Dethonator

WE ARE DETHONATOR We are a metal band. What type of metal do we play? Some have called us melodic thrash, others have called us old school, some have said we sound like certain modern bands. We’re not so sure. We write what we write, we play what we play, and that is metal. That’s really all you need to know right now. First and foremost, we want you to enjoy our music. Still, there is a secret history spanning the last decade. If you’d like our story, please read on... EARLY DAZE Most bands have humble and youthful beginnings. We are no different. The original line-up of this band, Chris, Adz, Tris and Tom, got together in the summer of 2002, knowing each other through different line-ups of a school band called False Prophet. Drawn together by the prospect of a gig at the end of august, the Midlands melodic metal band KALEB was formed. From the very beginning our goals were high and matched by great self-belief; the confidence of youth. We all knew that we wanted to focus on playing our own material. We wanted to play classic metal, and we wanted it to have powerful clean vocals and strong guitar work. At the time, when huge denim trousers and white rappers dominated the rock airwaves, it made us an interesting prospect in the local scene; we never met another local band that fit with our style. We played regularly in local Leicestershire live music venues such as The Shed, The Charlotte, The Attik and The Victoria Biker’s Pub in Coalville, and we also played some short tours in Scotland. We recorded an 8-track demo called ‘Alive’ in 2003, which was available at gigs. Our music at this time could have been rightfully called retro, or even NWOBHM-esque, full of simple, vocally led songs, many galloping riffs and guitar harmonies. We were working on a follow up to ‘Alive’, and were very close to completing this when we parted company with Chris, our singer and guitarist in February 2005. Everything changed. REINVENTION As well as losing our front man, we had also lost our then-songwriter. We still had ¾ of that original line-up in place, and a couple of gigs to play in the north. We decided to go ahead and play these gigs, with a makeshift line-up of the band. Helping us out at these gigs on guitar was Matt Brock, a friend of Adz from University. Two raucous, high-spirited gigs and a drunken trip to see Judas Priest later, and he’d officially joined the band. We immediately set about the task of finding a new singer. To our surprise, we quickly became a five piece. James ‘Jim’ Burton had once done live sound for the band at a gig, and had been teaching Tris Music Technology. By chance we heard him recording lead vocals for a studio cover of Iron Maiden’s ‘The Clairvoyant’. We immediately knew that he was the man for the job, and one audition was all it took to see that it worked. We recorded four new songs, putting out the ‘Disconnection’ E.P. to maintain momentum as we played some local gigs, including a support slot for Mendeed. We soon decided that the ‘Alive’ material no longer represented the band, and so we set about the writing and recording of our long awaited follow up. The recording of this album was an unforgettable experience. Matt came down from the north to cohabit with Adz and Tris for the summer, and every night we’d pile into a Fiat Cinquecento and drive for an hour until we arrived at the studio Jim had access to. We’d stay up all night, writing and pre-recording the new material until the early morning, at which point we’d make the drive back home again to sleep. A late start the next day, and repeat for two months. Eventually we arrived at the point of the real recording and the whole band travelled to a remote house in Wales, with a mobile studio and four days to work with. Recording around the clock, we produced fourteen songs, which Jim later mixed. We retained the classic clean vocal and melodic guitar approach from our early days, but this time we married this sound to sharp and angular riffs, lending the band a thrashier tone. Our intention was to create metal with big hooks and big riffs; these goals have remained consistent to the present day. We released "The Great British Invention" in October 2005, playing a short tour in Scotland. The next year we followed this up in the summer with The Great British Inventour, a two week trek around England & Wales. During this tour we played some our most memorable gigs, including The Isle Of Anglesey Heavy Metal Motorbike Festival. This gig found us playing on a full sized stage, with professional lighting and sound, to a 3000 strong audience. An awesome night. DETERMINATION After this tour we continued to play gigs while we worked towards a new record. There were a lot more individual contributions than previously and we allowed ourselves a lot more time to undertake the work. However, in early 2007 Matt announced his departure from the group to pursue a career in the navy. We were able to find an excellent new lead guitarist in Henry Brooks, who joined