Embers is an American dark ambient heavy metal band, with male and female vocals and a black metal influence from
Oakland, California
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
, United States.
History
Embers was formed in 2004 by Kelly Nelson on bass and vocals, Steven DeCaprio on guitar, and Jerry Buchanan on drums.
Kelly and Steve are the former members of the political hardcore/metal band,
Lesser of Two
Lesser of Two was an American crossover thrash, screamo and hardcore punk band which began in Florida in 1989 and relocated to Oakland, California in 1997. Lesser of Two disbanded in 2003.
History
Steven DeCaprio came up with the name during a h ...
, formed in 1990 and dissolved in 2002. Lesser of Two released three CDs, and two singles.
Jerry Buchanan has played in a number of Bay Area bands over the last 15 years including Fields of Shit and Abandon featuring members from the seminal "East Bay hardcore" band
Filth
Filth or The Filth may refer to:
Common uses
* Dirt, unclean matter
* Police officer, a pejorative in British slang
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Filth'' (film), a 2013 film based on the novel
* ''Filth'', an alternative title for '' ...
. He also plays drums in a tribute band called I Yearn for Maiden.
Nine plays viola with over 15 years of experience and has performed with various artist including current Bay Area bands Rivers Run Black and Six Billion Dead. She now has only an occasional performance based relationship with Embers.
Lillian a classically trained pianist has not played keys in a band prior to Embers. She has been part of the SF punk scene for many years.
Timm has played guitar in Neoni Eagal, Background to Malfunction, and a number of other music projects over the years and is a vocalist for Embers.
Embers has been noted as one of a number of prominent
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
metal acts to feature women. The fact that three members of the band are female is notable due to the historic lack of female representation in heavy metal.
Ideology
Embers has been referred to as a Red and Anarchist Black Metal group. This is partially because Kelly Nelson and Steven DeCaprio's previous band Lesser of Two was an
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
band noted for their independent D.I.Y. ethic. This is also partially due to the radical lifestyle of the band members.
Guitarist, Steven DeCaprio is a squatter and housing rights activist featured in the movie ''Shelter: a squatumentary''.
Drummer, Jerry Buchanan's project, I Yearn for Maiden has played numerous events and political actions in support of radical community projects including, in part, squatter's rights as well as defending People's Park by performing while activists resisted police while rebuilding a "free box".
Keyboardist, Lillian Phaeton is a former member of the board of directors of the
California League of Conservation Voters
California Environmental Voters (also called EnviroVoters), formerly the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV), is a lobbying and educational organization which focuses on environmental issues affecting California. It is affiliated wi ...
a major environmental organization.
Musical style
Embers blends
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
, but also have a unique melancholic sound similar to other Bay Area peers such as
Ludicra
Ludicra is an American heavy metal band from San Francisco. They originally formed in 1998 as a quartet and later expanded to five members. In 2011, the band announced on their official website that they had disbanded,Decibel Magazine, March 2010, issue number 065
Embers has received positive reviews for their music including ''
Heathen Harvest
Heathen Harvest was an Internet blog devoted to music criticism, music news, and interviews. It focused on underground and post-industrial music, including ambient, heavy metal, gothic, and industrial music.
The site, which was established i ...
'' webzine, ''
Profane Existence
Profane Existence is a Minneapolis-based anarcho-punk collective. Established in 1989, the collective publishes a nationally known zine (also called ''Profane Existence''), as well as releasing and distributing anarcho-punk, crust, and grindco ...
'' magazine, and ''
Decibel Magazine
''Decibel'' is a monthly heavy metal magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media since September 2004. It is currently the only monthly metal music magazine published in North America. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Revi ...
''.
Current members
*Steven DeCaprio - guitar
*Kelly Nelson - bass guitar and vocals
*Jerry Buchanan - drums
*Timm Kennedy - guitar and vocals