History & Biography The band was a power metal band that pops up every now and then in San Francisco beginning with November of 1982. Brocas Helm released a tape called Demo I in 1983, which featured the following songs: Into Battle, Into The Itherstone, Here To Rock, Ravenwreck and Beneath A Haunted Moon. Two members came from the progressive rock high school band, Prisoner. John Grey was second guitarist on the demo, but departed in 1984.
The group's debut was licensed to SPV for Europe by First Strike Records manned by Record Exchange shop employees. The band was unhappy with the promotion and the cover artwork the label had sprung on the record and eventually negotiated its way out of the contract with one record left on the table. Tom Behney came and went on Black Death, which was released on the band's own imprint. Behney would later join Mind Rape. Ghost Story was a 1994 demo, but this too failed to attract a label. Schumacher worked at a metal record store called The Record Vault in San Francisco at this time. This is where the band had sold most of its demos.
The band has often pre-announced a third album, although diehards would find many singles. The band's lack of success meant there was scant time or funds to record. Also, recording at the home studio meant the band needed money to keep the equipment running. The band would tour Greece in late 2000. A live album appeared in 2004. The band was touring Europe. The group also issued a CD called Defender Of The Crown in that year which featured several older songs. Eat Metal would rerelease it several years later. Brocas Helm played a show to celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary in San Francisco on October 1st 2007. The band played a final concert at Keep It True XIV in Germany on April 30th, 2011, but was booked at the Ragnarökkr Festival in Illinois, USA in 2012 nevertheless. Demonstration Of Might was a 2012 compilation. Wright joined Hexx in 2015, Medieval Metal was another compilation in 2022. The band was booked for Hell's Heroes in 2023 as well as at Old Grave Fest in Bucharest, Romania. The year ended with the band opening for Slough Feg locally.
The original Brocas helm is an armoury piece from the Middle Ages on display in London, England. The stability of the line-up makes a mockery of the interchangeable personnel passengers of all modern taxi bands.
Reviews
Interviews
|
