Shadowkeep are an English heavy metal band formed in Guildford in 1999 by guitarists Chris Allen (ex-Intense and Sire) and Nikki Robson (also formerly of Sire).
History
Early recordings In October 1999, Shadowkeep recorded their debut six-track EP Review of Shadowkeep EP at www.progressiveworld.net, May 2003 at Thin Ice Studios in Surrey, England, with Belgian vocalist Rogue Marechal (ex-Halcyon) fronting the band. The EP was produced by Threshold guitarist Karl Groom. A record deal with Limb Music followed in June 2000, and the band went on to release two albums on this label: Corruption WithinReview of Corruption Within album at www.progressiveworld.net, September 2000 (in September 2000) and A Chaos TheoryReview of A Chaos Theory album at Billboard, 2003 (in 2002).
Concerts and festival appearances Shadowkeep's live debut was on 17 December 1999 at the Camden Underworld in London, supporting the band Dirty Deeds. Support slots followed with the likes of Dio,– Archived concert details, Dio & Shadowkeep at Hof Ter Lo, Antwerp, Belgium on 3 May 2000 at www.lookatstubs.com Halford, Halford & Shadowkeep at Élysée Montmartre, Paris, France on 29 October 2000 – Archived concert details at Rock 'N' Tapas website Symphony X, Symphony X / Shadowkeep from The Mean Fiddler in London, England at www.rockersdigest.com, 18 October 2003 Angel Witch,– Concert photograph and details Angel Witch & Shadowkeep at The Cartoon venue in Croydon, England on 7 January 2000 at www.myspace.com/voiceoflucifer Dream Evil Dream Evil / Falconer / Shadowkeep from Camden Underworld in London, England at www.rockersdigest.com, 27 September 2003 and Flotsam and Jetsam. ...Confirmed for Texas Metalfest – News article at Blabbermouth.net, 9 June 2004 These major shows led to appearances at festivals in the UK (including the first ever Bloodstock Festival in 2001),Profile of Shadowkeep at official website for Bloodstock Open Air festival in Derby, England, June 2001 USA,– Review of festival appearance in Cleveland, Ohio Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Festival (Concert Review) at Ultimate Metal website, 4 June 2004 Greece, Germany News article at German website about Shadowkeep's appearance at Bang Your Head festival aftershow, 28 June 2002Review of Shadowkeep's appearance at Keep It True IV festival at www.truemetalfan.org, 1 April 2005 and the Netherlands.– Concert review Mario's Metal Meeting 2 Festival, 2008 from Club 013 in Tilburg, the Netherlands at Den of Iniquity website, 9 November 2008 Unfortunately a planned appearance at the Monterrey Metal Fest in Mexico in 2005 Warcry, Shadowkeep confirmed for Mexico's Monterrey Metal Fest – News article at Blabbermouth.net, 17 February 2005 had to be cancelled when the band's drummer and singer quit at the eleventh hour."Shadowkeep issue apology for Monterrey cancellation; looking for a new singer" Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles website, 5 June 2005 The band has since appeared at various festivals across Europe and the USA.
Line-up changes Shadowkeep have undergone numerous significant line-up changes over the years. Mid-2012 saw the appearance of the band's tenth incarnation.
Bass guitarists Jim Daley (who had previously played on Patricia Morrison's solo album Reflect on This) Interview with Patricia Morrison by Allen Melrose, 2005 was the band's initial bass guitarist, but he was succeeded by Steve Scott (ex-Dragonheart and a founding member of Power Quest), then by Steve 'SK' Kightley (ex-Spirit Of Rush) and Fredrik Englund, before the arrival of Texas-based Stony GranthamBiography of Shadowkeep at Power Metal Music website (ex-Terra Vast)Shadowkeep – A Singer's Divine Ruins at Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles website, 7 May 2004 in time for the Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Festival in Cleveland in 2004.Shadowkeep seek video footage, photos... at Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles website, 8 November 2004 A short tour of Texas, with Ancient Cross in support,Ancient Cross... chosen to support the 2005 Shadowkeep Texas tour – Shadowkeep & Ancient Cross 2005 tour details at SoundClick website, 9 September 2009 was arranged for May 2005, as a result of Grantham's involvement with the band. Grantham has remained a full member of Shadowkeep since 2004, but as he lives in the United States, substitute bass players have occasionally been taken on for rehearsals and live concerts in the UK and mainland Europe.
