Reservoir, Crystal Springs Reservoir, and San Antonio Reservoir. Pipelines 3 and 4 end at the Pulgas Water Temple, a small park that contains classical architectural elements which celebrate the water delivery.  Water from Hetch Hetchy is some of the cleanest municipal water in the United States; San Francisco is one of six U.S. cities not required by law to filter its tap water, although the water is disinfected by ozonation and, since 2011, exposure to UV. The water quality is high because of the unique geology of the upper Tuolumne River drainage basin, which consists mostly of bare granite; as a result, the rivers feeding Hetch Hetchy Reservoir have extremely low loads of sediments and nutrients. The watershed is also strictly protected, so swimming and boating are prohibited at the reservoir (although fishing is permitted at the reservoir and in the rivers which feed it), a measure which is considered unusual for US lakes outside the region. In 2018, the Department of the Interior of the Trump administration began to consider a proposal to allow limited boating on the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir for the first time, supported by the advocacy group Restore Hetch Hetchy which argued that "San Francisco received [Hetch Hetchy's] benefits long ago, but the American people have not."

Proposed restoration.

Arguments for.

The battle over Hetch Hetchy Valley continues today between those who wish to retain the dam and reservoir, and those who wish to drain the reservoir and return Hetch Hetchy Valley to its former state. Those in favor of dam removal have pointed out that many actions by San Francisco since 1913 have been in violation of the Raker Act, which explicitly stated that power and water from Hetch Hetchy could not be sold to private interests. Hydroelectric power generated from the Hetch Hetchy project is largely sold to Bay Area customers through a private power company, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). San Francisco was able to accomplish this in 1925 by claiming it had run out of funds to extend the Hetch Hetchy transmission line all the way to the city. The terminus of the incomplete line was "conveniently located next to a PG&E substation", which connected to PG&E's private line which in turn bridged the gap to San Francisco. The city justified this as a temporary measure, but no attempt to follow through with completing the municipal grid was ever made. Peter Byrne of "SF Weekly" has stated that "the plain language of the Raker Act itself and experts who are familiar with the act (and have no stake in city politics) all agree: The city of San Francisco is not in violation of the Raker Act." Harold L. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior in the late 1930s, said there was a violation of the Raker Act, but he and the city reached an agreement in 1945. In 2015, Restore Hetch Hetchy filed a complaint arguing that the construction of the dam had violated a provision in the constitution of California about water use, but the lawsuit was rejected by an appeals court and later the California State Supreme Court. Preservation groups including the Sierra Club and Restore Hetch Hetchy state that draining Hetch Hetchy would open the valley back up to recreation, a right that should be provided to the American people because the reservoir is within the legal boundaries of a national park. They acknowledge that a concerted effort would have to be made to control the introduction of wildlife and tourism back into the valley in order to prevent destabilization of the ecosystem, and that it might be decades or even centuries before the valley could be returned to natural conditions.  In 1987, the idea of razing the O'Shaughnessy Dam gained an adherent in Don Hodel, then Secretary of the Department of the Interior under President Ronald Reagan. Hodel called for a study of the effect of tearing down the dam. The National Park Service concluded that two years after draining the valley, grasses would cover most of its floor and within 10 years, clumps of cone-bearing trees and some oaks would take root. Within 50 years, vegetative cover would be complete except for exposed rocky areas. In this unmanaged scenario, where nature is left to take hold in the valley, eventually a forest would grow, rather than the meadow being restored. However, the same NPS study also finds that with intensive management, an outcome in which "the entire valley would appear much as it did before construction of the reservoir" is feasible.  The dam would not have to be completely removed; rather, it would only be necessary to cut a hole through the base in order to drain the water and restore natural flows of the Tuolumne River. Most of the dam would remain in place, both to avoid the enormous costs of demolition and removal, and to serve as a monument for the workers who built it. The water storage provided at Hetch Hetchy could be transferred into Lake Don Pedro lower on the Tuolumne River by raising the New Don Pedro Dam. Water could be diverted into the Kirkwood and Moccasin Powerhouses using lower-impact diversion dams, providing power generation on a seasonal basis, and the enlarged height at Don Pedro would also increase power generation there. Furthermore, the removal of O'Shaughnessy Dam would not require costly sediment control measures, as would be typical on most dam removal projects, because of the high quality of the Tuolumne River water – in the first 90 years since its construction, only around of sediment had been deposited in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, much less than most other dams. A 2019 study commissioned by Restore Hetch Hetchy argued that draining the reservoir and equipping the valley with a tourism infrastructure comparable to that of Yosemite Valley (which receives around 100 times as many visitors annually than Hetch Hetchy's 44,000) could result in a "recreational value" of up to $178 million per year, or possibly an overall economic value of up to $100 billion.

Arguments against.

