About

HUNTRESS released their buzzworthy debut album Spell Eater in 2012 via Napalm Records. The album, which Metal Hammer calls “a magical debut from the hottest new act of 2012,” was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Chris Rakestraw (Danzig, Children of Bodom and Skeletonwitch).

HUNTRESS fires off a new album one year later! The record entitled Starbound Beast will be released on June 28th in Europe and on July 2nd, 2013 in North America via Napalm Records. The band recorded the album at Hobby Shop Studios in Los Angeles, CA, working with famed producer Zeuss (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, Agnostic Front). The artwork for Starbound Beast was created once again by Vance Kelly (Slayer, Ghost B.C., Mastodon).

HUNTRESS was spawned from the preternatural union of Jill Janus with underground metal bands Professor and Dark Black. They thrive on thundering drums, heavy riffs, spectral solos and catchy choruses that come from the band‘s musical concoction of occult science and bong rips. HUNTRESS remains true to the roots of melodic heavy metal with a penchant for thrash, death and black metal.

Vocals: Jill Janus
Guitar: Blake Meahl
Guitar: Anthony Crocamo
Bass: Ian Alden
Drums: Carl Wierzbicky

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The Biography of Jill Janus

Jill Janus began her ascension into the realm of heavy metal in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Born a farmer’s daughter, Janus came from humble beginnings as one of seven children. Her eccentric family raises white tail deer and fish on a self-sustaining organic farm. A child of divorce at the age of five, Janus moved away from the family farm with her Mother and three siblings into a trailer park in Delhi, NY. Her mother went back to school for a nursing degree and eventually moved her four children to Oneonta, NY. During this time, Jill’s mother discovered she possessed a unique singing voice and a developing coloratura soprano range. Janus landed her first role in an opera at the age of ten with Orpheus Theatre in Oneonta. By the age of fourteen, she received a scholarship to tour Europe with a choir. Her work ethic was fierce growing up, holding down several jobs to fund her vocal training. Between her voice lessons and high school classes, Janus would record thrash songs in her best friend’s basement and was initiated into a coven at the age of fifteen. Witchcraft has guided every aspect of her life since. At the age of seventeen, she won a national vocal scholarship to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

Janus moved to Manhattan to attend school, focusing on music theory. Within her first semester, she began a search for musicians to form Huntress that would span nearly a decade. She worked as a receptionist and landed a modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models upon graduation. That wasn’t enough to fund her music, so Janus began working in New York’s burgeoning nightlife scene as a DJ and promoter, creating weekly thematic parties that would showcase her voice. Her most notable endeavor, the Stereo Show, was a Monday night cabaret at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center. On September 10, 2001 she hosted the very last party on floor 107. Janus left Tower One at 1:00am on September 11. Hours later, life would change drastically. By Christmas, she was hospitalized for severe depression and moved home to the family farm. Janus was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2002, caused by the 9/11 disaster. She remained in Upstate New York with her mother until she moved to Los Angeles in late 2003.

The search for Huntress musicians grew to a fever pitch. Janus spent the next few years writing and recording demos, auditioning several guitarists and drummers, but would never compromise on her vision. In 2008 she met Allison Robertson of The Donnas, who was starting an all-girl cover band with Samantha Maloney (Hole, Eagles of Death Metal, Motley Crue) and Corey Parks (Nashville Pussy). Janus teamed up with the heavy rock hitters and their band Chelsea Girls became a sensation. But it was fleeting, by 2009 it all fell apart. And then she met Professor, an underground metal band from Highland Park, California. She played the boys her demos, which they described as “Diet Maiden”, but they gave her a chance to wail. After one rehearsal, they decided to join forces and become Huntress. They released a three song EP titled “Off With Her Head” in 2010, followed by a self-funded music video for their single “Eight of Swords”. Huntress inked a deal with Napalm Records in November 2011 and has been touring relentlessly since recording their debut album Spell Eater.

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The Biography Blake Meahl and Ian Alden

Blake Meahl and Ian Alden were born and raised in Pasadena, CA where they attended school together. They’ve known each other since the first grade, but truly became friends in the 6th grade cheating on math homework that neither of them had done the night before. Blake and Ian began playing guitar around the age of 13 in punk and crust bands together. This continued through high school. After splitting ways for college, Blake soon expanded his talents to lead vocals for Trigger Renegade, which Ian joined after moving in with Blake when he transferred to UC Santa Cruz. Eventually their lust for heavier riffs drove them to deconstruct Trigger Renegade and form Professor in 2009, releasing two EPs before joining forces with Janus and Huntress.

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The Biography Carl Wierzbicky

Carl Wierzbicky grew up in Lancaster, PA and began playing drums as a kid. He was a founding member of the riff driven Dark Black. Wierzbicky moved to Los Angeles in 2007 to find his ultimate metal band. After several bummer attempts at new bands, Huntress called on Wierzbicky and the rest is history. He is sponsored by Tama drums and Zildjian cymbals.

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The Biography of Anthony “Pockets” Crocamo coming soon…