Stephanie Jewell sat down with Dan Brittain from Silent Knight, a wicked power metal band, ahead of playing the Stormrider Heavy Metal Festival next weekend. Silent Knight are Dan Brittain (vocals), Cameron Daw (bass), Stu McGill (guitar), Cam Nicholas (guitar), and Dan Grainger (drums).
Steph: Tell me about yourself?
Dan: Hello, I am Dan Brittain, I sing lead vocals in Silent Knight.
Steph: How did you come to be a part of Silent Knight?
Dan: I met Stu three or four years prior to joining and built a rapport with him. I asked him to co-write a song with me on an album I did in 2019. That turned out really good. And then I got a call one day to learn a bunch of songs really quickly, and that’s how it happened!
Steph: What would you say have been some highlights so far for Silent Knight as a band?
Dan: Since I have been in the band, recording Full Force, and putting that out.
Steph: That’s a great album, do you have a favourite track?
Dan: Probably Create A New World.
Steph: In terms of the sound of Silent Knight’s music, how would you describe it for people who haven’t heard of you guys before?
Dan: I would say that its heavy, power speed metal, with some really classic European and American influences
Steph: Speaking of influences, if you had to put together a lineup of five bands, who would you pick?
Dan: I would put Motorhead, AC/DC, Silent Knight of course, Adrian Steele, and Riot, the thunder steel lineup.
Steph: Is there any that you would avoid?
Dan: Any new metal band probably, I don’t like it at all
Steph: I heard that Silent Knight have just returned from a tour in Germany and the UK, tell me about that?
Dan: We went over for a couple of weeks and did a few shows. In Germany, I don’t know the exact location, but we played at Headbangers Open Air Festival. It was my first time to Germany and England. Heaps of fun, drank a lot of beer, met some really cool friends. Rocked pretty hard, it was great. We played with groups like Sodom, Armored Saint, Evil Invaders, another Aussie band called Nothing Sacred, and they were really, really cool. It was awesome getting to play with those guys.
Steph: Out of all the bands on the Stormrider lineup, is there anyone that you are excited about seeing?
Dan: Black Majesty, Elm Street and Woewarden.
Steph: Tell me about your writing style?
Dan: I don’t really think about it too much at all, it just appears in my brain and if I am not doing anything, I can write it down or record something quickly, so I don’t forget it. Usually, its melody and lyrics at the same time. Cam and Stu usually take care of the lion share of the writing and it kind of forms that way. But for the Full Force album, Stu and I collaborated and did things separately and then it came together, and that song was Dark and Mysterious Times.
Steph: Tell me about your evolution as a vocalist?
Dan: I first started singing in primary school and did it all throughout high school. I started singing in rock and metal bands when I was twelve. I think the first actual gig I played I was fourteen, and we played Megadeth, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, KISS, and I have just done it since then.
Steph: Is there any band that you would love to sing for, if you could get the chance?
Dan: I am pretty stoked to be singing in Silent Knight, it is definitely my kind of thing. There aren’t a lot of bands like that, they aren’t very common. I am pretty lucky.
Steph: If you could do anything else musically, what would you do?
Dan: I do play other instruments, but singing is my main focus. I am pretty proficient at bass and guitar which is how I do all of my song writing. I play clarinet as well and have played that as a child. Probably piano.
Steph: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Dan: I would like everybody to come to Stormrider for its 10 year anniversary and support the local and Australian metal scene and see that we have got some really world class metal bands to put on display and its going to be one hell of a weekend and we will see you there!
A very big thank you to Silent Knight and Stu from Stormrider Touring. Be sure to get along to Stormrider Heavy Metal Festival, happening Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th August 2024 at Amplifier over both nights, celebrating Stormrider’s 10 year anniversary. You can catch Silent Knight playing on the Stormrider stage on the Saturday night. Tickets available here.
You can follow Silent Knight: @SilentKnightBand | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Bandcamp
Photos: Supplied by band