Those in opposition of dam removal state that demolishing O'Shaughnessy Dam would take away a valuable source of clean, renewable hydroelectric power in the Kirkwood and Moccasin powerhouses; even if measures such as seasonal water diversion into the powerhouses were employed, it would only make up for a fraction of the original power production. The remaining deficit would likely have to be replaced by polluting fossil fuel generation. The removal of the dam would be extremely costly, at least $3–10 billion, and the transport of the demolished material away from the dam site along the narrow, winding Hetch Hetchy Road would be a logistical nightmare with possible environmental impacts. Most importantly, San Francisco would lose its source of high-quality mountain water, and would have to depend on lower-quality water from other reservoirs – which would require costly filtration and re-engineering of the aqueduct system – to meet its needs. The economic wisdom of removing the dam has been frequently questioned. Some observers, such as Carl Pope (Director of the Sierra Club), stated that Hodel had political motives in proposing the study. The imputed motive was to divide the environmental movement: to see residents of the strongly Democratic city of San Francisco coming out against an environmental issue. Dianne Feinstein, the mayor of San Francisco at the time, said in a "Los Angeles Times" story in 1987: "All this is for an expanded campground?... It's dumb, dumb, dumb." Hodel, now retired, is still a strong proponent of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley and now-Senator Feinstein is still strongly against restoration. The George W. Bush administration proposed allocating $7 million to studying the removal of the dam in the 2007 National Park Service budget. Dianne Feinstein opposed this allocation, saying, "I will do all I can to make sure it isn't included in the final bill. We're not going to remove this dam, and the funding is unnecessary."  Opponents of dam removal have pointed out that the flooding of the Hetch Hetchy Valley has also deterred the crowds that overrun other areas of Yosemite National Park. Indeed, Hetch Hetchy today remains the least visited area of the park. Karin Klein has described Yosemite Valley as "so crammed... that it looks more like a ripstop ghetto than the site of a nature experience." However, she does support breaching the dam once it has reached the end of its lifespan, and not replacing it.  In November 2012, San Francisco voters soundly rejected Proposition F, which would have required the City to conduct an $8 million study on how the flooded valley could be drained and restored to its former state. The proposed study would also have been required to identify potential replacements for the water storage capacity and hydroelectric power production.

Hetch Hetchy is the name of a valley, a reservoir and a water system in California in the United States. The glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River. For thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from the United States in the 1850s, the valley was inhabited by Native Americans who practiced subsistence hunting-gathering. During the late 19th century, the valley was renowned for its natural beauty – often compared to that of Yosemite Valley – but also targeted for the development of water supply for irrigation and municipal interests.

Das Hetch Hetchy Valley ist das Tal des Oberlaufs des Tuolumne River auf der Westflanke der Sierra Nevada im US-Bundesstaat Kalifornien. Es liegt im nordwestlichen Teil des Yosemite-Nationalparks, etwa 320 Kilometer östlich von San Francisco. Das Tal wurde wie das südlich benachbarte und bekanntere "Yosemite"-Tal des Merced River in den Eiszeitaltern von Gletschern als Trogtal geformt und war für tausende von Jahren von Ureinwohnern "(Native Americans)" bewohnt, bevor in den 1850er Jahren die ersten Europäer die Region erreichten. Im späten 19. Jahrhundert wurde das Tal wegen seiner natürlichen Schönheit oft mit dem Yosemite Valley verglichen – aber auch für die Entwicklung der Wasserversorgung interessant.


Background and release.

The album was released on November 13, 2006 through Roadrunner Records. It peaked at number 32 on the "Billboard" 200, selling up to 60,000 copies within its first week. It also peaked within the Rock, Hard Rock, and Digital Albums Charts. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on June 30, 2009, which was on the same date of the release of its successor, "Killswitch Engage". It has since gone on to sell more than 500,000 copies in the United States alone.  The album's first single, "My Curse", was released in 2006, and managed to peak at number 21 on the "Billboard" Rock Songs Chart. The radio edit strips down most of the track's unclean vocals, replacing them with Howard Jones' re-recorded clean vocals. A music video directed by Lex Halaby (who previously directed the live video for "A Bid Farewell") premiered on MTV 2's "Headbanger's Ball" on November 3, 2006. "My Curse" was included as a playable track in the video game "", and as downloadable content for the video games "Rock Band" and "Rock Band 2". It was also featured on the soundtrack of the video games Burnout Dominator and Burnout Paradise. The album's second single, "The Arms of Sorrow", was released in 2007, and peaked at number 30 on the Rock Songs Chart. A music video directed by Aggressive premiered on "Headbanger's Ball" on May 1, 2007.  A special edition was released on August 28, 2007, including four B-sides and a DVD containing three music videos and behind-the-scenes footage. The album's B-side "Holy Diver", a cover of Dio's first single, was released as the album's third single on August 17, 2007. It peaked at number 12 on the Rock Songs Chart, making it the band's highest charting single. A music video directed by Brian Thompson premiered on the band's official Myspace page on August 1, 2007. The video is a comical re-imagining of the original video by Dio. A music video for the album's fourth single, "This Is Absolution", was released in 2008, featuring footage of the band performing the song live, as well as backstage footage. It also released the song "This Fire Burns" (listed in the album as simply "This Fire"), which was the entrance music for CM Punk from 2006-2011.

Critical reception.

