CALVARIA Celebrate "New Era" With "The Serpent Lies Within"

Bristol's CALVARIA [photo: Calvaria]

Bristol-based CALVARIA burst onto the scene in 2023 with debut single "At World's End". Since then, they have been slowly working away with new music, crafting their sound and preparing powerful riffage. New single "The Serpent Lies Within" sees a return to form for the band, with a new line-up and an impetus go far.

I had the pleasure of speaking to guitarist Natasha and vocalist Scott, talking about the track and the band's recent development.

R: Hi guys! Thanks for supporting the page. First things first, who is Calvaria? 

C: We’re a melodic metal band from Bristol, UK. We aim to pay homage to the nostalgic sounds of early 2000s metalcore while combining it with our own modern twist. 

You've been on my radar since your first release, when I was with my old band. How has the band developed and changed since then? 

We’ve had quite a few changes since 2023, the main one being getting three new members who have brought a new energy and dynamic to the band. In terms of songwriting we’ve started to move away from the thrash influences heard in our previous EP and [are drawing] more inspiration from the newer bands that have been blowing up recently.

"It’s a dream of ours to share the stage with bands like Bullet For My Valentine, who are long time inspirations for us"

Your new track, 'The Serpent Lies Within', is out now. Where did the inspiration for the track come from? 

At the end of 2023 we went on a bit of a hiatus while we relocated the band to Bristol and found our new lineup, "The Serpent Lies Within" was the first song we wrote to mark this new era of the band. 

Lyrically the song explores the internal battle with self-destructive tendencies, illustrating the struggles of being one’s own worst enemy. Using religious imagery, the serpent serves as a metaphor for the mind, leading the body down a path of self-destruction and neglect.

"The Serpent Lies Within" is out now [photo: Calvaria]

What are you most looking forward to achieving as a band this year? 

We’re currently working on material for a new EP which we plan to release at the end of the summer, hopefully with a short tour to promote it. There is also talk of something very exciting happening for us within the next year which we aren’t able to reveal yet (so watch this space)!

"‘The Serpent Lies Within’ was the first song we wrote to mark this new era of the band"

And last of all, what would your dream Calvaria gig line up be? Who would headline? Who would support? 

It would have to be main stage at Download Festival with an iconic band like Iron Maiden or Metallica headlining. It’s also a dream of ours to share the stage with bands like Bullet For My Valentine, Killswitch Engage, Alter Bridge who are long time inspirations to us. 

"The Serpent Lies Within" is out NOW on streaming platforms