Femme-Metal Friday: A Sound of Thunder “Els Segadors (The Reapers)”

Photo credit: Dewey Tron

For those two or three people that follow my blog regularly, it is likely you already know that one of my favorite bands from this decade is A Sound of Thunder, the only thing to come out of Washington D.C. that has integrity, honesty, and a backbone! Not to be corrupted by record labels or pigeonholed by mindless categorization, the Thunder has succeeded on their own terms, continuing to boggle the minds of music biz suits that are so certain that sucking up to the man is the only way to get to the top.

Without help of a record label or (up to recently) management, ASOT has become metal's modern-day grassroots movement: relying on the 21st century variant of “word of mouth”—otherwise known as social media—to bring them new fans. Using Kickstarter as their promotional platform, the Legion of Thunder (i.e., devoted fans) back their belief in the band's talent by contributing to the Thunder's musical endeavors; making sure that the band has all the freedom to create the music they want, without pressure from a record label to write a hit single or to construct an image more suited for mass consumption.

Another component to the Thunder's appeal is their outspoken stance on social and political issues. Whether it is writing about the Memphis Three, contributing to causes such as LGBT rights and charities such as Rock Against Dystrophy, or their “feminist Manowar tribute band” side project Womanowar—the members of A Sound of Thunder are strong in their beliefs and do not back down from random trolls who threaten to leave the fandom for not staying safely middle-of-the-road so as to please those fans.

So then, when the band announced the first single for their upcoming seventh album It Was Metal, it came as no surprise to anyone that they composed a variation on the Catalonian national anthem “Els Segadors”—after all, frontwoman Nina Osegueda is of Catalonian descent. However, what started out as homage to her heritage coincided with current events sweeping the region, and within days of releasing this lyric video (directed by Vicky Ryder), A Sound of Thunder's take on Catalonia's national anthem quickly went viral among Catalonians and became an unofficial anthem for the secession movement.

Perhaps for anyone who had never heard of ASOT before all this finds it as an “out of nowhere” success story, but anyone who knows and loves the Thunder never expected anything less from them than to lead the charge and write the anthems of a revolution. Because, after all, what can be more metal than that?

The song itself, of course, is a national anthem, so it has the cadenced drumming and marching beat that make up the foundation of most anthems. Then you've got Nina's voice, so strong and sure, that it just sounds like she is commanding a rebel army! With lyrics like “raise up your scythes”, and “destroy the enemy, their conceit has sentenced them to death”, if these are translated lyrics from the original, it was already the most metal national anthem before ASOT got hold of it! But once Nina starts singing in Catalonian, it is clear why so many new fans from the region are proclaiming this the new anthem after Catalonia receives independence. Who knows? After all the recent controversy here in the U.S. over our national anthem, maybe A Sound of Thunder can give us a new national anthem as well?

In the words of my friend Craig Phillips, A Sound of Thunder “is the real-life Wyld Stallyns” (Google it, young folks!)—a band that is so loved by everyone that they bring about world peace. Truth be told, ASOT is the only band I have ever successfully “converted” anyone to—everyone I meet who hears them instantly likes them, and goes on to tell others, who like them too. Perhaps Craig's compliment will be a self-fulfilling prophecy, and rewriting the national anthems across the globe will be the start of ASOT's healing of the world.

For more information on A Sound of Thunder, or to contribute to their latest Kickstarter campaign, visit their official website.

Special thanks to Dewey Tron.