Infernal Death

Genre: Heavy Metal
Starting Date: 2007-08-07
Signed With: Sanctuary Music
Members: Danny Harris
Previous Members: Dean Royle (Y31D2 - Y43D55) and Neil Solomon (Y31D27 - Y42D02)

Top Ranking's Achieved
Global: 72
Canada: 1
Toronto: 1

Infernal Death was formed in August of 2007 (PopoYear 31) by long time friends Danny Harris and Dean Royle. Dean moved from the U.S. to Canada and met Danny in school in Toronto when they were both very young. Danny tends to be the business mind and band voice while Dean, as a drummer usually is, is the wildcat. They played their first show in Toronto as Infernal Death August 14th, 2007 at the Rattus Heavy Metal club to a whopping 76 people! They only played a four song set, but fan reaction was good as they were all hoping for more once the band began. On the 16th of August they played there first show to over a hundred fans at Peter McGinnes' Montreal Metal Club. They upped the set to eight tracks and the 174 fans were impressed with this young act. This was also the bands first exposure to a man who would become a close friend to Danny Harris, Peter McGinnes. Peter, as would have it, turned out to be one of the worlds preminent metal club owners. Infernal Death would set up an exclusive relationship with Peter to handle all their future booking needs.

(The Year 31 Tour) was hastily arranged by Danny to cover the cities of North and South America. While not a monetary success, the band was more interested in showing audiences in their sphere of influence what they were capable of. 5066 fans took in the first tour in the nine cities they played in. A short break followed after their first tour wrapped up in Sao Paulo.

Danny and Dean would write a couple of new tunes, then hit the road again, this time under the (Year 32-33) banner. A more inclusive tour with more original music starting in Glasgow, Scotland. During their second tour, new member Neil Solomon joined the band in Rio de Janeiro as their lead vocalist and bassist turning Infernal Death into a power trio. This tour was also the first tour the band used a tour bus for travel. Neil would be a great addition adding extra elements and a definite frontman to the band. This tour saw just under 20,000 fans buy tickets. This was also the tour that Infernal Death fell into their tour cycle of wrapping up tours in their home city of Toronto, Canada.

After the tour wrapped, the guys would hit the studio to record their first songs, releasing their first single just prior to hitting the road for the next tour. Tortuga, Attack! hit the stores on November 18, 2007.

As well as recording the single tracks, Danny and Dean would take this break to write some more songs. Now with the full line-up from start to finish, someone in the business had mentioned to Danny that this tour would be the bands trial by fire, a make or break kind of event. Thus, Danny adopted the moniker for the tour and they hit the road again for the (Trial By Fire) tour. They would play from Glasgow to Toronto while improving their music, showmanship and accomadations. By the end of this tour, Infernal Death had officially become a self-sustaining act.

Now that they had become self-sustaining, the fans and industry cried out for more. While a few more songs were written, Danny Harris would plan another tour, this time in support of their first full album. Light The Fire and its songs would be written, recorded and produced at this time, culiminating in its release on December 24th, 2007. 8,000 copies would sell on opening. The band then hit the road in January the following year on the (Light The Fire Tour). Under 67,000 fans would take in the shows this time earning the band upwards of $700,000 dollars (estimate) and wrap up on February 19th, 2008.

By this time, the band members had settled into a comfortable routine of touring, followed by a break for writing and recording. They would try on new skills and improve, not just their musical talents, but some stage work as well. Craving some new challenge, Dean and Danny would retreat to write their most ambitious project to date, a concept album based on a fanstastical tale of a world at war.

While the band played a few incarnations of some of the songs on the later portions of the (Light The Fire Tour), the finished product wouldn't come out April of 2008. In the meantime, the band would book their most ambitious tour, to meet the ambitious nature of the project. With that in mind, their first world tour would be scheduled.

