New signing: RISEN PROPHECY.
We get e-mails from bands looking for a label several times per week, sometimes several times per day... but a band that really grabs our attention with their music is one in a hundred, and then there are other factors than music alone which we take into consideration since a couple of years when deciding to start working with a band.
A relatively young band from Newcastle area, UK, RISEN PROPHECY contacted us last year, sending their just recorded album "Into the Valley of Hinnom", and had all what it takes. It's really pretty simple: if we press "play" over and over again, and additionally if the band is active and also looks the part, like it is in this case, chances are big we'll contact them. They instantly got us hooked on their combination of thrash and power metal (of the US variety) with some slight progressive (but without falling into the trap of being technical for the sake of being technical) and epic metal elements... And when the vocalist has really mighty pipes and is versatile, it's difficult for us to resist. Dan Tyrens of RISEN PROPHECY is one outstanding vocalist who can sing in a clean voice (with a tone reminiscent of the late Michael Grant from CRESCENT SHIELD and ONWARD), sometimes going also for extreme high-pitched, ear-splitting screams (not so far from King Diamond and Rob Halford), but also sings in a much more brutal, snarl-like voice, which sounds really vitriolic and venomous (reminiscent of Martin Walkyier of SABBAT and Brian Lawrence of DREAM DEATH). Overall though, ICED EARTH seems to be their biggest and most easily noticeable influence, and they also remind us a lot of UNEARTHED from Florida (who had a few early ICED EARTH members in their ranks), but it wasn't easy to find other comparisons for this talented band, as they have quite a personal style. There are surely some similarities to TESTAMENT, DEFIANCE, FORBIDDEN, ARTILLERY, SABBAT, DEMONS AND WIZARDS and JUDAS PRIEST, and from the more obscure bands, to SINDROME, HELLHOUND and MAELSTROM (the prog thrash/power one from New York)... But it's best if you check their music by yourselves - you can get a pretaste of this album from this trailer the band put on their YouTube channel:
The band's second full-length "Into the Valley of Hinnom" (following the self-released debut "Screaming for Death" from 2010) will see the light of day in April. Check the RISEN PROPHECY page to find out more about this band and see their promo and live photos!
