EPK – Upon Your Grave – Gold & Decay (2022)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Daath, Lamb Of God, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Absence, Decapitated
Facebook.com/UponYourGrave | Tiktok.com/@uponyourgrave | Instagram.com/uponyourgrave | Twitter.com/UponYourGrave
Spotify | Uponyourgrave.bandcamp.com | YouTube
“Kicking off with a forty-second acoustic intro – ‘Revived’ then immediately goes into ‘From Beyond’ which is a chugging banger of a tune with some serious guitar work and loads of double kick drum action. ‘Pandora’ is more aggressive with a riff Slayer would kill for and watch how it slows to a heavy grind halfway through before things get serious again on ‘Supremacy’ which is rapid and vicious with a superb solo from Sim Diamond, reminding of Rob Dukes era Exodus. ‘Transcend’ is not hippy, trippy as the title would suggest instead it’s all-out brutality with a sing-a-long chorus! Only four tracks, five if you count the intro, they don’t hang about, but they contain some excellent tunes. If this is the direction Upon Your Grave is going then they will be at the top very soon. Let’s have some more soon!” – My Global Mind
“If you like your Death Metal to come in many different flavours, then you should really like this EP, from Quebec City’s Upon Your Grave. The band made a wise choice in getting Cryptopsy guitarist, Chris Donaldson to mix and mastered this release as it’s the showcase for their new sound… and far from just testing the waters with this EP, they’ve just set the bar for everything they do going forward. If you want straight down the middle Death Metal, a slightly brutal edge or the more melodic side of the genre, Upon Your Grave pack it all in, in just under 19 minutes.” – Smorg Mag
“Upon Your Grave is still going strong, and their rage remains alive. Gold & Decay allows musicians to return to the forefront of the scene by affirming their aggressive roots.” – Actain Infernalis
“Finishing the tsunami “Transcend” is an absolute tour de force of modern Groove laden Death Metal with chunky riffs, blast beats and a sublime extended solo from Diamond that is worth the admission fee alone. There are no two ways about it, Upon Your Grave need to get back on the road and then back in the studio with Donaldson at the helm because like a Vampire suffers from a bloodlust, we need to hear more from them… [8/10]” – Metal Noise
“UPON YOUR GRAVE has a lot of energy to extinguish throughout their debut, it consists of great ideas and musical diversities. The band’s passion for traditional Melodic Death Metal is noticed and felt, yet their combination of Rock and progression really benefited their efforts even more. This one is highly recommended, get ready to bang your heard.” – Metal Temple
“You can imagine lead axeman, Sim Diamond, stood side-on with bow-legged enthusiasm, holding his guitar in the air as he scrapes the opening notes to ‘From Beyond’. This song demands a video of the band thrashing at their instruments in an autumnal Canadian woodland wearing fingerless gloves. The main rhythm drips with a ghoulish sense of suspense, and the solo will remind you of ‘Painkiller’ by Judas Priest. Imagine a groove metal band covering Morbid Angel with the guttural vocals of Jungle Rot. Indeed, the Wisconsin quartet are the obvious comparison to the new version of Upon Your Grave. They shower you with an abundance of syncopated palm-mutes and tremolo tags to keep you guessing. How often do you wonder if modern Carcass are a death metal version of Kreator? The same observation rears its head here. Sebastien Gagné’s drums enhance the mix with an extra layer of steel.” – Scream Blast Repeat
“If you can stomach the screams then you’ll find yourself listening to an album from a band who pack plenty of punch. The songs are full of beef, easy to get into, and work well for loosening those neck muscles. Whether this album wins or loses though, rests simply on how much of an assault your eardrums can take.” – V13
“Eponym donne accès à un énorme buffet de epic guitar, solo bien garni, accompagné de rythme franc, de quoi conquérir les fans de: Children of Bodom, In Flames et Trivium.” – Ondes Chocs
EP Title Gold & Decay
Release Date: October 7, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: PAG Distribution
Track Listing:
1. Revived (0:40)
2. From Beyond (4:57)
3. Pandora (3:04)
4. Supremacy (4:59)
5. Transcend (5.02)
EP Length: 18:01
EP Credits:
– ALL SONGS PERFORMED BY : UPON YOUR GRAVE
– ALL SONGS WRITTEN BY : SIM DIAMOND
– PRODUCED BY : UPON YOUR GRAVE
– MIXED BY : CHRISTIAN DONALDSON
– MASTERED BY : CHRISTIAN DONALDSON
– ALBUM ARTWORK BY : MEIKE HAKKAART
– SOCAN MEMBER
EP Lineup:
Yan Pelletier – Bass
Sim Diamond – Lead Guitar
Jordan Jolicoeur – Vocals
Sebastien Gagné – Drums
Alex Bussieres – Rythm Guitar
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The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
The theme exposes the duality of beauty and horror and their relation to each other. Nothing is black or white, everything is a nuance of grey living independently in every distinct mind. The heart also represents the revival of the band from the ashes, beating a creative flow in each of our personal lives. The golden heart also represents the power of creativity unphased by the passing of time and the withering of leaves. Instead beating stronger and renewed like the passing seasons. It’s creative, aggressive, and more mature than any other effort we put out until now. (Jordan)
Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
