EPK – Harvested – Dysthymia (2025)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“This album is an evolution of the band’s sound and showcases our musical abilities more than what we presented with the 2022 EP debut. We kept the lyrical theme consistent and touched on the “brutal” realities of mental illness without emphasizing senseless gore as much. It’s a level up in production, songwriting, and musical prowess, so this album will be what Harvested is all about. Heavy, aggressive, in-your-face experience; riffs that hook and engage the listener and keep them wanting more. Lyrically, we wanted to maintain the brutality but with a psychological aspect to it as opposed to exclusively encompassing gore. – Harvested
Band Name: Harvested
Album Title: Dysthymia
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Label: Self-Release
For fans of Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Cattle Decapitation, Decapitated
Facebook.com/harvested666 | Instagram.com/harvestedband | Youtube.com/@harvested8600
Harvested.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music
“Canadian death metal band Harvested announce their new album Dysthymia, out August 1. The record will be their first release since their 2022 demo and blends technical, brutal and old-school death metal into a sound all their own.” – Decibel Magazine
“Your muscles are about to reflexively twitch, your head is about to hammer, your pulse is about to accelerate. Audio worms will slither into your ear canals and take up residence there. Some of your cranial neurons may start spinning, creating visions of fast devils and hulking monsters. Those are our predictions of what will happen when you see and hear the playthrough video we’re premiering for the song “Synaptic Confusion” by the Ottawa-based death metal band Harvested. It’s an excellent way to rev up your own motor as Harvested rev up theirs.” – No Clean Singing
“Being a old school metalhead it is quite refreshing to know there are bands like HARVESTED keeping the old school metal torch alive and well. HARVESTED have crafted a record that balances technical proficiency with emotional weight, never straying into sterile territory. Each track has purpose, structure, and venom. This is death metal that bleeds, breathes, and still bites. Absolute Masterpiece/ 10/10” – Metal-Temple
“Dysthymia is an impressive first full-length effort for Harvested. It’s absolutely brutal and groovy in it’s more ’90s death metal approach, but they give it a modern coating of paint that makes it feel more relevant and weaves in some intricacy for the tech-fiends without losing sight that it’s still an aggressive death metal album. There’s something for pretty much anyone who likes extreme music here. A very promising future for these guys.” – Dead Rhetoric
“Lyrically poignant, brutally heavy, and bursting with engagingly twisted, hook-filled instrumentation, Dysthymia is a helluva debut, and one Harvested should be proud of. As poetically as I have waxed, I still believe there’s room for Harvested to grow. God help those who might lay their ears on a sophomore effort from this line-up, should they remain intact. Rest assured, I’ll definitely be watching and waiting. For now, however, I wholeheartedly recommend you spend some long-lasting, quality time with Dysthymia.” – Angry Metal Guy
“If you had the chance to see their video of ‘Harvested’ before the album release, you would be able to see how brutal and technical they sound. Harvested knows how to hit you like a punch in your chest, from their first riffs. By the way, riffs are something that you won’t miss here. Mitchi Dimitriadis and Vitto Oh are responsible machine-gun-like guitar picks. The drum sound also hits you with all blasts, and thankfully it’s not that digitalized soulless recording style that a lot of bands fall into now. It carries good organic production qualities, in good measure. My honourable congratulations also go to all the effort the bassist Eric Forget has made to keep his bass present among all the heaviness of the other instruments, and through the complexity of playing his own parts. The vocalist Adam Semler completes the team with good vocal lines… As always, Heavy Metal Canadian bands never disappoint us! And Harvested is one more band to honour its Heavy Metal scene with this incredible album, “Dysthymia”.8.5/10″ – Ever -Metal
“If you’re into relentless death metal in the vein of CANNIBAL CORPSE and DYING FETUS, HARVESTED from Ontario could be your favorite new band. These guys have churned forth a classic of brutality with “Dysthymia”. The sound is just as clear and professional as those bands and HARVESTED deal crushing riffs and transitions with appalling intensity. One of the best things about this album, which separates it from a lot of “brutal” efforts, is that the songs are easily distinguishable and don’t melt together in a faceless mush.” – Wormwood Chronicles