The album has received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Thom Jurek of Allmusic praised the album, scoring it a four and a half out five, positively commenting, "If the cynics don't get it by now, they never will. For the rest, this is the album to come into the tent with." The tracks "This Is Absolution", "Unbroken", and "Eye of the Storm" were indicated as the AMG Track Picks. Raziq Rauf of Drowned In Sound also praised the album, scoring it a nine out of ten and saying, "With As Daylight Dies, Killswitch Engage have cemented their position as the reason for metalcore ever existing."

Chart positions.

Album

As Daylight Dies is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on November 21, 2006 through Roadrunner Records. It was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel.

As Daylight Dies (englisch für „Sowie das Tageslicht erstirbt“) ist das vierte Album der US-amerikanischen Metalcore-Band Killswitch Engage. Das Album wurde in Europa am 17. November 2006 via Roadrunner Records veröffentlicht. In Nordamerika kam das Album erst am 21. November 2006 auf den Markt.


Early life.

Norman Joseph Wisdom was born in the Marylebone district of London. His parents were Frederick, a chauffeur, and Maud Wisdom (née Targett), a dressmaker who often worked for West End theatres, and had made a dress for Queen Mary. The couple married in Marylebone on 15 July 1912. Wisdom had an elder brother, Frederick Thomas "Fred" Wisdom (13 December 1912 – 1 July 1971).  The family lived at 91 Fernhead Road, Maida Vale, London W9, where they slept in one room. He and his brother were brought up in extreme poverty and were frequently hit by their father.  After a period in a children's home in Deal, Kent, Wisdom ran away when he was 11 but returned to become an errand boy in a grocer's shop on leaving school at 13. Having been kicked out of his home by his father and become homeless, in 1929 he walked (by his own account) to Cardiff, Wales, where he became a cabin boy in the Merchant Navy. He later also worked as a waiter.

Military service.

Wisdom first enlisted into the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster), but his mother had him discharged as he was under age. He later re-enlisted as a drummer boy in the 10th Royal Hussars of the British Army. In 1930, he was posted to Lucknow, in the United Provinces of British India, as a bandsman. There he rode horses, became the flyweight boxing champion of the British Army in India and learned to play the trumpet and clarinet.  At the outbreak of the Second World War, Wisdom was sent to work in a communications centre in a command bunker in London, where he connected telephone calls from war leaders to the prime minister. He met Winston Churchill on several occasions when asked for updates on incoming calls. Wisdom then joined the Royal Corps of Signals, and performed a similar military function at the unit headquarters in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.  Whilst performing a shadow boxing routine in an army gym, Wisdom discovered he had a talent for entertainment, and began to develop his skills as a musician and stage entertainer. In 1940 aged 25, at a NAAFI entertainment night, during a dance routine, Wisdom stepped down from his position in the orchestra pit, and started shadow boxing. Hearing his colleagues and officers giggling, he broke into a duck waddle, followed by a series of facial expressions. He later described the reaction as: "They were in hysterics. All the officers were falling about laughing."  Wisdom later said this was where he first patented his persona as "The Successful Failure". Over the next few years, until he was demobilized in 1945, his routine included his characteristic singing and the trip-up-and-stumble. After Wisdom appeared at a charity concert at Cheltenham Town Hall, actor Rex Harrison came backstage and urged him to become a professional entertainer.

Comic entertainer.

After being demobilised Wisdom worked as a private hire car driver. Having improved his diction in the army, he also took a job as a night telephone operator.  Wisdom made his debut as a professional entertainer at the age of 31; his rise to the top was phenomenally fast. Initially the straight man to the magician David Nixon, he had already adopted the costume that would remain his trademark: tweed flat cap askew, with peak turned up; a suit at least two sizes too tight; a crumpled collar and a mangled tie. The character that went with this costume — known as the Gump — was to dominate Wisdom's film career. A West End theatre star within two years, he honed his performance skills mainly between theatres in London and Brighton: Wisdom made his TV debut in 1948 and was soon commanding enormous audiences and had a small film role in "A Date with a Dream" released in the same year.

Starring film roles for the Rank Organisation.

