Cwn Annwn - ProfilesArchive

About Me

"You'll never go anywhere playing that type of music with a band name like that..."
....was a common refrain heard by the members of St. Paul based metal band, Cwn Annwn (pronounced, Coon-uh-NOON, loosely translating as The Hounds of Hell in Welsh mythos.) Their music was outdated. It didn't sound like what was popular. But deaf to the criticism, Cwn Annwn diligently and painstakingly honed their craft. Naysayers slowly but surely became supporters as Cwn Annwn's intense live performances led to capacity crowds at First Avenue, Triple Rock Social Club, Station 4, and other venues throughout the region. Their vision of metal was validated through direct support for established national acts, including Trivium, All That Remains, Exodus, 3 Inches of Blood, Chimaira, Prong, Testament, Divine Heresy, Crisis, Five Finger Death Punch, Watch Them Die, Gojira and others.
Cwn Annwn's music, while decidedly metal, combines a wide array of musical influences to form a sound that is familiar, yet unique. Guitarist and original frontman Neil James' solos and harmonies evoke classic Maiden and Metallica, while bassist Mike Strohkirch's quirky Primus influenced basslines give Cwn Annwn's riffs their distnctive quality. Guitar player Harry Rostovtsev brings a technical aspect derived from Dream Theater prog and Gothenburg pioneers At the Gates. In 2005, drummer Jake Stone joined the group, replacing longtime drummer Marty Allison, incorporating his passion for the complex arrangements of Rush and Tool.
Then, in 2007, shortly after the release of their critically acclaimed debut full length "The Method of Murder," Cwn Annwn shocked their fanbase by announcing that ex-Vile Red singer Julie Schultz would be taking over primary vocal duties, with original frontman Neil James stepping back to focus solely on guitars. Schultz' dynamic voice integrated seamlessly into the band's material, introducing a power and intensity unknown from the band's previous offerings.
With plans to release a new demo in Winter 2007, and several high profile shows on the horizon, Cwn Annwn remains poised to bring their unique brand of metal to a wider audience.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 1/8/2005
Band Website: WWW.CWNANNWN.COM
Band Members: Neil James - Lead Guitars
Harry Rostovtsev - Lead Guitars
Julie Schultz - Lead Vocals
Jake Stone - Lead Drums
Mike Strohkirch - Lead Bass

Influences: Iron Maiden, In Flames, Megadeth, Anthrax, The Haunted, Bad Religion, Tori Amos, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus, At The Gates, Dream Theater, Morbid Angel
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Cwn Annwn on I-Tunes

Recognizing that some of you kids don't recognize that those shiny silver discs containing ones and zeroes are actually a medium to transport and store music, Cwn Annwn is now on Itunes! You can downl...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:27:00 PST

Blood of the Djinn reviews

Have you bought our EP Blood of the Djinn yet? If you haven't, do so on-line! Click here to visit our on-line merch store!One of the best self releases I've heard in a while. I hope someone takes a c...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:20:00 PST

Cwn Annwn CD Release Details/Tickets/More

Everybody, circle your calendar now, and cancel all your weddings and plans.Friday April 11thMr. Chan is helping Cwn Annwn presentCwn Annwn - Blood of the Djinn CD Release showWith!The PimpsDestrophyF...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:18:00 PST

Advance Tickets for All That Remains/Chimaira/Divine Heresy

All you Annwn fans (or non-fans, whomever) can pick up their advance tickets for All That Remains/Chimaira/Divine Heresy/Cwn Annwn show through Ticketmaster via this linkhttp://www.ticketmaster.com/ev...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:32:00 PST

New music update

"When are you guys finally going to make some new music" has now finally overtaken "how do you pronounce your band name" and "could you guys possibly be more handsome" as the most common question we r...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 04:05:00 PST

Print out half price tickets for After Forever w/Cwn Annwn/Ottoman Empire here!

Saturday October 13th, we're excited be contributing to our good friend Swordlord's birthday extravaganza, as we open up for Netherlands prog-metal sensation After Forever!After ForeverThe Ottoman Emp...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Mon, 17 Sep 2007 05:35:00 PST

Introducing a new singer, and answering all of life's questions.

So some of you know this but many of you don't. Effective immediately, I (Neil) will be resigning my vocal post to focus solely on guitars. Julie Schultz (ex-Vile Red) has graciously accepted the ba...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Sun, 22 Jul 2007 10:02:00 PST

A note for those who post html photobucket pictures on our page

Bands/PromotersI post pictures for upcoming shows on other people's pages as much as anyone. Myspace is a fantastic promotional tool for your band, and it's helped everyone a ton. That sai...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Mon, 14 May 2007 05:45:00 PST

Tickets on Sale now for Trivium, Gojira, and Cwn Annwn

Hey everybody, advance tickets are now available for purchase from Ticketmaster for the Trivium show March 12th at Station 4. Advance tickets are $16.You can click here to be taken to Ticketmaster's ...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:46:00 PST

CD Release show details

So it's finally set in stone, here's all the details on our cd release show. Friday October 13th 7th Street Entry, Downtown Minneapolis Cwn Annwn Necromis Cold Colours Less Than Nothing We're extr...
Posted by Cwn Annwn on Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:13:00 PST