Springfield, Missouri might not be the first place you’d expect to find a band channeling the raw spirit of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, but Transylvania isn’t here to meet expectations, they’re here to obliterate them. With a name that nods to gothic lore and a sound forged in the fires of Maiden worship and horror-fuelled imagination, this six-piece outfit is carving their own path through the heartland. In this interview, TheNWOTHM caught up with the band to trace their origins, unpack their sonic DNA, and explore how a group of metal fanatics found each other in the unlikeliest of places. What is also next for the band? Find out now!

Interview

TheNwothm: Let’s kick things off: Who exactly is Transylvania, and what does Springfield, Missouri need to know about the storm you’re bringing?

T:We are a six-piece metal band with a wide range of influences (musical and otherwise), and our sound is an amalgamation of all of those influences. While we enjoy exploring these many influences, everything we do is firmly/proudly rooted in the NWOBHM-inspired/NWOTHM sound.

Our lineup:
Lena Lee: lead vocals | Mike Rumsey: drums | Zach Newton: bass/backing vocals | James Craven: guitar | Trent Wilson: guitar/backing vocals | Chris Blades: guitar/occasional piano/keyboards (studio only)

TheNwothm: Your band name definitely conjures a gothic punch! What’s the story behind ‘Transylvania’? Was there a blood-splattered shortlist involved?

Blades: The story behind the name is one as old as time, I’m afraid — we couldn’t agree on a name for the band! We make no secret of the fact that we’re MASSIVE Iron Maiden fans, so having ultimately settled on Transylvania might seem a bit lazy/on the nose, but it wasn’t chosen simply because it was the title of a Maiden song. I think we were all tired of the back and forth, so I just threw that one out (or perhaps it was Trent) because, while it wasn’t anyone’s first pick, it was appropriately NWOBHM-esque, while also hinting at the influence of horror on our work. Frankly I wish we could have agreed on something a bit more distinctive and unique, but we let the whole thing go on too long and needed to get on with it.

TheNwothm: Back in 2014, how did this all come together? Was it a jam session gone right or something more diabolical?

Blades: It all started in 2013, actually. March 12, 2013 to be precise — the day Clive Burr died. James and I had been talking half-seriously about putting a metal band together for at least a year or two by that point, but we were both playing in other bands already (and I wasn’t sure we could find a group of guys who were into the same stuff/would commit). I can’t remember if I called him that night, or if he called me, but either way the seed was planted during that call, as we discussed Clive-era Maiden. We agreed to assemble a group for a one-off Maiden tribute show, but we both had it in the back of our minds that it could be more than that, from the start.

We already had our eye on Mikey to play drums, but we found out that he’d already committed to another Maiden tribute! (In southwest Missouri! What are the odds?!) Ultimately the guy who was spearheading that one (a friend of ours), decided to step back because he knew that we were more fanatical (cheers, Jordan!). Once Mikey was in, we set out to find a singer. Long story short, James knew Ran from the local scene and suggested him, so I went to see him play with his soul cover band shortly thereafter. When I saw him walk onstage in aviators, a decidedly gaudy fur coat, with a drop of scotch in his hand, and a girl on each arm, I saw a natural performer and I was sold.

After we’d secured Mikey and Ran, I started getting to know Trent a bit better (at Mikey’s suggestion) and quickly realised that we needed him in the band. The original plan for the Maiden tribute, was to have only two guitars and play only 80s stuff (to cast the widest net possible, not because its the only material we like; we love ALL Maiden!), but I would have been a fool not to ask Trent to join up. Shortly thereafter we got Reed in the mix. I knew Reed a little bit, but Mikey and Trent had actually played with him, and made it clear he could play the material very authentically. They were obviously right. By the time we wrapped the Maiden tribute, we’d already committed to writing our own material. It all took shape very quickly.

TheNwothm: Springfield, Missouri isn’t the first place people think of when they hear “heavy metal”so how has your local scene or environment shaped your music or lyrics?

Mikey: There’s plenty of metal here, but stylistically, none of it was what we were interested in playing. There are lots of good musicians and bands here, but the area and local scene sort of pushed us in a different direction.

Trent: I don’t think that it necessarily has. Our unfortunate geographic disposition may have allowed us to fill a void for the style of music that we write and perform that would otherwise be ignored. I guess that’s an indirect path of influence. Our local metal scene is largely death metal and its various offshoots/subgenres. There certainly is some crossover appeal with those bands and we are friends with many groups outside of metal. It isn’t uncommon to have multiple genres on one bill in Springfield.

Zach: There have been waves of decent metal bands here, most come and go. But the fans here love the music, and we have scene loyalty and camaraderie for multiple generations. I love this town for the music and the people who keep doing music, and anyone else in the scene could tell you the same.

Lena: While I agree that Springfield, MO isn’t the first place people think of it when it comes to heavy metal, there is a community – we’re just lurking in the shadows working on our craft – and I’ve noticed it’s grown stronger in the past five years due to some amazing venues in area that have become more open to booking original and metal artists. The attendance for these shows has been a poetic sight to witness. As far at the music and lyrics go, I can’t speak to that, but in a general sense, metal had always been for “outsiders” and I think the topics discussed in the songs speaks to that.

Blades: Frankly I don’t feel that it affects my writing. I don’t mean for that sound cold or uncaring, but when I’m writing I get wrapped up in whatever is inspiring me and focus on nothing else. So like Trent said, it could be an indirect thing, but I’ve never given it any thought.

TheNwothm: Do you feel like your Midwest roots add a unique edge or storytelling grit to your sound, especially with themes like horror, war, and dystopia?

Trent: Living in the midwest has unquestionably led to my exploration of art and culture that is atypical of our surroundings. I’ve escaped into heavy metal, horror films, science fiction, fantasy literature, comic books, history and all manner of media connected to each for my entire life. I think that’s why I was initially drawn to heavy metal. I think it’s pretty easy for a lot of us to seek out universes and ideas more interesting than what we see in the real world. I know it is for me.

Zach: I can’t speak on the writing process, but I feel if you call the Midwest home, you’ll find a way to bring it to life in some way in your art.

Lena: I cannot speak to how the Midwest roots of Transylvania and its members add a unique edge or grit to the storytelling, but as the vocalist I can say that it instills in me a personal responsibility to how I present the stories vocally. Trent and Blades have done a phenomenal job of writing and composing the unexpected and I feel it is my duty to uphold the same in my vocal performance as a personal love letter to metal fans of the Midwest.

Blades: Once again, I don’t feel that being in the Midwest has any impact on my writing style. I spent a lot of time in Texas in my childhood/adolescence, and I became very aware of ‘the Texas thing’ (think Eric Johnson, ZZ Top, and Stevie Ray Vaughan), which made sense to me. Texas is its own world. If I’d stayed there, I might’ve asnwered this question differently, but I also know that I’d have developed the same interests (metal, horror, etc.) regardless of my geographic location. A fanatic is a fanatic is a fanatic…

TheNwothm: What was the first riff that made each of you think, “Yeah, I need to do that for the rest of my life”?

Mikey: I loved the ferocity of Metallica’s “Whiplash.” A couple others, like Megadeth’s “Hangar 18”, especially the outro riff and Sabbath’s “War Pigs” were early favorites for me once I discovered metal.

James:  I don’t remember one specific riff,  but watching AC/DC’s “Live At Donington” really sparked my desire to play guitar in a band.

Trent: I was very fortunate to have two teenage aunts that I spent a lot of time with back in the early 80’s and into the 90’s that had a few albums in their respective collections that put me on the path. The first one I vividly remember seeing and thinking, “that’s the coolest thing I have ever seen” was Scorpions’ “Love at First Sting”. I was too young to know how important seeing that was at the time. The first riff that really grabbed me and wouldn’t let go was Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man”. That song has so many great riffs! It wasn’t long after that when I found a cassette copy of Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast” at a yard sale. I was off to the races after that!

Zach: I grew up on classic rock. The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, etc. I think Black Sabbath was the first band to really inspire me. “Iron Man” was just such a cool riff and I knew I wanted to explore more.

Lena: I’ve been onstage since I was two years old and over the years I have gained experience and training in dance, theatre, film, choreography, and various other components of the performance and production arts. As a theatre kid, most people think of musicals when I speak of my background, which is the furthest from the truth for me, aside from dark, obscure, non-traditional musicals that classify more as rock operas. In fact, singing was the last of the arts I pursued, despite music always being the saving grace throughout my life, but the first riff that changed my focus and made me know I wanted to this for the rest of my life was Poison’s “Look What the Cat Dragged In.” Perhaps it could be considered embarrassing by some now, but back then, it was the first time I had heard something so different – dirty, for lack of a better term – and it was unapologetic in its lyrics and composition and it made realize there was a real place for this little weird girl from Missouri who didn’t fit in.

Blades: That happened many times in my formative years! Aside from my dad, I had a bunch of early influences. It’s difficult to narrow it down, but:

Van Halen: I’m The One
Randy Rhoads: Over The Mountain
Gary Moore: Murder In The Skies
AC/DC: Gimme A Bullet
Iron Maiden: Die With Your Boots On (the first Maiden song I ever heard!)
Judas Priest: Killing Machine

TheNwothm: Your first EP “Transylvania” (2016) laid the groundwork! What were the core ideas and raw energy behind that release?

Mikey: From my perspective, we were very excited to get a recording out that announced our arrival. We were excited to record and opted for a more straight forward approach on the first outing, planning to diversify the sound on later recordings.

Trent: We formed Transylvania as a one night only Iron Maiden tribute. Blades and I (independent from each other) had mountains of songs and riffs sitting around that neither one could use in any previous band. Upon conclusion of the aforementioned tribute we decided to forge ahead. We had a couple of writing sessions at my old house to flesh out a couple of numbers and then started meeting regularly to concentrate on being a proper outfit. The excitement of getting something, ANYTHING, recorded cannot be overstated. The songs had a fairly straight forward approach by design. There wasn’t anyone within 3 hours of us that was doing anything like we were, so again, we were filling a void. 

Lena: As the new guy, I can’t speak to this question, but I can say as merely a fan back then, the energy of “After the Fire and the Fall” is what made me fall in love with this group of guys. It is still my favorite Transylvania song to this day. 

Blades: I’ll try to be succinct, as Trent and Mikey already hit most of the key points. The first EP was all about simply getting the best material we had at the time recorded as well as we possibly could. We cut all of the basic tracks live, without a click, and standing in the same room so we could all see each other during each take. That’s as old school as it gets, short of cutting to tape (don’t give us any ideas…), and we prefer to work that way.

TheNwothm: When “II” dropped in 2019, how did your creative focus shift? Was it darker? Wilder? Or just more laser-focused?

Mikey: I feel like we were trying to follow up the first recording by showing a couple of different sides to our writing and playing style, while highlighting several of our influences.

Trent: Blades is a huge fan of progressive music and those elements became more pronounced on these songs while maintaining firm roots in the traditional sound. “The Emerald Gift” is my favorite song that he and I have collaborated on to date. “322” was a huge stylistic shift and I believe that it paid off well. We employed different textures and arrangements that are somewhat unique while maintaining our traditionally based sound. There’s always going to be a NWOBHM influence on anything I’m a part of writing. “You’re All Doomed” was my love letter to the “Friday the 13th” universe and is always fun to play live. There was a little bit of insanity going on in my personal life at the time with major health issues, but I kept it close to the vest and we soldiered on through it. If anything, those issues did make me more focused and determined. 

Lena: Again, as the newest member alongside Zach, I can’t respond to this question with any kind of inside knowledge. However, as a fan back then, my outside opinion was witness to a darker focus that, with the debut of “322,” made me realize this was the kind of band I wanted to front professionally, as well as, it even being a possibility to circle back to the first question.

Blades: Since, once again, Trent and Mikey hit most of the key points, and I’m into the whole brevity thing, I’ll once again try to keep my answer short. We had decided early in the going that we were only going to put three songs on “II”, so we wanted to be sure that they were strong compositionally, but also showed some degree of maturation. Admittedly that wouldn’t have been terribly difficult since some of the ideas that wound up on the first EP pre-dated the band (by many years, in some cases), but we wanted it to be blooming clear right out of the gate that we weren’t simply rehashing our first release. We once again cut basic tracks live/without a click/in the same room, but had a different engineer and were in a different studio, which made the whole thing sound different, and thusly, it was easier to truly feel that this was a different product.

TheNwothm: Your recent singles “322” and “Black Dawn” in 2024 sound like warnings from the future. Can you tell us what lit the fire behind each track?

Mikey: As far as the drums go, these tracks are less driving, so I focused largely on the dynamic elements to convey the mood, and feel that I felt was being put forward by the music, and vocal.

Trent: Blades composed all of “322” which deals with the subject of secret societies. I’ll let him expand on that. “Black Dawn” was inspired by the painting of Hell prominently featured in Lucio Fulci’s “The Beyond”. That movie continues to inspire me on a regular basis. It’s so bleak and apocalyptic with a heavy feeling of dread and insanity throughout. The song tells the story of the end of the film where the protagonists find that they have walked into the painting and are now in Hell. I love it!!!

Zach: I wasn’t a part of the band for writing these, but I love the atmosphere and fantasy both create.

Lena: To answer this question, I can only speak from discussions Trent, Blades, Mikey and I have had at practice as I wasn’t involved at that time, but as the vocalist, I feel like the way I perform “Black Dawn” specifically, it is a warning of the new chapter Transylvania is writing and the absolute unhinged beast we’ve yet to become. 

Blades: “322” was written about secret societies (namely Skull & Bones — whose emblem features the number 322 — and the Bohemian Club (there is also a nod to the Georgia Guidestones, which were unveiled on March 22, 1980…. 3/22). I won’t go off on a rant here, but I will clarify that it’s not a celebration of these entities. I encourage curious listeners to do some digging of their own. Admittedly I see this one, musically, as one of our least NWOTHM-adherent numbers, but the thread that runs through everything we do is still evident. I wanted the music to feel as urgent and different as the message. 

TheNwothm: “Windrider” feels like a milestone; a full-length beast at last. What story or world does this album carve out for listeners?

Mikey: Windrider was definitely a milestone. It was exciting to record a full length, and it does have an aviation theme running through a lot of it. The historical elements make it easy to transport yourself into the story of the Hindenburg, or a dogfight between fighter pilots in war.

Trent: It isn’t a connected narrative. We had a bit of a tough time deciding on the album title. It deals a lot with elements of the supernatural as well as aviation related matters. I do think it tells the story of the band’s evolution in sound if nothing else.

Zach: I feel a lot of “battle” themes come through on this album. Not necessarily battle music but the theme seems a constant, as I’m listening to it.

Lena: I haven’t the opportunity to perform the “Windrider” album its entirety yet so I’m personally still getting a feel for the world it creates for me, but Trent and Blades will be able to better explain the world of the lyrics and composition.

Blades: Since Trent and Mikey kept their answers short and sweet… We were thrilled to finally record a full-length album, and after a decade of being a band — and after working on it for nearly four years — it was definitely a milestone. We were working with the same engineer who’d done our previous EP, and we’d figured each other out so by the time we got in the studio, natural ups and downs aside, it was smooth sailing. As the other guys have stated, there isn’t one overarching theme, but aviation is the most prominent one, and I’d like to think that the songs written about flight do an especially good job of transporting the listener. “The Floating Palace”, in particular, is the most cinematic thing we’ve ever done. I’m a little biased, but when I listen with closed eyes, I can feel the heat coming off the smoldering frame of the Hindenburg. 

TheNwothm: Do you have any favourite tracks from the record?

Mikey: “The Floating Palace, and “Black Dawn” are favorites of mine.

James: I’m going to go with “Twelve O’Clock High”. I feel that all the songs on the album are great, but that song is one of the earliest songs I remember us playing as a band.

Trent: We spent 4 years working on “Windrider” so I need to distance myself from it for a bit before I can listen to it with objective ears. However, I do think “The Floating Palace” was quite the accomplishment. Each song has something I really like in it. “Black Dawn” turned out better than I could have ever imagined. “Pale Horse” has some of the best lyrics (in my opinion) that I have ever written for any band. I won’t go on, but each song definitely has moments that I believe are worth their salt.

Zach: Pale Horse, that one just always stuck to me.

Lena: My personal favorite track from the new record is “Black Dawn” because I have a special connection with it; it was one of the songs I auditioned with and I worked really hard in practice to redesign the vocals to better fit my style and the direction Transylvania is headed.

Blades: “The Floating Palace” is my favourite track. I’m absurdly proud of how it turned out, and of the fact that we didn’t have to alter our approach of cutting the basic tracks live to get it ‘on tape’. That said, there is ONE section during which we used a click track… There’s a first time for everything! Speaking of firsts, it is my contention that this is the first-ever heavy metal song to feature a half-time shuffle! (See what I mean about exploring/incorporating our many influences but always anchoring ourselves to the classic metal sound?)

TheNwothm: If each member of Transylvania were a horror movie character, who would they be and why? No cheating with Dracula!

Mikey: I’d probably be Jack Torrance from “The Shining” because too much time alone can make me feel like I’ll go crazy.

James:  I would choose Freddy Krueger. “A Nightmate On Elm Street” was the first horror movie I remember loving as kid. (I would be a very lazy Freddy.)

Trent: I can relate a lot to Reggie Bannister’s character in the Phantasm series if I’m playing a hero. Finding common ground with the antagonist is a little more difficult. Maybe Otis from “The Devil’s Rejects” or Swan from “Phantom of the Paradise”. The other members are tough too, but for fun I’ll give it a shot.
Blades – Dr. Phibes or the Phantom of the Opera
Zach – He’s quiet and polite. Maybe Patrick Bateman…
Mikey – Mikey is the furthest thing from a horror character. This one is tough. I’ll say that he’s the nice Frankenstein monster from “The Monster Squad”.
James – Not a horror film character, but he IS Kenny Powers.
Lena – Micki Foster from Friday the 13th the series. 

Zach: I feel like a Michael Meyers a lot. Super quiet, but always right around the corner when you need a friend. 

Lena: This one is so difficult! If I had to cast my Transylvania band members as horror characters:
Trent – To me, Trent embodies all that NWOTHM is so the passion and dedication to metal reminds me a lot of Sammi Curr from 1986’s “Trick or Treat,” but murdering the audience with his ‘axe,’ allowing the music to be the magic.
Blades – I agree with Trent wholeheartedly on this one. As the king of Irish Exit, Blades is definitely Erik/The Phantom of the Opera.
Mikey – This one is tough, but I think I am going to go with the St. Bernard, Cujo, from the 1983 film adaption of Stephen King’s 1981 horror novel of the same name because Mikey is is kind, lovable, and loyal, but I could also see him become viciously protective and defensiveness should those he cares about find themselves in trouble – like being bit by a rapid bat.
James – as the lovable (*cough, cough* Trent may fight me on thus) good ole boy of the group, I see James as Tucker from the 2010 horror/comedy “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.” That being said, as a villain, I could also see James as Nubbins Sawyer, Leatherface’s hitchhiking brother in the original “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).”

Blades: I assume the main reason my bandmates say I’m Anton Phibes or Erik, is because I like to lock myself away and play/write music. That’s fair enough, but I personally feel inclined to pick a Karloff character, as I am related to him (honest!), so… I’ll avoid the low-hanging fruit of Frankenstein’s monster and pick John Gray from “The Body Snatcher”. He’s a jovial chap who takes pride in and enjoys his work, but values his privacy and downtime. That’s me! (I had to look up ‘Irish exit’ — while it’s true that I sometimes jet from rehearsal without saying much, it’s not a signature move in general!)

TheNwothm: If you could swap instruments with another bandmate for one gig, who would make it out alive and who wouldn’t survive the solo?

Mikey: No one wants to hear me play a stringed instrument, but I could survive a couple songs as vocalist. Then I’d go back where I belong, in the back.

James: I would switch instruments with Mikey, just to show him how to properly stay in time! (Kidding, of course.)

Trent: The easy answer is bass. I can’t play the instrument with the sort of acumen that Zach does, or Reed did in the past. My skills are more of the Lemmy/C.J.Ramone variety, but I could get through it with brute force if I had to.

Zach: As the two newest members, I think it would be hilarious for me and Lena to swap. It would probably be a huge disaster all around, but I love a little chaos.

Lena: If I could swap positions with any member of Transylvania for one gig, it would be Mikey. That being said, I wouldn’t survive a whole gig, but a mere song as I only know how to play one song on drums (Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll”), but it’s the best shot I have as I can’t play any other instrument to save my life.

Blades: I could breeze through a Transylvania gig if I swapped with Trent or James! (For the record, I DO want to hear Mikey play a stringed instrument.)

TheNwothm: What’s next musically? Is there another EP, a concept album, or something totally unexpected on the horizon?

T: We’ve actually discussed this recently, and while we’ve made no concrete plans, we’re wanting to do another full-length, sooner rather than later. We might do an A/B single first, just to get something out there that features the new members, but we don’t want to put the cart before the horse. We are eyeing a 2026 release. In the meantime we’ll be focusing on getting Zach and Lena up to speed on all of our material and on live shows. When we’re gearing up to get back into the studio, we’ll be shouting it from the rooftops! As a sidenote: it won’t be our next release, but a concept album is definitely going to happen at some point!

TheNwothm: Any touring plans or live shows brewing? Where do you need to play next and why? Bonus points if it’s haunted.

T: Our next outing will be on Saturday, 28 August, with Tulsa-based metallers Blind Oath, at Lindberg’s Tavern — Springfield’s oldest tavern. We will be back at Lindberg’s on Black Friday as well. We wish we could tell you we had plans to hit the road, but… not just yet. As for where we need to play next, we’re working on that… But we’d all be thrilled to play at one of the big metal festivals!

TheNwothm: How can our readers buy your music and merch?

T: Check out our Bandcamp!: https://transylvania417.bandcamp.com/

TheNwothm: Where can fans follow you online?

T: We’re on all the usual social media sites, but we’re most active on Instagram.

Instagram: @transylvaniaismetal

Facebook: www.facebook.com/transylvaniametal417

Twitter: www.twitter.com/transylvania417

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

T: If you like metal songs about horror, history, true crime, war, and the occasional alternative view, check us out! If you’re already a fan, keep an eye on our social media pages in the coming months. We intend to make up for the 4-year wait for the album, and get busier than we’ve been in a long time.