Denver, without a doubt, is among the cities I would like to visit this year. When I saw the images of the FROZEN SOULS’ concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater I was spellbound and promised myself to attend one of the metal shows there someday. This time we bring to your attention a band from that city, HEL HATH FURY, and they are practitioners of death metal but in a more melodic vein. But before we dive into the band and their most recent debut recording, let's read what other places we can't miss if we ever visit Denver and how the band got together according to bassist Sara Haveman: “.... If you’re ever in Denver, CO, there are a few things you definitely can’t miss. First off, you literally cannot miss Blucifer, the infamous demonic horse statue at the airport, since it is quite literally the first thing you see coming out of the airport. For a taste of the local craft beer and metal scene, hit up Black Sky, Brutal Poodle, or Trve Brewing. And lastly we have a vibrant music scene here so we would always recommend checking out what shows are playing at one of our abundance of music venues…”

“… It all started with Alexis posting on Facebook that she was looking to start a melodic death metal band. Zach, who was also on the lookout for a project, responded and shared a lot of common musical inspirations. They decided to meet up and jam at The Band Cave in Denver, and they brought Sara along since they still needed a bass player. When it came time to find a rhythm guitarist, Zach and Joey's guitar teacher recommended Joey. And that's how it all came together, the rest is history! …”

Melodic death in its solid and primal core, and in the old European school, not much is done in these lands. However, HEL HATH FURY reminds me a bit of those initial intentions of bands like EUCHARIST, obvious distance apart. In this occasion, Sara Haveman tells us why they chose this genre to give meaning to their music: “…Metal, in general, is a powerful medium for expressing anger and intensity, which is a big part of what we want to convey. Melodic death metal, though, offers something extra with its musical elements. The combination of heaviness and melody allows us to bring out not just anger, but a wider range of emotions. It creates this dynamic space where we can really emphasize the complexity of what we’re feeling, and that mix of aggression with melody is perfect for the messages we want to share…”

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This four-piece of young musicians have no time to waste. They were formed in March 2023 and already have a debut EP titled “From Ashes”. This recording consists of five songs and makes a total of 24 minutes where they make their intentions clear. Sara gives us a little studio report and tells us what drives them in terms of message: “.... Hearing our music recorded was a trip. Homing in the drums in the studio inspired us to make tweaks to the other instruments, and after a couple iterations of adjustments, the songs sound way better than we originally imagined. Talon DuPont, our engineer, also brought all kinds of new ideas that brought production to the next level. Overall, it ended up being a really fun time and everyone showed up prepared and ready to rock…”

“… We believe that everyone faces their own set of challenges, but the emotions and themes we touch on aren’t unique to us alone. Our lyrics focus on personal struggles, but we always aim to present them in a way that people can relate to. It's about sharing those battles and the journey of overcoming them, connecting with listeners who might be going through something similar. We want our music to be a reflection of both personal experiences and universal emotions…”

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With this debut EP out, I imagine the band must be very busy trying to promote it. There must be a lot of expectations with this new recording, but let's leave it to Sara to talk about the goals and what they are doing these days: “.... Right now, we’re in the process of auditioning full-time drummers, writing new music, and gearing up to take over the world. We’ve got a lot of exciting plans in the work and after this recent successful release, we can’t wait to bring everything else we’ve been working on to life. We all have different hopes and dreams, some of us want to make a living playing music, whether that's teaching, touring, or playing shows. But as a collective, we all ultimately want to get our music out there and have people connect with it. In the long run, we'd love to do a small tour and have the opportunity to open for a national act or play an out-of-state festival. That would be a huge milestone for us and a dream come true…”

After listening carefully to the debut EP I can tell you that this new band is promising. They sound very tight and are very clear about where they want to go musically. Something very important is that they have a lot of desire to go out and eat the world. From Ashes leaves a clear message, I come from the ashes but from there I will rise up. Sara continues to give us hints about what is coming and sharing her thoughts on her local scene: “… In the upcoming months, we’re focused on expanding and refining our sound. We’re pushing ourselves to go more aggressively with our new songs while experimenting with different rhythms. It’s all about evolving and finding new ways to make our music more dynamic and intense. We’ll keep it short and sweet: support local music, support each other, have fun, and kick ass. We’re all in this together, and the more we lift each other up, the stronger the scene becomes. Let’s keep the energy high and the music loud! …”

“… The Denver metal scene is all about community and support. It’s a place where bands and fans genuinely look out for and support each other. A few of us just got back from 70,000 Tons of Metal, the Caribbean metal-themed cruise, and it’s always awesome to see how Denver brings one of the biggest, rowdiest crews every year. It really speaks to the tight-knit nature of the scene here; the energy is unmatched, and the connections run deep. Alexis (vox), Sara (bass), Zach (guitar) and Joey (guitar). helhathfuryband@gmail.com @helhathfury.band (Instagram) Hel Hath Fury (Facebook) https://helhathfury.my.canva.site/ Thank you! …”