Photo by Matthew Ahola
HANDSOME DEVILS. From left to right, Devils of Loudun is Drew Tuel, Scott Hermanns, Grant Hogan, Jose Gutierrez and Jamey Pierson.
Devils of Loudun plays a hard-hitting style of heavy metal, featuring a double-guitar attack and gripping vocals. The Tacoma-based band consists of Grant Hogan on vocals, Jose Gutierrez on drums, Jamey Pierson on bass and Drew Tuel and Scott Hermanns on guitars.
Pierson, Tuel and Hermanns went to high school together on Vashon Island. Tuel and Gutierrez were playing in a band that was not working out. Hermanns was writing some original material and asked Tuel to learn one of his songs.
They located Hogan through an ad on the Internet. “A lot of jamming went on before we had an actual band,” Gutierrez remarked. After auditioning several bass players they brought in Pierson, who joined in September. He not only had the time to commit to a band, but he also meshed well with the others’ musical tastes. “Jamey fit in perfectly,” Hogan remarked.
Their first performance was at a party in a house on Vashon Island, which led to the police coming by in response to a noise complaint. Their first club gig was in October at El Corazon in Seattle.
Their name comes from the title of a book written by Aldous Huxley published in 1952. It is a historical account of supposed demonic possession and religious fanaticism in France in the 17th century, based on actual events that occurred in the small town of Loudun.
Hermanms writes much of the music. Many songs begin as rough drafts that he records at home. He brings these to practice and other members add input and make alterations. Hogan writes the lyrics.
Tuel and Pierson live on Vashon. Hermanns lives in Olympia, where he attends Evergreen State College. They practice at Gutierrez’s home in Tacoma. They strongly suspect the house is haunted, which is perhaps fitting for a band that named themselves after a book about people being burned at the stake for being in league with the devil. Gutierrez said one time he heard someone screaming when he was alone. Hogan swears he heard a voice shouting “get out, never come back” on one occasion.
“I hear the house has an interesting background, but I have never looked into it,” Gutierrez commented.
The band is working on their first album, which will be titled “Curses.” They hope to release it sometime in early 2010.
They are getting more live shows. Tuel thinks this is needed for them to reach their potential and increase their fan base.
“We are getting good compliments from people when we play,” Hermanns remarked.
They have been working with Lonnie Reed of Seattle-based Freedom Records, who has been booking their shows. “We love working with him,” Hogan remarked.
For more information on the band visit http://www.myspace.com/devilsofloudunmusic.
Devils of Loudun play Hell’s Kitchen on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.
Commenting rules
Tacoma Weekly is happy to provide a forum for commenting and discussion. Please respect and abide by the house rules:
Keep it clean, keep it civil, keep it truthful, stay on topic, be responsible, share your knowledge, and please suggest removal of comments that violate these standards.
Read full commenting rules