Kaleb in the summer of 2007. At this time, we were struck with another blow, as Jim decided he needed to depart the band in order to spend more time on domestic and personal matters. We played our then-last gig with Jim in August 2007, and then set about the task of finishing the recording of the new album. This album proved to be both more epic and more brooding in tone than TGBI, with the band recording heavier riffs in a lower tuning than previously used. There was a tremendous feeling of us all pulling together as we made this record, mainly due to two significant factors. Firstly, Tristan stepped up to be the role of producer, learning the craft as he went, and worked all hours to get the album off the ground. Secondly, and most importantly, Henry stepped up to assume the role of lead vocalist, which had an immediate impact on the new sound of the band. We called the album Legion, and we launched it in April 2008, while on tour in Scotland. Following this went about exploring new areas to promote the record, and made inroads into new areas, including London, where we were well supported by Kev at The Unicorn, Camden. We went on tour in the summer 2008, and for the first time we crossed the channel to play some gigs in Holland. On this tour we supported Born to Lose and Onslaught. We were keen to follow up Legion with a new album while continuing the momentum we had built up, so we began to write and demo up new songs, recording and feeding out single-releases, such as The Farewell, Skinflint and a reworking of The Harrowing, which we put out in early 2009. After we supported Blaze Bayley, which was an excellent night in Southampton, we were preparing to begin the recording of the next record over the summer. But then amazingly something we had all secretly wished would happen actually did …. DETHONATION Kaleb were pleased to welcome back Jim Burton in summer 2009, who retuned to the group brimming with energy and ideas. Immediately on board with making the new record, we released a reworked single of TGBI-track The Pariah, before we began playing gigs with the new five piece line up. As we worked on the new record, an important decision was made. Due to the prominence of other music acts using the name ‘Kaleb’ and releasing records, we came around to the necessity of a name change. We became Dethonator at the end of the summer 2009, and immediately went to work on a new record. With the exception of filming a video of The Harrowing at The Snooty Fox, Wakefield, we poured all our efforts into the studio work and the writing of what would be our first album as Dethonator. The title of this one came quickly and naturally to us. With Jim and Tristan working in tandem behind the desk, a well planned studio diary, and a lot of attention to detail, the album Dethonator has become our most accomplished sounding work to date. In the studio, Jim was able to create far superior sounds than on our previous works, and the vibrant mood of the recordings is reflected in the immediate and exciting new material. We launched this album on February 27th 2010 at Redeemer, in Leicester, at an event that brought together newer and older fans. After the album launch party, the actual release of the new album was delayed somewhat, as Dethonator received contact from record labels. Conversations continued for many months, including meetings in far away places and culminated in Dethonator rejecting the offer of recording and publishing contracts due to certain aspects of what was on offer. We consider ourselves to be fortunate that we have been approached and tempted to join a large successful label, but ultimately we believe in keeping our options open during these changing times. Almost immediately afterwards Dethonator set out on a European tour, playing gigs in Holland, Germany and Belgium. These shows were very well received, and Dethonator made many new friends at their shows, especially with the crowds at The Cave in Amsterdam and at the Rebel Rock Cafe in Lier. Having returned from this tour, Dethonator are now prepared to make their new album available for purchase from their website in digital form. With further gigs and festival appearances being lined up, Dethonator are fired up for the next stage of their journey; a journey that will once again see them go it alone, save for the support of our fans and friends, new and old. We hope you join us for the rest of our journey, and remember never stop headbanging! ________________________________________________________________ “Rooted in the best Metal traditions of (John Bush-era) Anthrax, Pantera, Arch Enemy, Metallica, and Slayer, the quintet whip up a storm of chunky riffs and big hooks, to wonderfully mature effect. Nice one guys!” SIMON GAUSDEN - ZERO TOLERANCE MAGAZINE “..a combination of classic NWOBHM with heavier, thrash-oriented riffs, a-la Onslaught and Xentrix.” ALAN MIASNIKOV - http://www.alternative-zine.com/reviews “go see 'em.” NEON PREMOTIONS - http://www.neon-promotions.co.uk/