Wisdom made a series of low-budget star-vehicle comedies for the Rank Organisation, beginning with "Trouble in Store" (1953). This film earned him a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Film in 1954. It was the second most popular film at the British box-office in 1954 and exhibitors voted him the tenth biggest star at the British box office the same year.  His films' cheerful, unpretentious appeal make them the direct descendants of those made a generation earlier by George Formby. Never highly thought of by the critics, they were very popular with domestic audiences and Wisdom's films were among Britain's biggest box-office successes of their day. They were also successful in some unlikely overseas markets, helping Rank stay afloat financially when their more expensive film projects were unsuccessful.  The films usually involved the Gump character, usually called Norman, in a manual occupation in which he is barely competent and in a junior position to a straight man, often played by Edward Chapman (as Mr Grimsdale) or Jerry Desmonde. They benefited from Wisdom's capacity for physical slapstick comedy and his skill at creating a sense of the character's helplessness. The series often contained a romantic subplot; the Gump's inevitable awkwardness with women is a characteristic shared with the earlier Formby vehicles. His innocent incompetence still made him endearing to the heroine. Wisdom's second film as star, "One Good Turn" (1955), was the seventh most popular movie of 1955 in Britain. He made a cameo in "As Long as They're Happy" (1955), then returned in "Man of the Moment" (1955). He was the 6th most popular star of 1955.  Wisdom was a window cleaner in "Up in the World" (1956) and worked in a jewellery store in "Just My Luck" (1957). The box office receipts of these last few films had declined from previous Wisdom films but "The Square Peg" (1959), an army comedy, reversed the trend and was one of the year's biggest hits. The film was the 7th most popular movie at the British box office in 1959. Less successful was "Follow a Star" (1959). "There Was a Crooked Man" (1960) was an attempt to change Wisdom's image away from Rank Organisation. "The Bulldog Breed" (1960) was more conventional. The film also starred a young Michael Caine who later recalled he did not enjoy working with Wisdom because he "wasn't very nice to support-part actors". Wisdom remained the 10th biggest star at the British box office.  Wisdom was in "The Girl on the Boat" (1961) from a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, a second film away from the Rank formula. "On the Beat" (1962) as a car cleaner and "A Stitch in Time" (1963), in which he was cast as an apprentice butcher, returned him to the regular format.  "The Early Bird" (1965), his first colour film, had Wisdom as a milkman. After a cameo in "The Sandwich Man" (1966), Wisdom starred in "Press for Time" (1966), the last film in this sequence of starring vehicles. Wisdom was still voted the 5th most popular star at the British box office.  Whilst Wisdom's stage performances often involved musical numbers, he wrote only a few of them. He has seven songs attributed to him in the ASCAP database, which are: "Beware", "Don't Laugh at Me ('cause I'm a Fool)", "Falling in Love", "Follow a Star", "I Love You", "Please Opportunity", and "Up in the World".

Later career.

In 1966, Wisdom spent a short period in the United States to star in a Broadway production of the Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn musical comedy "Walking Happy". His performance was nominated for a Tony Award.  This led to Wisdom's being cast in his first Hollywood movie, "The Night They Raided Minsky's" (1968). Back in England he tried to change his image slightly in "What's Good for the Goose" (1969), which featured a topless scene, but it was financially unsuccessful.  Wisdom was one of several actors initially considered for the role of Frank Spencer in "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em." However, he turned the role down and it eventually went to Michael Crawford. The creator of the series Raymond Allen later stated "Norman Wisdom was offered the role but turned it down because he didn't find it funny".  On 31 December 1976, Wisdom performed his theme song "Don't Laugh at Me ('cause I'm a Fool)" on BBC1's "A Jubilee of Music", celebrating British pop music for Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee. Wisdom had performed in front of the Queen at many Royal Command Performances, the first being in 1952.  He also completed his first American film as a vaudeville comic in "The Night They Raided Minsky's". After a typical performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show", further US opportunities were denied him when he had to return to London after his second wife left him. His subsequent career was largely confined to television, and he toured the world with a successful cabaret act. He won critical acclaim in 1981 for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play "Going Gently".  After touring South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia with some success, his appearances in Britain became more infrequent. He spent much of the 1980s in seclusion on the Isle of Man.  Wisdom's career revived in the 1990s, helped by the young comedian Lee Evans, whose act was often compared to Wisdom's work. His films for Rank were playing to new audiences via television screenings, with young fans in the United Kingdom and abroad. The high point of this new popularity was the knighthood he was awarded, for services to entertainment, in the 2000 New Year's honours list. During the ceremony, once he had received his knighthood, he walked away and again performed his trademark trip, at which the Queen smiled and laughed.  From 1995 until 2004 he appeared in the recurring role of Billy Ingleton in the long-running BBC comedy "Last of the Summer Wine". The role was originally a one-off appearance, but proved so popular that he returned as the character on a number of occasions. In 1996, he received a Special Achievement Award from the London Film Critics.  Wisdom was a guest on a "This Is Your Life" special in 2000 for actor and director Todd Carty. He appeared as a half-time guest at the England vs Albania 2002 World Cup qualifier at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, and scored a penalty at the Leazes End.  In 2002 Wisdom filmed a cameo role as a butler in a low-budget horror film. In 2004, he made an appearance on "Coronation Street," playing fitness fanatic pensioner Ernie Crabbe. In 2007 he came out of retirement to take a role in a short film called "Expresso".

Popularity in Albania.