Fans would get a taste of things to come when Infernal Death would release their much anticipated single, The Black Hand Comes, on March 17th, 2008. Three days later, they would take their much heralded stage show to London, England and open up the (World War Tour) on March 20th, 2008. The tour would keep the boys on the road for 53 days as they played in every city in the Popoworld ¹⁾.

During the tour, on April 14th, 2008, the much anticipated album, The Great War, was released as a special edition set. This record was considered a labour of love for the guys in that they had worked longer on the songs included here than any others. The big news as well was that the special edition included a DVD in the package that contained a short film which showed the events of the record as the sound track played.

From the liner notes : The Great War is a concept record that tells the fictional story of a world at war. It talks about a great historical event that happens in our world using real historical locations of the Popoworld and some manufactured ones. From our opening track, The Black Hand Comes to it's thundering conclusion in Armistice, it's a cautionary tale of events spinning out of control and how our home nation of Canada became what it is today.

Upon completion of the (World War Tour), Infernal Death took a short hiatus in Toronto to write and record before hitting the road again on a less ambitious 21 city tour. The (Some Wicked Tour Your Way Comes) show was initially booked for 21 cities but was extended by an addition 7 to take in a few competitions in various cities the band didn't play on their initial bookings. Infernal Death finished 6 competitions in the process with finishes ranked at two first place, one second, one third, one fifth and one ninth. At the end of the tour, the band released their next studio album, Something Wicked This Way Comes to perfect reviews.

Danny Harris at this point scheduled in the longest break to date for the band in between tours. During this process, Neil having learned the ropes as a video director, took the reins to produce and direct Infernal Death's first ever video on August 13th, 2008. The video for Beware The Deceiver was due out on August 18th, 2008, but has been delayed until August 25th, 2008 to take advantage of the Christmas sales in support of the to be released single of the same name. A second video was recorded on a smaller budget for Rock Band Blues to be released at the same time.

Infernal Death then embarked on yet another tour, which they eventually dubbed the (Out For Fun Tour) as a way to practice some new skills learned during the last tour and long break. The tour was short encompassing fewer cities than any of the three previous tours and lasted from August 17th, 2008, until September 27th, 2008. It was meant as a way to play some music, test their new abilities and play some new tunes that were developed during the previous tour, such as the re-written Anthem In Drop D, Padded Walls and The Revenant of Giles Gray.

After they returned to Toronto from the tour, another short break ensued, highlighted by a furious song writing binge. The songs that came from this period were for the new project, a follow up album to their highly successful concept record, The Great War. Axis & Allies was announced to great fanfare and the band played a full world tour, dubbed the World War Two Tour, which hit every city established in the Popworld. The tour took the band through 38 cities from October 28th, 2008 through to December 21st, 2008. The first single, Fortress Europe, would drop one December 9th, 2008 followed by the full album, Axis & Allies, on the 28th of December.

After the completion of the tour, the band would opt to rest in Toronto and take part in the cities first ever Toronto Hall of Fame Festival, placing third. Unknown to the guys, it would be the last show they would play together.

Within weeks, while on a media campaign across North America, lead singer and bassist, Neil Solomon, would grow ill and become bed ridden in Los Angeles. Doctor’s prognosis was not good and Danny Harris flew out to L.A. to help bring his stricken friend back home, where Neil would succumb and pass away days later.

While still suffering from the setbacks of Neil’s death, tragedy would strike again, this time claiming drummer Dean Royle. While visiting New York City, he would be found dead in his New York apartment of an apparent drug overdose. Autopsy later revealed that he was slowly dying, likely in pain and using medications to ease the suffering. Theories about intentional overdose were never confirmed and Danny Harris has refused further comment.

Without his two long time friends and band mates, Danny Harris took a long hiatus from the music scene. He wouldn’t completely leave it however, still managing his duties as CEO of Evil Angel Records in London. Shortly after Dean’s death, Danny would purchase a record studio from his wife Dana Isaak in Toronto. He also took part in university studies to improve his knowledge of heavy metal history and record production.

