First of all, I have to give credit to Metal Gallows for bringing today’s Band of the Day to my attention via a tweet I spotted on my feed. Their review of Markradonn’s latest release, The Serpentine Deception EP, caught my eye so I went to check them out further.
You see, there are a gajillion bands out there so you really do have to try to be a little different to the crowd to stand out. On the other hand, you have to make that difference work and that’s often a challenge. Some combinations just aren’t meant to be, at least at the hands of the wrong bunch of musicians. Other times they nail it.
Markradonn have nailed it.
I don’t know if they’re the first extreme death band to include a permanent brass and traditional percussion section, but I can’t see it being commonplace. Not just some keyboards that sound a bit trumpet-y that are played via a backing tape live, but an actual full on brass section. And some other stuff. Here’s the “who does what” list:
- Haniel: Guitar, Vox
- Tim: Drums
- Dennis: 6-string Bass, Didgeridoo, Djembe
- Allen: Rhythm Guitar
- Nick: French Horn, Fretless Bass, Trumpet
- Jon: Timpani, Percussion
- Jesse: Trombone, Vox
- Robin: Tuba
- Drew: Cimbasso, Tuba
- Danny: Tuba/ Euphonium
- Rich: Lead Trombone (New EP)
As you can tell, not a band that can play on the smallest of stages. Importantly, though, it works. The depth of sound is incredible and lends a wonderful quality to the core genre. Yes, it’s like having a nice backing tape but with proper musicians right there playing it and that’s always better. They’re from Florida so I guess they wouldn’t dare let the home side down, given it’s the birthplace of death metal.
The band are self-financed and their last album was financed through GoFundMe, from where you can buy copies. Currently, their collection is on $666 which seems like a good sign!
I’ve included a live video below which is well worth a watch, as well as all the usual links.
Cheers for the mention guys. Markradonn’s music is taking the genre into new realms!