Track Premiere: Daughter Chaos “The Space Born”

Daughter Chaos

Daughter Chaos is the new band formed by ex-Armageddon, ex-The Obsessed songwriter/vocalist/bassist Sara Claudius. Together with drummer Yanni Sofianos and guitarist Andrew Pevny, Daughter Chaos forms a power trio the likes of which haven’t been seen (or heard) in melodic death metal since, well, Sweden’s Defleshed bumped into the genre–in only a very minor way–back in the late-’90s. The U.S.-based trio have a new self-titled EP coming out on Claudius’ own label, Abrams Records.

To celebrate the impending release of the self-titled EP, Decibel joined forces with Daughter Chaos to learn more and premiere their brand-new song, “The Space Born.”

Daughter Chaos evolved from Armageddon–a five-piece–into a trio. What were some of the major events that put you on the path the band is currently on?
Sara Claudius: Back in 2015, as the last incarnation of Armageddon was taking off, I did some classic self-sabotage and got on a real self-destructive path. Andrew Pevny (who is now on guitar) was brought in to replace me on bass. They played a gig with an opening band that featured Yanni Sofianos on drums, and were very impressed by his drumming skills. As that incarnation of Armageddon disintegrated, all of us who had been involved were still hungry for more, but we knew it would not continue as it once had been. Fast-forward to 2018. I had returned to a productive, healthy lifestyle. The Armageddon guys called me to see if I’d be interested in playing with them under a new name, without Chris. We played one show in NYC as a five-piece, and Andrew and I had a very productive writing period after that show. After we had recorded the first version of the EP, Antony [Hämäläinen] and Joey [Concepcion] left the band in August 2019. We were left with a decision to make: we wanted to finish what we started, and we also wanted to produce something viable that we could bring to the live stage. It didn’t seem right to bring in an outsider, because of the way the band had formed. It was at this time that I decided to take on vocal duties. This was my first time doing vocals, and I wanted to rise to the challenge and do justice to our legacy. It took another year to finish this EP and get it done to our standards, but we are very pleased with the results.

For Decibel folk who haven’t heard Daughter Chaos (or Armageddon) explain the type of music you create and who are some of the influences that helped inform the new songs?
Sara Claudius: Daughter Chaos is ripping melodic death metal with virtuosic guitar shred and a heaping dose of raw power. With Armageddon’s Captivity and Devourment, I would inject American groove into Chris Amott’s European metal style. When we played the first Daughter Chaos show, we went back and re-learned most of the songs from that album, so it was fresh in our minds when we wrote the new Daughter Chaos material. Arch Enemy has been a definite reference point as well. I personally like to keep a rock and roll edge in the music, influenced by classic bands like Black Sabbath, and as a vocalist/bassist I have kept Lemmy Kilmister in my heart as a guiding star!

Where did the name Daughter Chaos come from? I gather most people attribute that you’re female and are therefore tied to the band name, but there’s probably a more cogent explanation.
Sara Claudius: There is some history behind the name. We intended to use the name Daughter Chaos as the title of the next Armageddon release. Chris and I wrote the title track “Daughter Chaos” together, but it was shelved when I exited the band. The other guys really loved the demo we had made, and when they approached me about starting Daughter Chaos, they wanted to use my song title as the band name. The name Daughter Chaos is a reference to the Earth itself. In the Greek Hesiod mythos, Gaia (Earth) is the daughter of the primordial first environment of Chaos from whence all existence was unleashed, where Chaos is unlimited creative potential, catalyzing all possibilities.

Your new EP, self-titled, is out soon on Abrams Records. Tell us about the EP and who the label is.
Sara Claudius: This EP is a connector of the past (Armageddon) to the present: the new incarnation as Daughter Chaos, and the realization of a long-held vision. I started the label, Abrams Records, to release this EP. I have interest in expanding with other artists, as well as other media, such as visual art.

Any last thoughts before folk hit the play button?
Sara Claudius: Crank up the volume and let our music soothe your heavy soul!! Thank you to all of you who follow our story! It’s an honor to bring you this music!!

** Daughter Chaos’ new self-titled EP is out soon on Abrams Records. Pre-orders are available through Bandcamp now (HERE). T-shirts are also available through Bandcamp (HERE).