Drummers At the band's inception, Allen and Robson's former Sire colleague Russell King was drafted in on drums, but he was later replaced by Dave Edwards (ex-Pete Wadeson Band), then by Scott Higham (ex-Angel Witch) and subsequently by Mauricio Chamucero. Divine Ruins' drummer, the late Mike Pittman, deputised for some US tour dates in 2003. Biography of Mike Pittman at Hellstrum's MySpace blog, 17 September 2007 Higham then briefly rejoined the band in early 2004, with New Zealander Lawrence Paterson replacing him for a short while later that same year. When Paterson also moved on (joining first Chokehold, then Blaze Bayley's band, Rogue Male, Iron Knights, Raven Lord, Asomvel, I.C.O.N., Cris Martin's Rock DawnCris Martin's Rock Dawn – official website and AlcatrazzInterview with Larry Paterson of Alcatrazz at VWMusicRocks.com, 4 January 2022), Mike Pittman again helped out temporarily,Shadowkeep: Drummer leaves the band, no replacement yet – News item at Thoughts Of Metal website, 29 April 2005 until Scott Higham took his place for a third stint in the band. However, Higham departed once more, during the early recording sessions for the third Shadowkeep album, and joined Pendragon, with whom he was a bandmember until April 2014. – News article at Silhobbit website, 20 March 2008
Omar Hayes (ex-Orphic Soop, The Delta SunThe Delta Sun at MySpace, 31 July 2005 and Epuldugger)Biography of Epuldugger at GuilFest 2006 website, 16 July 2005 became Shadowkeep's drummer in 2008; he joined the Guildford-based band Mikobi in late 2011,Mikobi – official Facebook website, 19 December 2011 but also remained part of the Shadowkeep line-up until 2013. In February 2013, former bandmember Scott Higham rejoined on a temporary basis. He was succeeded by Tim Churchman (who had previously played alongside Steve Kightley in Spirit of Rush and The Forge, as well as with Dec Burke in Darwin's Radio, and with John Jowitt in Ark). On 4 December 2013, Churchman was announced to have joined the NWOBHM band Soldier.https://www.facebook.com/soldiernwobhm Official Facebook page for Soldier (band), 4 December 2013 Omar Hayes then rejoined Shadowkeep for the recording of their fourth album.
Vocalists Founding vocalist Rogue Marechal departed Shadowkeep in late 2002. He resurfaced for a one-off performance with the band Balance of Power at the Rock The Nations festival in Istanbul on 6 August 2005. Biography of Balance of Power at www.musicmight.com Together with ex-Shadowkeep bassist Steve Kightley and guitarist Chris Van Hayden (ex-Biomechanical), he then went on to form a new band called Chaosgenesis, adopting the name from a song on Shadowkeep's second album. His involvement in projects including Virtuocity, Prophecy and Poison Seed was to follow,Rogue Marechal – audio archive on SoundCloud, May 2012 before his second stint in Shadowkeep, which lasted between 2012 and 2015.
