In 2018 King Kraken arose from the murky depths. A disturbing marriage of five guys from South Wales with only one mission. To lay waste to anything in their path with huge slabs of monster riffage. Since it’s inception, King Kraken have had some notable achievements including reaching the finals of Bloodstock: Metal To The Masses, playing both Sheffield 02 and Birmingham 02 and recording with legendary producer Romesh Dodangoda. They have slowly built a following over the last two years and received some very favourable reviews. King Kraken’s goal is to play as many gigs as possible whilst continually writing new material. With Mark Donoghue on vocals, Pete Rose on Rhythm Guitar, Adam Healey on Lead Guitar, Karl Meyer on Bass and Richard Lee Mears on Drums there is no stopping the beast!
King Kraken are:
MARK DONOGHUE – VOCALS
Cutting his teeth on the local cover circuit since the 90’s Mark has developed his own gutteral, gravel etched style of vocals. Leaning towards the heavier end of the musical spectrum his influences include Black Label Society, Rob Zombie, Metallica and too many others to mention. As well as writing music for many years he also writes horror fiction which can sometimes lend a dark edge to the lyrics of King Kraken.
PETE ROSE – RHYTHM GUITAR
Pete has been on the South Wales music scene since the late 1990s and has played in predominantly high octane original bands. Writing, recording and playing live has always been his main musical release. A drive for a band with focus, fiery hooks and excitement lead him to create ‘King Kraken’. With many different influences and genres we all enjoy, a new sound has evolved.
KARL MEYER – BASS GUITAR
For the last 10 years, Karl has been playing in Swansea based successful covers bands such as This River, The Shuffle and Elphies Kingdom. Karl has been playing since 1992 and he is the riffmeister of the band. Mainly influenced by the heavier side of music such as Slayer and Sepultura Karl has been involved in 4 other albums over the years and is really enjoying the new sound King Kraken have developed.
ADAM HEALEY – LEAD GUITAR
With his feet firmly planted in the rock genre Adams many influences include classic rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Spooky Tooth up to more modern-day artists such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Van Halen. He has enjoyed success with a number of bands notably Ataraxis Vibration and Pilgrim. Adams unique style perfectly complements the heavy sound of King Kraken with warmth, texture and precision.
RICHARD MEARS – DRUMS
Playing drums from the tender age 14, Richard honed his skills on the local circuit with originals and cover bands. His influences range from Pantera and Slayer to Clutch and CCR. Richard eventually hit the international stage with original bands such as Iron Beard, Never Ending Suicide and The Boom Sons to now a permanent fixture as the drummer of King Kraken.