Local rock band Children Of Metal is enjoying some radio success. Band member Bryan Elsey says their pre-release ‘One Life' from its upcoming album Ascension To Chaos is now in regular rotation on 62 radio stations in western Canada. The single will be released on Spotify Feb 4.
Their first album was a vinyl disc named Resurrection.
“We are literally children of metal….hence the name. Most of us grew up on this stuff. We don’t consider this a throwback band. It’s the music we all play and listen to!! We called the album Resurrection because that’s what we are doing with this style of music.
“We had taken risks dropping a lot of money into the vinyl pressing and gig. We were prepared to lose it all though. We loved the music. If one person had come to see us, rocked out and loved the record like we did…we would have called that a victory.’
See: Local band wants to ride the vinyl wave. Releases its own disc
Elsey says the first album sold amazingly well.
"The Capitol Centre concert was an enormous success and drew a huge crowd. People raved about it saying how much fun they had! Our success there landed us a spot playing the after-hours slot at Mattawa Voyageur Days following Trooper. It was all kind of overwhelming in an awesome way."
Besides Elsey, band members are Eric Luckett (guitar), Hunter Trudell (guitar), Mason Ladoceur (keys), Scott Aultman (bass), and Ryan Walsh (drums), all from North Bay.
“The idea has always been to do three records. three shows and then disband. Getting to the second album however required us to do well enough financially on the first one so we could afford to keep going. We made it!’
The group started its new album pretty much as soon as the Capitol Centre show in May was done. "We’re just now doing finishing touches on it and songs are already being written for third."
The new album, Ascension To Chaos, continues in the band's style… being a mix tape of all things metal from the '80s.
"The last album was very Black Sabbath with shades of everything else. This one is very thrashy with lots of 'hair metal' influence. It’s kind of a wild mix,’ explains Elsey.
‘We weren’t sure it could be cohesive. Those 2 styles lived counter to one another back in the day but we took the risk. It’s what needed to happen next build on the blueprint we’d created with the first record to solidify who we are and what we intend on sounding like."
He describes the album as "heavy and bombastic with giant pop-y vocals…it’s everything heavy metal was but it's new. New old stock. It sounds like a Children of Metal record and we’re so proud that we can say that! We are super excited about how it mixes with our existing material. It will highlight stylistic elements of the first record that may not have been noticed.’
‘The album will be released digitally on March 1st on all streaming platforms. The vinyl release is mid-April and their live show is planned for Saturday, June 1 at the Capitol Centre. It's $15 and tickets are on sale now at the Capitol Centre box office.
"We want people to go out with their friends and family and save their money to spend it on food and drink at local restaurants and bars beforehand. Make it a night out.
‘We also want to keep it cheap for young people as well. We’re working hard to get them out to experience live music. We had sponsors for our last show and their contributions paid for a pile of kids to get in free. We even gave away a free guitar to a lucky local teen. Our hope-maybe we inspire them to buy guitars and start bands for themselves. We need them to rock out for us when we get too old."
Elsey says ticket sales are very good at this point, and there’s a ton of buzz in the city.
"We’re kind of wondering at this point if we’ll sell it out-which is nuts. There was a huge audience last time, reviews were amazing, word of mouth is out and people have taken the time to listen to our first record and they are loving it. We’re not really trying to make money, just trying to get enough to afford making the last album. In our perfect world, we sell enough records and show tickets to do so, and then become the background band for the giant party happening at the Capitol Centre."
Ascension to Chaos will go on sale on April 26 at Callander Bay Records.
Ascension to Chaos streams on March 1.
The band is hoping to attract more followers on Facebook and Spotify.
