EPK – Our Dying World – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness (2022)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“Hymns of Blinding Darkness is an exceptional album of melody, personal experience, and the dedication to trying to push ourselves to our furthest limit. Lyrically, it speaks of many walks of life: sorrow, loss, hopelessness, but also empowerment, triumph, and solitude. There’s something for everyone to relate to in the wake of current times and cultural status. Musically, the record is attempting to stand out with its sophisticated arrangements, catchy hooks, and heavy melodies. It feels like a massive step up from where we were with Expedition and we think it’ll present itself as such.” – Our Dying World
For fans Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, Lamb Of God, Wintersun
Album Title – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness
Release Date: June 24, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: N/A
Facebook.com/ourdyingworldofficial | Instagram.com/ourdyingworld | Youtube | Twitter.com/ourdyingworld11
Spotify | Apple Music | Ourdyingworld.bandcamp.com
“We’ll make you a solemn promise: Whatever condition you happen to be in now (unless you’re in a coma), the song and video we’re about to present will make you feel orders of magnitude more alive, accelerating your heart-rate, igniting your fast-twitch muscles, and spinning your head like a glorious top. And for those of you who want your music to attack like a pack of rabid dogs, it fills that need, too. The song is “Veil of the Reaper“, and it comes from Hymns Of Blinding Darkness, the forthcoming album by the Los Angeles band Our Dying World. The new album marks a significant departure from the music on their debut, Expedition, moving in directions that may spawn memories of such bands as Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, and Dimmu Borgir, and you’ll get a vivid understanding of that when you hear “Veil of the Reaper“.” – No Clean Singing
“Hymns of Blinding Darkness is an intricate album with lofty pursuits featuring a stunning band makeover.” – Decibel Mag
“As with many great evolutions, Our Dying World took all their best parts and made it huge. This album paces brilliantly and delivers in spades. An overall epic release of their own brand of hard rocking hymns.” – Heavy Mag
“Closing with the excellent Melodic Death Metal-esque piece “Veil of the Reaper”, Our Dying World manages to keep the listener’s attention with soaring guitar melodies, engaging keyboards, and overall solid songs that are well crafted but need more of a personal identity. There are definitely plenty of excellent things about this release that fans of the genre will greatly appreciate, so don’t be afraid and check out this band.” – Infernal Masquerade
“Fans who appreciate equal doses of orchestra and mosh pit will likely dig this passionate full-length debut.” – Angry Metal Guy
“One thing is clear from the young band as they prepare for the release of their second release; they’ve come to stir the standards that hold the metal scene and redefine them.” – Metal Temple
“this first effort is every heavy metal enthusiast’s lottery win and is assured to gain a growing fanbase for the band” – Powerplay Magazine – 2019 – Expedition
“The band does a great job with mixing several different metal styles. Primarily, they channel Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, and Melodic Death Metal. They take all these approaches and blend them damn near seamlessly with enough intensity to level your ears.” – The Circle Pit – 2019 – Expedition
“The last 9 months working with Our Dying World on their release EP has been a wonderful journey that has had about every twist and turn you could imagine while making a record. Some were typical to the actual recording process, and some were a part of the personal journey that one finds themself in when baring their soul to the world.” – Ultimate Studios Inc. – 2019 – Expedition
“Some metal bands in this era just tackle the genre just for the sake of it. Because the “scene kids” are into it and screaming is all the hype. But then, you run into a band like Our Dying World, proving one record at a time that true metal is a genre that isn’t going to die anytime soon, thanks to bands like them and others of their caliber.” – Artist Reach Official
“this first effort is every heavy metal enthusiast’s lottery win and is assured to gain a growing fanbase for the band” – Powerplay Magazine
Photos Credit – Jamie Kaufman
L-R – Austin Mitrofanis (Guitar), Graham Southern (Keyboards and Orchestration), Tom Tierney (Drums), David Ainsworth (Vocals), Raymond Sanchez (Guitar), Nick Laux (Bass)
Over the last few years, Los Angeles’s Our Dying World has gone through a tremendous evolution of sound from thrashy death metal of their debut EP Expedition to the symphonic and melodic keyboard-oriented stylings of bands like Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, and Dimmu Borgir.
Formed in 2018 by drummer/guitarist Tom Tierney (ex-Whiplash), the group has played shows all over the USA in their short time together, bringing their sound from the fabled Sunset Strip in Hollywood to the New Jersey Metalfest where they opened for Metal Mike of Halford.
One thing is clear from the young band as they prepare for the release of their second release; they’ve come to stir the standards that hold the metal scene and redefine them.