“Following a demo released in 2022, Dysthymia represents a true validation of the potential of this group from Ottawa (Ontario, Canada), which deserves special attention. Combining brutal death metal with ‘old school’ influences, the quartet brilliantly demonstrates that their music will resonate with crowds during their concerts… With titles like ‘Repressed Neurosis’, ‘Unending Madness’, ‘Designed Dilemma’, ‘Gathered And Deluded’, ‘Unanchored’, or ‘The Infestation’, Harvested sets the tone! The album was produced by the band itself with mixing and mastering by Joe Lyko of Darkmoon Productions, achieving a modern sound that remains rooted in the fundamental elements of death metal.” – Metallian
“Harvested Delivers 50 Shades of Vicious on ‘Dysthymia’… Dysthymia is one of the year’s best metal records.”-The Rock Father
“If you like brutal death metal with technical elements, this is a great album.” – ZwareMetalen
“HARVESTED deliver flawless death metal with technical sophistication, powerful riffs, gripping vocals and brutal energy.” – MetalUnderground.at
“HARVESTED debut with “Dysthemia”, nine cuts of technical Death Metal, brutal and uncompromising. Influences from CANNIBAL CORPSE, SUFFOCATION and DECAPITATED are mixed with fast riffs, heavy rhythms and impeccable instrumental execution. An aggressive and wild album that gives no respite. 8/10″ – Necromance Magazine
“HARVESTED come swinging out of Ottawa’s underground with DYSTHYMIA, a death metal record that treats mental illness like a battlefield and riffs like blunt weapons. Their new bass playthrough for “Gathered and Deluded” puts Eric Forget right in the crosshairs — fingers blazing, tone snarling through a wall of blast beats and jagged guitars. It’s under three minutes but feels like a panic attack chewing through its restraints. No triggered sterility, no soft edges — just muscular, old-school brutality sharpened with technical spite. If CANNIBAL CORPSE, DECAPITATED, and DYING FETUS built a pressure cooker in a locked room, HARVESTED are the sound of what claws its way out.” – IDIOTEQ
“Harvested channel the struggles of mental illness within the seedy confines of death metal on their debut album, Dysthymia. The group doesn’t skimp on the gorier details, like the depictions of torture on opener “Harvested,” but much of the lyrical prose isn’t that graphic. It takes the views of mental illness from not only a personal perspective, but globally as well. Their death metal has nods to the classics like Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation, while adding a bit of technical bounce as they do on “Designed Dilemma.” Harvested does well with capturing the genre from every corner. Speed freaks will love “Gathered And Deluded,” those with some head banging in their hearts will get down to “Unending Madness” and “The Infestation” ends Dysthymia with a stark message.” – Heavy Music Headquarters
“After knocking the first three tracks out of the park like a home run into the stratosphere, “Synaptic Confusion” goes harder and faster during an opening onslaught second to none before getting menacing and sinister with a slower churn and burn. A violent delight with a catchy hook and a scream-a-long lyrical narrative in the chorus, its the kind of blunt force trauma that everyone can enjoy without a visit to the hospital. Maintaining the quality levels of both musicianship and song writing throughout the record seems like an impossibility of reason and yet its probably why this record took three years to complete because “Designed Dilemma” is another absolute beast. It’s like the band have taken your favourite Death Groove Thrash cut and adrenalized it by mainlining caffeine until their eyes pop out on stalks. The energy levels are as ridiculous as the poise and precision as the band conjure a Technical Death Metal tune of the highest order.” – Metal Noise
“The Ottawa, Canada-based death metal band’s full-length demo of 2025 does the job. As evidenced by the cover artwork and title – Dysthymia refers to a persistent depression – the theme here is mental illness. Songs like Repressed Neurosis, Unending Madness and Synaptic Confusion tell the tale. One thing remains steadfast: the band’s sound comes across as Cannibal Corpse meets Cryptopsy meets Suffocation. The lyrics mention “human waste” at one point. The aforementioned Synaptic Confusion is a highlight with a gigantic chord and a loud bass. Gathered And Deluded is another good one. It has nifty speed riffing. Designed Dilemma delivers a delicious solo. This is meat and potatoes death metal that is tight and accomplished… this is the type of release death metal fans would cherish.” – Metallian.com
“It is brutal and in your face from start to finish… These guys know how to deliver a top class album.” – Project Metal Music
