| Valkyrie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA |
| Genres | Heavy Metal, Doom Metal |
| Years active | 2002 - Present |
| Labels | Twin Earth, Noble Origins, Tension Head, Relapse |
| Associated acts | Baroness, Samhain, Spirit Caravan, Pentagram, Iron Man, Unorthodox, Wretched, Earthling, JAB, The Druids, Razors In The Night |
| Website | The Valkyrie Rides |
Valkyrie are a doom metal/hard rock band from Harrisonburg, Virginia. Active since 2002 and driven by brothers Jake and Pete Adams, Valkyrie draws from pre-metal style to create a rich and earthy heavy rock sound similar to the likes of Pentagram, Bang, Pagan Altar, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Jethro Tull, KISS and many others from that era.
Since forming Valkyrie have released three studio albums and have toured all over the United States, performing multiple doom-related festivals.
History[]
Valkyrie formed in summer 2002 in Rockbridge County, Va as a three-piece consisting of vocalist/guitarist Jake Adams, bassist Eric Seaman, and drummer Luke Shafer. The band's first show was on 28 December 2002 at a basement in Harrisonburg (With Johnny Welfare and the Paychecks, Shadows of the Ethereal). This line-up would release a six-song demo in 2003, playing alongside the likes of Baroness (Whom Jake's brother Peter played in), Shadows of The Ethereal and Accursed Dawn among others.
In 2004 Jake’s brother Pete was introduced on second guitar and soon after, another six-song demo was recorded at a local college radio station. Shafer soon departed and was replaced by Mike Hoke on drums and a new demo, Sunlight Shines, and a split 7″ with VOG were recorded and released on 5 April 2005. The band's first tours happened that May and June. Seaman and Hoke parted ways with the band at the end of 2004 and were replaced by bassist Nick Crabill and drummer Nic McInturff. This lineup would tour frequently throughout the United States throughout 2005, appearing at Templars of Doom and 20 Buck Spin Festival. This line-up recorded the eponymous debut album, which was released in 2006 by Twin Earth Records (Starchild, Rebreather). The eponymous album was engineered by Chris Kozlowski (Pentagram, Trouble, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, The Melvins, Blue Cheer).
In early 2006 Valkyrie again parted ways with its rhythm section and recruited bassist Will Barry-Rec and drummer Gary Isom (Spirit Caravan, Pentagram). This lineup played numerous festivals throughout the United States, including the final Emissions from the Monolith in Austin, Tx, and the long-running Stoner Hands of Doom festival in Phoenix, Az. Isom and Valkyrie parted ways in mid 2007 and Valkyrie recruited veteran drummer Warren Hawkins.
In October 2008 Valkyrie released their second album, Man of Two Visions on the band’s own label, Noble Origin. Kreation Records, of Seattle, Washington, reissued both the S/T and “Man of Two Visions” on 12″ vinyl in 2007 and 2008. Also in 2008, Pete joined Relapse Records recording artist Baroness (also from the band’s hometown of Lexington, Va ) and began to tour on a nearly full-time basis as that band gained significant popularity. While Valkyrie only played a handful of shows over the next couple years, notable appearances included another appearance at Stoner Hands of Doom and a summer 2010 Tour with Earthride.
In July of 2010 Meteorcity Records (The Obsessed, Nebula, Atomic Bitchwax) re-released both the S/T and Man of Two Visions albums in CD format. In March of 2012, Alan Fary (Earthling) joined the band on bass. The band would play two nights in Virginia that December for the band's tenth anniversary. A split 7" with Earthling was released on 18 December 2012, just a couple weeks before the anniversary shows. In the summer of 2014 Valkyrie recorded its third full length album Shadows with Sanford Parker (Nachmystium, Pelican, Voivod). In early fall of 2014, Pete Adams was invited to play guitar for Glenn Danzig’s seminal punk band Samhain and played several reunion shows throughout the US. Shadows would be released on Relapse Records circa 15 May 2015, with a summer tour in support. Notably it featured the song Wintry Plains, which previously appeared on the band's first demos in a different arrangement some twelve years earlier. The band also played a host of shows that December alongside Clutch. Peter Adams would also depart from Baroness in 2017, leaving Valkyrie as his main musical endeavor.
The band remains active in the Virginia scene and have recently made appearances at The Maryland Doom Fest. On 27 May 2020 Valkyrie would announce their fourth album, Fear, which would be released circa 24 July 2020.
Discography[]
VALKYRIE - "Mountain Stomp" (Official Track)
Valkyrie - Man Of Two Visions
Studio Albums[]
- Valkyrie (2006, Twin Earth Records)
- Man Of Two Visions (2008, Noble Origins)
- Shadows (2015, Relapse)
- Fear (2020, Relapse)
Other Releases[]
- Demo 1 (Demo) (2003, Self-Released)
- Demo 2 (Demo) (2004, Self-Released)
- Sunlight Shines (Demo) (2004, Self-Released)
- Valkyrie / VOG (Split with VOG) (2005, Self-Released)
- The Auld Dirt Road / False Dreams (Split with Bible of The Devil) (2008, Heavy Birth)
- Mountain Stomp / Losing Sight (Split with Earthling (2012, Tension Head)
Members[]
Current Members[]
- Alan Fary - Bass (2012 - Present)
- Warren Hawkins - Drums (2007 - Present)
- Peter Adams - Guitar, Vocals (2004 - Present)
- Jake Adams - Guitar, Vocals (2002 - Present)
Past Members[]
- Eric Seaman - Bass (2002 - 2004)
- Nick Crabill - Bass (2004 - 2006)
- Will Barry - Bass (2006 - 2012)
- Luke Shafer - Drums (2002 - 2004)
- Mike Hoke - Drums (2004)
- Nic McInturff - Drums (2004 - 2006)
- Gary Isom - Drums (2006 - 2007)
Tours[]
NOTE: All known shows can be sourced at Valkyrie's Official Site.[1]
- May 2004 Tour (2004)
- June 2004 Tour (2004)
- March 2005 Tour (2005)
- April 2005 Mini-Tour (2005)
- August / September 2005 Tour (2005)
- December 2005 Tour (2005)
- Valkyrie 2006 Summer Tour (2006)
- May 2007 Tour (2007)
- March 2008 Mini-Tour (2008)
- 2010 Summer Tour (With Earthride) (2010)
- 2014 Mini-Tour (2014)
- Shadows Tour (2015)
- December 2015 Mini-Tour (With Clutch) (2015)