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Shadowkeep
This article is about the British heavy metal band. For the computer role playing game, see Shadow Keep.

Shadowkeep are 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

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). Support slots followed with the likes of Dio,[6] Halford,[7] Symphony X,[8] Angel Witch, Dream Evil[9] and Flotsam and Jetsam.[10] These major shows led to appearances at festivals in the UK,[11] USA,[12] Greece,[13] Germany[14] and the Netherlands.[15] Unfortunately, however, a planned appearance at the Monterrey Metal Fest in Mexico in 2005[16] had to be cancelled when the band's drummer and singer quit at the eleventh hour.[17]

Shadowkeep have undergone several significant line-up changes over the years.[18] Jim Daley (who had previously played on Patricia Morrison's solo album Reflect On This)[19] was initially the band's bass guitarist, but he was succeeded by Steve Scott (ex-Dragonheart), then by Steve Kightley and Fredrik Englund (ex-Soul Source), before the arrival of Texas-based Stony Grantham in time for the Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Festival in Cleveland in 2004.[20] A short tour of Texas was duly arranged for the following May.[21]

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[22] (ex-Angel Witch), and subsequently by New Zealander Lawrence Paterson. After a short stint by session man Mauricio Chamucero, Higham rejoined the band,[23] but he left again during the recording sessions for the third Shadowkeep album, and joined Pendragon.[24] Omar Hayes (ex-The Delta Sun) became Shadowkeep's new drummer in 2008.

Vocalist Rogue Marechal departed the band in late 2002. Initially, former Angel Witch bandmember Richie Wicks stepped in to fill the vacancy,[25] but within a few months he had left to concentrate fully on being the vocalist for the Tygers of Pan Tang.[26] His replacement was US vocalist Ronnie Stixx (ex-Divine Ruins), with whom a two-track promotional CD called The Awakening was recorded in 2003. Stixx left Shadowkeep in 2005, with Marechal returning for a one-off performance with the band at the 'Rock The Nations' festival in Istanbul that August. Stixx subsequently moved on to front Wycked Synn, Vicious Rumors[27]and Blood Red Skies. In late 2005, Richie Wicks once again became Shadowkeep's frontman,[28] and work then began on a third album, which would be entitled The Hourglass Effect.[29] This was released on Dutch label Melissa Records in November 2008.[30] At this point a reviewer from the UK's The Sun newspaper described the band as, "The new New Wave of British Heavy Metal."

Richie Wicks departed the band in 2009, and went on to front a Dio-era Black Sabbath tribute band called 'Heavenly Hell'.[31] His replacement was Matt Oakman (formerly of Structured Chaos and Born Of War).[32] As of 2008 - 2010, keyboard player Scott Collins (ex-Tainted Grace) completed Shadowkeep's line-up, with bass guitarist Mark Fielden deputising for Stony Grantham during live shows on the 'With Force We Come' UK tour.

Shadowkeep played a co-headlining gig alongside Pythia at the Peel music venue in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK on 1st May 2010.[33]

Members

Current members

  • Matt Oakman - vocals (2009 - present)
  • Chris Allen - guitar (1999 - present)
  • Nikki Robson - guitar (1999 - present)
  • Stony Grantham - bass guitar (US) (2004 - present)
  • Mark Fielden - bass guitar (UK) (2009 - present)
  • Scott Collins - keyboards (2008 - present)
  • Omar Hayes - drums (2008 - present)

Past members

Vocals

Bass guitar

  • Jim Daley (1999 - 2000)
  • Steve Scott (2000 - 2001)
  • Steve Kightley (2002)
  • Fredrik Englund (2003)

Drums

Discography

Albums

  • Corruption Within (2000)[34]
  • A Chaos Theory (2002)[35]
  • The Hourglass Effect (2008)[36]

EPs

  • Shadowkeep (1999)[37]
  • The Awakening (Two-track promotional CD, 2004)[38]

