Workshed is an English heavy metal band formed in

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa wate ...

in 2014. The band consists of former

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

and Acid Reign members

Adam Lehan Adam Lehan is a British musician who has worked with doom metal bands Cathedral and Workshed, thrash metal bands Acid Reign, Deadline and Lord Crucifier and folk band Beneath the Oak. History Some of Lehan's uncles were members of the Grumb ...

and

Mark Wharton Mark Ramsey Wharton is a British musician who has worked as the drummer of Acid Reign, Cathedral, Cronos, Asomvel and Workshed. Biography Wharton formed Acid Reign in 1985, along with Kevin "Kev" Papworth, Ian Gangwer, Howard "H" Smith and G ...

, and Helen Storer. Their debut self-titled album, recorded by Jaime Arellano, was released on 13 September 2019 through

Rise Above Records Rise Above Records is a London-based independent record label owned by Lee Dorrian (of the band Cathedral and formerly of Napalm Death). Founding Lee Dorrian started Rise Above Records in 1988 without the intention of the label being an ong ...

History

Lehan and Wharton had both played in

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

band Acid Reign together in the 1980s. Eventually, the two would find themselves in

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

band

, however both departed after the release of Statik Majik By 2014, Lehan had approached Wharton with a number of guitar riffs he had written, leading to them beginning to write music together once again. After some time, the pair approached former-Cathedral vocalist Lee Dorian, who agreed to release their album through his label

. Decibel premiered the track "Safety Behaviours" off of the album on 30 August 2019 and their self-titled debut album was released on 13 September the same year. In October 2021, they announced Wharton's departure, and his replacement by Scott Naylor.

Musical style and influences

The band's music has been described as

sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heav ...

and

experimental metal Avant-garde metal (also known as avant-metal, experimental metal, and experimental) is a subgenre of heavy metal music loosely defined by use of experimentation and innovative, avant-garde elements, including non-standard and unconventional sou ...

Outburn ''Outburn'' is a print magazine and online publication focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zeala ...

described the sound of their debut album as "redolent of all the great doom and sludge heroes of the past and thrillingly fresh and inventive, songs like rampaging opener ‘The Windowpanes At The Lexington’ and the pulverising ‘Nowhere To Go’ sound very much like the finished, riff-worshipping article" as well as referring to it as "hate-doom". Whereas, Dead Rhetoric described it as "unafraid to obliterate in distortion gloom for the crux of an arrangement, then lob a serene clean passage midway through before a gargantuan low-tuned riff shatters the airspace". They have cited influences including

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a prec ...

, Trouble,

The Obsessed The Obsessed is an American heavy metal band from Potomac, Maryland, led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich. The band combines elements of doom metal, stoner rock, and punk rock. Formed in 1980, they recorded a few demos and played a handful of live ...

and

Type O Negative Type O Negative were an American gothic metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums, per ...

Members

– vocals, guitar (2014–present), bass (2014–2019) * Helen Storer - bass (2019–present) *Scott Naylor – drums (2021–present) ;Past *

– drums (2014–2021)

Discography

*''Workshed'' (2019)

References

{{reflist, 30em English doom metal musical groups Sludge metal musical groups Avant-garde metal musical groups Heavy metal duos Musical groups from Harrogate