Bands Currently signed to Pure Darkness Records include:-

Abigail’s Mercy - Amidst a rock scene of marauding invaders from Scandinavia and Europe rides Abigail’s Mercy upon Boudicca’s chariot to save British Metal with riffs that slice through the cortex like the great ladies bladed wheels, and a blend of male and female vocals to heal your wounds. Lets not mess about with comparisons to other bands, there are no others in this genre of Dark Metal with Lindsay’s voice going from Operatic Angel to down right dirty, and Steve following both Good and Evil routes you will know that you are listening to something special when backed by some outstanding musicianship from John, Mark and Terry.

Could you be the next to sign to Pure Darkness Records – Do you or your band meet the following criterion?

1. Have performed a minimum of ten live gigs with your current line-up.
2. Have a demo cd recorded.
3. Have a signed contract with a personal manager (preferably a member of the MMF)
4. Can provide dates and venues for your next four live appearances.
5. Have a Press Pack/Bio.
6. Have a Publishing Agreement linked to your own material.
7. Own the name, likeness and any logo’s used by yourselves.
8. Are not currently obligated to or have a very short contract with any other record label.
9. Are prepared to work hard to realise your dreams.
10.  There is no ten, so sell yourselves to us in an e-mail if you complete the previous nine.

Note: We do not condone "Rock'n'Roll" lifestyles nor do we tolerate violence or threatening behavior.

SO NOW THAT YOU'VE SOLD YOUR SOULS AND YOU'VE GOT A DATE IN THE STUDIO...
 

BEFORE THE SESSION

1.Get a very good night's sleep.
2. Agree on which track(s) you are going to record and get them rehearsed as well as you can (with and without vocals if you are a band!) – if you’re not all sure you are ready, cancel the session!
3. Change the strings on your guitar or bass the day before, and make sure they are stretched in.  They will sound new on the day, but probably won't need re-tuning as much!
4. Re-Skin your snare if you are bringing your own.
5. Make sure you have plenty of plectrums, drum sticks, leads etc.
6. Bring some throat soothers such as Vocal Zone for your singer, but not the “Sweet” type such as Lockets etc. 
7. If you are going to record to a click track, make sure your drummer and bass player are comfortable with it.
8. From 12 hours prior to the session vocalist should only drink water (all these various drinks claiming to Hydrate don’t come close to H2O.)
9. May be worth getting alternative songs ready, just in case the vibe is not on that day!
10. Relax: The reason you are in a studio is because you deserve to be.

DURING THE SESSION

1. Arrive on time, and get tuned up.
2. Bring some CD's to show the engineer what you'd like to sound like; be prepared to play “Live” for him to give him a feel of your sound – A Pre-recording meeting with the engineer is critical to your success.
3. If you are used to your own amplifier bring it along, you know how to get a good sound out of it!
4. Drummers, we know you love your live kits but if Phil Collins can record “In the Air Tonight” on a Roland CR78 then take a leaf from his book and save the pain of spending so much of your studio time setting up. Save the “Live” kit for gigs where you can astound your fans with your agility.
5. Keep your guests (friends and mother) out!  It's your recording.  Guests will distract you and may sway your opinion of how the music should sound.
6. Unless you have unique effects, record individual tracks clean and add effects later - this way you can change your mind.
7. Get the sound you want while recording.  We don't buy "fix it in the mix" as many studios do.  Never assume that you can fix an issue in the mix.
8. Determine a band spokesperson ahead of time.  An engineer getting five different opinions on how to mix will grow tired and might cause him/her to rush through the job.  Ultimately, too many opinions will wreck your mixes.
9. If you like to indulge in drugs or alcohol, bear in mind that these things do not enhance performance but actually hinder performance.  If you indulge in such things before a session the end result could be far worse than you imagined.  The celebrations should start once you've listened to your work with a clear head and are happy with good results!
10. Guitarists, Bring a different guitar along with your main one, using a different guitar for overdubs can make them stand out!
11. The voice is an instrument.....honestly.  Practice before going for a take.
12. Bring any previous recordings with you, pick out bits that you don't like with them, and make the engineer aware of them, and any suggested replacements etc.
13. Unlucky for some! Don’t blame the engineer for taking a hard stance; if we’re paying the bills then he is taking direction from us so take up any issues with us not the engineer.
14. Don’t take offence when the engineer says that he doesn’t think something is right. It’s his job to bring out the best sound in you, not to be your best mate or mother!