EPK – The Wring – Wring² Project Cipher (2021)
ft. album guests Marc Bonilla (Keith Emerson Band, California Transit Authority, Glenn Hughes), Bryan Beller (Joe Satriani, The Aristocrats, Dethklok, Steve Vai), Thomas Lang (Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Williams), Jason Henrie, Jason Sadites
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Rush, Fates Warning, Dream Theater, Queensryche, The Dead Daisies
Album Title: The Wring2 – Project Cipher
Release Date: May 28, 2021
Label: Self-Release
“If in the ’80s, Geddy decided to shun the synthesizer and Alex became a disciple of Dave Mustaine instead of Midge Ure, Rush might have sounded something like this. The album is 7 songs with one instrumental and 6 vocal tracks. It is a rock record with bits of proggy stuff hidden inside. The players are diverse and really complement each other and the overall vibe.” – The Wring
TheWring.ca | Facebook.com/thewringband | Instagram.com/wringband | Youtube
Thewring2.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify
““Wring² Project Cipher comes with a heavy, classic rock feel, but there’s an epic, questing nature to tunes like Sorceress, Steelier and Dose that pushes The Wring beyond metal norms and into prog territory.” – Prog Magazine
“The extreme professionalism on display throughout this entire album, although a labour of love, is a true master class of musicianship performed by musicians who are truly at the top of their game, making the industry what it is today. The sheer attention to detail is a credit to each and every performer as they tailor their craft neatly and precisely throughout every track, with nothing less than perfect being the order of the day.” – Stargazer Music Magazine
“Overall, the entire album is laden with a rich tapestry of sound and lyrics, well thought out and carefully developed by founder member and visionary Don Dewulf, taking the listener on that perfect journey of thought, and is a credit to its makers gathering no dust in any collection. 10/10” – Stargazer Music Magazine
“Thanks to his renowned session musicians and original compositions, The Wring is a refreshing discovery that offers a personal reading of modern metal. 4/5” – Music Waves
“What sounds at first to be a straight-forward rock album, turns out to be so much more. It’s a tad short, but sometimes less is more. You can hear many influences in these tracks, some of them familiar, but The Wring have stamped their own identity all over it. This should keep you going for the time being but expect more from Don Dewulf with The Wring3 already in the recording stage!” – The Prog Space
“Dewulf’s guitar work shines throughout, at times reminiscent of Alex Lifeson in his prime, such as his powerful solo on ‘Steelier’ which soars above the raging musical maelstrom below. There’s even a funk-infused breakout on ‘Dose’, which is infectious with its driving hook. It’s an absorbing record, one that takes time to soak in, but several plays ensure that it’s burnt deep into the memory. When those end-of-year lists come round, ‘Wring² Project Cipher’ is likely to be pushing for a slot.” – The Razor’s Edge
“The Wring generally succeed at what they’re going for—Dewulf has produced a fun, catchy record. Particularly on the album’s middle section (“Cipher,” “Steelier” and “Dissension”), there’s some great songs with great riffs. If you’re after some new prog, you could do a lot worse than this album, and I found it quite hard to score.” – Angry Metal Guy
“The overall sound is something like the heavier side of Rush, with hooks and melodic elements smoothing out the guitar crunch, making this very accessible.” – The Progressive Aspect
“Coming out of nowhere with a completely experienced, well-produced, and polished debut record full of complex compositions and dynamics for vocals, guitar, bass, and drums is Sudbury’s newest best-kept secret: The Wring… I give this album a solid 63 out of the 67 moons of Jupiter, including all four Galilean moons. Highly recommend it for fans Tool, Opeth, Soundgarden, Rage Against The Machine, or if you listened to your dad’s records growing up.” – Kipp Grose, Asylum Club
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[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Album Title: The Wring2 – Project Cipher
Release Date: May 28, 2021
Label: Self-Release
Track Listing:
1. The Light (4:10)
2. Sorceress (4:44)
3. Cipher (4:29)
4. Steelier (4:25)
5. Dissension (4:08)
6. Dose (3:27)
7. Touch (4:29)
Album Length: 29:54
Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: Dewulf/Lang/Bonilla/Beller/Henrie/Sadites
• All songs written by: Music: Dewulf, Lyrics: Dewulf with Bonilla & Kraus
• Produced by: Dewulf
• Mixed and Mastered by: Forrester Savell
• Album Artwork by: Melissa Friesen
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Recording Line Up:
Don Dewulf – Guitars
Thomas Lang – Drums
Marc Bonilla – Vocals
Bryan Beller – Bass – 3 tracks
Jason Henrie – Bass – 4 tracks
Jason Sadites – Guest Solo on 1 track
Discography:
2021 – The Wring2 – Project Cipher
2019 – 48 oz. – Single
2017 – The Wring – Album
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The album as a whole:
If in the 80’s, Geddy decided to shun the synthesizer and Alex became a disciple of Dave Mustaine instead of Midge Ure, Rush might have sounded like this. The album is 7 songs with one instrumental and 6 vocal tracks. It is a rock record with bits of proggy stuff hidden inside. The players are diverse and really complement each other and the overall vibe.
Track by track explained Don Dewulf :
The Light – A very fun song to play. Lots of changes and riffs. This is one song where Marc totally took the vocals in his own direction. I had a much heavier vision but he has a style that really works against the riffs and strange, shifting time signatures.