Appearances on compilation albums

References

  1. ^ http://www.musicmight.com/artist/uk/basingstoke/intense Biography of Intense at www.musicmight.com
  2. ^ http://www.progressiveworld.net/shadowkeep4.html Review of Shadowkeep EP at www.progressiveworld.net, May 2003
  3. ^ http://www.metal-rules.com/interviews/ShadowKeep.htm Interview with Rogue M., vocalist for the UK band Shadowkeep - Interview at www.metal-rules.com, July 2000
  4. ^ http://www.progressiveworld.net/shadowkeep.html Review of Corruption Within album at www.progressiveworld.net, September 2000
  5. ^ http://www.billboard.com/album/shadow-keep/corruption-within/448158#/album/shadowkeep/a-chaos-theory/560052/review Review of A Chaos Theory album at www.billboard.com, 2003
  6. ^ http://www.lookatstubs.com/bands/ronnie_james_dio.htm Dio & Shadowkeep at Hof Ter Lo, Antwerp, Belgium on 3 May 2000 - Archived concert details at www.lookatstubs.com
  7. ^ http://oliviercordina.over-blog.com/pages/Archive_1996_2010-28431.html Halford & Shadowkeep at Elysée Montmartre, Paris, France on 29 October 2000 - Archived concert details at Rock 'N' Tapas website
  8. ^ http://www.rockersdigest.com/Article/21 Symphony X / Shadowkeep - Gig review from The Mean Fiddler in London, UK at www.rockersdigest.com, 18 October 2003
  9. ^ http://www.rockersdigest.com/Article/5/Dream-Evil Dream Evil / Falconer / Shadowkeep - Gig review from Camden Underworld in London, UK at www.rockersdigest.com, 27 September 2003
  10. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?Mode=Search&searchtext=metalfest&PageNum=17 ...Confirmed for Texas Metalfest - News article at Blabbermouth.net, 9 June 2004
  11. ^ http://www.bloodstock.uk.com/bands-profile.php?id=26 Profile of Shadowkeep at official website for Bloodstock festival in Derby, UK, June 2001
  12. ^ http://www.metal-reviews.com/tgos/bwbk2.htm Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Festival (Concert Review) - Review of festival appearance in Cleveland, OH at Ultimate Metal website, 4 June 2004
  13. ^ http://www.up-the-hammers.gr/news_archive_uth4.html Shadowkeep and Dream Weaver added to the line-up! - Up The Hammers festival website - news item, 26 October 2008
  14. ^ http://www.home-of-rock.de/Konzertberichte/Festivals/Balingen/Vorbericht_28_bis_29_06_2002.html News article at German website about Shadowkeep's appearance at Bang Your Head festival aftershow, 28 June 2002
  15. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=104124 Shadowkeep has already been confirmed to play at the second installment of Mario's Metal Meeting at Club 013 in Tilburg, the Netherlands on November 9 - News article at Blabbermouth.net, 5 September 2008
  16. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=33033 Warcry, Shadowkeep confirmed for Mexico's Monterrey Metal Fest - News article at Blabbermouth.net, 17 February 2005
  17. ^ http://www.bravewords.com/news/28574 Shadowkeep issue apology for Monterrey cancellation; looking for a new singer - News article at Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles website, 5 June 2005
  18. ^ http://www.truemetalfan.org/skeep.htm Shadowkeep: Rising from the ashes - Interview with Nikki Robson, originally pubished in Headache magazine, February 2003
  19. ^ http://www.patriciamorrison.co.uk/Interview.htm Interview with Patricia Morrison by Allen Melrose, 2005
  20. ^ http://power-metal-music.site11.com/biography/shadowkeep/ Biography of Shadowkeep at Power Metal Music website
  21. ^ http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/intense/184789-shadowkeep-awaken.html Shadowkeep awaken - Shadowkeep's 2005 touring schedule on www.intense-uk.com, 15 February 2005
  22. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=10699 Shadowkeep seek new drummer - News article at Blabbermouth.net, 20 March 2003
  23. ^ http://www.tartareandesire.com/news/Shadowkeep_announce_new_members/5249/ Shadowkeep announce new members - News article at www.tartareandesire.com, 20 October 2005
  24. ^ http://www.silhobbit.com/mambo/content/view/82/101/ Pendragon announce new drummer - News article at Silhobbit website, 20 March 2008
  25. ^ http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=1402&StartTime=9%2F25%2F2002+5%3A01%3A54+PM Shadowkeep has been joined by Richie Wicks... - News article on www.KNAC.com, 10 October 2002
  26. ^ http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/interviews.php?intid=34 Interview with Robb Weir (guitar), Craig Ellis (drums) and Richie Wicks (vocals) of the Tygers of Pan Tang at www.metalcrypt.com, 21 November 2002
  27. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=102916 Vicious Rumors to tour Europe in the fall - News article at Blabbermouth.net, 15 August 2008
  28. ^ http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=18818 Shadowkeep frontman laying down vocals for new CD - News article at www.metalunderground.com, 14 August 2006
  29. ^ http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/richie_wicks.htm?root=14&keep_theme=Metal_Temple_com Interview with Richie Wicks from Shadowkeep at www.metal-temple.com, 21 November 2008
  30. ^ http://www.metalunderground.com/bands/details.cfm?bandid=2621 Shadowkeep signs with Melissa Records - News article at www.metalunderground.com, 14 September 2008
  31. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_8176/is_20100204/ai_n51813441/ Come on and feel the noise... - News article in the Sevenoaks Chronicle newspaper about Richie Wicks & Heavenly Hell, 4 Feb 2010
  32. ^ http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=139077019&blogId=520916398 Welcome aboard SK, new vocalist Matt Oakman - Shadowkeep press release, 4 December 2009
  33. ^ http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=f3012eefe7b865073ff7783f24ab3c58&showtopic=78082 Shadowkeep & Pythia gig details and promotional flyer at www.basschat.co.uk, 1 May 2010
  34. ^ http://www.billboard.com/album/shadow-keep/corruption-within/448158#/album/shadow-keep/corruption-within/448158/review All Music Guide entry for Corruption Within album, quoted at www.billboard.com, 2004
  35. ^ http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200344.html#shadowkeep Review of A Chaos Theory album at Dutch Progressive Rock Pages website, 2003
  36. ^ http://www.metalrage.com/reviews/2453/shadowkeep-the-hourglass-effect.html Review of The Hourglass Effect album at www.metalrage.com, 16 November 2008
  37. ^ http://www.proggnosis.com/PGRelease.asp?RID=8249 Entry for Shadowkeep EP at www.proggnosis.com online database, 1999
  38. ^ http://www.mariosmetalmania.com/CDDVDreviews2005.html#S Review of The Awakening promotional CD at www.mariosmetalmania.com, April 2005
  39. ^ http://www.melissarecords.com Biography of Shadowkeep at the official Melissa Records website
  40. ^ http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_details/1808220 Shadowkeep's version of Queen Of The Reich - song details at www.reverbnation.com, 15 August 2000

External links

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