About the Band
Shadow of the Talisman is an alternative metal band based out of Flint, Michigan, composed of Mike Smith on vocals, Zack Harrison and Logan Lanning on guitar, Tom Maceri on bass, and Kyle Williams on drums. The members released their debut album, “As Above, So Below”, in February 2025, a record that draws influence from numerous rock and metal subgenres to tell the twisted tale of The Outlaw and The Dark One, with each song designed to reflect the contextual landscape of the particular passage. The band strives to unite all facets of the metal scene through complex musical journeys, heart-wrenching lyrics, and engaging live performances where every metalhead can find something perfect for them. One might not even call Shadow of the Talisman a band, but rather a connective experience.
Formed in November 2022, the musicians were united through college and musical networking between the cities of Port Huron and Flint, which led to a powerhouse line-up that wasn't afraid to explore new sonic realms, masterclass songwriting, and relentless live shows. Mike Smith’s vocals are determined by raw guttural power, high tenor raunch-and-roll, and sweet serenades, while Zack Harrison’s guitar work wails and bends with melody and soul. Logan Lanning combines shredding and technicality to hook listeners, and Tom Maceri dominates the low end with both feel and impressive chops. In addition to Kyle Williams being the aggressive rhythmic and technical backbone, Shadow of the Talisman truly fires on all cylinders amongst its members.
When the band started to write original music, it became clear that the product was a melting pot of days past and tomorrow's hits. As they progressed in their career, each new song pushed the boundaries, every live show exceeded the last, and “The Shadowed” community continued to grow until their name was a staple at places like The Machine Shop, The Sanctuary, and The Diesel in Metro-Detroit. Once “As Above, So Below” was professionally recorded and released, the band began to see waves of college and international radio play with continued support from the Detroit metal scene despite some lineup changes. Now, the band is crafting their sophomore album by fine-tuning their sound, cranking up the aggression, and being more bold than ever before with their image, sound, and legacy. With today’s ever-evolving music industry and entertainment mediums, Shadow of the Talisman will carve their own path to ensure the genuine, unapologetic metal spirit is never lost.
Mike Smith
Vocalist
I‘m Mike Smith, and I’m the vocalist for Shadow of the Talisman. I‘ve always had a passion for music and love to exercise my creativity whenever possible. Joining this band feels like a life-long dream has been fulfilled. Being able to play with very talented musicians has been an honor and a privilege.
I have been singing for as long as I can remember. My mom used to play Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places“ in the car, and as a three-year-old, I would sing every word to that degenerate song about drinking.
There have been many influences and icons that have shaped my voice in my life, such as Bob Seger, Freddy Mercury, Dave Grohl, Adam Gontier, M. Shadows, and of course, James Hetfield. In my opinion, must-listen-to albums are the following: The Colour and Shape: Foo Fighters, Waking the Fallen: Avenged Sevenfold, and Master of Puppets: Metallica. These albums are the reason I am the vocalist I am today.
I am beyond excited to see where this road takes me, and I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I will.
Zack Harrison
Guitarist
I'm Zack Harrison, and I'm a guitarist for Shadow of the Talisman. Talk about a dream come true; the first thoughts in my head when Kyle messaged me were, "Holy s**t, I'm going to be in a band!". From that point on, I've grown into a new style of playing that I never would have thought possible.
I've been playing guitar since I was nine years old. I started out like any other kid on the strings with "Smoke on the Water" and "Iron Man." Then in high school, I took four years of guitar, and that's where my abilities began to shine. Within two years, I had gained the ability to play multiple songs with solos included ranging from the musical stylings of Tom Petty to Motley Crue.
My biggest inspiration to become a guitar player was listening to Guns n Roses, AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Motley Crue. I was always a sucker for that 80s rock sound. Also, the way the guitar breaks through the mix with the solos and has that huge sound was always my favorite. Speaking of my favorite things, my favorite albums are Appetite for Destruction: Guns n Roses, Pyromania: Def Leppard, and Waking the Fallen: Avenged Sevenfold. My music taste is all over as well, ranging from Country and Oldies to Classic Rock and what I consider to be Heavy Rock music.
My current playing style has developed into a more melodic approach. This allows me to connect to our listener's emotions and really let my guitar do the singing. It also adds that special flair to our thrashy style, completing our unique sound.