Discography
2022 – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness (LP)
2019 – Expedition (EP)
Shared Stage with:
Metal Mike of Halford, Swallow The Sun, Abigail Williams, Wilderun
Festivals and Tours:
2021 – Moonflowers Tour – Hollywood CA, Local Support
2019 – New Jersey Metalfest – Teaneck NJ
Our Dying World is:
David Ainsworth – Vocals
Raymond Sanchez – Guitar
Austin Mitrofanis – Guitar
Graham Southern – Keyboards and Orchestration
Nick Loxx – Bass
Tom Tierney – Drums
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Story Angles – Fun Facts:
1. Survivor contains the only clean vocals that Tom has performed since his days at the school that the song is written about. When we began writing the song, there was talk about putting clean vocals in and we agreed that we should try to see how they turned out. What you hear in the beginning of the songs that sound like choir clips are of Tom’s high school choir and a trio he sang in his final months at the school. Up until this song, he has only been tracked with growls or screams.
2. Graham was found on a Facebook group randomly while searching for a drummer. The band had always been looking for a keyboard player but Graham showed up due to a postscript on the advertisment sarcastically asking for a keyboard player while they were “Asking about unicorns in the scene”. Graham showed up at the rehearsal room, warmed up with Mourning Palace by Dimmu Borgir and Angels Don’t Kill by Children Of Bodom, and instantly got the job.
3. Ray performed the solo for Post Mortem, our debut single, long before he was actually in the band. Years down the road, Tom and Ray ran into each other while moving a friend into his new home, and while catching up, Ray told Tom that he had some extra time on his hands due to a project breaking up. He’s been in the band ever since.
4. Diary Of A War Dog is based on true events as told by Tom’s uncle, Daniel J Tierney, an Air Force veteran of Vietnam. He’s published a book of his memories and experiences called Diary Of A Talking War Dog and after reading it, Tom and Dan decided that having those memories put into a listenable format might be a really great collaboration. Daniel resides in New York City and plans on visiting California with the family to visit his nephew and the band soon.
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The album as a whole explained by the band (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Hymns of Blinding Darkness is an exceptional album of melody, personal experience, and the dedication to trying to push ourselves to our furthest limit. Lyrically, it speaks of many walks of life: sorrow, loss, hopelessness, but also empowerment, triumph, and solitude. There’s something for everyone to relate to in the wake of current times and cultural status. Musically, the record is attempting to stand out with its sophisticated arrangements, catchy hooks, and heavy melodies. It feels like a massive step up from where we were with Expedition and we think it’ll present itself as such.
Track by track explained by the band (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. Ads Moriendi – Our intro track is the introduction of our maestro Graham Southern, who states his claim with some very dark and percussive orchestration dropping the listener into a hectic and almost frantically ominous tornado of strings and brass. There is a sense of urgency before throwing the listener into a triumphant wall of choirs announcing the return of a new and massive sound.
2. Everything We Know Is Gone – The opening keyboard and guitar melody have a strangely positive spin before vocalist David Ainsworth tears into a darkened riff with lyrics of the lies of a transcended being and lifestyle, once idolized, now known to be a fraud – deadly and unsatisfying. The chorus echoes with words of a past but current life, now lost in the knowledge of a newfound realization of truth. A ripping keyboard solo from Graham Southern follows up his ominous realization; everything we know is lost! The second verse tells of the darkened knowledge forming a reluctant but certain decision to turn the tide and strengthen the self to deal with the realities of this malignant situation to avoid any more pain. A breakdown followed but a sweeping solo from Ray Sanchez takes the grim mood and soars it to new heights. The third verse focuses on determinedly fixing the self before a strangely peaceful drop representing a breath before the final chorus; the subject has had his realization and is on the way to transformation. Ray and Graham take the song out with an incredible duet, only to foreshadow the rest of the record to come.
3. Under The Hunter’s Blade – The song starts with an almost folk-style string and bell set, giving the illusion of a mountainous and forest-like landscape before the guitars and drums come in with almost a tribal-esque beat. David tells the tale of a dethroned king of the mountain, now returning to his domain to reclaim his place. Ray and Graham interlude the song up to0 a beautiful segment to set the certainty of where the mood is going. The second verse introduces the prey of the hunter; his challenge to win his throne by the blood of the one who exiled him. The song then takes us down to a dark place where the hunter has his eyes locked on his adversary and the song devolves to blast beats and guttural vocals, representing the primitive essence of the kill; Ray’s shredding solo plays us through the moment of the death of his adversary and the realization of the king’s victory. The third verse describes the river of blood running from the neck wound to his hands and as the song reverts briefly to a calm instrumental, we can almost see the new king’s adrenaline fading, the majestic reclamation of his title, as the chorus once again hails his coming; he has returned to the mountain and has taken back his throne with a divine fire of life.
