Damnzal prides itself in being a band of three hard playing grrls and one very loud guy, spewing forth a heavy mash of new edge punk/metal tunes that fans of contemporary heavy music would enjoy.
The band members came together in early 2003 and consists of Tania Pennisi on lead vocals (ex Ruby Doomsday), Paula Condell on lead guitar (ex Velvet Hammer, Spine Of God), Vanessa Payne on bass guitar (ex Ruby Doomsday) and Scott Danson on drums (ex Cyclone Tracy). Each band member has a history within the Australian music industry and each have been actively involved in the scene for several years whether it be in previous musical projects, bands, releasing vinyl/CDs/DVD's, video production, touring, merchandising etc. Previous projects of the band members achieved significant success in their own right.
The ferocity in the Damnzal songs is confronting and at times quite brutal, yet the band appeals to fans of all musical genres because of the diversity in the quality of song-writing and innovation in the approach to writing heavier edged music. Yes, these girls and one guy can actually play their instruments and are competent musicians. Musically influences range from extreme to mellow...kind of!
All of the Damnzal songs have been written by Paula, yet the band members bring in their own influences, helping to distinguish the Damnzal philosophy and style. The influences range from extreme, hardcore and melodic types of metal as well as seventies style punk. So the deal is to provide a total experience: a band that is visually and musically confronting.. not for the faint hearted!
The self-titled debut CD which was release late 2004 has received excellent reviews in both Australian and international webzines and street press, and the prior demo songs have managed to chart successfully reaching the top 10 of the metal charts on the mp3 site. The CD is distributed nationally by MGM. It was recorded by friend Chris Gatz at GM Sound Studios on Pro Tools. Mastering courtesy of Crystal Mastering.
Damnzal have released a video clip for 'cherry bomb', one of the tracks from the self-titled debut CD. The video was shot by Peter Andrian (Unlimited Vision) who has done extensive work for many Australian artists, including 1200 techniques and DJ Peril. It has already been screened on most of your favourite music shows including Rage, Asylum, Channel V and MTV Aust. The response has been overwhelming!
In April 2007, Damnzal signed to Dead Famous (Astral) records worldwide, and will have their CD released in the US with Blastzone/Nightmare and Fontana/Universal in Canada.
In the short lifespan of the band, Damnzal has had the pleasure of playing with many bands of note: the highlight obviously being the Pungent Stench (Austria) support gig 2005, but also proud to have played with other local and interstate bands. Damnzal has been overwhelmed by the number of people who have voluntarily registered on their mailing list, as well as the number of positive anonymous comments made on the website guestbook: all this without self-gratuitous promotion. The band has also managed to create 'a bit of a stir' in the scene with the 'quiet' attention of various industry people including Alan Griffith (Union Entertainment USA: who manage Nickleback, Cinderella etc) and promoters who have greatly assisted with various promotional activities including promotion of the demo in the UK metalfests 2004, where Damnzal was the 'centre of attention' amongst all other submissions. Further to this Damnzal has been published in the esteemed European 'Metalmaidens' magazine, the Age Melbourne, street magazines and various local, interstate and international websites.
Visually Damnzal is heavily inspired by the glam days of the 70s when people were not afraid to perform, dress-up and explore the more visually artistic and exciting elements of the performance genre. A love of tattoos, make-up, and tall platforms are second nature for Damnzal. The band were previously the only unsigned band to have a sponsorship connection with Vision Streetwear ... the connection made purely in trust of the quality of the Damnzal experience! For much more check out the websites. |
