Shadowkeep

Shadowkeep is a British heavy metal band, formed in Guildford, England, in 1999 by guitarists Chris Allen (ex-Intense^[1] and Sire) and Nikki Robson (also formerly of Sire).

Biography

Early recordings

In October 1999, Shadowkeep recorded their debut six-track EP^[2] at Thin Ice Studios in Surrey, England, with Belgian vocalist Rogue Marechal (ex-Halcyon) fronting the band.^[3] The EP was produced by Threshold guitarist Karl Groom. A record deal with Limb Music followed in June 2000, and the band went on to release two albums on this label: Corruption Within^[4] (in September 2000) and A Chaos Theory^[5] (in 2002).

Concerts and festival appearances

Shadowkeep's live debut was on 17 December 1999 at the Camden Underworld in London, supporting the band Dirty Deeds. Support slots followed with the likes of Dio,^[6] Halford,^[7] Symphony X,^[8] Angel Witch,^[9] Dream Evil^[10] and Flotsam and Jetsam.^[11] These major shows led to appearances at festivals in the UK,^[12] USA,^[13] Greece,^[14] Germany^[15][16] and the Netherlands.^[17] Unfortunately a planned appearance at the Monterrey Metal Fest in Mexico in 2005^[18] had to be cancelled when the band's drummer and singer quit at the eleventh hour.^[19]

Line-up changes

Shadowkeep have undergone numerous significant line-up changes over the years.^[20] Mid-2012 saw the appearance of the band's tenth incarnation.

Bass guitarists

Jim Daley (who had previously played on Patricia Morrison's solo album Reflect On This)^[21] was the band's initial bass guitarist, but he was succeeded by Steve Scott^[22] (ex-Dragonheart), then by Steve 'SK' Kightley (ex-Spirit Of Rush) and Fredrik Englund, before the arrival of Texas-based Stony Grantham^[23] (ex-Terra Vast)^[24] in time for the Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Festival in Cleveland in 2004.^[25] A short tour of Texas, with Ancient Cross in support,^[26] was arranged for May 2005, as a result of Grantham's involvement with the band.^[27]

Drummers

At the band's inception, Allen and Robson's former Sire colleague Russell King was drafted in on drums, but he was later replaced by Dave Edwards (ex-Pete Wadeson Band), then by Scott Higham^[28] (ex-Angel Witch) and subsequently by Mauricio Chamucero.^[29] Divine Ruins' drummer, the late Mike Pittman, deputised for some US tour dates in 2003.^[30] Higham then briefly rejoined the band in early 2004,^[31] with New Zealander Lawrence Paterson replacing him for a short while later that same year.^[32] When Paterson also moved on (joining first Chokehold,^[33] then Blaze Bayley's band and Rogue Male), Mike Pittman again helped out temporarily,^[34] until Scott Higham took his place for a third stint in the band.^[35] However, he departed once more, during the early recording sessions for the third Shadowkeep album, and joined Pendragon.^[36] Omar Hayes (ex-Orphic Soop, The Delta Sun^[37] and Epuldugger)^[38] became Shadowkeep's drummer in 2008; he joined the Guildford-based band Mikobi in late 2011,^[39] but also remained part of the Shadowkeep line-up until 2013. In February 2013, former bandmember Scott Higham rejoined on a temporary basis. He was succeeded by Tim Churchman, who had previously played alongside Steve Kightley in Spirit of Rush and The Forge, as well as with Dec Burke in Darwin's Radio, and with John Jowitt in Ark. On 4 December 2013, Churchman was announced to have joined the NWOBHM band Soldier.^[40]

Vocalists

Founding vocalist Rogue Marechal departed Shadowkeep in late 2002. He resurfaced for a one-off performance with the band Balance of Power at the 'Rock The Nations' festival in Istanbul on 6 August 2005.^[41] Together with ex-Shadowkeep bassist Steve Kightley and guitarist Chris Van Hayden (ex-Biomechanical), he then went on to form a new band called Chaosgenesis,^[42] adopting the name from a song on Shadowkeep's second album. His involvement in projects including Prophecy and Poison Seed was to follow,^[43] before his return to Shadowkeep in 2012.

