Icarus Witch takes flight

‘You can expect just straight ahead, traditional metal,’ says Pittsburgh native Quinn Lukas, formerly of Hammerd.

PREVIEW by Dave Richards Staff writer

Considering he majored in mortuary science at Gannon University, you might assume guitarist Quinn Lukas plays in a death-metal band.

Nope. Lukas, 25, prefers oldschool metal, the guitar-shredding, melodic type with real singing — not screaming — and progressive-rock flourishes, which bands such as Iron Maiden, Queensryche, and Rainbow favored.

That’s the type of metal Pittsburgh-based Icarus Witch favors — and one Lukas hopes will come back into vogue.

“For the longest time, there hasn’t been a newer band that wants to really fill that void,” said Lukas, who played in Hammerd before joining Icarus Witch in May.

“All the newer metal bands out there, they don’t’ follow the roots of the predecessors anymore. There aren’t many bands with high, melodic vocals anymore. We have a hell of a vocalist [Matt Bizilia]. He’s a monster.”

They don’t indulge in screamo, that howling, anguished, unintelligible style.
“That’s definitely not what we’re about,” Lukas said. “You can expect double leads, harmonies, great vocal lines — just straight ahead, traditional metal.”

A Pittsburgh native. Lukas moved to Erie for college four years ago. Icarus Witch first contacted him in 2003.

“But the timing just wasn’t right,” he said. “I had just started school. So I let things rest awhile. They contacted me again in March, April of this year, and things were just sort of ending. I went down and jammed with them, and they offered me the job.”

HE HAD TO LEARN THE BAND’S material from “Roses on White Lace” and 2005’s “Capture the Magic,” which featured guests George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob) and Frank Aresti (Fate’s Warning).

“They sent me the audition material, so I went over it with a fine-tooth comb,” Lukas said. “They had open auditions and invited a few guys. I guess I ended up beating them all out. I did my best.”

His friends in Hammerd were happy for him landing the gig with Icarus Witch. The band also includes drummer Jere Jameson, a former Erie resident; guitarist Steve Pollick; and bassist Jason Myers.

“They were all ultra-supportive,” Lukas said. “They just loved the fact that I had an opportunity to go and do something. Me and those guys are like brothers. Friends for life, definitely.”

Lukas joined at an opportune time, with Icarus Witch signed to Cleopatra Records and international dates looming. His first show was in Buffalo, N.Y., his third one in Hamburg, Germany, at the Headbangers Open Air Festival.

“This stuff is still huge — metal in general is just huge — over there,” Lukas said. “It was neat to go somewhere where you still see metal videos on MTV. Everyone there — they were definitely about it.”

Metal Church was one of the Headbangers Open Air headliners.

“We played with a lot of the bands we grew up listening to,” Lukas said. “A lot of the new-wave British heavy-metal bands from the early ’80s were there — Blitzkrieg, Girl School. It was funny. I was waiting in line backstage to get food, sort of BS-ing with a guy in line. And he asked me what band I was in and I told him. I asked him the same thing, and he says, ‘I’m Ronnie from Metal Church.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah!’ It was neat.”

This will be Icarus Witch’s first show in Erie. Lukas expects a good crowd.

“Just from my Hammerd experience, I noticed how many people loved older-style metal from the stuff we were playing,” he said. “People were fans of this band way before I was in it. So it’s a smart move to play an Erie show. I’ve been receiving e-mails and reassurances that people are going to be there.”

Plus, he’ll be back home after living on the road a while.

“I can see how messy my apartment is,” Lukas said.

Icarus Witch will perform Friday with a special guest at 10 p.m. at Sherlock’s, 508 State St. Admission is $5.