Danava

Even as the signature sounds of 1970s hard rock and heavy metal have retained their stature, later eras have continually produced groups ready to draw upon, rework, and reframe those foundational lessons. During the 2000s this backward-looking movement attracted an especially fervent audience, so that alongside acts content to revisit the familiar Sabbath/Zeppelin/Aerosmith lineage (Wolfmother, Witchcraft, and The Sword among them) stood others unearthing more obscure touchstones: the psychedelic excursions of Iron Butterfly, the interstellar voyages of Hawkwind, the expansive synthesizer-driven prog metal of Rush, and the frequently overlooked late-decade phase of Black Sabbath documented on Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die!. Portland, OR’s Danava (pronounced do-nuh-vuh) emerged from precisely these wellsprings. The band was founded in 2003 by three Illinois transplants—Dusty Sparkles (vocals, guitar, synthesizer), Buck Rothy (drums), and Dell Blackwell (bass)—with the addition of synth player Rockwell preceding their 2006 Kemado Records debut.