EPK – Siege Perilous – Becoming The Dragon (2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“One of the big goals was to create a narrative concept album experience while also allowing each individual track to stand on its own, and while that was challenging, I think we accomplished that, so whether you are listening to the entire album or just revisiting a favorite track, audiences will find both experiences to be rich and fulfilling. This was a really cool and interesting writing experience, as we had contributions from every band member in the writing process. We started off in early 2024 by writing the larger story and determining what the different story beats for each track would be, and then people kind of chose which story beats they wanted to tackle. Each song had a kind of originator who put the basics of the track together on some level, and then we worked together to edit, revise, and flesh out the arrangements until we got something that really gelled and really told the story in interesting and dynamic ways.” – Siege Perilous – Shaughnessy McDaniel – Vocals
Band: Siege Perilous
Album Title: Becoming The Dragon
Release Date: March 27, 2026
Label: Crunchtronic Records
For fans of Wind Rose, Hammerfall, Sabaton, Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden
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“It gives me great pleasure to tell you that Creation’s Call is a blast. Siege Perilous has succeeded in creating what I would call Epic Power Metal for the Working Man. They don’t waste your time with overlong symphonic interludes between tracks, melodramatic narration, or overproduction that tests the limits of your sanity. The band gets right to the point and pulls you into their epic tales of heroic daring immediately. This is a nice breath of fresh air and if this EP is anything to go by, Siege Perilous has a great future ahead of them. Yes, this could be considered power metal but the no-nonsense approach and urgency to the songwriting makes this release absolutely worth checking out for those of us in the NWOTHM scene. Plus, it’s really just a lot of fun. This one is highly recommended. THENWOTHM SCORE: 9/10” – The NWOTHM (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“‘Creation’s Call’ never gets boring, even on Heavy Rotation. Five gifted musicians have succeeded in creating a varied EP. The twin guitar solos are convincing the whole time. It’s just a shame that it ends after twenty-one minutes. It makes you wish for a full-length album. And, of course, a thrilling live performance. 9.3/10” – Metalheads Forever Magazine (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“solid power metal style that should satiate any LARP-attendees or Dungeons and Dragons mavens. Keep an eye on this quintet – wield thy sword as they lead the battle charge for more quality power metal from the states. 8/10” – Dead Rhetoric
“If you’re a fan of traditional power metal with a modern twist, Siege Perilous is a band you need to discover. Their self-released EP is a promising glimpse into what they’re capable of, and it’s clear that they have the potential to become major players in the genre. 8/10” – My Global Mind (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“Denver metal mob reckon that their goal on “Creation’s Call” was to build a world and tell a story in “three to five minutes.” It’s a world of fantasy, as “Oathsworn” proves, where metal rules and swords are held high. “Across The Rubicon,” however, is delivered with such skill that you can’t resist getting sucked in with them. Shaughnessy McDaniel has a brilliant “metal” voice, roaring on “Sons Of The Verdant,” and guitar duo Scott Hancock and Cody Martinez can knock out a NWOBHM riff like it’s 1982, as the title song underlines. “Brothers Of Five” brings the epic one last time, galloping in proper fashion, and it’ll be interesting to see how Siege Perilous develops. This is one hell of an opening statement, mind you. 8.5/10” – Maximum Volume Music (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“Creation’s Call not only highlights Siege Perilous’ dedication to epic storytelling but also emphasises their versatility within the power metal genre. With influences ranging from historical events to high fantasy, this EP offers a rich and varied auditory experience that will captivate fans. Prepare to embark on a grand journey through myth and history as Siege Perilous delivers their latest saga.” – Amplify The Noise (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“Creation’s Call it is a cohesive and well-crafted work, where the combination of rich letters in history and fantasy, with a meticulous musical execution, it makes mandatory, regardless of its short duration. [82%]” – Via Nocturna (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“Creation’s Call doesn’t get boring even in heavy rotation. Five gifted musicians have created a varied EP. The solos of the twin guitars are convincing across the board. It’s just a shame that it’s over after twenty-one minutes. You want a full-length album. And of course a sweaty live performance. 9.4/10” – Keep On Rocking (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“Colorfully mixed NWOTHM/Epic Heavy/Power Metal elixir that appeals to a broad range of fans between ALESTORM, BATTLEROAR, ETERNAL CHAMPION, GATEKEEPER, IRON MAIDEN, RUNNING WILD and WRATHBLADE. Awakens a huge appetite for a full long-play album. On this EP you can clearly see that the band has enormous potential and has already given a great taste of their skills. Conclusion: Strong-looking genretobak that falls out of the usual range! 8,5/10” – FFM-Rock (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
