Introducing: Dethlehem

Pittsburgh band Dethlehem have leapt from the tabletop to the stage with a fascinating, thunderous metal sound that came to life via a Dungeons & Dragons campaign and they describe as “epic, brutal and fantastical.”

Our Dethlehem heroes hail from the land of Ghorusalem, led by vocalist Brutalitus the Bloodbeard alongside Hypemage Bonecrush (vocals, sorcery), Durok Magicfist (lead guitar), Khult Headwind (guitar), Grimshaw Longfellow (bass), and Overlord Brom (drums). These brave warriors formed to combat the evil-shaping goblin Yagolith and, after that victorious conquest, they continued to protect the realm from threats like a nefarious warlock, a cosmic curse, an emerald dragon, mind flayers, mimics, gelatinous cubes, and much more.

Back in the real world, they started out as a joke at the request of a friend for a Halloween party in 2008. It was intended to be a one-off thing, but they had so much fun that they decided to write songs and play more shows.

And on the sound they’ve crafted since, the band told us: “Our sound sits somewhere deep in the dungeon between genres. At its core, we’re melodic death metal, but our quest often leads us through the realms of power metal, metalcore, and even a bit of thrash on our upcoming album, FOUL SORCERY. We don’t worry about staying bound to one class or style. We just write the songs we’d want to hear! Riffs heavy enough to shake the depths of the Underdark, and choruses you can shout from the tavern floor.

“Our rallying cry is ‘A D&D campaign that came to life and formed a metal band!’ Each album chronicles our perilous adventures through the world of Ghorusalem and beyond, bringing our tabletop tales to life through song. Every riff, every verse, every battle cry, it’s another chapter in our ongoing saga.”

Our latest taste of this is Sun-Seeker, which was released at the end of last month. It opens up with spoken vocals that drop into dramatic instrumentals, then a cool little riff tees up a lively opening verse led by Brutalitus’ intense screamed vocals. That feeds into a powerful chorus “If only I could be incandescent, Let us bring, This fire and light, Back to the lands, Before they fall to night,” which ends with a delicious guitar solo.

Heavy guitars and drums instantly pick up the pace alongside vicious vocals, before a darting riff and meandering guitar licks end with a bloodcurdling scream. Call and response guitar parts end with a cry of “Praise the sun,” before repeats of “The altar, WE PRAISE, The sunlight, WE PRAISE, Drink from the tide of the sea, My own is what I seek” and a chorus brings it to a lively conclusion.

On the track, the band said: “The reception so far has generally been great! Especially amongst our existing fanbase. For anyone who has yet to listen, you should expect a melodic death-metal tribute to the very popular Dark Souls character, Solaire of Astora, with a catchy, clean chorus, and dynamic changes throughout the song.”

Sun-Seeker is the latest in an impressive back catalogue of music, with five albums released between 2009 and 2020. But it’s the band’s first release since the 2020 release Maelstrom of the Emerald Dragon: Story Mode, which included Mind Flayer and you can check that out in the video below.

The Dethlehem sound draws on a wide range of musical influences, including the offerings of bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Blind Guardian, Be’lakor, Skeletonwitch, Wintersun and At the Gates.

And on what inspires them to write music, the band told us: “We’re all huge fans of music, even if none of us actually rolled a bard! Metal has always been the most fun and fulfilling for us, though our tastes span many genres. When it comes to inspiration, we draw from all corners of entertainment. Books, movies, video games, tabletop adventures, you name it. Those sharp enough to catch the references hidden in our songs are in for a treat, though we try not to make them too obvious. There aren’t really any single ‘key’ topics we stick to, but we always aim to keep things fantastical and adventurous. The journey ahead is unpredictable, and that’s exactly what makes it exciting!”

Dethlehem have just launched a Kickstarter campaign for their next album project FOUL SORCERY, which is set for release next year. They’re also working on a supporting tour and hope to play a few festivals along the way, having previously played the likes of RPM Fest, Mad With Power and MAGFest.

And the band added: “We do this because it’s fun and because we love sharing our adventures with the world! We’re 100% DIY and rely on our amazing, wonderful, and undeniably sexy fans to help spread our tales across the land. So really, what we’re saying is THANK YOU to everyone who has checked us out, liked, shared, commented, or enjoyed what we do. Your support means everything, and we couldn’t do this without you!”

You can follow Dethlehem on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.