Wisdom was a well-known performer in Albania, where he was one of the few Western actors whose films were allowed in the country under Enver Hoxha. According to Hoxha's dialectical materialist viewpoint, proletarian Norman's ultimately victorious struggles against capitalism, personified by Mr Grimsdale and the effete aristocratic characters played by Jerry Desmonde, were a Communist parable on the class war. He was known as Mr Pitkin after the character from his films. In 1995, he visited the post-Stalinist country where, to his surprise, he was greeted by many appreciative fans, including the then President, Sali Berisha. During this trip, Wisdom was filmed by "Newsnight" as he visited a children's project funded by ChildHope UK.  On a visit in 2001, which coincided with the England football team playing Albania in the city of Tirana, his appearance at the training ground overshadowed that of David Beckham. He appeared on the pitch before the start of the Albania v England match wearing a half-Albanian and half-English football shirt. He was well received by the crowd, especially when he performed one of his trademark trips on his way out to the centre circle. In 1995 Wisdom was made an honorary citizen of Tirana.  In his book and TV series "One Hit Wonderland", Tony Hawks united with Wisdom and, along with Tim Rice, released a single, "Big in Albania", in an attempt to enter the Albanian pop charts. It reached number 18 on the Top Albania Radio chart.

Retirement.

In October 2004 Wisdom announced he would retire from the entertainment industry on his 90th birthday (4 February 2005). He announced that he intended to spend more time with his family, playing golf and driving around the Isle of Man, where he was living.  In 2007, Wisdom returned to acting in a short film directed by Kevin Powis, "Expresso". The film, which Wisdom later announced (reported BBC/ITV News) was to be officially his last film role, is set during one day in a coffee shop and was funded by the UK Film Council and ScreenWM. Shot in January, it premièred at the Cannes Film Festival on 27 May 2007. It was later adopted by the UK charity Macmillan and released on DVD in aid of the charity.  In the film Wisdom plays a vicar plagued by a fly in a café. Producer Nigel Martin Davey gave him only a visual role so that he would not have to remember any lines, but on the day Wisdom was alert and had his performance changed to add more laughs.

Personal life.

Wisdom was married twice. His first wife was Doreen Brett, whom he married in 1941. By 1944 they had separated when Doreen gave birth to a son, Michael (born 1944), fathered by Albert Gerald Hardwick, a telephone engineer. The marriage was dissolved in 1946.  He married his second wife, Freda Isobel Simpson in 1947; they had two children: Nicholas (born 1953, who later played first-class cricket for Sussex) and Jacqueline (born 1954). The couple divorced in 1969, with Wisdom granted full custody of the children. Freda Wisdom died in Brighton in 1992.  Popular in the Isle of Man, he lived for 27 years in a house in Andreas named Ballalough (Manx language for "lake farm", also a humorous corruption of the English "belly laugh"). He supported various charities and charitable works, including orphanages in Albania. In 2005 Wisdom starred in a video for the Manx girl group Twisted Angels, for their single "LA", in support of the local charity Project 21.  During the 1960s, he was involved in a famous legal case ("Wisdom v Chamberlain", 1968) in which he was pursued by the Inland Revenue for tax on profits made from the sale of silver bullion he had bought when concerned about the further devaluation of sterling. He contended that it was an investment but the court held that it had been a trading venture and was duly chargeable to income tax.

Interests.

Wisdom was a lifelong supporter and a former board member of football team Brighton and Hove Albion. He also liked Everton and Newcastle United. He enjoyed golf, and was a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats. He was an honorary member of the Winkle Club, a charity in Hastings, East Sussex.  A lover of cars, his collection included a 1956 Bentley S1 Continental R Type fastback, which he first bought in 1961, and then again in the late 1980s. In 1969, he purchased, after the divorce from Freda Simpson, a Shelby Cobra 427, CSX3206, in New York, which he kept until 1986, when it was sold to another car enthusiast in Brighton, UK. Until his age and declining mental health meant he failed a Department of Transport fitness-to-drive test, he owned and drove a 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit and a Jaguar S-Type, which were sold in September 2005.  In 1963, he bought a new motor yacht. The long hull and superstructure were built in Spain for £80,000, before being towed to Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, for fitting out. After three years of extensive works and sea trials, she was named M/Y "Conquest" and valued at £1.25 million by insurers. It was available for charter at £6,000 a month but Wisdom later sold it, saying that he was "no sailor".

Allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Actress Fenella Fielding, who worked with Wisdom on his 1959 film "Follow a Star", said he was "not a very pleasant man. Always making a pass – hand up your skirt first thing in the morning. Not exactly a lovely way to start a day's filming." Lynda Bellingham, who worked with Wisdom on "A Little Bit of Wisdom", recalled a comedy sketch where "for ten minutes I stood there while he basically touched me up and you couldn't say anything because he was the master of comedy." Singer Tina Charles, who had a number one with "I Love To Love" in 1976, alleged that Wisdom molested her in his dressing room when she was 16.

Health decline.

In mid-2006, after he suffered an irregular heart rhythm, Wisdom was flown by helicopter to hospital in Liverpool and was fitted with a heart pacemaker.  Wisdom was in the Abbotswood nursing home in Ballasalla, where he had been resident from 12 July 2007.  On the release of "Expresso" to DVD in the same month, BBC News confirmed that Wisdom lived in a care home, because of his suffering from vascular dementia. It was also reported that he had granted his children power of attorney over his affairs and, having sold off his flat in Epsom, Surrey, they were now in the process of selling his Isle of Man home to raise money to fund his longer term care.  In an exclusive interview on 27 August 2007 with the "News of the World", journalists were given access to Wisdom's room at the home. He said he was happy and content in a routine which his family and carers considered kept him safe in spite of the memory losses associated with his condition.  On 16 January 2008, BBC2 aired "Wonderland: The Secret Life Of Norman Wisdom Aged 92 and 3/4." The documentary highlighted the dilemma of coping with an ageing parent. His family said that Wisdom's memory loss had become so severe that he no longer recognised himself in his films.