Initially, former Sire^[44] and Angel Witch bandmember Richie Wicks took up the vocalist's position,^[45] but within a few months he had left to concentrate fully on vocal duties with the Tygers of Pan Tang.^[46] His replacement was US vocalist Ronnie Stixx (ex-Terra Vast and Divine Ruins),^[47] with whom work began on a proposed third album, which would have different working titles at various stages in the process, including Beware The Signs,^[48] The Awakening, Ancient Prophecies and Beyond The Stratosphere.^[49] A two-track promotional CD featuring Stixx's vocals saw the light of day in 2005,^[50] but further recordings were abandoned when Stixx left Shadowkeep later that same year.^[51] He went on to front Wycked Synn,^[52] Vicious Rumors,^[53] Blood Red Skies^[54] and Project Terror.^[55] His vocals can be heard on the Divine Ruins album, Sign Of The Times (released by Lone Wolf Records in 2004),^[56] and on the Project Terror album, Absolute Power (released by Pure Steel Records in 2012).^[57]

Third studio album

In late 2005, Richie Wicks returned and officially became Shadowkeep's frontman,^[58] and work recommenced on the third album, which would now be entitled The Hourglass Effect.^[59]

The album is a conceptual piece, based around a time in the not-too-distant future when the sun is prematurely dying, and positing the subsequent effects that this phenomenon might have on the Earth's population.^[60]

The Hourglass Effect was eventually released on Dutch label Melissa Records in November 2008.^[61] At this point a reviewer from the UK's The Sun newspaper described the band as, "The new New Wave of British Heavy Metal."

Band history, 2008–2011

Richie Wicks departed the band in 2009. He went on to form a Dio-era Black Sabbath tribute band called Heavenly Hell,^[62] before joining covers band No Way Out on bass, in March 2011.^[63] His replacement was Matt Oakman (formerly of Structured Chaos and Born Of War),^[64] who made his live debut with Shadowkeep at The Pipeline venue in London on 6 February 2010.^[65]

As of 2008 – 2011, keyboard player Scot Collins (ex-Tainted Grace)^[66] completed Shadowkeep's line-up; in 2011, he joined the band Duplex Gage.^[67]

Journalist Mark Fielden deputised for Stony Grantham on bass guitar during live shows on Shadowkeep's 'With Force We Come' UK tour in 2010. Grantham was obliged to remain in Austin, Texas at this time, due to ongoing commitments with other bands: Drifter^[68] (an Iron Maiden tribute band, with Erika Tandy on vocals) and Sad Wings^[69] (a Judas Priest tribute band, featuring vocalist Jason McMaster).

Shadowkeep played a co-headlining gig alongside Pythia at the Peel music venue in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England on 1 May 2010.^[70]

On 28 August 2010, the band appeared at the Bridgefest 2010 rock festival in Canning Town, which was headlined by Pagan Altar and Tygers of Pan Tang.^[71]

Shadowkeep were chosen to headline the third day of the Fyreball Festival at the Westcoast Bar in Margate on 4 September 2011,^[72] but this event was cancelled ahead of time when its promoter, Fyrelyte Events, ceased operations.^[73] No further live appearances were forthcoming from Shadowkeep during 2011.

