Valkyrie’s Fire: «Ascension is intricate and pleasing, passionate and powerful»
Valkyrie’s Fire are a symphonic power metal band from Nashville, Tennessee (USA), The band will release their debut EP Ascension via Eclipse Records in November and Chris Kazantzoglou spoke with Dave Hale for the band and the Debut EP.
Chris Kazantzoglou: Tell us about the band
Dave Hale: Valkyrie’s Fire are a symphonic power metal band from Nashville, Tennessee (USA), born of true emotional passion that ignites our hearts and unlocks the deepest mysteries of the soul. A feast for the senses, the band draws influence from metal masters such as Nightwish, Epica, Nocturna, Tarja Turunen, and Ad Infinitum, though one can easily see that this bold new project offers us a fresh sound clearly establishing them as the symphonic metal powerhouse from the American south. The band is Bettie Floyd on vocals, Adam Sanders on vocals, Joey Grimaldi on guitar, Ryan Metroka on drums, and Dave Hale on the bass, and listeners are immediately drawn in with soaring melodies shared by the two singers, sometimes in solos, others in harmony or clever unisons where they masterfully toy with octaves and accents. Now, add the badass aesthetic tapestry of a powerhouse backbeat, a unique low-end bass attack, and a blazing guitar, and we get a glorious hybrid of sweet darkness, longing, and wonder all connecting with fans as if they’ve become the sixth band member.
I start this project in 2020, coming up with the preliminaries like logo design, ideas for social media pages, and marketing strategies that would be the foundation of Valkyrie’s Fire. In terms of a musical vision, he wanted to create a unique blend of rhythmic timing and instrumental storytelling that would make us all majestic warriors of the night. Singer Adam Sanders joined up in the summer of 2021, contributing his education in music theory and composition, and in 2022, they added drummer Ryan Metroka who was formally educated in percussion. In July of 2023, they met guitarist Joey Grimaldi at a recurring local musical event called “Guitar Night,” and with his experience playing classical guitar and piano, he helped cement their signature sound. A few weeks later the band discovered treasure when vocalist Beth (Bettie) Floyd brought to the group her spellbinding blend of lyric soprano and mezzo soprano vocals, completing Valkyrie’s Fire and initiating this grand musical experience as something that is no less than life changing. Valkyrie's Fire officially started writing songs in August 2023, and became a staple in the local Nashville metal scene within the first 6 months as a new band, and they were taking the world by storm in less than 12 months as a band, and were nominated as The Group of the Year for The Josie Awards in the Rock / Metal category for 2024, making them relevant and exciting, and in their awesome live performances, they weave the audiences into the given show like blood brothers and sisters.
Chris Kazantzoglou: Tell us about the EP Ascension and your partnership with Eclipse Records
Dave Hale: The EP Ascension is a 5 song EP, due to be released on November 8, 2024. The EP will be available in digital format, as well as in physical format in both CD and LP (Vinyl). We signed to Eclipse Records on July 16, 2024 and immediately began making a distinct mark on the Symphonic Metal scene. Signing with Eclipse Records has been a breath of fresh air for Valkyrie's Fire. Chris has been supportive of our vision, and encouraging as we continue to grow and develop as a band. It is our goal to be a powerhouse and dynamic force within the Symphonic Metal genre, and Eclipse Records has been a great partner for Valkyrie's Fire, and we look forward to continued success with the record label through 2024 and beyond. 3 music videos are on tap for the Ascension EP, with Warrior of the Night as the debut music video - released on August 20, 2024. The 2nd music video is due to be released in late September 2024, and the 3rd music video is due to be released in early November to correlate with the release of the EP. The band have come to us not only as a new chapter of symphonic power metal, but more a revolutionary redefinition. Their forthcoming album titled, Ascension is intricate and pleasing, passionate and powerful. The enticing vocals, shredding guitars, and air-tight rhythm section send us on a magical journey filled with mystery, drama, and intrigue.
Chris Kazantzoglou: Do you have any plans for a full album?
Dave Hale: Yes, we plan to release a full length album in the first half of 2025. We currently have 12-15 songs that we are working on, with plans to include at least 10 songs on that album. We are also working on a title for the upcoming album, and hopefully we can announce that in early 2025.
Chris Kazantzoglou: Will we see you in Greece for a live show?
Dave Hale: Yes, we definitely want to get to Greece and perform!! Doing a live show in Greece would be a dream come true for our band!! We hope to coordinate with a booking agent in Greece to make that happen in 2025, and we know it will be an amazing show
Chris Kazantzoglou: What do you have to say about your friends in Greece?
Dave Hale: We love and appreciate all of our fans in Greece, and we cannot wait to meet ALL of you!!! A meet and greet session for our dedicated fans is something we want to do, and being able to share our music with all of you is one of our biggest goals for 2025 and beyond!
Find the band on social media:
Official: https://www.valkyriesfire.com/
Facebook: @valkyriesfireofficial
Instagram: @valkyriesfireofficial
YouTube: @valkyriesfireofficial
TikTok: @valkyriesfireofficial
X / Twitter: @valkyriesfire
Eclipse: https://www.eclipserecords.com/valkyries-fire/