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Sunday, January 22, 2017

Biography




Upon Shadows is a female dark metal duo, formed in Montevideo, Uruguay, active since 2002 and half based in Finland since 2013. In the beginning started as a band with Marcelo Aguilar on guitars and vocals but this period lasted only for the recording of the first two releases
, a demo and the first album. Later, with the release of the album "Melodies In Gray Scale", the band consolidated as a female duo.

 After that the they have been releasing 8 albums and several singles and Eps across the years.


Upon Shadows music is a passionate mix of Extreme Metal and Dark Ambient with a strong presence of keyboards and poetic lyrics. Creating as a result sinister and melancholic atmospheres surrounding the listeners in deep darkness.

Each album is a conceptual work very different from each other, even the dark essence and the emotional commitment are always present in their music.

Line up: Natalia Arocena on bass and Tamara Picardo on keyboards, guitars, vocals programming and drums since 2021.


Some special moments in Upon Shadows history:

2003 - 

Is the release of the very first Upon Shadows Demo/Album,  after which there would be a break of years in the recordings but never in the compositional activity.

2009 -

“The Huge Circle Of Time” album marks the starting point of a long list of music to come after a long period of silence.

2011-

Is maybe the most important moment for Upon Shadows, with the release of the album “Melodies In Grey Scale '' when Tamara started to record all the guitars and the band was defined as a female duo with the former member Natalia Arocena. The album was released by Satanica Records from New Zealand.

2012 -

“7 Chapters (Shadows Of Despair And Other Entities)" album was mixed and mastered by Julian 'Gobz' Hill ( Whores of Babylon / Soundisciples/ Noiselab Project/ Corporation of Corpse Stealers/ The Drunken Pirates) at Lovegun studios in UK. This was very special not only for the notorious improvement in sound but also because The Whores of Babylon music deeply influenced Upon Shadows music from the very beginning.

2013 -

The single “Vision From The Child” with the participation of Samuli T. Mäkelä on drums was mixed and mastered at Soundmix Recording Studios in Oulu, Finland by Mika Pohjola, place where all Upon Shadows mixings and mastering have been done to date.

2016 -

The duo was honored to have the participation of one of the biggest Finnish black metal legend, Kimmo Luttinen (ex-Impaled Nazarene ,ex-Isänmaa, ex-Legenda, The Perforators, ex-Beherit, ex-Catamenia, ex-The Black League, ex-Plan E, ex-Terveet Kädet) who recorded the drums for the single “Geometry Of Music”.

2017 -

The single “Fatal Stigma Of The Realist” had the special participation of Matti Torro (from the Finnish band Myon) on drums, and Natalia´s father Ricardo Arocena in the creation of the cover art. A fantastic oil painting that gave the perfect close to the single´s concept.

2020 -

The single “Encuentro/Kohtaaminen” had the special participations of the Uruguayan drummer Lucía Sena "Ameretath" (from the band Cryptogram), the Uruguayan metal legend Gabriel Brikman (from Radical, Chopper, Gato Negro, Inner Sanctvm, La Tabaré among others) on guitar arrangement and the very talented Colombian musician Angela P. Coldnight “Hypothermia” (from Coldnight, Lifeless) on DSBM Vocals. For the recording of this single, the drums were recorded at Montevideo Records (Uruguay) and the mix and mastering were done at Soundmix Recording Studio (Finland).

2019 -

Release of the album “Modern Obscurantism” by the Finnish record label Ground Media Group. This album has a poem by Ricardo Arocena that closes the booklet artwork of the album.

2021 -

The release of the single “Virtus Dormitiva” marks the beginning of a new era for the duo, since Tamara started to play and record the drums by herself.

2022 -

To celebrate Upon Shadows 20 years, the duo released a new single and video called "Light and Shadows".

2023 -

Upon Shadows released their eighth album entitle "Poetica". The album represents the need to return to the roots, with a more brutal and chaotic sound, and lyrics focused in the poetic side. 


