Proelium - The Band
Jake Russell
Lead Singer
Music has always been the primary driving force in Jake's life but the true musical journey started a the age of 10, due to his constant drumming on the furniture and tables Jake's parents got him his first drum kit used at a local pawn shop. Self taught, he learned to drum listening and playing along with bands like Nirvana, Godsmack, and Seether. His drumming quickly turned into his best expressive outlet and eventually into an obsession. Playing for hours every day, by middle school and into high school he began searching for a band. Eventually he joined two local seacoast NH groups (Formerly and formally known as Space Avenue and Small Noise Complaint). Since then Jake has drifted more towards heavier music with new influences including Asking Alexandria, I Prevail, and the latest work of Falling in Reverse. He began writing his own music and forming together the best musicians he knew to create the band you all know now as Proelium.
Darius Yeager
Lead Guitar
Darius Yeager was raised by music, taught piano as a child and playing trumpet in school. It wasn't until 2012 when guitar hero inspired him to go beyond five buttons. His grandfather introduced him to rock and roll, playing in the kitchen while papa Allen played leads until food was ready. It was only a few years before he discovered drop tunings and metal. Since then he's played in various acts, such as Witchtrot, Dune Dogs (as a fill in), and the early stages of Proelium, Artifice Rising/Saint Nothing. Jake and Darius started in the basement of a condo, until working through recording for the first time with success, and all the while growing as musicians until the vision came to be what you see now.
Ed McPherson
Drums
Edward Mcpherson has been a performing musician since the age of 12. He currently serves as drummer for Proelium as well as York-based stoner metal band Witchtrot, and has previously performed extensively with indie rock band Marvel Prone and his own experimental pet project Earthwomb, co-founded with Matthew Bickerstaff. His musical journey began in his early childhood when after being exposed to Judas Priest’s 1982 facemelter Screaming for Vengeance, the notion dawned on him that he too might like to melt faces one day.
His journey began with unsuccessful forays into playing the piano at age six and guitar at age ten, before deciding for no particular reason to try drums at age 11 in 2012, and liking it. He often claims that in retrospect he wishes he’d just stuck it out with guitar. Regardless, he learned fast and was soon cutting his teeth playing in youth ensemble groups, serving as a church drummer, and writing and playing music with his sister Meghan(who did stick it out with guitar). It was in that particular project, Spitfire, that he had his first taste of recording, releasing two grubby yet promising albums for the RPM challenge in February of 2015 and 2016. It was in 2019 that he joined his first performing band Marvel Prone, followed shortly after by Witchtrot, and through these two bands he became acquainted with the local live music scene.
In his three-year tenure with Marvel Prone he released one studio album in 2020 and an RPM challenge in 2022, and a Witchtrot album is expected in late 2022/early 2023. After being headhunted by Proelium frontman Jake Russel and seeing the band perform several times, he liked what he saw and joined Proelium in October 2022.