With the release of their debut album Season of the Witch, Wicked Leather step onto the heavy metal stage with attitude, darkness, and unapologetic energy. In this interview, vocalist Yami reflects on the personal meaning behind the record, the influences shaping her intense and versatile voice, and the band’s vision of keeping classic heavy metal alive while pushing it forward. From inner demons and mystical imagery to the raw power of the live experience, Season of the Witch emerges as both a bold first statement and the opening chapter of a journey driven by passion, risk, and authenticity.
Asmoth: Wicked Leather has just released its debut album Season of the Witch. What does this record represent for you personally as a vocalist, and as the first official statement of the band?
Yami: Season of the Witch is our way of saying: “We exist, we’re unpredictable, and we don’t apologize for it.”
For me, it’s more than singing. Every track is a story, a shadow, a fear turned into melody and riff. Performing it means stepping inside the song and letting it run wild. The album breathes, it moves, and sometimes it even smirks at you before hitting you with a riff.
For the band, it’s a wink, a bit of mischief, a loud laugh in the face of expectations. It’s heavy metal with teeth—no sugar coating, no pretending, just music that dares to push back.
Asmoth: Your vocal style on the album is intense and versatile. How did you develop your approach for Season of the Witch, and what influences shaped your voice?
Yami: My voice is my story, my scars, my obsession. Maybe if I didn’t smoke or scream as much it would be smoother, but then it wouldn’t be me. Every rasp is a mark of survival.
I adore Accept, Venom, Kate Acid, Leather Leone, Savatage … they inspire me, but I’m not them. This voice is uniquely mine—it carries my life, my monsters, my sleepless nights.
Asmoth: The album strongly embraces classic heavy metal aesthetics while sounding fresh and aggressive. How do you balance respect for traditional heavy metal with the need to sound relevant today?
Yami: We were born in the ’80s; that decade shaped our instincts and attitude. But we live in the now, and the music reflects that.
Heavy metal isn’t meant to be pretty or polite—it’s meant to hit, to shake, to awaken. If a riff doesn’t make your chest vibrate, we haven’t done our job. We honor the roots, but we refuse to become relics. Metal lives, it doesn’t sit in a display case.
Asmoth: Season of the Witch carries a dark and mystical atmosphere without losing the catchy, powerful side of heavy metal. What inspired the lyrical themes and imagery throughout the album?
Yami: The lyrics come from my monsters the ones living in my head my nightmares, and even the things I love: horror movies, stories, books, my beliefs. All of that gets mixed together and transformed into sound. Every riff, every line, every shadow is a reflection of those inner worlds. That’s what gives the album its darkness, its energy, and its life.
Asmoth: As a frontwoman, how important is attitude, charisma, and storytelling in delivering heavy metal vocals compared to pure technical ability?
Yami: Technique is useful, yes control, stamina, precision. But if you don’t inhabit the song, all of that is empty. Heavy metal vocals demand presence, conviction, and honesty.
I don’t just sing notes I become the story. Every movement, every expression, every breath is part of the tale. If I don’t feel it, nobody will.
Asmoth: This album feels built for the stage. How do you envision translating Season of the Witch into a live experience, and what kind of energy do you want to create with the audience?
Yami: On stage, the songs aren’t tracks anymore they’re beings. I interpret the monsters, the fears, the metaphors, letting them spill into the audience.
I want people to feel that they’ve stepped inside our world: chaotic, mischievous, a little dark, and completely alive. When the show ends, they should feel they’ve survived a storm with us and laughed through it.
Asmoth: Now that Wicked Leather has unleashed its debut album, what are your ambitions for the band—do you see this as just the beginning of a long heavy metal journey, or as a defining chapter already?
Yami: This is only chapter one. We’re here to challenge ourselves, and to grow. Every show, every riff, every scream pushes us forward.
We want to take risks, embrace mistakes, and keep our personality untamed. Loud, stubborn That’s the path we’ve chosen, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks so much for listening, and for supporting the underground. Keep it loud, keep it honest, and keep heavy metal alive. We couldn’t do this without you! Cheers
