Following the successful release of her latest record, The World Is Dying, last summer, British progressive metal multi-instrumentalist Grace Hayhurst has announced she’s heading to the capital for her first-ever headline show. Mark your calendars for 26th March, as she’ll be taking over The Black Heart in Camden for a night of top-tier prog.
It’s a big step for any new artist, but Grace isn’t going it alone. She’s curated a proper “ear-perker” of a line-up, bringing along Spanish progressive metallers Dea Velata and London’s own symphonic metal outfit Tales of Perdition. Grace herself is chuffed to finally be bringing her solo material to the stage after previously playing with the likes of Kyros and Ihlo.
“This is going to be my first-ever headline show, which is always a bit of a risk for a new and niche artist,” Grace admitted. “But if you don’t try, then you’ll never know. It’ll certainly be an evening to remember, and I hope to see as many people there supporting the next wave of prog metal as possible!”
Her latest album, The World Is Dying, was a proper DIY labour of love. Grace composed and recorded almost everything herself, though she did enlist Robin Johnson (Kyros) to handle the thunderous drum parts. Recorded at Sensible Music Studios — a place that has hosted everyone from Fontaines D.C. to Tim Bowness — the record is a bit of a bleak look at the state of our planet. Grace describes it as “science fiction turned horrid reality,” specifically taking aim at billionaires like Elon Musk for wasting resources while the rest of us fend for ourselves.
The support acts are well worth getting down early for, too. Dea Velata feature a proper pedigree, including guitarist Gabby Abularach (ex-Cro-Mags) and Haken drummer Ray Hearne, fronted by the operatic vocals of Angela Hicks. Meanwhile, Tales of Perdition have been making a name for themselves in the London Metal Coalition with a sound that blends the soaring melodies of Nightwish with some serious thrash riffs.
Tickets are available now, and if you’re a fan of genre-bending metal with a bit of a brain, you’d best get on it.
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Grace Hayhurst: facebook | instagram | spotify | youtube
Dea Velata: facebook | instagram | bandcamp
Tales of Perdition: facebook | instagram | tiktok | youtube
