NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – January 31, 2025
Montreal’s MAD PARISH Unveils Epic Progressive / NWOBHM Concept Album “The Dust Of Forever” + Comic Book
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The wait is over as Montreal, Canada’s heavy metal visionaries Mad Parish release their highly anticipated concept album “The Dust Of Forever”. Available now on all major platforms as of Jan 31st, this ambitious project marks a new pinnacle in the band’s decade-long journey. “The Dust Of Forever” is not just an album; it’s a multi-faceted experience that pushes the boundaries of heavy metal storytelling. Spanning 21 tracks, the album weaves an original narrative following Joe, an immortal protagonist caught in a universe-threatening cataclysm. The band shares how the album came to be:
“The album has interesting origins. A song from our first album was inspired by a comic book. After Bob joined the band, he mused about what would happen if this priest from the comic discovered that he was immortal, and the song “The Dust Of Forever” was written. Once we started writing some more songs we discussed what kind of album to make next. That is when we came upon the idea of expanding this world we were writing about, and making a concept album.”
Going full-on, epic prog metal was a big challenge for Mad Parish and they set out to write a story that they would tell through the songs, and decided to create a companion comic book to accompany the album. Creatively, this is the most adventurous thing they’ve done to date.
From the opening “Prologue” to the climactic “Hail To The Hunter”, listeners are taken on an immersive journey through a richly imagined world. The album showcases Mad Parish‘s evolution, blending their NWOBHM-inspired roots with progressive rock structures, 70’s rock swagger, 80’s new wave textures, and even hints of classical and jazz. This eclectic mix results in a sound that’s uniquely Mad Parish – heavy, melodic, and deeply atmospheric. It is recommended for fans of Iron Maiden, Rush, and Rainbow.
“The Dust Of Forever” is available on January 31, 2025, digitally plus CD and Vinyl along with a limited edition Comic Book “The Experience Hunter Chronicles” via their Bandcamp at https://madparish1.bandcamp.com/album/the-dust-of-forever
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/4jBAs9v
Music Video – Bishop’s Tomb – https://youtu.be/zrpXosWhnuU
Music Video – Loched – https://youtu.be/IHS5qxAp3-s
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Comic Book Credits:
Story – Josh McConnell
Artwork – Niall Skinner
Editing – Rahl Stafford
Design – Maximus Rex
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Track Listing:
1. Prophecy – 1:30
2. Defecther – 4:32
3. Possess The Child – 4:45
4. Outerest In Irisius – 1:34
5. Ouen Formation – 6:35
6. Hunted – 1:51
7. Astra T.R.A.Z (Tower Reformatory Asteroid Zone) – 4:42
8. Transmission #1 Dream On – 1:40
9. Resistius – 6:44
10. Aeternal – 1:44
11. An Age To Quell – 4:05
12. Transmission #2 – Will Of God – 2:04
13. Loched – 3:24
14. Cathedron Wakes – 5:37
15. Book of Rites – 1:06
16. Bishop’s Tomb – 3:32
17. Transmission #3 – Baz Raa Luum – 1:46
18. The Experience Hunter – 5:04
19. Trajectory: Tantus – 2:02
20. The Dust Of Forever – 5:11
21. Hail To The Hunter – 1:01
Album Length: 1:10:40
Album Band Line Up:
Josh McConnell – Lead Vocals, Guitars, Bass (Track 8)
Bob Eaglesham – Guitars, Vocals, Bass (Track 18), Drums (Track 18), Keyboards (All Tracks except 8, 12, 15, 18, 19)
Andre Bisson – Keyboards (All Tracks except 1, 4, 6, 10, 12, 17, 21), Piano (Track 15)
Peter Mika – Keyboards (2nd keyboard solo on Resistius Track 9)
Patrick Latreille – Bass (All Tracks except 8, 18)
Paskal Belanger – Drums (Track 2,3,5,7,9,13,14)
Gopal Devanathan – Drums (Track 11, 16, 20)
Tony Spina – Drums (Track 12)
Jeff Louch – Piano (Track 12)
Live Band Line Up:
Josh McConnell – Vocals
Bob Eaglesham – Guitar, Vocals
Aaron Carbray – Guitar
Andre Bisson – Keyboards
Gino Laposta – Bass
Max Rex – Drums
More Info: Madparishmetal.com | Facebook.com/madparishmetal | Instagram.com/madparishmetal
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“We all know the prog metal genre is still overflooded by bands from all parts of the world. I stopped trying to keep updated in the genre many years ago, but sometimes there are bands that impress on me – or at least bring something different to most other bands in the genre. Montreal (Canada) band Mad Parish is a band I’d like to bring to your attention. They have a sound that comes closer to the end of the 80’s and early 90’s, which I like a lot. And the lead vocalist Josh McConnell has a very interesting voice, a bit like an early Ozzy Osbourne. Futhermore, they are not as progressive as your ’average’ prog metal act, and some songs can be described as ’hard rock with hints of prog’ – where others are true prog metal songs… well worth checking out, as this album offers something a little different to many bands.” – Melodic.net
““The Dust of Forever” is filled with material that will grab you right away but your appreciation will continue to grow with each additional spin. As I sit here writing this review and listening to the title track unfold (which btw is the last “song”), I’m already looking forward to hitting that repeat button to start this metal opera again. While I admit there is no one track that stands out, I’m realizing that the whole record stands out and works best when listened to from start to finish. This record may have taken many years to complete but it is worth it. 2025 is starting off with a bang and “The Dust of Forever” is a great way to usher in the new year.” – Wormwood Chronicles
“For the Mad Parish comic, I must say that this booklet has certainly scored a more than enough score; the story, a fanciful epic with an entertaining mix of sci-fi and religious ingredients is a great pleasure, and the drawings may be somewhat “-easy” modern, but still of such quality, that really makes it worth taking a seat.” – Rock Portaal
“Somewhere between the melodic prog rock a la Asia to Rush, and the spicier NWOBHM of something in the direction of Praying Mantis; that’s how the music of The Dust Of Forever comes across to me. Names such as BOC, Boston or Iron Maiden can also sometimes appear. Mad Parish seems to belong to the NWOTHM movement; or the New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal. Very catchy, beautiful pieces with harmonic melody lines… The compositions are absolutely of top level, as are the appropriate and melodic ( often high) vocals and I also really need to mention the guitars. The technical interpretation of the rhythm section may not be as clear as, for example, the aforementioned Rush, but this is also just fine. With so much keyboard available, I had a completely different scene in mind for the title Transmission #2 Will Of God, but no (kerk) organ or gospel; We hear a wonderful jazz-freaky Fripp-like piece of work. This album is well put together and also contains some surprises.” – Rock Portaal
“A traditional and original album at the same time, whose intensive listening and acquisition should be added to the list of your good resolutions for the year 2025.” – Music In Belgium
“where some bands call the lyrics the story and leave it at that, not Mad Parish. They’ve actually made a full comic book as well to go along with the record” – Decibel Magazine
“These Canadian trad metallers take us deeper into the story of their forthcoming concept album – and comic book – with a song which very much draws from how Black Sabbath recorded ‘Paranoid’, in that it was thrown together as a last-minute album filler but could become one of their defining musical moments’ – Uber Rock
“an ambitious heavy metal album that offers a mix of complex musicality and concept-oriented lyrics.” – MetalUnderground.at
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