Death.

In the six months prior to his death, Wisdom suffered a series of strokes, causing a decline in his physical and mental health. He died on 4 October 2010 at Abbotswood nursing home on the Isle of Man at the age of 95.  His funeral took place on 22 October 2010 in Douglas, Isle of Man, and all of the island were invited. His trademark cloth cap was placed on the coffin in the church. The funeral was attended by a large number of showbusiness personalities and, at Wisdom's request, Moira Anderson sang "Who Can I Turn To", which was specially arranged for the occasion by Gordon Cree. Wisdom's body was buried at Kirk Bride Churchyard, Bride, Isle of Man.

Filmography.

Box office ranking.

For a number of years British exhibitors voted Wisdom one of the most popular stars in the country.

Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character that was often called Norman Pitkin. He was awarded the 1953 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles following the release of "Trouble in Store", his first film in a lead role.

Sir Norman Wisdom OBE (* 4. Februar 1915 in London; † 4. Oktober 2010 auf der Isle of Man) war ein britischer Schauspieler, der vornehmlich in der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts durch sein slapstickhaftes Auftreten zu großer Popularität gelangte.


Name.

The town's name derives from the Latin "(civitas) Sagiensis" "city of the "Sagii"", a Gaulish tribe that turned it into its capital city. The traditional spelling was Séez, which has been retained by the Church; the Diocese of Séez is headed by the Bishop of Séez. However, the spelling Sées was adopted for the town by the civil authorities following Napoleon's successful Italian campaign of 1796–7, one result of which was to bring another (Savoyan) Séez into France.

History.

The first bishop of Sées was St Lain, who lived about the fourth century. In the ninth century, Sées was a fortified town and fell a prey to the Normans. At that period Sées had two distinct parts: the Orne: the bishop's borough to the north and the new count's borough (Bourg le Comte) to the south. The counts of Alençon took control in 1356. It was captured and recaptured in the wars between Henry II of England and his sons. In the Hundred Years' War it was one of the first towns of Normandy to fall into the hands of the English, in 1418. Pillaged by the Protestants during the Wars of Religion, Sées attached itself to the Catholic League in 1589, but voluntarily surrendered to Henry IV of France in 1590.

Sights.

The town is an episcopal see and has a Gothic cathedral of remarkably bold architecture. The cathedral dates from the 13th and 14th centuries and occupies the site of three earlier churches. The west front, which is obscured by the buttresses flying from it, has two stately spires of open work high. The nave was built towards the end of the 13th century. The choir, built soon afterwards, is remarkable for the lightness of its construction. In the choir are four bas-reliefs of great beauty representing scenes in the life of the Virgin Mary; and the altar is adorned with another depicting the removal of the relics of St. Gervais and St. Protais. The church has been the object of frequent restoration and reconstruction.  Other noteworthy buildings are the episcopal palace (1778), with a pretty chapel; the higher seminary, located in the old abbey of St. Martin, supposed to be one of the 14 or 15 monasteries founded in the sixth century by St. Evroult; and the sumptuous modern chapel of the Immaculate Conception, a resort of pilgrims.

Sées is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. It lies on the Orne River from its source and north-by-northeast of Alençon.

Sées (ältere Schreibweise Séez) ist eine nordfranzösische Kleinstadt und eine aus der Stadt selbst sowie mehreren Weilern "(hameaux)" und Einzelgehöften "(fermes)" bestehende Gemeinde mit Einwohnern (Stand ) im Département Orne in der Region Normandie. Sées ist eine alte Bischofsstadt.


Background.

Formation and "Eden Fire" (2002–2006).

Before Sonic Syndicate, the brothers Richard and Roger and their cousin Robin Sjunnesson played in a heavy-metal oriented band called Tunes of Silence, which was formed in 2000, in their teens. In 2002, the brothers Sjunnesson eventually decided to break away from the band in order to focus on various other aspects of music. This led to the forming of Fallen Angels in 2002 together with Andreas Mårtensson, Magnus Svensson and Kristoffer Backlund. They recorded three demo albums, "Fall From Heaven", "Black Lotus", and "Extinction" before signing with Pivotal Rockordings in 2005. Bassist Karin Axelsson replaced Svensson in 2004 before the band changed its name to Sonic Syndicate and released its debut studio album, "Eden Fire". "Eden Fire" would go on to sell over 10,000 copies by the end of 2010 because of a re-release through Koch Distribution in the USA in collaboration with France's Listenable Records.  The band toured extensively throughout Sweden in support of "Eden Fire", alongside such bands as Avatar. In early February 2006, during their tour with Avatar, both drummer Kristoffer Bäcklund and keyboardist Andreas Mårtensson were asked to leave the band due to lack of interest and musical differences. Kristoffer was replaced by John Bengtsson, whilst lead guitarist Roger Sjunnesson took over on keyboards. 2006 also saw the arrival of Roland Johansson as a permanent member. The band completed the tour, then began demoing new material in early March.