4. Survivor – The song starts with clips of a joyful choral arrangement of Tom’s high school choir before Jon Martin Crawford, who appeared before the New York Supreme Court in order to disclose child abuse from said school, echoes his final words of the testification. The song breaks into a heavy and slower riff clearly completely changing the mood. Tom tells the story of his younger self being left in the woods of upstate New York at a school filled with cultists. The song breaks down to an acoustic guitar, some clean singing, and strings and guitar. The song picks back up and David comes back in with his growls, conveying to the audience how lost and alone the young boy feels. He desperately prays to his deceased father to give him guidance. The second verse comes back to the clean singing and the lyrics portray the same boy, now released, back in the world feeling like there’s something wrong that no one will ever understand. The bridge switches to Tom’s screams, hearing that his fellow alumni are slowly dying off, and with everything he has in him, he dedicates this song to them. Ray’s solo comes in; the listener can almost feel the weeps and cries in his notes and bends. Tom says his final goodbyes to his fallen friends in the following section before David comes back in with desperation and emotion we haven’t yet heard in previous choruses before the song leads out on the notes it came in on.
5. Path Of The Nomad – The song comes in on a slightly quicker beat and is followed by choirs singing over the notes. Graham sweeps majestic strings over the guitars and drums as David describes a man traveling across the world; he is truly free from the world but at what cost? He has everything he owns in his hands, he is free from the trials of life but he has no family to warm him at night. We feel a natural and almost folk-metal style feel from the chord progressions before Graham comes in with a solo balancing his feel for melody and skill. The song takes a turn to a tremolo-picked riff that reminds us of something darker; never knowing the value of unity or knowing where you will sleep at night. The chorus picks up one last time, showcasing the beauty and sadness of life without tethering to worldly possessions and walking through life in solidarity.
6. Diary Of A War Dog – The band tells the musical story of Daniel J Tierney, an air force veteran of the Vietnam war, basing the song off of a book of his experiences, Diary Of A Talking War Dog. the song begins with a marching beat that sounds strangely ominous before dropping into a speedy thrash riff. David immediately screams of the horrors and trials of war, the consequences of the return, and the never-ending memories resulting. The chorus aggressively tells of the darkened mind space and the way the world looks after returning to life at home. The following guitar and keyboard lead carry us through the minefield of dark riffs and add some melody where previously there was little. David tells us of trying to bury the memories but with little success before the marching intro comes back in with more intensity. The song slows down, and Graham plays almost a peaceful piano segment, almost as a breath of fresh air after returning home…The final chorus brings us back to the place we always were and David reaffirms in the chorus that the memories of war and the subsequent feelings remained. The outro riffs are slower and feel reflective and thoughtful as they play us out; a heavy memory but scattered with the blight sounds of piano hovering above.
7. Valediction – Graham takes us into another world as his strings slowly build from a single violin to a whole section in what feels like a distant memory. A sudden 808 drop changes the tone to something a little more hesitant and fearful and the brass takes us to a darker and darker place until string and orchestral hits announce the final track on the record.
8. Veil Of The Reaper – The song starts immediately; pounding double bass and guitars flood the soundscape as the first verse comes in. David tells us of the process of dying. His eyes go dark, he’s pushed life too far and now he’s about to die. The breakdown signals the coming of the revelation with an almost alarm-like guitar lead. The second verse comes in with a layer of synths, telling of the silence that comes; the reaper stands before him reaching out his hand as if to say, “Come with me”. The pre-chorus comes in with a beautiful lead from Graham and we hear David tell the listener that the veil of death has been lifted. Gang vocals, almost referring to the voices are the dead, chant the lyrics with David as he realizes the anthem of all who pass from this life as the melodies of the chorus culminate in a catchy melodic chorus. Ray and Graham then show the insane skill and intensity of their musicianship with a unified and harmonized lead, that soon reverts to dueling solos; sweeps, arpeggios, and shredding showcase the uncompromising dedication of the two as they lead back into the chorus with a key change and a double chorus with the catchy melodies that make this song a staple of the album. The song leads out with a rough and heavy breakdown, forsaking orchestration and bringing back the heavy and grueling riffs that started Our Dying World in 2019.
Album Title – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness
Release Date: June 24, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: N/A
Track Listing:
1. Ads Moriendi (1:46)
2. Everything We Know Is Gone (4:42)
3. Under The Hunter’s Blade (7:33)
4. Survivor (7:32)
5. Path Of The Nomad (4:58)
6. Diary Of A War Dog (6:31)
7. Valediction (1:50)
8. Veil Of The Reaper (4:37)
Album Length: 39:32
Album Credits:
– All songs written and performed by Our Dying World
– Produced, Mixed, and Mastered by Alex Crescioni at Stygian Sound
– Album Artwork by Nick Laux
– Album Band Lineup:
David Ainsworth – Vocals
Raymond Sanchez – Guitar
Austin Mitrofanis – Guitar
Graham Southern – Keyboards and Orchestration
Nick Loxx – Bass
Tom Tierney – Drums
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