South Of Salem

Adding horror-strewn lyrics to blistering, hook-filled, '80s-inspired hard rock and metal, Bournemouth, England's South of Salem manage to root their sound firmly in the 21st century with the use of modern production techniques. They formed in 2018, when individual members of like-minded local bands came together for a jam. From an early stage, vocalist Joey Draper and guitarist Kodi Kasper emerged as South of Salem's key songwriting force, and the lineup was completed by Fish MacDonald on guitar, bassist Dee Aldwell, and drummer Pip Sampson. A shared love of Rob Zombie, Motley Crue, Guns n' Roses, and Avenged Sevenfold -- alongside a passion for classic horror movies -- helped to develop their sound. By their first gig, a February 2020 hometown support slot for Saints of Sin, South of Salem's debut album was already in the can. During sessions with Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, they crafted The Sinner Takes It All, which was released on their own Spider Party label in September that year. The record won them a place on the bill for Bloodstock 2021, and it was during this post-COVID-19-lockdown period that they were able to fully hone their live act. They often walked on stage to the Halloween theme and occasionally augmented their set with covers of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" and Velvet Revolver's "Slither." A December 2022 hometown headline gig, billed as The Nightmare Before Xmas, simultaneously saw Sampson bow out and his replacement, James Clarke, enter the fold. There was a further lineup change in 2023, when MacDonald made way for Denis Sheriff on guitar ahead of sessions with Romesh Dodangoda in Wales for a second LP. October's riff-laden "Left for Dead" was the first single issued from Death of the Party, which arrived in January 2024 and hit the lower reaches of the U.K. album chart.
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