Metal band ‘Thunderforge’ recording new EP

Date: 11/25/2014

EAST LONGMEADOW – Local progressive power metal band “Thunderforge” is currently working on a new extended play (EP), with an anticipated release within the coming months. 

The members of Thunderforge include Julian Conroy on rhythm guitar, Adam Morini on lead vocals, John McLaughlin on bass guitar, Christian Morini on lead guitar, and Zac Curylo on drums.

“We kind of like to mix [genres of music] because a lot people can't take just straight up power metal anymore because it’s not the 1990s,” Adam Morini said. “So, we like to mix a lot of other things in.”

Conroy, 23, one of the main songwriters of the band, said the quintet’s influences range from metal bands such as DragonForce, Helloween, and Iron Maiden to modern pop stars such as Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

“There’s an overwhelming sense of chemistry that is translated to the audience when we play and it’s something that we definitely feel,” he added. 

Adam Morini, 24, said Thunderforge songs also include breakdown sections and elements of symphonic music that is not often heard in power metal.
    The title of one of Conroy’s songs, “Position of the Stars,” is an allusion to a line of dialogue from the 2000 animated film “The Road to El Dorado,” he said.

As well, the story of the song is inspired by an episode of the Twilight Zone called “The Purple Testament,” which is about a U.S. Army lieutenant serving in the Philippines during World War II who gains the ability to see who among the members of his platoon will be the next to die during combat.

“Position of the Stars” is set during a medieval battle from the perspective of a character who can also see who is fated to leave the battlefield alive, Conroy added.

Another song written by Conroy, an 11-minute epic called “In the Time of the King,” also draws upon European medieval literary history and legends. The narrative of the piece is about a king and queen presiding over a kingdom during a golden era of prosperity.

However, the golden era is cut short when the queen is kidnapped and later burned alive, resulting in the king losing his mind, Conroy explained. The kingdom is then drawn into a dark age.

“By the end of the song, they realize that the actual golden age wasn’t because of any king, it was because of themselves,” Conroy added. “And they together as a kingdom bring the golden age back and thrive.”

Conroy said when he writes his songs he has a theme and relates the idea to Adam, who then adds lyrics. Adam Morini completed nearly all of the lyrics to “In the Time of the King.”

The other main songwriter of Thunderforge is Christian Morini, a 2010 graduate of East Longmeadow High School (ELHS). Conroy and Adam Morini also graduated from ELHS in 2008.

“Christian likes a lot of metaphorical stuff and likes to hide a lot of things in the underlay of the [songs] he writes,” Adam Morini said. “The most obvious one is actually a new song we have called ‘Someday’. It's basically about ‘The Hobbit’ and everything kind of hints at that.”

Other songs written by Christian Morini include “Into the Fire,” which includes a biblical reference of Jesus on the mount as seen from the devil’s perspective and a song inspired by HBO television series “Game of Thrones.”

“Christian, John, and I were all drummers at Six Flags [New England] and we decided it would be a good idea to cover 'Through the Fire and Flames' [by DragonForce] for the Six Flags talent show,” Morini said of the band’s roots.

A year later, Thunderforge was founded. The band has played at venues such as Crossroads in Palmer, The Waterfront Tavern in Holyoke, and recently at Westfield State University.

“I like to think that all the members are quite humble,” Conroy said. “There’s just no egos. Thunderforge is essentially the ego and it’s all to benefit that as opposed to each of us.”

Thunderforge’s upcoming EP is being recorded at Conroy’s home in East Longmeadow, he added. The recording equipment being used for the EP is also used by Conroy for his YouTube channel, which consists of metal covers of music from video games.

Two of the band’s upcoming shows include Ralph’s Diner in Worcester on Dec. 5 and the 13th Floor Music Lounge in Florence on Dec. 13.

Thunderforge can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Thunderforge. To listen to the group’s music you can also visit http://thunderforge.bandcamp.com.