Upon Shadows discography:


Albums:

Poetica - Album 2023

Modern Obscurantism - Album 2019

Between The Southern Cross & The Northern Star - Album 2015

7 Stages Of Grief - Album 2014

7 Chapters (Shadows Of Despair And Other Entities)... - Album 2012

Dark Ambient Sounds & Textures - Album 2012

Melodies In Grey Scale - Album 2011

The Huge Circle Of Time - Album 2009


Upon Shadows - Demo/Album 2003


Singles:

Light and Shadows – Single 2022

Virtus Dormitiva – Single 2021

Encuentro/Kohtaaminen - Single 2020

Fatal Stigma Of The Realist - Single 2017

Geometry Of Music - Single 2016

Andromeda - Single 2014

Vision From The Child - Single 2013

The Way To The Pleiades - Single 2012

Tragic Prelude - Single 2011


Ep´s:

Hidden Terror Of All Dreams - EP 2016

Melankolia & Upon Shadows EP: "Shadows Echo Melancholy" 15/11/2012

Tenebre - EP 2011


Compilations:

Only Keys And Whispers - Keyboard Compilation 2011



Social media:


Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063636974177

Bandcamp:

https://uponshadows.bandcamp.com/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOrxo73ZeVuYnvWnyt5ux0g

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/03MsvGZRthT6Cr4nSoqTje

iTunes:

https://music.apple.com/bs/artist/upon-shadows/761235640

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/uponshadows_official/


Downloads and info at:

https://tamarapicardo.blogspot.com/


Contact: uponshadows@gmail.com










Tamara Picardo
TAMARA PICARDO



Musician / Composer/ Writer / Designer

Books:

"Alchemy of Pain" (Alquimia del dolor) - Book - Date release 2/8/2016

Upon Shadows “Book oflyrics “ - Book - Date release 18/10/2017  

Music work:
(keyboard, guitar, voices and programing, composer).
Upon Shadows (all music, lyrics and art design). - 2002 to date.
Voces Anònimas (TV Show - Uruguay) - musical production - 2009 to date.


Upon Shadows discography:

Albums:

 Poetica - Album 2023
 Modern Obscurantism - Album 2019
 Between The Southern Cross & The Northern Star - Album 2015
 7 Stages Of Grief - Album 2014
 7 Chapters - Album 2012
 Dark Ambient Sounds & Textures - Album 2012
 Melodies In Grey Scale - Album 2011
 The Huge Circle Of Time - Album 2009

 Upon Shadows - Demo/Album 2003

Singles:
 Light and Shadows – Single 2022
 Virtus Dormitiva - Single 2021
 Encuentro/Kohtaaminen - Single 2020
 Geometry Of Music - Single 2016
 Andromeda - Single 2014
 Vision From The Child - Single 2013
 The Way To The Pleiades - Single 2012
 Tragic Prelude - Single 2011

Ep´s:

 Melankolia & Upon Shadows EP: "Shadows Echo Melancholy" 15/11/2012
 Tenebre - EP 2011


Tamara Picardo (Dark Ambient and Solo Keyboard Music) :

Dark Wedding - 2021
Carrousel - 2021 
Only Keys And Whispers - Keyboard Compilation 2011


Participations with other bands :

Eric Sartana  (USA). Keyboards. 
"Dark Day´s"  - EP 2020 

Eric Sartana (USA).. Keyboards. 
"Something is Everything" (single) - 2019
"Moonlight" (single) - 2019

IRONWORK (Switzerland). Vocals.
"Thorn" - EP 2018 * track 5

Ad Noctum Project (Chile). Vocals.
 "El Reino de la Ultima tierra" - 2015

 Aborym (Italy). Keyboards.
 "Need For Limited Loss" - 2013

 Blackest Orchid (Canada). Keyboards.
 "Where do I go" - 2013

 Episcopal Holocaust (Canada). Vocals.
"Northern Tyrany" 2013

 Asbel (Colombia). Keyboards & Vocals.
Album - "The Dark...The Whitered..." Vol 1 2010
1. Sweet Darkness - keyboards
4. Solar Breeze - keyboards, lyrics and vocals

