EPK – Lycanthro – Mark of The Wolf (2021) (Alone Records)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Judas Priest, Saxon, Blind Guardian, Helloween, Manowar
Album Title: Mark of the Wolf
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Label: Alone Records (Greece)
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“Their latest single (Crucible) is a treat for any fans of power metal or good old classic heavy metal. The track features a catchy rhythm, precision drumming, and classic 80’s vocals. It’s over 7 minutes of headbang worthy heavy metal. The guitar work is a particular highlight of the track, changing pace throughout the track, keeping the listener engaged throughout.” – Metal Injection
“Mark of the Wolf is filled with mostly catchy heavy metal (good luck trying to get “In Metal We Trust” out of your head after hearing it once) that gets the listener break out the air guitar and air drums and sing along almost from beginning to end. Fans of ’80s heavy metal and modern power metal that’s not over the top should definitely find something to like on Mark of the Wolf.” -The Metal Crypt
“As a debut hard rock/heavy metal album overall, it not only showcases a variety of talent throughout its 43 minutes of captured studio time, but it also features an even number of eight powerful songs crafted with fury and determination… Mark Of The Wolf marks not only many criteriae for the consummate debut album but also marks LYCANTHRO’s own territory within the new breed. 5.0 Out Of 5.0” – KNAC.com
“with Mark of the Wolf this scribe believes Lycanthro will vault up the scene in terms of a fine debut album, a promising lift to those that love all aspects of power metal.” – Dead Rhetoric
“This is an album that bears repeating. For a band named after literal monsters, it’s uplifting and stirring. So Canadian, right? LYCANTHRO is a refreshing band; “Mark of the Wolf” is an impressive album.” – Metal Temple
“Mark of the Wolf is an album that can undoubtedly captivate its listeners over a long period of time. Even after several playthroughs, there are still details to discover that you didn’t notice before. Anyone who claims that there is no exciting talent left in the metal world these days is definitely ignorant – or deaf. Regardless of this basic thought: I wouldn’t be surprised if James – a huge Blind Guardian fan, by the way – one day creates an opulent rock opera in which he honours all his different influences. Anyone who sees him on social media knows that he is full of drive – let’s see where his path leads. Hopefully, we will see him on a European concert stage with his three new colleagues in the foreseeable future!” – Epic Metal Blog
“The Thrash / Power hybrid screams out loud and clear from the get-go, with ‘Crucible’, an absolute belter which, right from the first few bars, indicates that Vocalist James Delbridge has something of a range on him… Interestingly, technically proficient and with an incredibly promising vocal delivery, this is clearly a band to watch.” – Ever Metal
““Enchantress” starts with solid sounds, before the machine slowly picks up speed and settles in medium tempo realms, before a longer solo part speeds things up. What should be emphasized here – as on the entire album – is the excellent work of the string wizards, above all Forest Dussault. With “In Metal We Trust” the North Americans have a real metal anthem in their luggage, which should be celebrated live according to all the rules of the art.” – Hellfire Magazin
“An authentic and truly excellent work in a new wave of traditional heavy metal, Lycanthro’s debut album Mark of the Wolf is the kind of passionate and diverse music that is surely the beginning of something great.” – Cavedweller Music
“any fan of straight up metal in the grand tradition will find plenty to howl about on “Mark of the Wolf”.” – Wormwood Chronicles
“Crucible,” starts things off slowly and with great measure. It advances forth into destruction and insanity with great aplomb. Delivering the world into a whirlpool of excess and power.” – The Median Man
“Eerie picked acoustic over strings begin the track (Crucible) with driving guitars burst through and start off a rampage of rock riffing and drums. With an uptight electric feel to the track, it’s a full on rock n roll epic complete with howling vocals and singing guitars.” – Backseat Mafia
“What’s better than spending your Saturday evening with a bunch of Canadian Heavy Metal Werewolves? I bet there’s not much that sounds more like an alpha move huh? LYCANTHRO have assembled their first full-length and it is a ripper! 8/10” – Reflections of Darkness
“Mark of the wolf” is an example of how a heavy metal album should sound. It is classic, and at the same time very inventive and fresh. Expectations fully met. Their debut can easily be classified as one of the most important events of 2021. Rating: 9/10″ – Power Metal Warrior
“All the songs on this disc have very well thought out compositions with excellent buildups from the intros to the outros. The songs are top caliber which can compete with any of today’s current metal bands” – John Ricci (Exciter)
“A harken back to the old school!” – Joe Comeau (Liege Lord, ex-Overkill, ex- Annihilator)
“Had put on a performance that nearly upstaged the headliner” – KNAC.com
“Taking some classic influences and intertwining them into a potent, headbanging outfit. International attention and accolades aren’t far behind as these members grow” – Dead Rhetoric
“These guys write some amazing riffs, better than many with decades more experience” – Decibel Geek