““Oathsworn,” hits the guns from the get go, slamming through the turnstiles of time and building the great beyond.” – The Median Man (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“America’s Siege Perilous release new EP CREATION’S CALL – 5 slabs of hard and heavy metal with a twist of power metal.” – Loud Enough Magazine (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
““Oathsworn” simply explodes out of the gate. The band ratchets every possible dial up to 11 and charges into battle with an epic statement of intent.” – Nine Circles (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
““Brothers Of The Five” offers classic power metal as you would appreciate it. The strain on the neck muscles is correspondingly high and in some places the number cannot deny a slight Maiden stable smell.” – Hellfire Magazin (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“This is traditional/power metal awesomeness. It gives off big Iron Maiden meets Hammerfall vibes, and I am all for it! Much like the previous EP, it had me hooked from the excellent opener, through the awesome ‘Creations Call’ and to the epic closer.” – Overtone Magazine (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“if you dig keep it true, epic, and fast and heavy metal with fantasy and historical themes, you will enjoy Siege Perilous and their latest EP, Creation’s Call. Recommended.” – Dangerdog Music Reviews (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
“a thunderous gallop of heavy come power metal, immensely infectious with a sky high level of head bang ability.” – Frenzy Fire Metal & Rock Reviews (2024 – Creation’s Call – EP)
Track Listing:
1. Overture (Instrumental) – (2:37)
2. Ancient Rite – (4:37)
3. As the Dragon Falls (feat. Fabio Lione) – (4:33)
4. Child of Prophecy – (4:05)
5. Shattered Mirage – (4:07)
6. Chieftain – (4:03)
7. Cut Down – (3:01)
8. Echoes of Home (feat. Kristin Starkey) – (4:48)
9. Becoming the Dragon – (5:09)
10. Eschaton – (7:50)
Album Length: 44:54
Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by:
Shaughnessy McDaniel – Vocals
Scott Hancock – Guitar
Cody Martinez – Guitar
Ryan Flanagan – Guitar
Eric Fischer – Bass and Violin
Mark Girard – Drums
• All songs written by:
Shaughnessy McDaniel
Scott Hancock
Cody Martinez
Ryan Flanagan
Eric Fischer
Mark Girard
• Produced by: Alex Carrillo
• Mixed by: Alex Carrillo
• Mastered by: Alex Carrillo
• Album Artwork by: Leighton Buxman
• Member of ASCAP
Album Band Line Up:
Shaughnessy McDaniel – Vocals
Scott Hancock – Guitar
Cody Martinez – Guitar
Ryan Flanagan – Guitar
Eric Fischer – Bass and Violin
Mark Girard – Drums
Live Band Line Up:
Shaughnessy McDaniel – Vocals
Scott Hancock – Guitar
Ryan Flanagan – Guitar
Eric Fischer – Bass and Violin
Mark Girard – Drums
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About The Album Artwork:
The album artwork, done by the amazingly talented Leighton Buxman, depicts the climax of the story where our titular hero finally becomes the dragon and seizes his destiny. We wanted a vibe that had a combination of dark and high fantasy, and Leighton did an amazing job capturing that vibe through this magical ritual where our hero is transformed. She also did a great job of incorporating small elements and nods for the other songs, like the banner of the “Chieftain” and the shards of the Crystalline dunes mentioned in “Shattered Mirage”. It’s such a tremendous encapsulation of the story we are telling and the vibe we are trying to cultivate on this new album.
About the album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
“Becoming the Dragon” is a cinematic journey following the Child of Prophecy as he follows his path, then denies his destiny, and then slowly comes to realize that only by embracing it can he truly overcome it. This story takes twists and turns from the mysterious to the tragic, and we really wanted to reflect that musically with a wide variety of tones, emotions, and musical approaches. Each song is its own unique entity, but together they form something that we believe audiences will really find magical.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)
Overture – We wanted to welcome people into the story and album with an overture that featured interestingly arranged snippets from the other songs. Since Ryan joined after the bulk of the core songwriting process, we wanted him to arrange this piece, and he did an amazing job. It really throws in a lot of flavors from the rest of the album while also keeping a unique identity, and it is a great way to ease audiences into the immersive world of “Becoming the Dragon”.
Ancient Rite – This song starts with a somber and mildly ominous intro as we take the audience into the world of the prophecy that engulfs our protagonist. It’s airy in a lot of parts with a strong driving verse, which helps to set the stage for the rest of the story.