Sorceress – One of my favourite tracks. The riffs are quirky but really fit the mood. I had composed a very complicated bass part and when I gave it to Bryan Beller, he tossed it out and primarily mirrored the guitar with his bass lines. While my ego was injured, it turns out he was 100% right… the bass totally drives the song. Marc also did a cool spoken-word part in the pre-chorus which was unexpected and totally fits! A friend of mine, Steve Kraus wrote the lyrics for this song and they are fantastic. One of the very few parts not composed by me.
Cipher – An instrumental track. I played this on a 7-string so there is a massive low end. The parts are short enough and musical enough to hold interest without vocals. I really like the bass and guitar solos here too. A combination homage to YYZ and March of the Fire Ants. Jason Henrie played some killer bass on this track and created an awesome video also.
Steelier – This song started with the pre-chorus – a very jazzy progression in the spirit of Steely Dan. I named the rough early version “Steelier” in that context. When the lyrics came later, the story is about perseverance and maintaining one’s wonder in the face of adversity so I thought the demo name was appropriate. The chorus is in an odd time, but fits perfectly, I love when that happens.
Dissension – A pretty straight-ahead rocker. I went for a Dio vibe with the lyrics… I could not tell you what Holy Diver is about but the lyrics are awesome. I tried to capture some of that ‘strength in phrases’ approach. Of course, Triple 6 is a reference to the devil in all of us. Has a cool breakdown and a phenomenal guest solo from Jason Sadites.
Dose – Another fun song with a great chorus. Marc did an amazing job on this song. Lots of little bits of odd time that add flavour and dynamics. Great bass lines and my Lifeson-esque solo. Most of the record is a 1981 Les Paul Custom through a Marshall amp. In this song, I use a Strat which is very unusual for me. I like the thin jangle and how it works in this song.
Touch – I love the main riff. It started life as a very Toolish part, but I found it a bit jarring so I added 3 to the 5 so Marc could sing in 4. Good chorus. Cool odd time breakdown and a neat little solo. The end is pure pretentiousness. The main riff changes time signature 13x but the vocals and reprise of the intro riff smooth it out, so it all works.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
- I (Don Dewulf) am proud of my music. I am proud of my affiliation with some of the great players of this generation. Music is the food of the soul and having Thomas Lang, Marc Bonilla or Bryan Beller say they enjoy playing my songs and then give me their serious attention and very best effort is beyond my dreams.
- Jason Henrie was supposed to track all of the bass parts on this record but personal commitments precluded that so he reached into his Social Media Rolodex and connected me with Bryan Beller and Stu Hamm as potential candidates to complete the bass tracking. I contacted them both. Stu was interested, but unavailable due to other commitments. Bryan jumped on it and we connected instantly. I messaged Stu back to let him know and he told me he could now do the project. I’d already committed to Bryan so I had to turn down Stu Hamm!! How crazy is that?
- I always wanted The Wring to be a ‘band’ with equal input and collective focus. It never turned out that way. I wrote everything, decided everything, paid for everything. It was a somewhat lonely place. Then I met Mikael Akerfeldt. I am a very big Opeth fan. I asked him many questions about his songwriting and band process. He told me that he does everything, writes everything and the guys just learn what he gives them. He said he even taps out the drums on a machine for Axe. So really, Mike is Opeth and Opeth is Mike. I do the same. So, on a much, much, much smaller scale, I realized that I am the Wring. And it was good.
- The Wring opened for Diamond Head in 2018. When I walked into the venue, I immediately spotted Brian Tatler on the stage. I had been a fan since the ’80s and it was such a surreal feeling knowing we would share a stage with them. I just shook his hand. Couldn’t even speak. We played a great set and I gave one of our CDs to Brian’s wife after the show. That gig was an honour for me but it also put the world into perspective when you have legends like Diamond Head playing these club gigs while horrible pop garbage sells trillions.
- The Wring opened a show in Ottawa. The Dead Daisies and Hookers & Blow were the main acts with 4 bands on the bill. The place was full for our set and the crowd was awesome. I remember two things about that show, the sound man let us play for 40 minutes instead of 30 and we were the only band that didn’t play any cover songs.
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About:
The Wring is a progressive rock project created in 2015 by guitarist Don Dewulf who had compiled a large inventory of compositions that he had fully demoed, just needing players to turn the demos into songs. The project started out in a band format with local musicians and they released a debut self-titled album in 2017.
After a series of live dates sharing stages with Anvil, Diamond Head, and Dead Daisies, the band dissolved. A chance conversation with Mikael Akerfeldt inspired Dewulf to forge ahead with new material, re-connecting with bassist Jason Henrie and engaging world-renowned musicians to perform, bringing the new songs to another level.
The result of that was “The Wring 2 – Project Cipher” releasing in 2021, which will feature album guests Bryan Beller (Joe Satriani, The Aristocrats, Dethklok, Steve Vai), Thomas Lang (Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Williams), Jason Henrie, and Jason Sadites.
Always starting with a riff, Dewulf builds compositions that showcase his signature blend of classic heavy rock meets prog. The lyrics come after the music is done and are usually a targeted response to an interaction that has sparked anger. The translation of emotion into words is subtle, often belying the more aggressive undertones. Expect more from Dewulf with The Wring3 already in the recording stage!
Shared Stage With:
Anvil, Diamond Head, Sven Gali, The Dead Daisies, Hookers & Blow
Tours and Festivals:
2018 – Budweiser New Music Festival – Sudbury – Finger Eleven, Glorious Sons, Crown Lands
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