For a new[ish] band, Black Halo has a long history.
The Beginning
As a teenager, guitarist Randy Ellefson envisioned a twin-guitar metal band inspired by groups like Iron Maiden and Metallica. Writing songs for what would become Black Halo, he attempted to form it after high school but found little success. And then grunge music changed the industry – even big metal bands were dropped from record labels.
A little aimless, he soon switched to instrumental guitar at the same time that he was forced to switch college majors from composition to classical guitar. The degree caused such severe tendonitis that he lost his guitar playing altogether. Years passed before he recovered it and released four instrumental albums.
Utopia Begins
Then he decided to return to his roots. The fifth Randy Ellefson album was to be the first with vocals but would ultimately be released under the band name Black Halo. Dusting off old songs, writing new ones, and converting unfinished instrumentals, he recorded most of Utopia between 2009-2011, along with a local bassist and drummer he’d previously worked with. But the trouble had already started…
The Singer Saga
The unmotivated first vocalist was so difficult to work with that it led to his departure after 18 unproductive months. The second singer quit to spend time with family before heading to federal prison! Next came Chase Breedlove, whose personal troubles caused him to depart after another 16 months. The fourth singer never sang a note after joining and was dismissed six months later. The fifth quit in a month due to financial troubles requiring a second job and no time for music. By this point, six years had passed and Ellefson was so frustrated that he began accepting less-than-stellar performances from a sixth singer before reluctantly conceding it wasn’t working out and letting him go. It was now 2016.
Retirement
With Utopia held up, he’d returned to instrumentals and released two more albums. This led to viewing Utopia as something to release under a band name (Black Halo). But he couldn’t take the singer issues anymore and just quit music altogether (he even quit playing guitar) to do his other love – writing epic fantasy novels and world building guides. Ellefson had since started a family and also focused on that while writing/publishing over two dozen books in the following years.
The Return
In 2022, he began jamming with his then ten-year-old son/drummer, accidentally writing half of another Black Halo album. He soon announced on Facebook his return to music and Utopia. Former singer Breedlove saw this and, with his personal troubles resolved, returned. But by now, the drummer and bassist who’d played on the album weren’t available for two additional songs, so Ellefson did the bass and hired Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren. With Breedlove assisting on lyrics and vocal melody writing, Ellefson now considers the band to be the two of them.
As of December 2024, the album is fully recorded, being mixed, and due for 2025 release – 16 years after it first started.