Skeletonwitch, legend of the Athens music scene, will bring their brand of heavy metal back home this Friday.
Athens is a favorite stop for the quintet, whose members are originally from the area. They began playing together almost a decade ago when guitarists Nate Garnette and Scott Hedrick were OU students.
“I met Nate after his old band, Serekesoron, had broken up. We were both OU students and loved playing music more than going to class,” Hedrick said. “Nate had already written some songs. He showed them to me, we started writing together, and we slowly pieced Skeletonwitch together.”
Since its humble beginnings, the band has gone on to see greater success. An appearance at the 2010 Ozzfest Music Festival, which culminated in a nod of approval by Iron Maiden vocalist Rob Halford, was one of his career highlights, Garnette said.
“My fondest gig memory was being on Ozzfest and receiving high praise from the metal god himself,” Garnette said. “That really meant a lot.”
Despite the polarizing nature of the genre they play, the family of the members of Skeletonwitch are “extremely supportive” of their musical endeavors.
“My parents often attend our shows sporting tucked-in Skeletonwitch shirts. They came to Ozzfest and saw us play with Glenn Danzig,” Hedrick said. “We wouldn’t be where we are without the help and support of family.”
Friday’s show kicks off a three-month tour that will feature supporting act Havok, a fellow metal band out of Denver.
The Union’s stage is familiar territory for Garnette, Skeletonwitch’s vocalist, and the rest of the band, which played their first show at the same location at the start of their careers.
“Skeletonwitch has been a band for almost 10 years, and our first show as a full band was on the stage of The Union,” Chance said. “There’s a killer energy associated with playing where you started that you can’t get anywhere else. And the free beer is pretty good.”
jd202409@ohiou.edu