Logan Lanning
Guitarist
My name is Logan Lanning, and I'm one of the guitar players for Shadow of the Talisman. I started playing stringed instruments in 8th grade. I took lessons at the Guitar Center in Lansing, MI. My guitar teacher's name was Tab, and he was the only teacher that could get me to play like me.
The year I graduated high school was 2020. It was the beginning of Covid, so the world was essentially in shambles. All I did pretty much every day was work and practice guitar. The grind for musical mastery was definitely afoot. When I started, my inspirations were anything I could get on cassette tape. You heard right… 2016 and beyond I was broke, so I could only afford AA’s and a budget walkman from the Salvation Army! I'm nothing but grateful for the tough times teaching me to appreciate the little things. The first three tapes I ever bought were Boston's debut album, Van Halen’s 1984, and Living Colour’s Vivid. I was always playing those 3 tapes, and I still have them to this day.
Some inspirations that made me pick up guitar include Van Halen, Frank Zappa, Periphery, TesseracT, Steve Vai, Native Construct, Dream Theater, Haken, Cosmosquad, Will Wood And The Tapeworms, Organized Chaos, and countless others. There isn't a genre that exists that I won't pull from… except country.
I'm grateful for the existence of music and 4 certain individuals that give it their all every time. Kyle, Mike, Zack, and Tommy. It's a privilege to live this dream and play music. Thank you gentlemen for being kicka** musicians and never letting off the gas.
Tom Maceri
Bassist
I’m Tom Maceri, and I’m the bass player for Shadow of the Talisman. I’ve been playing and writing music since the fourth grade when they first allowed us to play recorders and use the Finale music notation software. Since then, I learned to play many instruments, including the trombone, bass trombone, trumpet, euphonium, tuba, french horn, and piano.
At the end of high-school I began to learn guitar and bass shortly after. I played with a local rock band for a single show and played a Satriani song at our school talent show, but otherwise, my musical career centered largely in the classical realm. I studied Music Composition at Michigan State University and recently graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in the field. I wrote music for varying classical ensembles and had pieces performed by national acts within both the United States and Europe. I also performed in both the marching band and basketball band, along with a brass quintet and several larger ensembles during my time in college.
Despite all of this, my roots have always been in rock and metal. Since I first heard them in my dad’s car as a young child, Rush has always been my biggest musical influence. As my college journey started, my music and writing was always informed by Rush, Primus, Dream Theater, and many smaller instrumental progressive metal bands. Nowadays, my influences also include bands like Lamb of God, Gojira, Megadeth, and Meshuggah. However, I also listen to a variety of different styles, such as jazz, fusion, funk, and electronic music.
Within Shadow of the Talisman, my goal is to push the boundaries of what metal bass can be by injecting the proggy and rhythmic styles I grew up on into the more straightforward and heavy standard of metal bass. I’m always looking to improve my playing and learn new techniques to keep the music interesting and fun for both the listeners and myself. The brotherhood within our band and between each of us allows us all to fully embrace our own musical identities and to experiment with new directions or styles freely. I’m very excited for what’s to come as we begin to focus on writing new material and performing in new venues and scenes.
Kyle Williams
Drummer
My name is Kyle Williams, and I'm the drummer for Shadow of the Talisman. I started drumming at the age of 8 with lessons at the local music store, slowly learning the basics of the drum kit and rudimentary percussion, until I was the rhythm section drummer and center snare in my high school's jazz and marching band.
Once college hit, I was looking for something to break up my engineering studies, and this project officially began! Being in a metal band like S.o.t.T is a dream come true because I get to write amazing originals with highly talented musicians, and they're constantly challenging me to develop my own style as a drummer and communication as a musician.
My early inspirations for drumming were definitely John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan of Avenged Sevenfold, and Joey Jordison of Slipknot. As my music go-tos shifted from classic rock and early 2000s metal to more progressive and heavier groups, my latest inspirations have been Danny Carey of Tool, Chris Adler of Lamb of God, and Mario Duplantier of Gojira. Rock and metal will always be my favorite musical genres, but my musical taste extends to EDM, big band jazz, and even classical music. But no matter what I'm listening to, I always compare it to these perfect albums: "City of Evil" by Avenged Sevenfold, "Lateralus" by Tool, and Led Zeppelin IV.
As we grow as a band, I’m always challenging myself to create unique and fun-to-play drum parts without losing the goal of "playing for the song." The writing of our first album is an experience I’ll never forget, and I’m truly pumped for the direction we’re heading in with the next release!