Channel Zero

by Greg Prato Often referred to as the "Belgium Metallica" by metalheads, the hard rocking quartet Channel Zero was comprised of members Franky "DSVD" De Smet Van Damme (vocals), Xavier Carion (guitar), Phil B. (drums), and Tino DeMartino (bass). Hailing from Brussels, the band formed in 1990, issuing an independent self-titled debut two years later (as the quartet built a solid fan base in Germany, in addition to their homeland). Channel Zero's sophomore release, Stigmatized for Life, saw the light of day in mid-1993, as the group opened for the likes of Biohazard, Obituary, Napalm Death, Life of Agony, and Pro-Pain, in addition to crisscrossing Europe with both Exhorder and M.O.D. Channel Zero's third release, 1995's Unsafe, proved to be the most successful release of their career, as they supported it with live appearances alongside Megadeth and Danzig, appeared at such Euro festivals as Torhout/Werchter, Pukkelpop, and Bourges, and even headlined a tour of their own in Australia. Yet their fourth release, 1996's Black Fuel, would prove to be Channel Zero's final release, as they split up in August of 1997. The band's former members cropped up in other similarly styled outfits afterwards, while De Smet Van Damme turned his attention from performing to producing up-and-coming metal groups from Belgium.