Joan Avant Dazzles with Her Victorian-Era Inspired Offering, ‘Dies Irae’ [Premiere]

If you asked most fans of modern music what similarities classical and hard rock have, they’d probably have a hard time giving you an answer. Not if you were a fan of Joan Avant, though. With her latest offering, Dies Irae, Avant successfully illustrates just how harmonious the two genres are.

Through ten brand new tracks, the classically trained singer and songwriter takes you through a magnificent mashup of haunting vocals, exquisite harmonies, and powerful guitars. Lyrically, the songs are very well coordinated with Avant offering intense stories of the underbelly of Victorian-era society, examining the dark, grim elements that lurked underneath the romanticism that the era is typically associated with.

With some thoughts on her new record, Avant states:

“Dies Irae is my sophomore album that I’m very excited to finally release! It is full of stories and sonic experiences that are designed to be listened to as a whole (album). It is certainly darker, heavier, and louder than my debut. If you’re into gothic Victorian fantasy mixed with hard rock… this will be up your alley.”

Based in Dallas, Texas, Avant has worked hard to etch out her own space unique space within modern rock music since the release of her 2019 debut Drown Ophelia. As you may expect, she began learning classical music at a young age, and the genre really defined her childhood, as it was mostly all that she knew. Frustrated by the limitations of classical, she was drawn towards the artistic freedom that metal and rock music seemingly offered. So she decided to fuse both together, while taking inspiration from Victorian gothic themes both for the lyrics and the mood of her music.

As a record, Dies Irae examines the light and the dark of late 19th-century French society while exposing you to a charming combination of sound and textures. A true jack of all trades, Avant played every instrument, sang every word, and mixed every song for the album. Open yourself and allow Avant to intrigue and enchant you with her grace and her elegance.

Artwork for the album ‘Dies Irae’ by Joan Avant