EPK – Sam Mooradian – Bad Brain (2023)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[@].com
For fans of Plini, Gorguts, Animals As Leaders, Mestis, The Mars Volta
Artist: Sam Mooradian
Album Title: Bad Brain
Release Date: July 28, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
“I started this project to explore the weird, off-kilter progressive metal sound I’ve been developing. I’ve always had a love for instrumental, guitar-driven metal, but my main focus is on pushing prog and heavy music to its current limits.
I hope people dig my new album “Bad Brain”. The album is inspired, musically and lyrically, by problems in the brain. It’s very groovy and catchy, but also dissonant and jarring. I think it merges the two in an organic, enjoyable way.
I always write with the album in mind, and in order, so the best way to experience Bad Brain is to listen from start to finish. I want people to be surprised by some of the creative risks the album takes, and I hope people feel the need to listen again to try to understand it better, or simply because they liked it.” – Sam Mooradian
Sammooradian.com | Facebook.com/sammooradianmusic | Instagram.com/sammooradian | YouTube.com/@sammooradian
Sammooradian.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music
“A brand new guitar playthrough has just been launched in support of “Kaleidonoscope”! It shows off the deceptively simple and effective nature wrapped into Sam’s darkened songwriting. Let your eyes consume Sam’s work through the video provided just below. This turns out to be yet another brilliant world premiere from the very promising Sam Mooradian! Stay tuned for more…” – The Circle Pit
“In a feat of guitar wizardry, our friend and highly talented guitarist Sam Mooradian took on the wickedness that is Necrophagist’s “Epitaph” will a FULL ALBUM COVER” – The Circle Pit
Artist: Sam Mooradian
Album Title: Bad Brain
Release Date: July 28, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Track Listing:
1. Bad Brain – 4:39
2. Suspicious Gait (feat. Flub) – 5:30
3. Titrate Down (feat. Blumen) – 5:57
4. Real Anger – 2:19
5. Tinnitus (feat. The World Is Quiet Here) – 4:31
6. Assassin Mad (feat. Archaeologist) – 13:20
7. Find Someone Else – 1:15
8. Spies Are Listening – 2:59
9. Come And Get Me – 4:26
Album Length: 44:57
Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Sam Mooradian
• All songs written by: Sam Mooradian
• Produced by: Sam Mooradian
• Mixed by: Sam Mooradian
• Mastered by: Sam Mooradian
• Album Artwork by: Brendan McAllister
Album Band Lineup:
Sam Mooradian – Guitar, bass, programmed drums, synths, vocals
Michael Alvarez / Flub – Vocals on track 2 / Suspicious Gait
Richard Blumenthal / Blumen, Aviations – Piano on track 3 / Titrate Down
Isaac Stolzer-Gary / The World Is Quiet Here – Second guitar solo in track 5 / Tinnitus
Kyle Schaefer / Archaeologist, Fallujah – Vocals on track 6 / Assassin Mad
Live Band Lineup:
Sam Mooradian – Guitar
Lucas Koughan – Bass
Dylan Hughes – Drums
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The album as a whole:
The album is inspired, musically and lyrically, by problems in the brain. It’s very groovy and catchy, but also dissonant and jarring. I think it merges the two in an organic, enjoyable way.