As the Dragon Falls (feat. Fabio Lione) – This song is a dream come true for long-time Rhapsody and Fabio fan Shaughnessy. Musically, this song also attempts to combine Siege’s unique style with the power metal sound of classic Rhapsody. Fabio plays the dragon that the protagonist is sworn to slay and while this starts off as a classic fantasy tale, it takes a dark twist as Fabio’s dragon warns Shaughnessy’s knight that slaying him won’t free our protagonist but rather will keep him a prisoner of his own destiny. Starts off as an optimistic heroic tale that turns quite dark by the end.
Child of Prophecy – A very Iron Maiden-esque melody and guitar combination tells the story of the protagonist questioning whether his destiny will ever free him or anyone else, or if it’s simply a cage. A philosophical track about fate, freedom, and prophecy.
Shattered Mirage – Delving into a dark and heavy sound, this track shows our hero leaving the world he has known behind. His caravan is ambushed in a desert where the sands are constantly being struck by lightning, forming dunes of glass and encapsulating the bodies of the slain. Does the hero see his future? His past? Or simply the inevitability of death? Musically, this song features some interesting use of double-layered vocals that give off echoes of Hansi Kursch while still retaining Shaughnessy’s unique vocal quality.
Chieftain – Having survived the Crystalline dunes, our hero finds his way to the Infinite Steppe, a vast wasteland where warring tribes vie for control. There, he follows a mighty Chieftain to victory. When the Chieftain perishes, our hero seizes control and cuts a bloody swath through his enemies. This song’s fast driving rhythm, complex arrangement, and chanty chorus give it a unique spirit and one that we hope will get the audience’s blood pumping.
Cut Down – This is one of the most old-school and traditional heavy metal-sounding songs we may have ever done. Combining vibes from Judas Priest, Dio, and a hefty dose of Manowar, Cut Down is a high-octane track that finds our hero continuing his bloody campaign of conquest. Eventually, he realizes that all he’s become is a villain who can’t contribute anything to the world other than blood and death, and gives up his title of Chieftain to return home.
Echoes of Home (feat. Kristin Starkey) – This song musically is a nod to Jim Steinman/Meatloaf and also to Tobias Sammet and his work in Avantasia. This has some great 70s and 80s power ballad vibes, driven by piano and strong orchestration supporting killer vocals from Starkey and soaring leads from the guitar. This power ballad forms the “all is lost” moment of the album, where the protagonist returns home to find that his enemies have found it and put it to the torch and its people to the sword. Here, he encounters the Mystic (Twilight Force and Temperance vocalist Kristin Starkey), who reprimands our hero for leaving, but together they decide on a plan for our hero to seize his destiny, become the dragon, and fight the cosmic forces of destiny.
Becoming the Dragon – Having chosen to embrace his destiny to fight the one who made it, our hero summons magical forces to transform himself into the titular dragon. This song features thunderous drums, shredding solos, and a really killer bass interlude that builds the song towards its high-impact climax.
Eschaton – This sweeping narrative features a lot of different musical movements within as the hero battles the forces of destiny, shattering the universe in order to rebuild it as one free of fate. Inspired by songs like “And Then There Was Silence” by Blind Guardian, “The Scarecrow” by Avantasia, and “Fear of the Dark” by Iron Maiden, this song is an epic with a lot of pieces that flow seamlessly between each other, telling the story of the end of one cosmos and the dawn of a better one.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
The Collaboration with Fabio: Shaughnessy has been a Rhapsody fan since he was 16, and so this collaboration is a dream 20 years in the making. When he wrote “As the Dragon Falls,” he had a long list of different vocalists he wanted to collaborate with, but Fabio was at the top of the list, and he didn’t even have to ask his second choice. He really appreciated Fabio’s warm and friendly attitude towards collaboration and thinks the results speak for themselves.
Kristin Starkey, from teacher to collaborator: Shortly after Shaughnessy saw Kristin filling in for Alesandro Conti during their tour with Gloryhammer in early 2024, he signed up for vocal lessons. He really appreciated the advice not just on singing, but on writing, marketing, and the business, and he really appreciates the friendship and rapport the two have built over the last two years. And she’s been a great support that he said has really helped him grow and feel confident in his vocal abilities far beyond what he could have imagined.
Echoes of Home: Shaughnessy wrote Echoes of Home during a pretty hard time for him personally. Shortly after his son was born, he lost a great deal of weight and had to be admitted to the NICU. The room was small, and there was only a couch for sleeping, so at night, Shaughnessy would go home while his wife stayed with their son. It was during these nights when everything seemed grim that he started writing “Echoes”. It really fuelled the sadness and sense of loss that became the core of “Echoes of Home”. Not to worry, though, his son is happy, healthy, and celebrates his second birthday in February of 2026.
