Hailing from Newcastle Upon Tyne in the industrial north
east of England, Vendetta was formed in late 2005. Guitarist
Edward Box had already released two solo albums (“Plectrumhead”
and “Moonfudge”) but had grown tired of the genre and so
wanted to try out some vocal inspired material he had
written. Calling on his old friends, guitarist Pete Thompson
and bass player Gary Foalle, the initial plan was to just
try out Ed’s songs and see how they sounded in a fully amped
environment. After just one practice one thing became clear;
to do the songs justice, forming a fully armed and
operational band was the only option. These musicians had
for too long forsaken the music they loved and it was time
to get back to basics and create their own brand of
traditional metal. Drummer Mick Robson was seconded from
fellow rockers 300 ft Gorilla to help out and the job of
learning Box’s compositions began in earnest. By summer 2006
the band was ready to record and twelve tracks were
completed over a hot August. Ed’s first port of call was
Lion Music, with whom he had released his two solo albums,
and a deal was swiftly hooked up. “Tyranny of Minority” hit
the racks in September 2007 and it was indisputably apparent
that the band knew their genre inside out. From the anthemic
“Generation Kill” to the bone crushing “I Executioner”, the
album was a carefully crafted calling card that received a
series of first rate reviews.
Around this time the band sought the services of a permanent
drummer and Lee Lamb was swiftly recruited to the ranks.
With his hard driving and no nonsense style, Lee fitted in
straight away so the band drew on this new found energy and
wasted no time in booking a series of gigs. These culminated
in a special guest appearance at the Storming the Castle
Festival in Northumberland and headline shows at their local
02 Academy in the heart of Newcastle. In between live work
the band also set about writing album number two. The time
spent gigging had really made them gel as a unit and
contributions and ideas came thick and fast from all
members. Released in November 2009, “Heretic Nation” was
received with open arms by the metal community and made
several critics’ year end lists. Consistent and focused, it
featured an array of world class tunes and the band produced
videos for the tracks “My Revelation”, “New Horizon” and
“Killing Time”. Of particular note was the improved rhythm
section and vocals. Vendetta had heeded some of the
criticisms levied at their debut and had responded
accordingly.
After more live work the band got down to the business of
creating a new record. However this coincided with a series
of personal setbacks for various members and so it became
clear that album number three would have a difficult
gestation period. Turning adversity into a rallying cry the
band called upon on every ounce of its professionalism to
deliver what they hope is their best work yet. 2012 sees the
release of “World Under Fire” and Vendetta are ready to take
it to the hilt once more. Featuring ten scorching tracks,
the album has all the hallmarks of its forbearers;
blistering solos, pounding drums, steadfast bass and
impassioned vocals. Added to this already staple mix is a
refined melodic sensibility and additional sonic elements
that bring a heightened depth to the band’s sound. From its
pulse racing opener “Halo in Black” to the epic “All Your
Setting Suns”, it’s clear Vendetta have once again come up
trumps and delivered an album that any self respecting metal
fan will be proud to own.
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