‘Dysthymia’ is a very solid album… fans of groovy technical death metal have a new act to keep an eye on.” – Musika
“Nine tracks, 32 minutes. But this album dives really deep into the mental illness and depression, along with the horrifying effects that it has on humanity. You know, it’s not your typical horror and gore-based death metal. This actually makes you think. It’s got some substance to it. And the opening track, Harvest, just grabs you by the throat right away. And it seemed like Adam Semler’s vocals are just more brutal than they ever have been. They’re just visceral. And I love the constant pace change that they have in this album. And the guitar tone is thicker. It’s crunchier. And guys, goes from a mid-tempo crunchy groove to a full-blown assault on the senses. So, with this album being a lean and mean 32 minutes, there’s no filler, and it’s all killer. It’s no wasted space. It’s not full of a bunch of, you know, bloated like intros and outros and things you just don’t need. You get three and a half minutes or so of crushing death metal, and just comes in and does it all over again for nine solid tracks.” – Furious Metal Youtube Reviews
““Dysthymia” is a compact and focused death metal release that balances aggression with detail. It shows a band that is tight in both concept and execution. There are no gimmicks or over-the-top theatrical elements—just well-structured, intense music with a consistent vision. Fans of fast, brutal death metal with a psychological edge will find this to be a strong release. Recommended for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Decapitated, Aborted, and Suffocation.” – Heavy Metal Darkness
“The atmosphere of the album is… unhealthy. It’s very inviting for headbanging. But be careful! There is a risk of pulling your neck.I forgive the Canadian band „Harvested“ 8 out of 10 Hellfire points.” – Hellfire Magazine
“Technical Death Done Right, with Grit and Groove… This is not just a video (Synaptic Confusion Playthrough). It’s a lesson in precision, aggression, and musical chemistry. From the first riff to the last blast beat, it’s clear these guys aren’t here to play games. They’re here to prove they belong in the same room as Cannibal Corpse , Cryptopsy , and Suffocation .” – Radio Papy Jeff
“Canadian technical death metal act Harvested has once again raised the bar for musicianship with the release of their “Synaptic Confusion” playthrough video. As anticipation builds for their upcoming full-length album Dysthymia, dropping August 1st, this video offers fans and industry pros an up-close look at the band’s intricate performance dynamics and creative evolution. Captured with precision and energy, the playthrough reinforces Harvested’s position at the forefront of modern death metal’s technical vanguard.” – See Rock Live
“When it comes to songwriting, HARVESTED is on the right track and can easily face international competition with its official debut.” – PowerMetal.de
Press from 2022 Self-Titled EP:
MetalSucks – 10 Modern Canadian Death Metal Bands – “Ottawa’s Harvested present mental illness and the sometimes-deplorable actions resulting from it with their debut EP, Harvested. Harvested describe themselves as a modern death metal band with ‘90s and early ‘2000s influences, though what you’ll notice when listening is that Harvested are, probably due to the members’ prior history in the scene, skilled songwriters who don’t sacrifice catchiness for brutality. Songs like “Bludgeoned” skip the pleasantries and grab you by the nuts from the first second, though the torturous massage that follows is one you’ll be coming back to.” – MetalSucks
#11 – Harvested – Top 20 – August 2022 Loud Charts (Earshot)
#13 – Harvested – Top 20 – June 2022 Loud Charts (Earshot)
“From the first notes of first track ‘Apathetic’ you realize that these men are a serious bet to get a place in the death metal scene, with solid riffs and powerful rhythmic base, also melodic but not soft solo… I like this EP very much, it has all parts you need to listen to death metal: brutality, technical, good execution, guttural, screams, and growls, blast beats, double bass drums parts, virtuous parts and most important, good songs, it’s a sample of how to make everything fit correctly.” 4.5/5 – Brutalism
“There are very few things that are more exciting within the world of music than a good debut. A solid start for a band is something that should get every fan of the style of music the group plays jacked for what could hopefully be a long and fruitful career. Proficient debuts give you something to jam out to in the present but also hope for the future. Take my word for it, the self-titled debut EP from Ottawa-based Harvested (out May 7) is just that type of invigorating release.” – Metal Plague
