Prosthetic Records

The names Priest, Maiden, Armored Saint and Dio conjure an image of legendary, classic metal acts who value precision playing, killer vocals, masterful songwriting and a sense of lyrical mysticism and fantasy (as well as the occasional tale of epic partying). In recent years, a new batch of bands who share these core values and characteristics have begun bubbling to the surface of this metallic primordial ooze; at the head of this new “wave” in metal is the Los Angeles quintet HOLY GRAIL.

Originally known as Sorcerer, HOLY GRAIL formed when three members of the band White Wizzard decided to go out on their own. The band is helmed by vocalist James Paul Luna, a native of Van Halen’s hometown, Pasadena. A classically trained singer whose monster pipes have drawn comparisons to Sebastian Bach, Rob Halford and Ronnie James Dio, Luna was also recently heard providing vocals in a Gamestop commercial for the new video game, “Brutal Legend.” He’s backed by virtuoso guitarists Eli Santana and James J. LaRue, whose interweaving shredding and riffing harkens to an imaginary time when Yngwie Malmsteen and Marty Friedman jammed together. Tyler Meahl and Blake Mount form the thunderous rhythm section whose power could shake the foundations of Valhalla itself.

In the short few months after the band’s inception, they received a full-page feature in the L.A. Weekly, toured the Western U.S. and signed to Prosthetic Records, who released their debut EP, “Improper Burial,” in late 2009. The CD version features two original tracks, “Immortal Man” and “Fight to Kill,” alongside Accept and Judas Priest covers, while the vinyl version contains only the two original tracks. The artwork was done by the infamous Ed Repka (Megadeth, Death, Nuclear Assault). The band toured in November with 3 Inches of Blood and Saviours in support of the EP and have already been confirmed for 2010’s Tusca Open Air Festival and Wacken Festival, as well as a slot of Amon Amarth’s spring 2010 North American tour.

HOLY GRAIL will hit the studio in February with producer Danny Lohner to record their debut full-length, “Crisis In Utopia,” which was picked by Decibel for their “25 Most Anticipated Releases of 2010” list.

Pick up “Improper Burial” now, and check out HOLY GRAIL live in your town to witness the glory of timeless heavy metal today!