Ex-Scar The Martyr frontman and current Act Of Defiance frontman Henry Derek Elis has a brand new band, though you won't hear his voice on it. Elis is playing guitar in a new atmospheric doom group called Qaalm, and you can check out their debut demo track "Reflections Doubt". It's nothing at all like his previous two bands, though it is pretty damn good.
Download the track here and read the band's statement below.
Starting a band these days may seem like somewhat of an unadorned idea. But, amongst two creative and passionately involved music aficionados, materialized a kinship over various genres, which would eventually lead to precisely that. Henry met Pete shortly after moving to Los Angeles. After attending a gig and later playing a show with his previous band Harassor, the two connected and sure enough there was talk of a potential endeavor.
The early stages of the band consisted of various musicians and the underdeveloped tone of the band proved to be partially incomplete. Something was missing…and after a while, things came to a halt. Henry took a year off to focus on Act Of Defiance and write new material from scratch. After some soul searching and a renewed approach to writing, Henry laid down the first demos with the help of Christopher Jon, whom he met several years prior through a mutual industry acquaintance. Chris had expressed interest in wanting to venture into a heavier direction after the demise of his project I, Parasite.
Pete ultimately introduced a second guitarist, Brock Elmore into the fold. After a relentless run with his previous band, Seven Sisters Of Sleep he would go on to forever change the dynamic of the band. With the addition of David Huet on bass, the band would continue to cultivate new ideas and expand sonically. The initial objective of creating an atmosphere & inevitably maintaining a stern approach to a “heavy sound” became the band’s mission. They would go on to incorporate baritone octaves, melodic overtones, dissonant chords, harrowing vocals and ambient textures to intensify the overall sound. Etay Levy would prove to be the final piece of the puzzle to complete the line-up on drums…and at last, QAALM was born.
Lyrically, Pete’s presence cannot be overshadowed. Implementing the echoes of his own personal experiences, depression & adverse aspects of humanity, his voice in essence is the pinnacle of reason. Alas, in the eye of every storm, lay many questions. Some of which cannot easily be answered. The definition of QAALM’s sound may very well be one of them. The band persists in reliance of all of their influences to help forge and perfect the aesthetic execution of it’s prominent core. Utilizing elements of sludge, black metal & post-rock, QAALM would outgrow any breed of stereotypical commotion regarding style over substance. The band clearly has both and isn’t shy about delivering the goods. Having no shortage of shows and an album in the works, QAALM’s own brooding brand of doom cannot be silenced.