"Only Inhuman" (2006–2007).

In the summer of 2006, the band entered into a contest held by Nuclear Blast. They sent in their self-titled demo "Sonic Syndicate", which included early preproduction versions of the songs "Psychic Suicide", "Blue Eyed Fiend", "Callous" and the album version of "Jailbreak". Out of over 1,500 competing bands, Sonic Syndicate was chosen as one of three winners and offered a new recording contract with the label. In November 2006, they entered Black Lounge Studios to record their follow-up to "Eden Fire" with Jonas Kjellgren of Scar Symmetry. The new album was titled "Only Inhuman" and was released on 18 May 2007. A video was made for the lead single, "Denied", with renowned producer Patric Ullaeus.  The singers of Sonic Syndicate, Richard Sjunnesson and Roland Johansson, also sang for a compilation album, called "" with Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers. The band played at the 2007 Wacken Open Air Festival. Sonic Syndicate played several European festivals and, in the winter of 2007, accompanied Amon Amarth as they toured stateside. The band also participated in the "Darkness Over X-Mas Tour" with Caliban and Heaven Shall Burn, and toured extensively across Europe with Dark Tranquillity and Soilwork. In late November 2007, the Swedish newcomers embarked on a tour with Himsa and Amon Amarth. Later in 2008, they toured with Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish.

"Love and Other Disasters" (2008–2009).

In March 2008, the band began recording their third release in Jonas Kjellgren's Black Lounge Studios in Avesta. In May 2008, Sonic Syndicate returned to North America as the opening act for Nightwish. In the June 2008, the magazine "Revolver" named Karin Axelsson the "Hottest Chick in Metal". "Love and Other Disasters" was released in September 2008. The first single, "Jack of Diamonds", is accompanied by a video again from Patric Ullaeus who has directed all of the band's videos. Not long after, the second single "My Escape" would follow up, also accompanied by a video from Patric Ullaeus. At the end of the year, the band toured Germany and Scandinavia, and released the singles "Power Shift" and "Contradiction" directed by Marius Böttcher of Quent Film.  On 30 March 2009, it was confirmed that singer Roland Johansson would quit the band because of personal reasons. A search for a replacement immediately went underway, whilst Roland stayed in the band until 29 August, the day of his last show with the band at the Geuzenpop Festival in Enschede, Netherlands (five days after Nathan J. Biggs was announced as the new singer).  On 13 October, Roland Johansson expounded in an interview that his reason for leaving Sonic Syndicate was that he felt severe anxiety and dislike for the lifestyle that went with having to tour all around the world and not being able to spend much time with his loved ones. He also shared that he and Jesper Strömblad (formerly of In Flames) are currently working on an unnamed project, and would start recording an album in the beginning of 2010 (although as of April 2011 there has still been no sign of any material from the two).

"Burn This City" (2009).

On 24 August 2009, British vocalist Nathan James Biggs (formerly of The Hollow Earth Theory) was announced as Roland Johansson's replacement. The band has also announced that their next studio album would be released in March 2010. On 25 September, Sonic Syndicate released their debut single with Nathan entitled "Burn This City" and its music video. Shortly after the single release, the band began to stream their other new track "Rebellion in Nightmareland", which was released onto the band's Myspace page.

"We Rule the Night" (2010–2011).

Work on the pre-production of a new album begun on 3 January 2010 under producer Toby Wright, recorded at Bohus Sound Studios in Kungälv, Sweden. On 5 March, the band announced that the title for the new album would be "We Rule the Night". The album was originally scheduled to be released on 28 May 2010 but was later reset to 30 July 2010. The release date was again pushed back and the album was released on 28 August 2010.  The first single from the album is "Revolution, Baby". It appeared first on 5 May on Bandit Rock Radio and was then released to iTunes on 7 May. On 16 April, the video shoot for the music video took place. The director for the shoot was again director Patric Ullaeus.  On 3 June, Sonic Syndicate traveled to Gothenburg, Sweden and began shooting the music video for the second single "My Own Life" with Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company. The single debuted on Bandit Radio on 18 June 2010 and was released as a digital single. On 1 July 2010, Nuclear Blast and Guthenborg TV released the making of the music video for "My Own Life".  The single "Turn It Up" was released on 22 August 2010, followed by the album "We Rule the Night" on 27 August 2010. During the filming of "Turn It Up", Karin Axelsson was reportedly "seriously injured." Axelsson was hit over the head with a guitar during an act of staged violence, causing a laceration and a brain concussion. Axelsson later made a "brilliant" recovery. On 29 September, the video was released, but it was banned on most websites due to its graphic content and it also resulted in the deletion of their Facebook page (although they created a new one in late 2011). Eventually a censored video of the song was released.  On 26 October 2010, it was announced that Richard would take a break from touring for personal reasons and to spend time with his family; however, on 28 October, Richard corrected this statement on his blog that his leave was, in fact, permanent due to creative differences. He claimed that the band's label were responsible for changing the musical direction of the band. Christoffer Andersson (from What Tomorrow Brings) filled in the remaining tour dates for Richard but did not become his permanent replacement due to other commitments. Richard went on to form The Unguided with other former Sonic Syndicate members and also joined melodic death metal band Faithful Darkness for a brief period.  After Andersson quit, the role was partially given to guitarist Robin.

