BradRadRob
(Belfast)
Friday 11 Sep 2026, 2:12pm
I'm a bassist/songwriter based in Belfast looking to put together an original band around material I've already written and demoed.
Musically, I'm imagining dark, atmospheric, progressive rock/metal – think some of the mood, space and heaviness of bands like Tool or A Perfect Circle, rather than necessarily sounding like either of them. Haunting, melancholic and occasionally cinematic, with heavy guitars and powerful riffs alongside quieter, more delicate passages.
Where I'd like to do something a little different is by genuinely incorporating classical instruments – particularly piano, cello and violin – into the band and the compositions.
I don't mean sticking an orchestra behind a metal band or asking a cellist or violinist to make their instrument sound like a guitar. I'd like the classical instruments to retain their own character – cello appearing where a cello belongs, violin carrying a melody, piano taking over a quieter passage or sitting underneath something much heavier. They don't have to be playing constantly; they come in when the music calls for them.
I've already explored this with an approximately 11-minute demo called Halo of Thorns, which moves between atmospheric/orchestral passages and much heavier sections. I'd like to take that approach further and see what it could become with the right musicians.
I'm looking for a guitarist, drummer and vocalist, as well as pianists/keyboard players, cellists, violinists and other classical musicians who find the idea interesting.
I'd particularly like to hear what a female vocalist could bring to the material, but that's absolutely not a requirement – male or female, the right voice is the right voice.
The existing songs are already written and arranged, so think of the demos as the blueprint, but I'm not looking for hired backing musicians. Bring your own feel, sound and ideas to your instrument. If the right people come together, I want this to become a proper collaborative band, with future material potentially coming from any of us.
Age isn't important. Musicianship, creativity, personality, reliability and actually getting along are.
I'm in Belfast, but I'm open to musicians elsewhere in Northern Ireland, Dublin, the rest of Ireland or the UK, and I'm happy to work remotely initially with demos/stems if the right person isn't local.
Ultimately, I'm just looking for musicians who hear Halo of Thorns, understand what I'm trying to create and think:
"I'd like to be part of this."
If that's you, send me a message, tell me a little about yourself and what you play, and I'll happily share the demo.
Let's see if we can create something different.
Robert