Don’t you wish there were more death metal bands out there with female singers? Well…there is, if you look. WAR SHEPHERD was referred to me by a friend but I found lots of other death metal bands with female singers who are equal to WAR SHEPHERD. Get reading and then check out their debut single…it’ll get you jumping, moshing, dancing or whatever you want to call it but you sure won’t be able to just listen to WAR SHEPHERD. You’re definitely get in on the action and move it…
Where do WAR SHEPHERD hail from? Introduce the members and tell us a little about each one…
War Shepherd is a melodic death metal band hailing from Plymouth, U.K. The band members include Jamie on vocals, Chris and James on guitar, Nay on bass, and Steve on drums. Chris founded the band in 2022 while writing the album, and Nay and Steve joined soon after. James and Jamie were the latest additions to the group. It almost wasn’t to be – some of us were at the point of taking a break from searching for a band altogether and just so happened to find Chris’ ad online at the very last moment. We all feel incredibly lucky to have come together as a group. Everyone has unique talents which they bring to the mix. Each member contributes to the distinctive sound and identity of War Shepherd and shares a common goal of making music we love.
Describe your style of music? Are there a lot of bands playing the same style in your area?
Our style of music can be best described as melodic death metal, combining the melodic and harmonic elements of traditional heavy metal with the aggression and intensity of death metal. The local scene is mostly dominated by doom, thrash, and metalcore bands. Despite this, we are proud to represent our unique style of music and bring our own flavour to the local music scene which has been well-received so far.
Who/What are your influences?
As musicians, our influences vary greatly, reflecting our diverse tastes and backgrounds. Jamie is a massive Billy Joel nerd and brings a fantastic voice and lyrical ideas to the music. Steve is big on Fear Factory and Devildriver and brings a lot of groove and rhythm to the table. James loves Avatar and Iron Maiden and brings a lot of theatrics and melody to our music, while Chris is big on Arch Enemy and At The Gates and brings a lot of technicality and precision to our music. Nay is big on folk, melodic and progressive death metal and brings a lot of depth and atmosphere to our music.
However, when it comes to War Shepherd’s songwriting, our main influences come from classic melodic death metal bands like Arch Enemy, In Flames, At The Gates, and Insomnium. We aimed to capture the epic melodic hooks of those bands and mix it with thrash and death metal riffs, creating a classic melodic death metal cocktail. There’s so much variation within the melodic death metal subgenre, it allows us to draw on many different feelings, moods, and ambience to produce something that sounds familiar yet new, fresh, and exciting.
WS recently released your debut single…Could you tell us about it?
Our debut single “Solitary State” was released on April 7th, and we are thrilled with the final product. It truly captures the essence of our sound and style, with big melodic hooks and tight, thrashy riffs. There’s even a Decapitated-style riff thrown in for good measure. The lyrics touch on some darker themes, but always have an element of hope, which was an important aspect for us. We wanted to create a dynamic and impactful track that would leave a lasting impression on our listeners, and we believe we achieved that with “Solitary State.” We’re excited to share this song with the world and can’t wait for more people to hear it.
Is your single available anywhere to buy? Any other merchandise?
Our single “Solitary State” is available for free streaming on all major platforms, so anyone can listen to it anytime, anywhere. We’re grateful for the support and positive response we’ve received so far from the community, and that’s the best payment we could ask for at this stage.
In terms of merchandise, we currently have t-shirts available for purchase at our live shows, and we’ll be introducing patches soon. We have plans for more merchandise in the future, and we’re excited to share it with everyone.
Are you signed to a label? If so, who? Are you planning on releasing a CD full of your great music anytime soon?
We are currently independent and not signed to a label, but we are definitely open to working with one in the future to help us reach a wider audience. Our debut single “Solitary State” has received an overwhelmingly positive response, and we’re excited to announce that we’re in the final stages of completing our first full-length album. We’re putting the finishing touches on it and can’t wait to share it with the world. We have a few surprises in store for the album release – but before that we have a couple of singles to release!
Could you tell us what we would expect if we attended one of your shows? How often do you get to play live?
In terms of our music, you can expect a high-energy, exciting performance. We put a lot of effort into our stage presence and performance, and we always try to give it our all. We want everyone to walk away feeling excited and entertained.
We try to play as often as we can and have a full schedule for May and are already planning out the rest of the year with Warhorns festival in September and shows around the country. War Shepherd feel most at home on the stage, so we’re always looking for new gig opportunities.
Having a female as a singer, do you have any problems with other bands? Like getting gigs? Like…anything??? OR…are you treated equally?
We haven’t encountered any direct problems related to gender in terms of getting gigs or interacting with other bands. New listeners sometimes have misconceptions and assumptions about their lineup, with some people assuming that the band is all male. This isn’t for long though as people check out our social media or see us live.
Our local metal scene is supportive and inclusive, with people being accepting and encouraging regardless of gender or any other characteristic. We’re grateful for the community we have found in the metal scene, and we hope to contribute to making it an even more welcoming and diverse space.
Tell the readers where they can learn more about WS and hear the debut single?
We’re active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. To learn more about War Shepherd and listen to our debut single visit: linktr.ee/warshepherd
We love engaging with the metal community, so don’t be a stranger and let us know what you think! We’re always happy to connect with people on our socials!
Ending the interview now but you are welcome to share anything about the band that you want…THANKS FOR YOUR TIME!!! APPRECIATED!!!
We are truly humbled and grateful for the support we have received from our fans and the metal community. Creating music that resonates with people is a dream come true for us, and we’re so grateful for everyone who has taken the time to listen and share our music. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to Marcy Miller of BallBuster Magazine for giving us a platform to showcase our music to a wider audience. We believe that the metal community is one of the most supportive and passionate communities out there, and we feel lucky to be a part of it. Thank you all so much!