After becoming one of the world’s experts in both fields, he opened his Toronto record studio, now rebranded, Sanctuary Music, and signed several acts, including his own to the label. He had also been writing new material and had planned a short North and South American tour to test the reception to a new Infernal Death line up. The Come Back Tour was booked through the Peter McGinnes’ Metal clubs and was a moderate success considering the lay off between tours, the lack of new material played and the change of the line up. Only ten cities were booked in North and South America and eventually just over 13,000 fans would come to the shows earning the band around $40,000 in ticket sales. Still, the rabid following was enough to convince Danny that the band was still wanted and there was a market for his music.

It wasn't long before Danny was putting the finishing touches on the new record, eight years in the making, and having him plan another tour to support it. The tour began in Montreal and had initially intended on only 15 or so dates before a second European leg was added to accomodate growing fan demand for shows and tickets. Ultimately, the Death Can Wait Tour ended up in 29 cities with over 52,000 fans coming out to see the band play all new material from the new record, Death Can Wait. With $340,000 in ticket sales, Danny has quickly booked another tour, likely to promote the material again while he continues to work on his newly announced upcoming record.

Details on the new record remain under wraps for now.

The band currently houses their 5-star stage equipment in an 18-wheeler luxury rig.

Released by Evil Angel Records (was WorkingClass Records) ⁴⁾

Date	Cover	Title	Type	Sales	Review	b/w
2007-11-18		Tortuga, Attack!	Single	101461	Good (13)	Seared Flesh
2007-12-16		Scapegoat	Single	66183	Good (13)	Slap My Pup
2007-12-24	5)	Light The Fire	Full Length Album	113160	Awesome (16)	Track Listing 6)
2008-01-15		Didya Want Some?	Single	177052	Awesome (16)	Fredericton Death March
2008-02-12		Shock Rifle	Single	430553	Terrific (18)	Never Saw It Coming
2008-03-17		The Black Hand Comes	Single	590864	Terrific (18)	Trenches of Blood
2008-04-14		The Great War	Full Length Album	325693	Wonderful (19)	Track Listing 7)
2008-04-17	(Enlarged Cover)	Crimson Bayonets	Single	309810	Wonderful (19)	The Triple Alliance, The Triple Entente
2008-05-20		9:04 AM	Single	1314555	Incredible (20)	Armistice
2008-06-17	8)	Terror	Single	1501484	Incredible (20)	The Darkness Within
2008-07-16		Rock Band Blues	Single	663235	Incredible (20)	Floodtide
2008-08-05	(Enlarged Cover)	Something Wicked This Way Comes	Full Length Album	293422	Perfect (21)	Track Listing 9)
2008-08-26		Beware The Deceiver	Single	597307	Incredible (20)	The Murders In Pleasantville
2008-09-30		Death From Above	Single	519069	Incredible (20)	Trouble
2008-11-04		Anthem	Single	574169	Incredible (20)	My Girlfriend's Dead
2008-12-09	(Enlarged Cover)	Fortress Europe	Single	247341	Perfect (21)	Crying Out For Mother w/Death In The Ardennes
2008-12-23		Axis & Allies	Full Length Album	327779	Revolutionary (22)	Track Listing 10)
2009-01-13		Victory Day	Single	154247	Incredible (20)	A Lament For Nagasaki
2009-02-17		Die schwarzen Tuefel	Single	29182	Incredible (20)	Letter To A Soldier
2010-02-10	(Enlarged Cover)	From Here To Eternity	Single	118350	Perfect (21)	Solomon Grundy w/The Royale Treatment
2010-03-17	(Enlarged Cover)	Hand of God	Single	219064	Incredible (20)	Angel of Death
2010-03-24	(Enlarged Cover)	Death Can Wait	Full Length Album	57678	Revolutionary (22)	Track Listing 11)
2010-04-13	(Enlarged Cover)	Thirteen Days	Single	To be released…	Not Yet Rated	Sign of the Damned

Unused cover for unreleased single, (The Chosen).

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