From Beyond: From Beyond talks about the event of encountering a being naturally bound from outer space, while we first explore those endless confines after discovering space travel. A monstrosity unbound by our human conceptions of organic possibilities. The vocals range has it all in this one. from gutturals to high pitches, following grandiose arrangements on guitars and epic melodic riffing providing a satisfying experience for the ears. All culminating in an epic solo for the icing on the cake. It’s a song we had fun creating and enjoy more and more each time we play it. (Jordan)
Pandora: Pandora talks about the mythic story and the box that holds that same name. It’s the only song on the EP that approaches a somewhat spiritual theme in touch with ancient Greek myths, while still retaining the same vibe as the other songs. It’s in your face, relentless, aggressive and one that we really like to play live because of its short action-packed nature. The arrangements are smart and cohesive, delivering a brutal quick fix to any listener. (Jordan)
Supremacy: This song symbolizes the death and rebirth of live shows caused by the pandemic. Shining a glimmer of light that attracts us to reunite and prepare for the return in music that binds us together: a united pack. It’s fast-paced and effective with an awesome chorus that we love. It’s an energetic song that really shines live and is probably one of the first songs we created since we revived the band from the dead. It may cause some heavy headbangs. (Jordan)
Transcend: Transcend talks about a dystopian future where we put our bodies on warranty with cybernetic enhancements and augmented brains. Searching for a way to ascend with technology and bring the next step in evolution. Heavily inspired by Ghost in the Shell and cyberpunk elements, this one might interest listeners who like these aesthetics or know them. It’s a big song that begins with a slap in the face, brutal riffs, and relentless drumming. bringing you in deep waters all along until it lets you breathe with a shredding solo. we really like this one as it is an experience to play it as a band. (Jordan)
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FUN FACTS – STORY ANGLES:
1. We recorded our first Eponym LP in 2013 after meeting with Augury drummer, Antoine Baril, at a local show we were doing and he was handling the soundboard that night. It was one of our first gigs and it was in this random small community catholic center in a small village outside of Quebec City called, Honfleur. We would drink cheap beer in the back store on this old pipe organ and then play the show in front of a dozen of old grandmas and grandpas over 90 years old. It was a pretty funny gig, and random as it would be that we would meet and connect with Antoine there. We would go forward after that night and go record with him our first single and then the full LP on which he played bass for us.
2. Once we played a gig at this local brewery called ”Le Corsaire”, jammed packed with people really having a great time and thrashing all around. Suddenly this gang of hip-hop dudes came into the bar looking for trouble I guess. As the band before us were playing, they threw some empty beer glasses from the second floor to the stage, that would shatter all over the place during their set. Then afterward, when are set had begun, a brawl started to happen with a dozen of people while we were playing. Some of our friends got involved in the fight and could have gotten pretty hurt, the police came and dissolved the fight while we were still playing. Pretty intense night ahah.
3. Sim Diamond was part of the Shreddez of Metal season one, a guitar competition on YouTube held by Banger TV, Hosted by Sam Dunn and Alex Skolnick of Testament as a judge. Sim’s was the only guitar player from the province of Quebec to be selected to be part of the show. He was also one of the fan-favorite for his original and melodic guitar playing, as far as he would go all the way to the semi-final and finish in the top 3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smraNlKUdcU&list=PLBub_IHNCfBggJcxiiUd9O1JxZTikB9wf&index=5
Photo Credit: Etienne Dionne (Mute Drummer)
In 2019, at the dawn of the band’s 10th anniversary, Sim Diamond, Alex Bussieres and Jordan Jolicoeur grasped the opportunity given by the lockdown to start writing and rehearsing for a new album. This is their first effort since the Eponym debut album back in 2013. During their time away from Upon Your Grave, each member stayed active by releasing albums with other projects like Vibrant Heels and Universal Minds. Lead guitarist Sim Diamond also got to be part of Sam Dunn’s Shredders of Metal season 1 and made it all the way to the finals in Toronto. Now adding two new members to the mix, Sebastien Gagné on drums and Yan Pelletier on bass, two good friends from the local band Scars Of Disgrace, the band had found their perfect lineup to go forward.
With the help of a successful GoFundMe campaign, the band was able to go record a new EP with Chris Donaldson of Cryptopsy in March of 2022. this collaboration was the perfect fit that would elevate their performances to a more genuine and aggressive sound. Incorporating crushing vocals blended with catchy melodies, bad-ass guitar riffs and memorable solos that remind us of bands such as Daath, Lamb of God, Sylosis and even All Shall Perish.
Gold & Decay proves that work ethic and perseverance can truly refine a band’s sound to what they had always been striving for. This new release will be a fresh start for great things to come and is only the beginning of a flourishing career.
Members :
Yan Pelletier – Bass
Sim Diamond – Lead Guitar
Jordan Jolicoeur – Vocals
Sebastien Gagné – Drums
Alex Bussieres – Rythm Guitar
DISCOGRAPHY:
-2011 – HAUNTING OF THE BEAST – SINGLE
-2012 – ARTISTIC FREEDOM – DEMO
-2013 – EPONYM – LP
-2022 – GOLD & DECAY – EP
CRYPTOPSY, SKELETONWITCH, VITAL REMAINS, BLIND WITNESS, BATTLECROSS, BLINDED BY FAITH, FEELS LIKE HOME
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