Holy Shire

BIO

The band was founded by Max (drummer) in October 2009 with the aim of writing and performing original metal music with a symphonic and epic inspiration and fantasy lyrics.
In the summer of 2010 we added female backing vocals and flute to the initial line up of five elements (vocals, drums, bass, guitar and keyboard), essential addition to give our music a taste of magic and fantasy, and then we recorded the first demo of 6 tracks. In autumn we played at Celtic New Year’s Fest in Milan (an important Italian folk festival – “Capodanno Celtico”). In January 2011 we recorded the last song we composed, “Holy Shire”, included in the compilation distributed with “Rock Hard” Magazine in May 2011 with the interview of the band.

Among the several shows done, a very intense and unique one was the concert for the inmates of the Jail of Milan Bollate, in March 2011. Shortly after we added a second guitar to the line up, that became of 8 members . On July 11 we got back to the studio to record an EP, “Pegasus”, which is freely downloadable from FB and two videos, “Moonrise” and the cover of the traditional song “Greensleeves”, available on YouTube. After composing 7 new songs, in May 2012 we recorded our first album “Midgard”. On July 2012 we were selected with “Greensleeves” for the new version of the unsigned bands contest Rock (r) Evolution by Vasco Rossi. Unfortunately the competition was suspended. At the beginning of 2013 we changed some members and a new bassist and an Argentinian opera lady singer joined the band. On April 2013 we shot the new video used to launch the single “Winter is coming”, loosely based on Game of Thrones’ fantasy saga. In March 2014 we signed with Bakerteam Records for the distribution of our debut album “Midgard” and planned its launch with video and important concerts such as the Masters of Rock in Czech Republic, Metal for Emergency playing as opening act to Mago de Oz, Unicorn Fantasy Festival in Vinci (Tuscany) and Lucca Comics & Games. We shot a second video for the song “Bewitched (My Words are Power)” from “Midgard” inspired by the character of the red witch Melisandre (Game of Thrones). At the end of 2014 we joined the roster of Bagana Rock Agency and announced that a new singer joined the band following the departure of former vocalist, as well as our former flutist, replaced by a new lady flutist in 2015.

In 2016 we continued the live promotion of “Midgard” in clubs and festivals. In May 2017 we started recording the second album, with the production of 3 songs by Masha Mysmane (Exilia), shot the new video of the future first single “Danse Macabre”. End of September we mastered the album @ Finnvox Studio and start chasing for a new label contract.
The new album will be named “The Legendary Shepherds of the Forest”, contains 10 new songs inspired by fantasy themes but also by historical suggestions, and there are 4 guest lady singers
duetting with Aeon. At the beginning of 2018 a new singer joined as Unicorn vocals. In March 2018 we signed the digital distribution contract with Heavy Metal Records (Revolver Records, UK).
After a small revolution in mid-2019, the line up was renewed and after an experiment with a double bass player closed after about a year, it stabilizes with the current: 7 components with two new guitarists, a new bassist and a new Unicorn vocals.

Following the forced shutdown of almost two years due to the pandemic, we returned live, and after completing the pre-production of the third album, we entered the studio in mid-2023, we completed the recordings in early 2024, mixed (Frank Altare – Orion Recording Studios), mastered at Elephant Studios LT and presented on 28 June 2024 the new album “Invicible”, live at Rock on the Road and digitally distributed by Ghost Record Label. The new album was preceded by the Lyric video and single of “M9”, inspired by the myth of Medusa, with Julie (Unicorn vocals) who plays it in the pictures curated by theMaxx. The song “the Seduction of Hollowness” was chosen by the Civic School of Cinema in Milan “Luchino Visconti” for the video project of the students of the third year, an incredible experience for us. Now we are live to promote it!