WEEK 146 – SHADOW OF INTENT

My HeadBangers please welcome the Deathcore Band from Hartford, Connecticut:

SHADOW OF INTENT

“From Ruin…We Rise”

“Intensified Genocide”

Well my HeadBangers what do you think?  I’m not saying anything right now cause if I start I’ll keep going and I want you to hear about these guys from my home state.  Let’s look at some bio:

In 2013 Ben Duerr and guitarist Chris Wiseman met playing in separate bands at a local concert. The group was initially formed as a studio project. They were inspired by Halo and the name “Shadow of Intent” came from a ship in the game series bearing the same name. Duerr describes himself as a Halo nerd and stated that their music follows the storyline of the Halo novels.  They are not signed to a label and have released their albums independently. They have released three studio albums to date, along with two instrumental versions of previous releases.

The group released their EP Inferi Sententia on July 18, 2014 and debut album Primordial on January 10, 2016. The tracks on both albums were produced via homemade recordings. All of the tracks on Inferi Sententia were re-recorded and featured on Primordial. The drum tracks are programmed on both releases. Keyboard and orchestral samples are also present on these releases.

Duerr was responsible solely for writing and performing the lead vocals during the production process while Wiseman was responsible for all of the remaining songwriting.

On September 19, 2016 they announced the addition of Matt Kohanowski on drums, marking the end of the group’s time as a two-man project. On March 31, 2017 they announced the addition of new members Federico Zuccarelli on guitar and Keith Kohlhepp on bass. This brought the total members of the group to five.

On April 28, 2017 Shadow of Intent released Reclaimer, their first album without programmed drum tracks and the first album to feature a unique player on each instrument. It reached #4 on the iTunes metal chart at debut. It was described by MetalSucks as “nothing short of a triumph of symphonic deathcore”.

The band released The Instrumentals on October 20, 2017. The album contained instrumental versions of all of the songs from both of the preceding albums.

“Malediction”

In December 2017, Shadow of Intent began touring with their now four-man lineup. They played their first live shows at the Webster Theater in Hartford CT and at the Gramercy Theater in New York City.

On March 30, 2018, they released their first single ‘Underneath a Sullen Moon’. This was the first track which was not Halo-themed and their second released track which did not begin with the word ‘The.’ The band went on their first major tour in the Spring of 2018 supporting Carnifex on their Chaos & Carnage tour headliner. Oceano, Winds of Plague, Archspire, Spite, Widowmaker and Buried Above Ground accompanied Shadow of Intent on this tour. In the Summer of 2018, the band toured alongside Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Aversions Crown.

On December 14, 2018, the group announced that Anthony Barone would be joining the group as their drummer.

On August 16, 2019 Shadow of Intent released Melancholy which included a remastered version of the aforementioned single as one of the tracks on the album. Francesco Ferrini of Fleshgod Apocalypse contributed to the orchestral work on this album. Melancholy has been described as a concept album depicting mass suicides orchestrated by a demonic goddess. This album marked a departure from writing strictly Halo-themed music. An instrumental version of Melancholy was also released on November 22, 2019.

In the Winter of 2020, the band performed on their first major headlining tour throughout the United States accompanied by Inferi, Signs of the Swarm, and Brand of Sacrifice.

On November 8, 2020 the group announced they were parting ways with Anthony Barone and that Bryce Butler would be replacing him.

In October, The band announced their fourth studio album, Elegy, for a January 2022 release.

Let’s meet the band:

Ben Duerr – Lead Vocals (2013-present)

Chris Wiseman – Guitars, Backing Vocals, Programming (2013-present)

Andrew Monias – Bass, Backing Vocals (2018-present)

Bryce Butler – Drums (2020-present)

My Thoughts:

Never in a million years did I think I would hear growl vocals like this from an American Band, and I am still in shock.  This band has everything you look for in a Metal Band.  It has the rough, fast sound of the instruments and those vocals.  I’ve never heard a voice that leaves me speechless, lol, and that says a lot.  I have see some of the best growl vocalist, Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis, Jarkko Koukonen of Bloodred Hourglass and Mathias”Vreth” Lillmåns of Finntroll.  Ben Duerr, has these vocals that draw me like a moth to the flame.  They are so deep, but yet so clear, how he can hold that sound is amazing, and not to be taken for granted.  Just to maintain that voice and keep it in shape is not easy.  It is something that must be taken care of if it’s to last.  Growl vocals date back to 800 BC, I am 100 into my growl vocals.  This band has impressed me so much with their songs and the energy they bring to the stage.  I hope they tour my way, I would love to see them at a gig.  There are bands and then there are great bands.  I know this band is meant for greater things.  I know this year with Covid and now the Variant and Flu, and the list goes on, but to all the Metal Bands, do not give up, keep doing your thing, trust me the best has yet to come…..

That’s it for this week my HeadBangers.  Join me next week for another band and another song, until then don’t stand to close to the fire if you can’t handle the burn…..