Album - "The Dark...The Whitered..." Vol II 2013
1. At the Gallows - keyboards, lyrics and vocals

 MARKHOR (Switzerland). Vocals.
 "La Vouivre" - 2012
 "Schwarzenbuhl" - 2012
 "Stornoway" - 2016

 Beltane (New Zeland). Keyboards.
 Album - "Auld Toby"  - 2011
keyboards on tracks:

Album -  "Anode To Leviathan" - 2011
keyboards on tracks:
2. On a Winter's Night
8. Pillar Point 
10. Anode to Leviathan

 Throne of Malediction (USA). Keyboards.
 Album -"Out of Darkness, Comes Light " - 2013
keyboards on tracks:
1. Shadow Mass
6. Born of Innocence 
8. Day of Lies
9. Everythings Going Cold

 "Dead in Dreams" Simple - 2014


 Valkynaz (USA). Vocals.
 "Endlich Allein" - 2011

 Past Band:

 Eclampsy (Uruguay) -1995 to 2002. Keyboards.




NATALIA AROCENA    

Natalia Arocena



Musician / Composer

Music work:

Upon Shadows (bass in all Upon Shadows discography). - 2002 to date.

Side project :
"Noche a Noche" - single 2021
"Días Extraños" - EP  2021


Past Bands: 

Thy Dominion (Uruguay) - 2017 - 2018. Bass.
Alsirat (Uruguay) -2005. Bass.
Sigma Sentinel (Uruguay) -1998 to 2005. Bass.
Eclampsy (Uruguay) -1998 to 1999. Bass.

Asgard (Uruguay) -1993 to 1998. Bass.
* Asgard was the first Female Extreme Metal Band in Uruguay.

Discography:

Upon Shadows (bass in all Upon Shadows discography). - 2002 to date.


Thy Dominion (Uruguay). Bass.
"Unrevealed Mysteries"   - track 16  in the Compilation "URUGUAY EXTREMO"  2018 by Valvular TV2018. 

Alsirat (Uruguay). Bass.
Demo 2005

Sigma Sentinel (Uruguay). Bass.
"Hybris" - Album 2002
"Sigma" - EP 2004

Asgard (Uruguay). Bass.
"Unidos en la misma" - Compilation by Bastard Records 1998.



Participations with other bands :

Eric Sartana  (USA). Keyboards. 
"Dark Day´s"  - EP 2020 

Eric Sartana (USA).. Keyboards. 
"Something is Everything" (single) - 2019
"Moonlight" (single) - 2019


Visit Our Pages : 

Facebook page
YouTube Channel
Bandcamp




Voces Anónimas  Facebook   YouTube

Thank you very much!

Libro - Descarga gratuita / Book - Free download.

Libro "Alquimia del dolor" de Tamara Picardo.

Fecha de publicación: 2 de agosto de 2016.


Un libro breve que se puede definir como una colección de pensamientos y percepciones de la realidad,acariciando los límites de la prosa poética, en una forma de escritura totalmente libre donde la honestidad de las emociones es la tarea más importante.

Cada texto tiene un complemento gráfico, un dibujo simbólico cuyo propósito es revelar un poco más.A veces, las palabras más simples son la clave para llegar a estados más profundos.

Descarga gratuita: Aquí


*Correcciones de la traducción al inglés por Pedro Ceriotti

Descarga de la versión en inglés: Aquí



Presenting my first book "Alchemy of Pain"


A short book that can be define as a collection of thoughts and perceptions of reality,
caressing the boundaries of the poetic prose, in a total free way of writing where honestly of emotions is the most important task.

Each text has a graphic complement, a symbolic drawing whose purpose is to reveal a bit more.
Sometimes the simplest words have the key to deeper stages.

Available at : www.lulu.com in both formats printed hardcover edition and eBook ! 
(English and Spanish).

Free download options :


English version - click here

Versión en Español cliquea aquí

English translation corrections by Pedro Ceriotti.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

To watch the promo Video - click here