Death Valley High’s ‘Death Disco’ music is ‘a funeral procession to dance to’
Sacramento, Calif.-native “Death Disco” band Death Valley High will play 5 Star Bar in Los Angeles, Jan. 11, with supporting act, L.A.based Alt-Metal band Silver Snakes, as part of a 10-date West Coast tour in support of their newly released EP “Duel,” via Minus Head Records.
Having been dubbed
“The new face of Goth Rock,” by Outburn Magazine and with Revolver
Magazine’s declaration, “Death Valley High does to Goth what White Zombie did to metal,” the band is poised to capitalize on their recent momentum.
Death Valley High (DVH), consisting of Adam “A-West” Bannister (drums), Huffy Hafera (bass), Reyka Osburn
(vocals) and Chris Sanders (guitar) has described “Duel” as a sort of modern-day mix tape that defies the rules of a conventional release.
While the first half of the record features covers, the latter half is an offering of intense remixes, lending to the record’s name. Each song on “Duel” features a special guest, including Chino Moreno (Deftones), Spirit in the Room, Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks) and more, each of whom was challenged — along with Death Valley High, themselves — to venture outside their comfort zone.
The Chris Connelly collaboration, Osburn explained via a phone interview, “Came together through an extended friend who was working together with Connelly. He (Connelly) had a band with Paul Barker and he asked us to lend vocals for a project. We chose songs that the other singers would be comfortable singing. Doing the cover of the Eurythmic’s ‘Here Comes The Rain Again,’ I just felt like Chris wanted to challenge Annie Lennox a little bit. It came together fast and we’re proud of the result.”
In addition to the upcoming tour, DVH is releasing a new single today called “Raise Hell,” that’s been added to upcoming set lists.
“It’s a new kind of callto-arms song that plays with images and themes that deal with the occult and horror,” Osburn said. “With a lot of things in the world being so divisive, the track is about raising hell and overcoming the darker aspects of life.”
If a night of in-your-face “Death Disco/Goth Rock” akin to Ministry and Nine Inch Nails is your forté, check out Death Valley
High’s upcoming show at 5 Star Bar, 267 S. Main St., Los Angeles.
Seeing DVH’s energetic, vibrant performance in such an intimate setting where the band members get to feed off of their own energy, as well as the crowd’s, ensures a memorable night.
Having already logged thousands of hours touring between the U.S. and Europe with bands like Killing Joke, Combichrist, Crosses, Powerman 5000 and Orgy, Death Valley High is ready to unleash their high-intensity sets on the West Coast.
Where most macabre music-makers craft anthems for the grave, Death Valley High make songs to wake the dead. These guys don’t dwell in melancholy; this is a funeral procession to dance to. Universal monsters, Hammer films and haunted houses collide within their sonic psyché to update the “Goth Rock” sound for a new decade.
Check out www.deathvalleyhigh.com for ticket information and tour dates.