Meet the Band: Kräken

Name  Kräken

Members  Rhythm guitar/vocals, Michael “Flash Saturn” Howell; bass/back-up vocals, Willie “Trixie” Einhorn; drums, Evan “High Magus Sparkles” Phillips; lead guitar/vocals, Chris “Krÿs Blÿzzard” Harrah

Genre  Classic heavy metal

Origin of name  In Michael’s words, “There’s no epic story.” Chris was vacationing in Florida, as his rock-star lifestyle often requires him to do, and he was “thunderstruck” by the name Kräken.

Together since  The founding members, Chris and Michael, started the band in the summer of ’05, but did not realize its full potential until adding Willie and Evan in the summer of 2007. They’ve been jamming ever since.

Inspiration  “KISS started us,” said Chris, emphasizing that KISS is spelled in all caps. Their inspiration is knowing that there are so many bad bands out there; plus, they want to be able to bring good music to today’s youth.

Writing process  “We get together and make insanity,” said Chris, displaying the band’s sheer modesty. Chris only writes the best music, he said. When he gets hit with inspiration, he makes sure a bad guitar player couldn’t figure it out in five minutes. THEN he writes it down.

Why do they do it?  “Because we love music,” said Michael. 

Professional experience  Evan is  in two other bands and has played The NorVa several times. He has five years of drumming experience under his belt. Chris has been shredding for six years. Michael has been playing guitar for three years.

In the pre-Kräken era, Willie was a member of another band . He has been playing bass for five years.
Artists and bands they admire  First and foremost, KISS, Rush, Mötley Crüe, Yngwie   Malmsteen, Van Halen, Yes, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Boston, Winter Sun, Megadeth, “too many to count.”

Quote: “Take your favorite band, make it metal, multiply it by 1,000 – you have Kräken on a bad day.”

Contact  Kraken_band@yahoo.com or www.myspace.com/krakenroll

Upcoming gigs  For shows, check on the band’s MySpace page.

– Saul Brodsky, 757