Black Absinthe – Early Signs of Denial (2016)
Release Date: May 13, 2016
For fans of Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Mastodon, High On Fire, Coheed and Cambria
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“Produced by Sum 41’s Dave Baksh, the new record serves as both a cleaner and heavier presentation of the sound the band have been honing since their formation in 2011. Running six tracks in length, the LP explores fear, corruption and overcoming disparity within their blend of classic and contemporary metal stylings.” – Exclaim!
“The whole record is classic metal & deserves to catapult this band over the wall & into the rooms of many. This is a band that doesn’t know the meaning of the words over play. Everything is understated, controlled & precise. Black Absinthe are not trying to re-invent the wheel but add a new spoke.” – All About The Rock
“It is one quite impressive EP that goes all out to impress. It is hard to imagine that just three guys could make such an impact, but they do! Quite a robust six tracker that is distinct and captivating!” – RAM Zine
“From the opening track “The Wild” to “Pigs” to my personal favorite “Winter” the band works their way through everything from classic rock all the way to hardcore…What Black Absinthe does is make music that comes across live; music that will bring a crowd to their feet, but contemplate the lyrics after the show is all said and done. It’s a tricky feat to bring that across on a studio recording. “Early Signs of Denial” nails it and shows the band must be a great time on stage.” – We Love Metal
“there is a lot of diversity amongst the six songs here, but the overall impression is that this release is a hard-hitting rock ‘n roll album with strong metal leanings. A song like the opening cut, “The Wild”, manages to display much of what the band is capable of in just 4 minutes. This track is able to groove, rock out, and make you want to sing along.” – Skull Fracturing Metal
“Through the six songs presented, I noticed a depth that I wasn’t prepared for. An up-tempo metallic drive, clean and rough vocals done masterfully by Jack Cerre (also handling guitar duties, and a dead-ringer for former Corrosion Of Conformity singer Karl Agell), and a mid-paced and streamlined nostalgic sound which can transition perfectly to moments of pure riffing aggression and thundering bass and drums at a breakneck pace (provided by Kyle Scarlett and Austin Henderson respectively).” – Power of Metal
“it’s certainly one of the most interesting records I’ve heard this year…a promising debut album by a band with a lot of potential and I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing where Black Absinthe go from here!” – Nerd Circle Online
“they capture the energy and excitement of the early thrash and NWOBHM scenes, with catchy choruses propelled by strong, tuneful vocals. It’s all backed up with some excellent riffs, leads, bass patterns, and drumming that doesn’t need to rely on brute force to impress. Bands like Black Absinthe capture all that is good about both classic and modern metal, and Early Signs Of Denial deserves a far bigger audience.” – The Sound Not The Word
“ici on aime la musicalité et de belles mélodies chiadées et vintage. On ne peut regretter qu’une chose: la demie heure de cette galette passe trop vite.” – Metal France
“Imagine Motörhead with a dose of double pedal bass drumming, and you’ve got Black Absinthe. This stuff was very head bang friendly, and lured a small crowd of long-haired metal heads to the front of the stage. Black Absinthe had a great rough sound, perfect for beer drinking and head banging – even on a Wednesday night.” – Examiner (Live Review)
” With the odd hint of Kill Em All-era Metallica in their veins, Black Absinthe absolutely bring the energy to the rest of the crowd, enticing the more physical and active people in the audience to come up to the pit and mosh…Black Absinthe does a great job creating the DIY, raw metal presence that one can compare to the NWBOHM bands of the early 80s, as dazzling lead work and heavy riffing perfectly complements the hard rock choruses and atmosphere.” – Axis of Metal
Track by Track description by the band:
Once the songs on this album were finished we were looking for a title that felt in tune with the songs as a whole. We consulted a St.John’s Ambulance First Aid Reference Guide for possible names. Beating out contenders like ‘Penetrating Chest Wound,’ ‘Bites From Ticks,’ or ‘Putting on Dressings,’ we decided on Early Signs Of Denial. It captures the pessimistic nature of a lot of the lyrics and we think suits it sonically too. It’s a metal record, Early Signs of Denial seemed like it should be the name of a metal album!
