Conceptual Prog Metal Band Marzy Maddox Debut “Brand New Day”
Conceptual prog-metal trio Marzy Maddox will be releasing their new EP Copper Oaks on July 23rd, but today you can hear the first single “Brand New Day.”
Marzy Maddox display a sophisticated level of musicianship on the new track (which isn’t unexpected from a band that Sam Ash recently featured), with a unique blend of raw, unshackled energy and engulfing melodies.
“Brand New Day” continues the narrative of Marzy Maddox, a character the band created to be the vehicle for their storytelling. The track is an examination of toxic relationships and how hard it can be to do the best thing for ourselves and just move on.
“‘Brand New Day’ is the story of two people in a broken relationship who view the other person as the cause of their pain,” says vocalist/guitarist Phoenix Johnson. “Neither person is able to recognize their own faults and take responsibility for their words and actions leading to the ending of the relationship. The positive light is realizing that sometimes regardless of blame, it can be the best thing for both people to let go and move forward whether it’s a romantic or platonic relationship.“
“One of the exciting things I’ve chosen to do with the character of Marzy Maddox is using them as a fictional version of myself and the different facets of my personality,” says Johnson.
Prior to the upcoming Copper Oaks EP, each release was its own story set in an isolated universe from the other albums. Influenced by media like Final Fantasy and American Horror Story, which has reoccurring individuals playing different characters, Marzy is a central figure in every story the band tells, but has been a “different” character in each of these sagas.
Following the events of their previous full-length Catching Up to Massimo, which saw Marzy, the leader of the deceased Queen Azrael’s army, successfully destroying the fabled Mirror of Shad’Haran (also the title of a track off the album) preventing The Sorceress from seeing the future. Copper Oaks is the first album to continue one of the previous stories and actually follows one of the secondary characters, Lucille Idrim, as she tries to cope with the death of her brother Massimo and the destiny that has been thrust upon her. Having been betrayed by her lover and former comrade Adrian at the end of Catching Up to Massimo, Lucille deals with this event in the track “Brand New Day.”
“My favorite thing about writing concept albums is trying to make sure that lyrically and emotionally I can still connect to people who might not be interested in the stories,” says Johnson. “Being able to have someone listen to the song and find their own experiences in it is what we always aim to do first with our music. The stories are more for me to use as a way to express how I feel and the events that have happened to me but in a hyperbolic and more fantastical fashion. If people are interested in the stories then that’s a bonus!“