Child of Prophecy: This song has an interesting history because the first draft was written long before any of the other tracks of the album, and was at least in a small way the inspiration for the main overarching story. However, when we recorded the version we had written in pre-production, something about the track was not clicking, and the song felt off. The problem was that we had already completed drum tracking, and going back to do more would have cost a lot of money and potentially thrown off our entire budget. In came Ryan, who, within just a day or two, had re-arranged the entire track with the stipulation that the original drums needed to stay intact. The result is a tighter and more on-point version of the song than had ever existed before, and it is a track we are incredibly proud of and excited to share with everyone.
Writing Process: Quite a few people outside of the band commented that our full-band collaborative writing process sounded crazy to them. And while some people originated certain key ideas or skeleton frames of the songs, ultimately, all of us had a hand in shaping each track. It had challenges and required people to really work on communicating, compromising, and collaborating, but in the end, the result is an album that has a lot of each member in its DNA, and that’s something really special.
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Left to Right: Mark Girard (Drums) | Eric Fischer (Bass) | Shaughnessy McDaniel (Vocals) | Ryan Flanagan (Guitar) | Scott Hancock (Guitar)
Photographer Credit – Gii Astorga
Forged in the fires of fantasy and history, Siege Perilous is a Colorado-based power metal band dedicated to telling stories as grand as the battles and legends that inspire them. Born from the camaraderie of live-action roleplay and a shared love of cooperative storytelling, the band was founded by Shaughnessy McDaniel (vocals), Scott Hancock (guitar), and Mark Girard (drums) after witnessing the electrifying performance of Unleash the Archers in Denver in 2021. Inspired to create their own epic soundscape, they soon recruited longtime collaborator Eric Fischer (bass), known for his work in Celtic folk band The Stubby Shillelaghs. In late 2024, the lineup expanded with the addition of Ryan Flanagan, solidifying the band’s roster as they embarked on their most ambitious project yet.
Siege Perilous crafts music that is epic, melodic, powerful, cinematic, and story-driven. Their songs draw from both history and myth—whether chronicling the devastation of the Black Plague, the crossing of the Rubicon, or the slaying of dragons in tabletop and live-action roleplay adventures. Every track is designed as a chapter in a larger saga, blending thunderous riffs, soaring solos, and commanding vocals into immersive narratives that transport listeners into worlds of valor and imagination.
After releasing two EPs and various singles, in 2025, Siege Perilous began recording their debut full-length album, Becoming the Dragon, for release in 2026. A sweeping concept record that weaves a ten-part story across its tracks. The album balances the grandeur of a narrative arc with the individuality of standalone songs, offering fans both a cinematic journey and powerful single experiences. With contributions from every member, the writing process was deeply collaborative, each musician shaping different story beats before uniting them into a cohesive whole. Guest performances from artists like Fabio and Kristin Starkey further elevate the album’s scope and emotional resonance.
On stage, Siege Perilous delivers more than a concert; they create an immersive theatrical experience. Their live shows invite audiences into the worlds they sing about, combining high-energy performance with storytelling flair. Fans can expect not just music, but an adventure that blurs the line between stage and saga.
The band’s influences span the pantheon of heavy and power metal: Manowar, Battle Beast, Iron Maiden, Hammerfall, and Sabaton, alongside the symphonic grandeur of Blind Guardian, Rhapsody, Helloween, and Avantasia. Siege Perilous channels these inspirations into a sound uniquely their own, rooted in classic heavy metal traditions but expanded with modern symphonic arrangements, dynamic vocal range, and cinematic scope.
With their evolving sound, collaborative spirit, and passion for storytelling, Siege Perilous stands ready to carve their place in the halls of power metal. Each song is a quest, each album a legend, and each performance an invitation to join the adventure.
Discography:
2022 – Betrayal of the Dracolich (EP)
2023 – Black Death (Single)
2023 – Blood Hallows (Single)
2023 – Ride the Leyline (Single)
2024 – Creation’s Call (EP)
2026 – Becoming The Dragon (LP)
Shared Stage with:
Seven Spires, Aether Realm, Judicator, Celestial Wizard, After Time Seizure, Starwraith, Oak, Ash, and Thorn, Signs of Tranquility, Fell Harvest
Festivals:
2024 – Mile High Power Fest
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