Music often tells a story with as varying storylines as there are musicians, but some genres do it better than most.

Minos, an area band based in Rochester, captures a unique sound for the area, making use of vast and expanding storytelling elements that make up the metal sub-genre known as folk metal.

Folk metal itself can branch off in several directions, making use of fantasy, mythic and historical references. In Minos’ case, the music is more rooted in a European folk styling, heavily infused with mythological folklore, and in this way the band seperates itself from most any other sound in this area.

Made up of guitarist and band founder Joe Waller, guitarist Chelsi Igo, vocalist Jason Hickman, bassist Nate Dressel and drummer James Hamersly, the band strives to deliver a song rich in storytelling, while at the same time giving the listener different levels all wrapped up in a deep and heavy sound.

“I think we try to keep our sound fairly accessable,” Waller said. “We have clean vocals, but we do have some songs that are more death metal. We kind of mix the two together.”

The band evolved in 1990 as a side project from a band that Joe, Chelsi and Jason were part of called Dread Veil in Washington. Dread Veil’s sound was more of a progressive gothic sound that was quite a bit different from Minos.

“(Dread Veil) had been a lot harder,” Waller said. “We (Minos) have a lot of catchy melodies so people can get into it a little easier.”

Which, in the long run, is making it easier for Minos to make a name for itself.

Playing this particular style of metal in an area known more for cover bands playing 80s hair metal makes it hard for bands like Minos to anchor themselves.

Ultimately the solution sends the band north, to the Twin Cities, where there is an undercurrent toward this style of metal. Through this route, Waller said the band has been catching on, giving them the opportunity that has included opening for European heavy hitters in the genre like Finntroll, Ensiferum, and Moonsorrow.

“Minos has been received very well,” Waller said. “Far more received than we thought it would be. There’s a really good underground in the Twin Cities and it’s starting to make it’s way out.

“We’re trying to get out and play regionally,” Waller added. “We’ve played Duluth and Des Moines, but a majority of the shows we play would be St. Paul.”

Minos’ first full-lengthened album was released this past winter and plans for a second are already falling into place, lending weight to the idea the group is expanding into the rock consciousness and fueling the continued surprise at how the band has been received.

“I think everybody has been really surprised,” he said of the band. “We’ve all been in projects that don’t seem to go anywhere. We just released our first full-lengthened album in March and we’re starting to work on a second one now. We’re in the writing stages now.”

Even having evolved this far, Minos is looking to go even further. Bands that play this style and this genre often have the creative ability to change and head in different, but still related, directions.

“We’ve been searching for a violin player for a long time, but that has been very difficult to find someone both skilled enough to play the music and be into the heavier music as well,” Waller said.

Minos continues to search for itself in trying to find an identity that reflects the band on stage.

“Right now the stage presence for us is caught in limbo,” Waller said. “We’re trying to get everybody on the same page. We’re just trying to get everybody unified.”

The next truly big step for Minos is trying to get signed by a record label, not an easy proposition for any band these days with so many groups trying to get noticed. Although Waller admits the band has done well as an independent, he believes the limits are getting stretched.

“We think we really want to start pursuing promoting ourselves to more record labels,” Waller said. “That’s something we really haven’t done yet. There are advantages to being independent, but you can only take it so far realistically.”

The band’s rapid progression has changed the reality of Minos and its status as a side project seems to be acting as a launching pad into a bright feature.

“For me, and the band I think, this has become the main project,” Waller said of Minos. “We get way more opportunity. Things are going well for us.

“Personally I think we’re ahead,” he continued. “Dread Veil was a work in progress and we’ve gotten a lot further with Minos.”

Minos opening for Dokken

While this story won’t get to many readers until early Sunday, you still have the chance to check out the metal stylings that is Minos.

The band opens for 80s metal power Dokken Sunday night at the Riverside Concerts series in Rochester behind the Mayo Civic Center. Minos hits the stage at 7 p.m.

“It’s something really unique for this area,” Joe Waller said of the band. “There aren’t really any other bands in the region playing what we play. It’s fast and catchy at the same time. People really enjoy the energy.”