Ones to watch - Disarm Goliath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfN2lsXBYrc

Twenty two seconds into the song Embrace The Abyss, the lead singer emits a piercing, sustained squeal of such sustained intensity that it can only be Judas Priest's Rob Halford. Right?

No, wrong. This is Steve 'The Banshee' Bell hitting the high notes on the opening track of Midlands heavy metal band Disarm Goliath's second album, Born To Rule.

The five-piece, whose members hail from Walsall, Tipton and Coventry, describe themselves as a "hard-hitting, balls to the wall, heavy metal band", with chief influences being West Midlands metal gods Judas Priest along with Iron Maiden.

Formed by bassist Steve Surch about 10 years ago, the band released their debut album, Only The Devil Can Stop Us, through their own mini label and have since sold close to a thousand copies in Britain and all over Europe.

Disarm Goliath also have two mini tours of the US under their belts, with one show being at the famous Whiskey A Go Go on Hollywood's Sunset Strip.

Surch explains that having initially handled lead vocals, he decided that the band needed a new lead singer.

"During December 2008 I decided that I didn't want to do the singing anymore and thought I had taken things as far as I could. We had built up a good name on the scene but wanted to push things further," says Surch.

"I found Steve through an internet site called Formingbands.com - he was in a really heavy band but wanted to join a trad metal band.

"I mailed him and he sent me a recording of him singing Priest's Breaking the Law and asked if I knew the song! I said 'Yeah, I think I might know it'. I sent him a CD with some of our tracks on and a couple of weeks later he came down to JJM studios in Walsall and that was that!"

Joining Surch, 33, and Bell, 27, are lead guitarists Steve Beville, 23, and Anthony Ellis, 23 along with drummer Karl Wade, 33. So while the mighty Iron Maiden feature three lead guitarists, Disarm Goliath feature three Steves!

The release of the eight-song Born To Rule comes hot on the heels of the band's successful UK Tour supporting ex-Iron Maiden/Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley in December 2011.

Disarm Goliath's masterplan is a return to the glory days of metal re-energised for the headbangers of today.

As Steve Surch says: "It's been a war of attrition for myself and our drummer, Karl, with lots of highs and lows over the last ten years but we have stuck at it , gained a lot of experience and we feel things are the best they have ever been now."

If you're quick, you can catch Disarm Goliath tonight (Friday April 27), supporting Valous at the Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton.

By Ian Harvey

Official website - www.disarmgoliath.com