Independent bands keep pushing the bar despite little or no support from labels who tend to play it safe or even mainstream media sources such as several magazines, online ‘zines, and radio.
In a down economy, the challenges of getting funds, backers, professional images and artwork, professional digital artwork, let alone any record labels taking them on, one band continues to astound me with their drive, talent, and endless pool of creative solutions to all of those challenges. They are A Sound Of Thunder from the Washington D.C. area.
With a successful run with their most recent album Times Arrow in the library, the band wasted little time getting it together yet again for their latest project for “The Lesser Key of Solomon.” In fact, you can read my interview just back in May 2013 with Nina and Josh for Times Arrow right here.
The album is self-described as “an enhanced audio-visual experience” that “will be a darker, more story driven album with more musical and lyrical depth” than previous works. That is saying something as they tend to write based on dark fiction that they pen themselves.
The Kickstarter Campaign
The band just destroyed their recent Kickstarter campaign in days raising over $12,000 seemingly overnight if you were watching like I was. The first goal of $10,000 was for:
$10,000
Recording, mixing, and mastering costs
Commissioning 10 new pieces of fully painted artwork by artist Dusan Markovic (one painting depicting each song on the album)
A full color booklet accompanying the CD packaging so that all fans can enjoy the artwork and lyrics along with the music. (Adding a booklet can double the cost of CD manufacturing, which is why we need your help on this one.)
Creation of a beautiful 12" x 12" hardcover book, featuring the album artwork as it is meant to be seen; in large format, along with lyrics, photos and more!
In addition, they have plans in place if they go over their goals:
If we hit $12,000, we will record and release a cover of the Manowar classic "Pleasure Slave"! (Because the world needs to know how Nina would run things...)
If we hit $13,000, we will do a live video stream of our album release show for our fans all over the world!
If we hit $15,000, we will do a west coast US tour in 2014!
Impressive stuff for this metal band and if the music in the background of their video on their Kickstarter page is any indication of what is in store, then hold on tight as A Sound Of Thunder has grown since their last album.
You can check the Kickstarter page out for yourself at this link and watch the video, it’s cool.