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“This album is a diverse listening experience. Even though everything in one way or another is under the umbrella of Power or Thrash metal, there is something for everyone on here in terms of melodic metal (except for screams haha). There are soaring high vocals, epic guitar solos, lots of harmonies, heavy chugging riffs, a few odd instruments, and even a breakdown or two. We firmly believe in making a diverse listening experience and this album is no different, there’s something everyone on this album!” – Lycanthro
[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Album Title: Mark of the Wolf
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Label: Alone Records (Greece)
Track Listing:
1. Crucible (7:17)
2. Fallen Angels Prayer (4:47)
3. Mark of The Wolf (5:02)
4. Enchantress (6:53)
5. In Metal We Trust (5:07)
6. Into Oblivion (3:24)
7. Ride the Dragon (4:03)
8. Evangelion (6:25)
Album Length: 43:02
Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: Lycanthro
• All songs written by: James Delbridge
• Produced by: Mike Bond/James Delbridge
• Mixed by: Jason Jaknunas
• Mastered by: Jack Kosto
• Album Artwork by: Velio Josto
• Member of SOCAN & ASCAP
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Album Band Line Up:
James Delbridge – Vocals, Guitars
David Shute – Guitars
Carlo Cote – Bass
Nathan Shuman – Drums
Forrest Dussault – Guitars
Live Band Line Up:
James Delbridge – Vocals, Guitars
Forest Dussault – Guitars
Stew Everitt – Bass
Panos Andrikopoulos – Drums
Fun Facts / Story Angles:
1. This album as well as our previous EP was recorded at Wolf Lake Studios in Lac-des-Loups, Quebec. It’s a unique experience to record there as essentially, it’s a studio in a cabin in the woods. The area is very atmospheric and there’s aren’t that many outward distractions around so we can be productive and focus on the music. It’s like a camping trip mixed with the recording.
2. The album was mastered by Jack Kosto who the most well-known for being the lead guitarist in the power metal band Seven Spires.
3. We brought in a professional chamber choir for the song “Fallen Angels Prayer” on the new album
4. During November 2019, Lycanthro performed at the November Mayhem fest in St Johns Newfoundland. It was the 1st time we had played a show outside of Ontario/Quebec and it was an unforgettable experience. Getting flown in made us feel like rock stars and it was in a 350-person venue that was full! That coupled with experiencing the food, sights, and people made our show in Newfoundland an unforgettable one!
5. Lycanthro played a show during June 2019 in Toronto, ON, and on a boat! Every year our promoter friend Karina Davy of Neurotic Entertainment hosts her birthday concert called “Rock The Boat” where she’ll get three metal bands to play on the boat. It was a very unique and memorable experience but I (James) blew out my vocal chords during that show. Talk about suffering for your art!
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The album as a whole:
The album is a diverse listening experience. Even though everything in one way or another is under the umbrella of Power or Thrash metal, there is something for everyone on here in terms of melodic metal (except for screams haha). There are soaring high vocals, epic guitar solos, lots of harmonies, heavy chugging riffs, a few odd instruments, and even a breakdown or two. We firmly believe in making a diverse listening experience and this album is no different, there’s something everyone on this album!
Track by Track explanation by James Delbridge:
1. Crucible was technically the 1st official Lycanthro song, I wrote this song back when I was in high school because we read the book “The Crucible” in English class. Also, I actually wrote the lyrics of this song while I was in English class instead of doing my school work. The story of “The Crucible” really fascinated me and I felt as though it would translate perfectly into a metal song. There are also references to other witchcraft stories such as William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” as well. In terms of the music, I was aiming for kind of a Judas Priest meets Death vibe and I think that got pulled off on this track.
2 .“Fallen Angels Prayer” – This song is the epic of the album. Lyrically it tells the story of the “Hunchback of Notre Dame” and Quasimodo’s sympathy towards the gypsy’s for being oppressed in the story, as well as his love for Esmerelda. I knew this song had to have a big and epic feel to it. I would akin this song to kind of our take on a Kamelot style song with lots of diverse instruments such as Piano, Flute, Violin, and a full-on choir! The choir we recorded live off the floor and it added the gigantic feel that we wanted out of this song.
3. Enchantress tells the tale of a man who is wandering through the woods and happens across a woman. She descends from the sky and the man instantly falls in love. He thinks he has already died and that she is an angel but in reality, she’s a demon who’s there to lead him to his death. It’s sort of a similar plotline to Triumph’s “Spellbound” video but with a much darker edge. In terms of the music, this song’s 1st half has sort of a power/groove feel to it with lots of odd chords and guitar harmonies. Then in the 2nd half, it gets a more distinctive Iron Maiden/NWOBHM feel to it with the fast chugging guitar parts. Also, this track has one of my favourite moments on the album at the very end where there’s an Yngwie Malmsteen style guitar run to close the song.
4. “Mark of the Wolf” – This song is a great straight forward headbanger that is akin to the styles of Iron Maiden and Motorhead. It also has some of the weirdest and difficult guitar passages of the whole album in the verses of the song. In terms of the lyrics, this is 1 of 2 songs on this album that is based on the videogame Skyrim. This song in particular talks about the Companions, a group of mercenaries in the game who can turn into Werewolves.