Towards the end of 2002, former Sire and Angel Witch bandmember Richie Wicks took up the vocalist's position,Shadowkeep has been joined by Richie Wicks... – News article on www.KNAC.com, 10 October 2002 but within a few months he had left to concentrate fully on vocal duties with the Tygers of Pan Tang.Interview with Robb Weir (guitar), Craig Ellis (drums) and Richie Wicks (vocals) of the Tygers of Pan Tang at www.metalcrypt.com, 21 November 2002 His replacement was US vocalist Ronnie Stixx (ex-Terra Vast, Byfist and Divine Ruins), with whom work began on a proposed third album, which would have different working titles at various stages in the process, including The Awakening, Ancient Prophecies and Beyond The Stratosphere.Shadowkeep line-up finally complete – News article at Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles website, 2 November 2004 A two-track promotional CD featuring Stixx's vocals saw the light of day in 2005,Review of The Awakening promotional CD at www.mariosmetalmania.com, April 2005 but further recordings were abandoned when Stixx left Shadowkeep later that same year.Ronnie Stixx explains departure from Shadowkeep – News article at Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles website, 6 June 2005 He went on to front Wycked Synn, Vicious Rumors, Vicious Rumors to tour Europe in the fall – News article at Blabbermouth.net, 15 August 2008 Blood Red Skies,http://www.myspace.com/bloodredskiespowermetal Blood Red Skies at MySpace, 19 August 2006 Project TerrorRonnie Stixx's Blood Red Skies change name to Project Terror – News article at Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles website, 9 July 2012 and Heaven Sent.Former Vicious Rumors vocalist's Project Terror changes name to Heaven Sent - News article at Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles website, 21 June 2017 His vocals can be heard on the Divine Ruins album, Sign of the Times (released by Lone Wolf Records in 2004), and on the Project Terror albums, Absolute Power (released by Pure Steel Records in 2012),Project Terror – Absolute Power album details at Pure Steel Records official website, 22 July 2012 Conquistador (2014)Project Terror – Conquistador album review at www.dangerdog.com, 23 September 2014 and Apocalypse Rising (scheduled for release in 2016).Project Terror – Apocalypse Rising album details at www.bravewords.com, 19 October 2015 Stixx also has a career as an actor.Ronnie Stixx – Biographical details at imdb.com
In late 2005, Richie Wicks returned and officially became Shadowkeep's frontman,Shadowkeep frontman laying down vocals for new CD – News article at www.metalunderground.com, 14 August 2006 and work recommenced on the third album, which would now be entitled The Hourglass Effect.Interview with Richie Wicks from Shadowkeep at www.metal-temple.com, 21 November 2008 The album is a conceptual piece, based around a time in the not-too-distant future when the sun is prematurely dying, and positing the subsequent effects that this phenomenon might have on the Earth's population.Shadowkeep updates – News article at Empire online forum, 25 May 2006 The Hourglass Effect was eventually released on Dutch label Melissa Records in November 2008. At this point a reviewer from the UK's The Sun newspaper described the band as, "The new New Wave of British Heavy Metal."
Band history, 2008–2011 Richie Wicks departed the band in 2009. He went on to form a Dio-era Black Sabbath tribute band called Heavenly Hell, before joining covers band No Way Out on bass, in March 2011. His replacement was Matt Oakman (formerly of Structured Chaos and Born of War), Welcome aboard SK, new vocalist Matt Oakman – Shadowkeep press release, 4 December 2009 who made his live debut with Shadowkeep at The Pipeline venue in London on 6 February 2010.Live Bands: Raising Sand and Shadowkeep – Gig details at The Pipeline venue's official website, 6 February 2010
As of 2008–2011, keyboard player Scot Collins (ex-Tainted Grace) completed Shadowkeep's line-up. Collins has also been a member of the bands Duplex Gage at Fame Music website, 11 November 2011 and Massive Ego.
Journalist Mark Fielden deputised for Stony Grantham on bass guitar during live shows on Shadowkeep's 'With Force We Come' UK tour in 2010. Grantham was obliged to remain in Austin, Texas at this time, due to ongoing commitments with other bands: DrifterDrifter at MySpace, 4 September 2005 (an Iron Maiden tribute band, with Erika Tandy on vocals) and Sad WingsSad Wings at MySpace, 10 April 2006 (a Judas Priest tribute band, featuring vocalist Jason McMaster).