Is that annoying Atlantic Ocean stopping you from attending the Metal Female Voices Fest each year? Do you, like me, get depressed ever year in mid-October because you can’t attend a festival that’s completely all about the music you love?
Be sad no more, friends! Now’s your chance to attend Flight of the Valkyries, an all-female-fronted metal music fest now in its fifth installment! The show’s on November 19th at the Sonar in Baltimore, MD and will feature 7 awesome bands to keep your head banging all night!
And who are the wonderful bands you’ll have the pleasure of seeing that evening? Well, let’s start with the headliner:
Benedictum
“Following in the footsteps of such legendary bands as Warrior, Rough Cutt and Psychotic Waltz, BENEDICTUM are San Diego, California’s mightiest ambassadors to the world of heavy metal.
Invoking power reminiscent of early Rainbow and definitive sound of Savatage, BENEDICTUMS’s stylish, epic brand of metal delivers on all fronts: Aggressive riffs, fierce rhythms, strong melodies, shredding leads and delicate textures converge at the crossroads of tradition and 21st century innovation. Veronica Freeman’s vocal gymnastics are the pit-bull on the pant leg of heavy metal.”
Benedictum, veterans of FotV II and III, have released three albums to date. Their latest, Dominion, came out in February and was even featured on VH1′s That Metal Show as the Pick of the Week!
Benedictum are:
- Veronica Freeman – Vocals
- Pete Wells – Guitar
- Chris Shrum – Bass
- Mikey Pannone – Drums
- Tony Diaz – Keys
DesDemon
“Hailing from the dormant NYC metal scene, is Radtone recording artists DesDemon . Fronted by the dynamic siren, Ms. Chelsea Knaack, this symphonic metal band is poised to become an international sensation.”
DesDemon have been touring with Benedictum on their Path of the Valkyries tour. Their debut full-length, Through the Gates, was released this past summer and features guests such as Tim “Ripper” Owens, Sander Gommans, Joe Stump, and Amanda Somerville.
DesDemon is:
- Chelsea Knaack – Lead Vocals
- Frank Tosi – Guitar and Vocals
- Ron Porcelli – Bass and Vocals
- Nick Gati – Keys, Orchestration, and Vocals
- Justin Banarello – Drums and Percussion
Make sure to follow check out the band’s official website and ‘like’ them on facebook!
Echoterra
Originally formed by Jonah W (Pyramaze) and Yan Leviathan (Avian) in 2007, Echoterra gained the attention of many a female-fronted metal fan when they added Melissa Ferlaak, ex-Visions of Atlantis, to their ranks in 2009. Their symphonic power metal prowess has since then cemented their reputation as an overall fantastic band. Echoterra just released their newest album Land of the Midnight Sun this past October along with a video for the song “All the Lies.” This is the first album with Melissa on vocals.
Echoterra are:
- Melissa Ferlaak – Vocals
- Jonah W. – Keys and Orchestrations
- Yan Leviathan – Guitars
- Adam Sagan – Drums
BRaVE
BRaVE is a progressive female-fronted rock/metal band hailing from the DC area. Their latest album, Monuments, is a culmination of their 10+ years together as a band and is their most accurate musical expression to date. Festival promoter Bobbie Dickerson has had her eye on this band for a while and finally got the chance to bring them to the FotV stage this year.
The band’s frontwoman, Michelle, commented, “We are thrilled and honored to be a part of the Flight of the Valkyries V festival this year. Each year the festival brings such a high quality array of bands and we are so honored to be asked to play this year. The tradition of this festival will no doubt continue for many years to come.”
BRaVE are:
- Michelle Loose – Vocals
- Scott Loose – Guitar
- Matt Kozar – Guitar
- Trevor Schrotz – Drums
- Suvo Sur – Violin
- Ben Kelly – Bass
Cassandra Syndrome
“Hailing from Maryland, Cassandra Syndrome is a female-fronted operatic metal band. This passionate, engaging act strikes the perfect balance between playful and sinister. Cassandra Syndrome is an intimate theater of darkness and seduction.
Eschewing the synthesizer-laden stereotypes of symphonic metal, Cassandra Syndrome (formed in 2005) revolutionizes the genre with a unique blend of axe-heavy melodic metal and operatic vocals. The powerful alliance of Joe Cariola’s punishing bass, scathing riffs of Jen Tonon’s rhythm guitar, and throbbing beats of Jay Jericho’s drums create a driving ground assault which weakens your defenses before being met by the searing lead lines of guitarist Chris Kackley. Above it all, radiant as Angelic Death, the resplendent soprano of Irene Jericho soars above the battlefield.”
These FotV vets are happy to be back, and no doubt will bring us a memorable performance! The band is currently promoting their second album, Satire X.
Cassandra Syndrome are:
- Irene Jericho – Vocals
- Chris Kackley – Lead Guitar
- Joe Cariola – Bass
- Jen Tonon – Rhythm guitar
- Jay Jericho – Drums
Flames of Fury
“Flames of Fury (FoF) began in the Spring of 2009. Guitarist Jason Perez teamed up with metal vocalist powerhouse, Angelica Vargas. Both veterans of the NYC music scene they set out to create their vision of uncompromising metal.
The music was purposely designed as a blend of power, speed and musical chops with soaring, melodic vocals in a classic metal format with contemporary influences. The result exceeded their expectations so they decided to form a full band in order to pursue a future for FoF.”
Noted for their awesome stage performances, Flames of Fury are sure to be a hit at this year’s installment of FotV!
Flames of Fury are:
- Angelica Vargas – Lead Vocals
- Jason Perez – Lead Guitars, Vocals
- Marko Galic – Guitars
- Jimmy Peruta – Drums & Explosions
- Richard Mollo – Bass
Serpent Witch
Newcomers to the east-coast metal scene, Maryland’s Serpent Witch combines doom and traditional heavy metal with a hint of blues to offer their own take on metal. No doubt they’ll impress us all at this year’s festival!
Serpent Witch are:
- Starr Piazza – Vocals
- Dave Mazzitti – Guitar
- Eric Taib – Bass
- Video Bill – Drums
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