“Thrashing guitars, blasting drums, and intense, chesty vocals start and end each track. Recording quality and production is good, allowing each of the instruments to cut through the mix… there is a tremendous amount of potential in this band, and I’d absolutely love to hear more from them. I certainly hope that in the coming years, the pace doesn’t slow or abate, as this EP ought to be on any tech-death fan’s radar for mid-2022.” – Metal Epidemic
“Each one of these cuts is something of a short, sharp shock at around the 210 second mark, while other bands could trim some fat and loose a chorus and verse, Harvested go straight for the jugular live and direct, leaving you wanting that extra chorus and verse which is testament to how good their debut really is. A clean and crisp high quality recording, if we were wine drinkers we would say it goes down like a glass of Chenin Blanc but chances are that if you had a glass in your hand, it would be smashed on the floor in your rush to get to the pit for this. ” – Metal Noise
“From the way closer ‘Bereavement’ comes to a thunderous close, you can just FEEL the energy of what is still to come. ‘Harvested’ is a good start, but I know this band have more in them and I look forward to what comes next. But if you need your head caved in for sixteen and a half minutes, Harvested can sort you right out.” – The Killchain Blog
“For a record that’s only fifteen minutes, the tracks on Harvested’s self-titled waste no time in establishing their barbarous quality. Among the style of tech, groove and dissonance, Harvested definitely went for the grooves! The members definitely know their roots and aren’t afraid to pay homage to them. The production quality has an old-school touch to it, which adds a raw vicious quality to the overall soundscape the band has painted. The abominable monstrosity that takes birth, mixed in with serious topics of Mental Illness accounts for a remorseless experience. While this might just be the starting point for Harvested, their self-titled EP establishes their grounds in the extreme realm of metal – all we can do now is wait and watch for what Harvested has to offer next! ” – Metal Genesis
“Five tracks in all with not a single entry which disappoints those who wish for their audio to incite movement. With quality like this on offer scouts should be scrambling over themselves in hopes to represent. I’m expecting future releases to propel the act to the lips of an excitable many.” – Cult Metal Flix
“Non-stop heaviness from start to finish. Every song has a different experience yet they all have memorable and catchy riffs that engage the listener” – Eric Morotti (Drummer of Suffocation)
[Download Album Cover | Harvested Dysthymia Lyrics]
Band Name: Harvested
Album Title: Dysthymia
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Label: Self-Release
Track Listing:
1. Harvested (3:28)
2. Repressed Neurosis (3:32)
3. Unending Madness (3:21)
4. Synaptic Confusion (3:30)
5. Designed Dilemma (3:18)
6. Gathered and Deluded (3:00)
7. Voices of the Void (3:16)
8. Unanchored (3:51)
9. The Infestation (4:36)
Album Length: 31:55
Album Credits:
Artwork by: CJ Bertram
All songs written and produced by: Harvested
Mixed and Mastered by: (Joe Lyko) Darkmoon Productions
Album Band Lineup:
Adam Semler – Vocals
Mitchi Dimitriadis – Guitars
Vitto Oh – Guitars
Eric Forget – Bass
Jacob Collins – Drums
Live Band Lineup:
Adam Semler – Vocals
Mitchi Dimitriadis – Guitars
Vitto Oh – Guitars
Eric Forget – Bass
Nick Rodgers – Drums
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About The Album Artwork:
You see an individual from almost a psychedelic perspective. In great mental turmoil, the abstract visualization of the chaos that is the human brain. – Mitchi
The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Lyrically, we thought of exploring the topics of mental illness as a general theme. The drums have an old-school death metal feel with a modern touch, intricate yet very aggressive drum grooves. Dark Moon Productions did an awesome job providing us with the sound we were looking for, a modern production but rooted in the styles of the bands that founded this genre. Vocally, Adam’s technique and overall projection is a respectful nod to George Fisher from Cannibal Corpse. Mitchi & Eric
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. (Harvested) This is the track and represents what the band is about. The old-school death metal influences and the dark realities of mental illness put someone through a tortured experience
2. (Repressed Neurosis) This is the fastest song on our album, showcasing the technical and extreme prowess of the members behind the instruments. The song is about submitting to your “shadow self” and how it’s been bottled up for years.
3. (Unending Madness) This is a fun track combining the amalgamation of different styles we liked as a band. Ode to CC and Suffocation with a splash of technical death metal & groovy slams. It’s about inevitably falling into madness in a person’s lifetime.
