While Emerging Shadows is a brand-new band, it’s comprised of longtime players whose backgrounds span the Orlando music map.
In addition to other individual credits, vocalist-drummer Joshua Jauz and guitarist Kevin Tuck are both in local electronic act Protosynthesis, and bassist Aaron Mellick has a full CV that includes Afrobeat flagbearers Bengali 600, live beat band One Drop and ska traditionalists Control This.
But resist the temptation to try and project what a joint between these three minds would sound like. With a stylistic sprawl like that, the Frankenstein possibilities are mind-boggling at best and horrifying at worst. And those probably wouldn’t come too close to what Emerging Shadows actually are.
While they do indeed have a hybrid sound that’s a merger of post-metal and indie rock, Emerging Shadows’ recently released maiden single “Mudlarking” is a pretty coherent debut. The song is brooding, melodic and heavy, occupying a space similar to Tool’s moodiest moments. “Mudlarking” is up on Bandcamp now but is scheduled to be released on all major streaming platforms on Feb. 3.
This article appears in Jan 25-31, 2023.
