Huntress, European Tour Blog #2: Karaoke, the ‘Ideal’ Metal Voice + Genius Rider Requests

Huntress are currently on an all-out assault of Europe with the mighty DragonForce. The California metallers are touring behind Spell Eater, their 2012 debut album.

A tasty slab of traditional and more modern Euro-flavored metal, Spell Eater will surely make the year-end lists come December.

While Huntress are out on the DragonForce tour, singer Jill Janus will be blogging for Noisecreep and today, we're proud to bring you her second entry!

From Jill Janus:

Hey Noisecreepers,

First of all, these whore claws make typing a real nuisance. Secondly, SCANDINAVIA. Huntress is twelve shows deep on tour with DragonForce in Europe. The next level came when we reached Olso, Norway. Advanced apologies for speaking in video game lingo due to the major Frogger competition occurring nightly on the tour bus between Anthony Crocamo, our new duel lead guitarist and Carl Wierzbicky, our crushing drummer. Anyhow, back to SCANDINAVIA. I am stunned at the intense response Huntress has received in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Scandinavia makes DragonForce darker. They are shredding heavier than I've ever heard before.

I'm sitting backstage in Aarhus, Denmark at Train, and the crowd is chanting DRAGONFORCE! DRAGONFORCE! DRAGONFORCE! The last time I wrote, we had just played Stockholm, Sweden. That morning we took a 12 hour ferry ride to Finland. It's kinda like a floating Euro Vegas. I despise Las Vegas, so I made sure to tranq myself with sleeping pills to avoid any karaoke smack downs (I'm a sucker for Heart karaoke, don't make me drop "Alone" on you). I woke up the last hour to walk along the top deck, and it was indeed breathtaking. I truly feel I'm here to conquer every country in Europe, I know I have wars to win and endless battles ahead of me. I don't fuck around. I came a long way to spread it, shred it and behead it with Huntress.

My militant mindset creates a very disciplined lifestyle. I am ruled by my voice. I no longer drink or party, which sucks, but touring demands that I remain healthy. I'm often asked how I maintain the voice on tour. It's part discipline, part mysticism. And lots of eating; I literally have to eat all day long, every hour, or my stamina lacks. I always meet and greet fans for 15 minutes, then go on complete vocal rest until the next morning. The foundation is classical, without my operatic training, I doubt I could keep wailing night after night. It all starts with the breath. I often find myself on stage, mid-song, reminding myself to breathe. Always from the diaphragm, until my belly burns.

The longer I tour, the more effortless this process becomes. I spent a year prior to recording Spell Eater on stripping away the classical inflections and re-birthing the voice. I was born with a four-octave coloratura soprano range, which makes my witchy Fry scream vicious. But I could not have achieved my ideal metal voice without the guidance of Melissa Cross. Our lead guitarist, Blake Meahl, turned me onto her DVD, The Zen of Screaming, and it changed my life. I don't lose my voice anymore. I became her student earlier this year, during our first U.S. tour with DragonForce. I showed up drenched at her Manhattan studio in a midst of a thunderstorm and didn't leave for three hours. She's the Sorceress of Screaming. Start with her. Melissa Cross holds the secrets.

Watch 'Spell Eater' Video

Once again, I have to hustle to make bus call. I have the task of washing the band's laundry and I started at sound check. I just ran past the merch table into the venue's basement to load their old dinosaur dryer. Shit's about to get real because the jeans are not drying fast enough! I stole a pizza from DragonForce again (genius rider request) and I'm about to pound a Coca Cola and get serious. Good night from Denmark, more chores in store for next week. Heavy heavy, JJ

Pick up Huntress' debut album, Spell Eater, on iTunes and Amazon. Catch Huntress out on tour with DragonForce and Kissin' Dynamite.

Tour dates: