Review by Lee Barber, The Underground Venue Manager, Co-Producer of The Honey Box and Honey Box Hive project lead
Stoke’s metal scene took quite a hit in the pandemic, those hallowed havens such as The Underground and The Rigger being forced to close their doors, leaving those precious mosh pits derelict and cold, our beloved local metal bands reduced to supporting each other from afar. Yeah, okay, we get it, The Underground is cold anyway…
By the time the venues were allowed to reopen, the scene had been decimated, and yet that community spirit held firm, and carved the path for the city’s rebirth, many bands eager to establish themselves as a live act, and many keen to get out into the wilds of Stoke and Newcastle’s music community for the first time, determined to create those sacred bonds of support of network on the circuit of grassroots venues in the area.
Dark Root Falls are one of the bands ensuring such stability, eagerly showing their support for local bands in the area, and after almost two years graft, they finally have their own debut song to shout about, with King Of Beggars, which introduces itself with an almost calm, rock and roll style riff, and you know it’s about to drop the heavy, and drop it does.
Drummer Danny Anderson is delighted to have the song out there. “The ball is now rolling and we’ve got plenty of new material in the process of creation. 2024 is going to be a busy year for us and we’re all looking forward to it.”
I asked the band how it felt to be recording that elusive debut track, and how the whole process went, with singer Dave and bassist Reece happy to reveal some of the secrets to the magic, respectively.
“So we recorded from the ground up. We start with a full band take to keep that live feel, then we layer in the drums, bass and rhythm, finishing with the flairs and vocals.
“The recording process for me felt pretty smooth. Everyone was focused and we were pushed to be our best which has helped us out massively. Going from a live setting to a recording studio was a big change for me personally and it’s helped me become more of a refined player. The outcome has been amazing and I’m really proud of what we have done as a band.”
And proud they should be, with their hard hitting riffs, slick bass runs and sick guitar solos, there’s not much missing from this debut from Dark Root Falls, and James Rushton certainly isn’t taking anything for granted, appreciating every moment of the journey.
“I’m buzzing to get it out there finally, after what has felt like a long time coming; as well as playing venues that I’ve been watching shows at for over a decade, and finally being out the playing on those same stages, feels like a real accomplishment, and a full circle kind of moment. We’re planning on getting back in the studio next month, continuing writing and see what fun pops up whilst also taking on more gigs. Shout out to Mark at Sun Street Studio, too, for getting the best out of us, and working his studio magic. Worth the blood, sweat and tears!”
Listen to King Of Beggars by Dark Root Falls here:
