A Storm Is Brewing - Stormstress

Coverage done by Amanda Hylton

A Storm Is Brewing

On Friday, February 28th, the metal group Stormstress took the stage for the first time. They held their debut show at Once Ballroom in Somerville, MA.

This band is an all-female rock and metal band based out of Massachusetts. Twins sisters take charge and co-front the group. Tanya “Venom” Dmuchowski rocks out on various electric guitars, while her sister Tia “Mayhem” holds it down on the electric bass. In the back of the stage, keeping it all together on drums, is the purple haired Maddie May Scott. These three girls were in a previous band together, Flight of Fire, which just disbanded back in the fall of 2019. From the ashes of that group rose Stormstress, ready to bring harder music to the masses.

The evening started out with a powerful performance by the band X’ella. At the conclusion of their set, the band First Bourne took the stage to keep the music going. Stormstress was the third act up for the night. The crowd was well energized and ready to see the debut of this new band.

Tanya started the set with an electric guitar that was as yellow as her hair. Most of their songs were originals that were written by various members of the band. The music was a mesh of hard rock and metal, combining to create a great musical experience. It was very evident that these girls were in their element on that stage. They never stopped smiling and rocking out.

This band knows how to put on a show. Tanya pulled out a cello bow with red LED lights attached and started playing the guitar, reminiscent of Led Zeppelin. Tia’s fingers were flying over her bass strings with inhuman speed, and Maddie pulled out some intricate drum beats. They played on the twin connection while Tia and Tanya played back to back and rocked out in unison.

About halfway through their set, the invited up some special guests. Their producer, who is a talented performer in her own right, Liz Borden from Lizzy Borden and the Axes, joined them. Along with Alex D’amico from X’ella, Mike Kerr from First Bourne, and Samuel Bendix from Lusus. This talented group led the crowd in singing “Zombie” by The Cranberries.

The second to last song the girls played was their first single “Paint The Mask”. This song is all about having to put on a mask and pretend to be someone you’re not. This is something that hits home for many people.

After their set concluded Lusus took to the stage to finish out the night. Tia, Tanya and Maddie were in the crowd visiting with all of their supporters. These girls are truly talented and humble. They know that the connection with their fans is so important to their success.