Tales from the Forge: Storytellers of Metal

An evening with bards of the stage, and page: 4 bands who use their soaring riffs, driving rhythms, and powerful lyrics as the ink to weave their sonic tales.Immerse yourself in worlds both new and familiar; meet characters, mysterious, strange, and heartbreakingly relatable; hear stories that range from epic and mythical, to those that feel as if they were pulled from your own memories.The event also features musical historian Mick Michaels (Corners of Sanctuary), author of "When We Rocked: The Story of the Philadelphia Rock Music Scene 1978 - 1992," with a documentary coming this year!Bands:Bastion's Wake:Formed in 2016, Delaware based Bastion's Wake started with just two people and a vision - combining Sami’s (vocals, 12-string guitar) melodic death and doom influences with Ray’s (guitar) love for playing symphonic power metal. Ray built and programmed "the box" to run their backing tracks and provide audiences with a lush cinematic sound behind Sami’s soaring, haunting, and ethereal vocals, and Ray’s down-tuned technical guitar playing.In 2019, drummer Rob Westbrook came out of retirement after 25 years (ex Pessimist, Cauldron) and brought his son Ben in on bass, finally adding the missing pieces to the sound, the show, and the BW family, to create something fresh and bewitching, yet somehow nostalgic...Prog-power-black metal…with a kiss of doom.Their sophomore album, Go Tell The Bees, delivers audiences more of that sound in a conceptual album speaking stories of grief, loss, and awakening hope, with songs capable of standing on their own, and in an even bigger way.A Thousand Reasons:The Reading, PA based band was founded by Joseph Drenning (singer/guitarist/composer/producer), as a heartfelt outlet for exploring personal and mental health struggles through music, inspired by bands such as My Chemical Romance, Breaking Benjamin, and Thirty Seconds to Mars.In 2022, additional members brought heavy metal influences, electrifying live performances, and a mission to connect with fans through poetic, relatable lyrics.As of 2026, the lineup is stronger than ever. Joining Joe, singer-guitarist Nate Baker, and drummer Jeff Klein, is Volpe Vetrano as the accompanying female vocalist, and Dylan Arndt on bass. This is a new era for a band that has never been more ready, more focused, or more alive.A Sound of Thunder:A Sound of Thunder delivers a unique and exciting blend of classic heavy metal, progressive, and rock. The fiercely independent group of four has become Kickstarter's most successful metal band of all time with good reason: band members Nina Osegueda, Josh Schwartz, Jesse Keen, and Justin Finger, always put the music and fans first.The band is best known globally for their hit animated music video "Udoroth", their viral hit cover of Catalan anthem "Els Segadors", and for their musical collaborations with comic book publisher Valiant Entertainment. Moving into their second decade with no signs of slowing down, "ASoT" is committed to flying the flag of heavy metal and being a band that their fans can love.Corners of Sanctuary:Hailing from Philadelphia, New Wave of Traditional American Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary (COS) formed in 2011 with a desire to bring back the sounds of Classic Heavy Metal.They have performed across the US, in Europe and the UK with many notable artists. COS signed with SODEH Records in late Spring 2023, and released the EP, “Taking Cover” in August, which produced two chart hit songs, “Crazy Horses,” reaching #25 and “Inside Out,” charting at #68 on the World Indie Charts Top 100.In 2026 COS celebrates its 15th Year Anniversary with a new new, “Crimson Sky,” CD reissue of Metal Machine and vinyl edition of 2018’s, The Galloping Hordes! See lessClaymont, Delaware