1. THE WILD – Is the feeling of freedom, crashing and burning at the feet of desire.
2. IS THIS LIFE – This is a mental trip from disparity to triumph.
3. BURJ KALIFAH – “The pain of our daily struggle”, -Workers building a modern kingdom have a story to tell.
4. PIGS – This song screams the extreme suffering of a pig escaping a slaughter house. The sounds of the guitar are modeled on the squeal of a pig.
5. NOW – The philosophy of time, thinking of what you want, but at the cost of what you have to do to get it.
6. WINTER – Crossing the frozen St. Lawrence, the ones you care about may die as the winter steals your hope. The journey out of the night and further into the storm become the crescendo of the album.
Shared stage w/: Mutank, Caym, Sludgehammer, Finger Eleven, Python, Alcholator, Phosphorus
Black Absinthe are a 3-piece modern heavy metal band from Toronto, Canada.
Formed in 2011 by vocalist and guitarist Jack Cerre, bassist Kyle Scarlett, and drummer Austin Henderson, the trio continue to rip through the underground Toronto metal scene without pause.
Compounding heavy riffs and bass lines reminiscent of classic thrash and new wave British heavy metal with a range of progressive to classic rock influences, Black Absinthe presents a solid example of a Canadian metal band. They’re road hungry, influenced and supported by other Canadian musicians, and are ready to innovate and build on the traditions of a genre they venerate and respect.
Over the last year Black Absinthe has continued to build their set list; all the while playing shows in both new and familiar spaces. In May 2016 the band released their third six track EP Early Signs Of Denial. Since its release last Spring the band has had the opportunity to showcase the album throughout Ontario and Quebec. Plans for more shows and new music videos featuring the album are in motion while the boys continue to work hard on new material for their next release.
The album was produced by Dave Baksh (Sum 41) out of the Gentleman’s Den studio in Pickering, ON whose experience made all the difference with the final product; aiding in refining drum dynamics, smoothing the transitions, and layering harmonic guitar lines. Black Absinthe’s Early Signs Of Denial sound aims to showcase what a contemporary Canadian metal band is offering to the world: songs built with the spine of our heavy metal predecessors, songs that feel right being played while whipping down a highway, songs that relate to the anxieties of being raised in a constantly changing world. For us that means a mix of power metal, thrash, and pop-punk thrown over the scaffolding of Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden.
“This was our first foray into recording in a studio environment plus working with a producer and mixer. Having a team of people around us helped us produce better songs at a higher quality to give our fans the chance to hear what we’re truly about without the barrier of poor recordings. It’s our jump from the basement to the studio, the raw energy is still there, but there’s an added level of detail to each track. We wanted to make a significant jump forward in quality and songwriting plus for fans who have been following us, we think they’ll be pleasantly surprised.” comments vocalist/guitarist Jack Cerre.
The title “Early Signs of Denial” is a conceptual connection to the themes of fear, corruption, and overcoming social disparity. The record is a mix of fierce crumpling tones, polished instrumental sections, and a battle of soaring and stressed vocals meeting to make a blend of contemporary and classic metal. With each track this record presents moments and movements of genres that form Black Absinthe’s sound. The band does not tread lightly over their new wave of British heavy metal foundation. With that foundation though there is a concerted effort to build and experiment rather than recreate. There is a wealth of stylistic combinations to work with in the heavy metal genre. Early Signs Of Denial is a snapshot of what three guys that came of age during the boom of file sharing era would produce; songs influenced from past artists they would have never gotten to hear on a television or radio mixing with the wave of Nu-Metal and Pop-punk popular at the time.
Through the bands expanding network cultivated through Coalition Music’s “Artist Entrepreneur Program”, they chose Frank Gryner (Rob Zombie- Hellbilly Deluxe) to mix and master the album. His strong ability to work with a diversity of sounds was the appeal to the band. His mixing took the album into the sonic spheres of a classic 80’s sound providing, grandeur, psychedelia, and an arena rock feel that could properly represent the textures put down in tracking. There was an immediate trust formed with the stylistic choices Gryner made throughout mixing.
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