4. (Synaptic Confusion) This is one of our groovier tracks that also really focuses on melody. This one grabs onto you from the beginning till the end. This track describes someone who can’t tell the difference between a dream and reality.
5. (Designed Dilemma) It is one of the more technical tracks on this album. Taking influences from bands like “The Zenith Passage” and “Soreption”. There are lots of goodies in the details. This song is about how a deranged mind can really fabricate adversaries.
6. (Gathered and Deluded) This is the Slamming death metal track of the album, with a slight touch of old-school and guitar influences from bands like “Cattle Decapitation”. This song describes the darker realities of cults and essentially creates a hive mind of the mentally deranged.
7. (Voice of the Void) Musically, this is the track that has a bunch of tempo changes. Showcasing how fast and chaotic we can be, but also how slow and heavy we like to get. Definitely one of our more old-school sounding tracks as a whole. The song paints a picture of someone who questions their thoughts and dissociates from their personality, which can lead to horrific outcomes.
8. (Unanchored) Contains influences from deathcore but molded into a death metal track. It is one of the more brutal tracks on this album. You’ll find a mix between fast and aggressive riffs to heavy breakdowns. The song touches on the greed and gluttony of the human experience, essentially abusing the earth as long as it serves them. We’d argue that it is a form of mental illness.
9 (The Infestation) The final track of the album, we saved one of our best for last. It has been influenced by the Cannibal Corpse and Deicide, among others. It’s also the longest track length in this release. The song describes mental illness on a more political scale and has an influence globally. Which direction is our world heading when being governed by psychopaths? It all pertains to mental illness at the end of the day, which is the recurring theme of this band’s lyrical approach.
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Fun Facts – Story Angles:
1. Right after an intense rehearsal, Mitchi bent over right behind a sweaty Jacob to unplug his electronics, thinking he was slick enough to get out of there in time. Little did he know that he was going to meet face to face with Jacob’s behind and make contact with it. His reaction to that event is among our favorite memories as a band, and we use it as an inside joke to this day.
2. When we booked studio time to record drums for our album ‘Dysthymia’, our producer Joe Lyko scheduled us for 2 days. Instead, we showed up one evening, set up the drums, plowed through all 9 songs, tore down/loaded out the drums all in one night, leaving our producer speechless and giving him the next day off to himself.
3. Guitars were recorded and performed by Mitchi. He also did the tempo mapping, pre-production/sound design, as well as click tracks, and programmed the live set list for the band. He’s even worked as an assistant engineer for Darkmoon Productions a few times. Assisting him with the client’s drum edits and vocal recording sessions.
4. The band was offered a management deal from EMG around early 2023. We unfortunately couldn’t proceed in that direction because we were going through line-up changes and were working on this album ‘Dysthymia’ to increase our catalogue outside of the 5-track demo from 2022. Safe to say if that opportunity is still available, we’d love to revisit the possibility and stay in touch with them now that we have this release under our belt.
5. Harvested has been mentioned in a “10 Modern Canadian Death Metal Bands” article by MetalSucks 2022-2023. https://www.metalsucks.net/2023/01/05/10-modern-canadian-death-metal-bands/
Album Line-up: (L-R) – Jacob Collins – Drums, Vitto Oh – Guitars, Mitchi Dimitriadis – Guitars, Adam Semler – Vocals, Eric Forget – Bass
Photographer Credit: Kristen Semler
Harvested is a death metal band from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Their music is heavily influenced by bands like Suffocation, Dying Fetus, and Deicide, blending elements of slam, brutal, and technical death metal. The band aims to evoke nostalgia from the late ’90s and early 2000s while incorporating a modern touch.
They unleashed their 2022 self-titled debut EP that featured five tracks, all centered around themes of mental illness, with inspiration drawn from horror and thriller movies and shows. One of their singles, Apathetic, explores narcissism and a lack of empathy in society. The band describes it as one of their more brutal tracks, featuring intense double bass-heavy riffs.
Discography:
2025 – Dysthymia (LP)
2022 – Self-Titled (EP)
Shared Stage with: Killitorous, Plaguebringer, Lutharo, First Fragment, Aversed, Augury, Cognitive, BARF, Aeopoch, Carrion Vael, Maggots and more
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