5. “In Metal We Trust” – We figured that we needed a sing-along song for a live setting that will be a crowd-pleaser so then we wrote In Metal We Trust. We wanted a song that really channeled the spirit of old school Priest style metal with catchy riffs and memorable melodies, along with a chant they everyone can sing along to.
6. “Into Oblivion” – This song is the 1st of 2 songs on this album that was written before Lycanthro was a band, Into Oblivion was actually the 1st or 2nd song I’ve ever written. It also probably the old ball song on the album with having a groove metal vibe to it along with one of the few breakdowns we have in our songs along with an Annihilator-esque guitar solo. Lyrically it has to do with zombies, but the inspiration for the lyrics came from a fungus that is known as “Zombie Fungi” as it can claim control of the host mind, but this fungus has only been seen in bugs, but it fascinated me so that’s what the lyrical basis of the song is.
7. Ride the Dragon is the 2nd of the songs that I wrote before Lycanthro was even a band. It is also the song that has gone through the most amount of changes. Lyrically this is the 2nd song about Skyrim, more specifically when the Dragonborn rides the dragon Odavigg to Sovangarde. This song has a vibe that I can only describe as Iron Maiden mixed with Triumph with some great peaks and valleys within it. As well as most of the vocals on the song being layered with is something I’ve wanted to do a long time and it turned out amazing!
8. “Evangelion” – This song is the closest thing we have to a power ballad on this album. This song was a passion song for me as it took me a year to write it! Mainly because I wrote this song bit by bit while I wrote some of the other songs. Lyrically this song is based on the anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion” which is a show that is very near and dear to my heart. As for the music, there’s a few cool synth lines in the song that gives it an epic feel as well as one of the more melodic guitar solos on the album. This song I find has some epic Dio vibes to it reminiscent of tracks from him like “Last in Line” and “Stargazer from Rainbow. From the get-go, we knew this song would be perfect to close the album on an epic and triumphant note.
L-R – Panos Andrikopoulos (Drums), Forest Dussault (Guitar), James Delbridge (Vocals/Guitar), Stew Everitt (Bass)
Lycanthro are a four-piece Power/Thrash metal band that formed in 2016 in
Ottawa, Canada. They combine power, thrash, and speed metal, along with an energetic and epic stage presence with their lyrical themes from classic horror and mythology.
Lycanthro introduced themselves to the Candian metal scene with the release of their self-titled demo followed soon after by their 2018 EP “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”.
Encapsulating a heavy, yet melodic sound, that is drawn from influences of both European/American classic power and thrash metal along with high howling vocals, piercing guitars, a booming rhythm section as well as uses of instruments such as piano and classical guitar to forge a powerful sound, Lycanthro continues on in 2021 with their signing to Alone Records for the release of their first full length “Mark of The Wolf”. The album was recorded at Wolf Lake Studios in Lac-des-Loups, Quebec and was mastered Seven Spires guitarist Jack Kosto. For the track “Fallen Angels Prayer”, the band brought in a professional chamber choir to add to its epicness.
The album features various lyrical content that fans will appreciate exploring through its different dimensions. Some of the tracks are homages to different stories in pop culture and media, others are meant to bring the listener on a journey through the worlds of each song, or simply meant to be marvel as epic metal we trust.
The band adds:
“We are trying to present fans with a varied and memorable listening experience. Even though everything on this album still fits under the power / thrash metal umbrella, there is something for everyone on this record. High soaring vocals, harmonized guitars, heavy chugging riffs, odd but cool instruments and even a breakdown or two, all metalheads have something they can take from this record and walk away with a positive experience.”
“Mark of The Wolf is due out spring 2021 on Greek label Alone Records.
Album Band Line Up:
James Delbridge – Vocals, Guitars
David Shute – Guitars
Carlo Cote – Bass
Nathan Shuman – Drums
Forrest Dussault – Guitars
Live Band Line Up:
James Delbridge – Vocals, Guitars
Forest Dussault – Guitars
Stew Everitt – Bass
Panos Andrikopoulos – Drums
Discography:
2021 – Mark Of The Wolf – LP (Alone Records)
2018 – Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – EP
2017 – Demo
Shared Stage with: Hammerfall, Udo Dirkschneider (Ex- Accept), Diamond Head, Unleash The Archers, Battle Beast, Venom Inc., Razor, Anvil, Flotsam & Jetsam, Cloven Hoof, Skull Fist, Blaze Bayley (ex-Iron Maiden), Powerglove, Striker, Exmortus, Seven Spires, Aggression, DBC (Dead Brain Cells), Elm Street, E-Force (Eric Forrest ex-Voivod), Hibria
Tour and Festivals:
2022 – Hyperspace Metal Fest- Vancouver, BC (upcoming)
2019 – November Mayhem Fest – St Johns, NL
2019 – Heavy Metal Farmfest – Vankleek Hill, ON
2017- E-Force Demonikhol Tour (opening for Eric Forrest ex Voivod)
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