Self-titled and "Confessions" (2011–2019).

On September 2011, Roger stated in an interview (in Swedish) that the band would be taking a break after the summer. Roger and John both focused on The Unguided, Nathan begun reviewing music for "Metal Hammer", and Karin has begun to study.  On 7 May 2012, the band announced on Facebook that they would get together once more to co-headline Vekeri Fesztival in Hungary on 21–23 June.  It was also announced that Roger Sjunnesson was no longer a part of the band. The reasons are unknown, but Roger is still on good terms with all band members. No replacement has been announced yet. In addition to this, John Bengtsson is no longer with The Unguided.  On May 5, 2013, the band announced via Twitter that the hiatus is over. They also announced that they had begun the process of recording a new album. It was announced on 25 April 2014 that the new self-titled album would be released on 4 July. It was also revealed that Björn Strid from Soilwork would provide guest vocals on the track, "Before You Finally Break". The band released the first single off the album titled "Black Hole Halo"; the lyric video was released on Nuclear Blast's official YouTube channel on 16 May. The new self-titled album was released on 4 July 2014.  On 7 August 2015, it was announced that Karin Axelsson had left the band and would be replaced by new bassist Michel Bärzén. Then a year later, it was announced that their next album, "Confessions", would be released on 14 October 2016.

Style and composition.

Sonic Syndicate's style has changed radically over the years. Fallen Angels' demos contained no clean vocals at all and had a similar sound to early melodic death metal bands such as Dark Tranquillity and In Flames. "Eden Fire" featured clean vocals on some tracks as well as some occasional female vocals from bass player Karin Axelsson.  Their second album "Only Inhuman" had many new additions to the band's sound. Clean vocals were now a full-time feature (by this point, the band had two vocalists rather than one) and the band began to include metalcore elements into their music. It also included the band's first recorded ballad ("Enclave"). "Love and Other Disasters" featured less "flashy" synths (mostly strings) and mostly slower songs than before and was commercially more successful than "Only Inhuman" and "Eden Fire".  Their 2009 EP "Burn This City" featured two songs. The title track was radio friendly with mostly clean vocals and synthesizers while the song "Rebellion In Nightmareland" had a somewhat similar sound to "Eden Fire" and "Only Inhuman" being very aggressive in dynamic and having both clean vocals and screams lead together.  Their fourth album "We Rule the Night" is a very soft album compared to all their prior releases as it includes their sound of metalcore, but also incorporates new ones to their style such as pop rock and nu metal. There is also a fair use of acoustic guitars as well as mainstream-influenced synthesizers. Clean vocals are also featured as the lead vocals compared to their previous albums were both harsh and clean vocals were leading together; on "We Rule the Night", however, the harsh vocals have been mixed behind layers of distorted guitars, acoustic guitars and mainstream synthesizers, and the clean vocals were left untouched to appeal to a younger, more mainstream audience.  From the beginning to "Love and Other Disasters", all of Sonic Syndicate's songs were written by lead guitarist/keyboardist Roger (music) and harsh vocalist Richard Sjunnesson (lyrics) with the exception of "Enclave", where the music was written by other (rhythm) guitarist Robin Sjunnesson and clean singer Roland Johansson. Robin and Roland together wrote the music to about five songs on "Love and Other Disasters", with the rest by Roger and all the lyrics as normal were written by Richard. "Burn This City" and "We Rule The Night", however, featured a second lyricist (new singer Nathan J. Biggs) as well as Robin now composing half the music for Sonic Syndicate. This is thought to be one of many things that made "We Rule the Night" different from their early material.

Awards.

In 2008, Sonic Syndicate won the award for best newcomer at the Swedish Metal Awards and at the Bandit Rock Awards. Sonic Syndicate, along with Patric Ullaeus, won the award for best music video for their music video of "Burn This City" in 2010 at the Swedish Metal Awards. They also nominated and won the award for "Best Swedish Group" at the Bandit Rock Awards of 2010. In 2010, Sonic Syndicate was nominated for "Up and Coming!" award at the Metal Hammer Awards in Germany.

Sonic Syndicate is a band from Falkenberg, Sweden. They were formerly influenced by Swedish melodic death metal bands such as In Flames and Soilwork and American metalcore bands like Killswitch Engage and All That Remains.. They have changed to now be a pop rock band with not even a hint of metal.

Sonic Syndicate ist eine schwedische Metalcore-Band aus Falkenberg. Die Band wurde 2002 als Fallen Angels gegründet. Zu den größten Einflüssen zählen Bands wie In Flames und Killswitch Engage. Die Band selbst nennt ihren Stil „(Un)true nuclear metal“.