Track by track explained:
1. Bad Brain (4:39) – ANXIETY
Musically: weird rhythms, groovy, somber
2. Suspicious Gait (feat. Flub) – (5:30) – MIND SURVEILLANCE / TECH ADDICTION
Lyrically: AI, god, tech integration that causes extreme distress
Musically: heavy, chaotic, melodic
3. Titrate Down (feat. Blumen) – (5:57) – DEPRESSION
Musically: sad, catchy, creepy
4. Real Anger – (2:19) – ANGER
Musically: classical, etude, heavy
5. Tinnitus (feat. The World Is Quiet Here) – (4:31) – TINNITUS / RINGING IN THE EARS
Musically: weird rhythms, groovy, somber
6. Assassin Mad (feat. Archaeologist) – (13:20) – PSYCHOPATHY
Lyrically: regret, guilt, psychopathy
Musically: epic, catchy, moody, creepy
7. Find Someone Else – (1:15) – ISOLATION
Musically: etude, clean, psychedelic
8. Spies Are Listening – (2:59) – SCHIZOPHRENIA / PARANOIA
Musically: catchy, classical, melodic, melancholic
9. Come And Get Me – (4:26) – EXTREME DEFIANCE
Musically: driven, groovy, final
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. All the songs on Bad Brain are inspired by some kind of mental illness or problem in the brain. In order, they are:
Bad Brain (4:39) – ANXIETY
Suspicious Gait (feat. Flub) – (5:30) – MIND SURVEILLANCE / TECH ADDICTION
Titrate Down (feat. Blumen) – (5:57) – DEPRESSION
Real Anger – (2:19) – ANGER
Tinnitus (feat. The World Is Quiet Here) – (4:31) – TINNITUS / RINGING IN THE EARS
Assassin Mad (feat. Archaeologist) – (13:20) – PSYCHOPATHY
Find Someone Else – (1:15) – ISOLATION
Spies Are Listening – (2:59) – SCHIZOPHRENIA / PARANOIA
Come And Get Me – (4:26) – DENIAL
2. I have synesthesia, so I see specific colors associated with letters and numbers. I wrote Bad Brain according to a specific color scheme set up by the song titles and by the transcriptions of the music.
3. The album has a 13-minute epic called Assassin Mad, which features Kyle Schaefer of Archaeologist and Fallujah on vocals throughout. I wrote the instrumental years before I met and toured with Kyle, but his vocals took it from a fun instrumental to what feels like a much more finished, complete, and deadly track. I can’t wait for people to hear that one.
4. There’s an entire B-side record to Bad Brain called Worse Brain; the B-side explores an even darker, more sinister side to mental illness and will be released in the months after Bad Brain.
5. I also tour and play guitar in the death metal band Fallujah; some parts you’ll hear on this record were either recorded on the road or inspired by events on tour. Touring life, the people I’ve toured with, and life, in general, have helped shape the album majorly.
Sam Mooradian – Photo Credit – Craig Etchison
Sam Mooradian is a progressive metal guitarist, composer, and creator based in Boston. Since starting his guitar-centric YouTube channel a decade ago, Sam has become the touring guitarist for Fallujah, guitarist of Inhale Existence, and the brains and fingers behind his self-titled solo project, with his debut album ‘Bad Brain’ releasing on July 28, 2023.
“Bad Brain feels like a musical companion to emotionally difficult times. It’s the result of years of trying to hone my own sound and style of prog metal while also navigating significant life changes and events, so it’s very fulfilling to have it finally released.”
“I’ve always been driven to push all the elements of songwriting and structure to the absolute limit while keeping the music catchy and enjoyable; I think Bad Brain does that pretty well. Lots of crazy time signature and tempo changes. Lots of untraditional arrangements. It’s dark, it’s melancholic, and it takes some interesting twists and turns. Hopefully, it’ll break your brain a little.” – Sam Mooradian
Album Band Lineup:
Sam Mooradian – Guitar, bass, programmed drums, synths, vocals
Michael Alvarez / Flub – Vocals on track 2 / Suspicious Gait
Richard Blumenthal / Blumen, Aviations – Piano on track 3 / Titrate Down
Isaac Stolzer-Gary / The World Is Quiet Here – Second guitar solo in track 5 / Tinnitus
Kyle Schaefer / Archaeologist, Fallujah – Vocals on track 6 / Assassin Mad
Live Band Lineup:
Sam Mooradian – Guitar
Lucas Koughan – Bass
Dylan Hughes – Drums
Sam Mooradian – Artist Endorsements:
Endorsed by Jackson Guitars, The String Source, and Stone Age Guitar Products
Bands Sam Mooradian has shared the stage with in Fallujah:
Alluvial, Burial In The Sky, Cognitive, Cynic, Enterprise Earth, Interloper, Obscura, Psycroptic, Rivers of Nihil, The Zenith Passage, Warforged
Sam Mooradian (the live band) will be sharing the stage with the following bands in August 2023:
Absurd Condition, Dhara, Nick Llerandi
Discography:
2023 – Bad Brain – LP
2023 – Spies Are Listening – Single
2023 – Titrate Down – Single
2023 – Suspicious Gait – Single
2022 – Snow – Single
2022 – Tinnitus – Single
2018 – Depression For Breakfast – EP
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