2012 onwards

In April 2012, Chris Allen and Nikki Robson travelled to San Antonio, Texas to meet up with Stony Grantham and to take part in a tribute concert for guitarist Rene Solis of the band Texas Trash, who died in January 2012. The gig took place on 7 April 2012, with the band Methuselah also on the bill.^[74]

On 16 July 2012, vocalist Matt Oakman officially departed Shadowkeep and joined the bands Dangerous Breed and Gridlock. In early 2013, ex-Shadowkeep vocalist Richie Wicks formed the band Black, White & Purple^[75] with former Sons Of Eden and Angel Witch bandmate Keith Herzberg, ex-Praying Mantis drummer Gary MacKenzie, keyboard player Jason Rice, and Shadowkeep's former UK touring bassist Mark Fielden.

Earlier, in June 2012, Shadowkeep announced on their official Facebook page that original singer Rogue Marechal was to rejoin the band, and that work was to begin on the fourth Shadowkeep album. A reunion gig was also scheduled at this time, for the Wizzfest 2013 festival in Aalter, Belgium on 23 March 2013, which would be filmed for a DVD.

In February 2013, it was announced that Omar Hayes was no longer in the band's line-up. Taking his place for consecutive gigs at the Chameleon Music Bar in Grantham on 16 March 2013 (with The More I See and NWOBHM band Overdrive) and at Wizzfest 2013 was former bandmember Scott Higham, although this proved to be a temporary arrangement. Bassist Jack Kirby and keyboard player Tim Hall (from Overdrive) also guested with the band at their Grantham gig.

Shadowkeep performed at the Q's Entertainment venue in Redhill, Surrey on 7 September 2013, at the Swordbrothers XII festival in Andernach on 14 September 2013, and at the Little Devil venue in Tilburg on 13 September 2013 with Blitzkrieg. Tim Churchman joined them on drums for this series of gigs.

Members

2013 line-up

• Rogue Marechal – vocals (1999–2002 / 2012–present)
• Chris Allen – guitar (1999–present)
• Nikki Robson – guitar (1999–present)
• Stony Grantham – bass guitar (2004–present)

Past members

Vocals

• Richie Wicks (2002 / 2005–2009)
• Ronnie Stixx (2003–2005)
• Matt Oakman (2009–2011)

Bass guitar

• Jim Daley (1999–2000)
• Steve Scott (2001)
• Steve Kightley (2002)
• Fredrik Englund (2003)
• Mark Fielden (2009–2011, UK live substitute)
• Jack Kirby (2013, UK live substitute)

Drums

• Russell King (1999)
• Dave Edwards (2000)
• Scott Higham (2001–2002 / 2004 / 2005–2008 / 2013)
• Mauricio Chamucero (2003)
• Mike Pittman (d. 27 August 2007) †^[76] (2003 / 2005, US live substitute)
• Lawrence Paterson (2004–2005)
• Omar Hayes (2008–2013)
• Tim Churchman (2013)

Keyboards

• Scot Collins (2008–2011)

Timeline

Discography

Albums

• Corruption Within (2000)^[77]
• A Chaos Theory (2002)^[78]
• The Hourglass Effect (2008)^[79]

EPs

• Shadowkeep (1999)^[80]

Appearances on compilation albums

• Dark Tower – track No. 1 on Metal Crusade Vol. 1 (CD compiled by Heavy Oder Was? magazine, 2000)^[81]
• Queen of the Reich – track No. 2 on Rebellion: A Tribute to Queensrÿche (Dwell Records, 2000)
• Believe - track No. 8 on Limb Promo CD Vol. 3 (Limb Music, 2002)^[82]
• Cast Out - track No. 22 on Louder Than the Dragon (Limb Music, 2004)^[83]
• Keep It True IV – live footage of Shadowkeep appears on the bonus disc of this DVD release (Steelpride Records, 2005)^[84]

Trivia

The German melodic death metal band Cryptic Wintermoon recorded a song called The Shadowkeep on their 2003 album The Coming Storm.^[85]

References

External links

• Official site on Facebook
• Shadowkeep at MusicMight
• Shadowkeep's entry in Encyclopedia Metallum
• Shadowkeep's entry in Librarius Metallicus
• Shadowkeep's entry in Spirit of Metal online database