EPK – Dawn Vally – Near Death Experience (2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“Near Death Experience the title that came from the idea that the years 2022-2024 were an almost near-death experience of the band, as there was internal turmoil. This album is to signify that it was only a NEAR death experience and not a full-on death of the band.” – Dawn Vally
For fans of Parkway Drive, Lamb Of God, Cancer Bats, Volumes, Suicide Silence
All Links: https://linktr.ee/Dawn_Vally
Dawnvally.ca | Facebook.com/DawnVally | Instagram.com/dawnvally | Tiktok.com/@dawn.vally | Youtube.com/@DawnVally | X.com/DawnVally
“Dawn Vally is bringing absolutely punishing music to the forefront of the Canadian music scene” – Kroniknoise Promotions
“Near Death Experience is gonna have audiences on the verge of death themselves with the mosh pits this music creates” – Pitborn Promotions
Band: Dawn Vally
Single Title: Near Death Experience
Release Date: July 31, 2026
Distribution: IndiePool
Genres: Metalcore
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Track Listing:
1. Orange – (2:30)
2. Pray For Me (2:39)
3. Kneecapper (2:50)
4. Second Hand Smoke (2:41)
5. Graves (2:44)
EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Dawn Vally
• All songs written by: Dawn Vally
• Lyrics written by: Zac Emmons
• Produced by: Eli Heineman
• Mixed by: Eli Heineman
• Mastered by: Eli Heineman
• EP Artwork by: Zac Emmons
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Band Lineup:
Vocals – Zac Emmons
Bass – Jeff Bartolo
Guitar – Antonio Bratta
Drums – Joe Bartolo
====================================================
About the EP Artwork:
It’s a heart monitor screen showing a low heart rate of “Near death” with the band’s name as the patient name at the top.
About the EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
This record lyrically is all about betrayal from those closest to you and the feelings and thoughts that accompany that experience.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. Orange: A friend had their ego blow up to the point they weren’t even recognizable anymore.
2. Pray For Me: your close friend abuses your trust to steal your spouse from you behind your back.
3. Kneecapper: a friend costs you everything you worked for based on their indecisive nature and blames all their issues after the fact on you.
4. Second Hand Smoke: uses smoking as a metaphor for a partner that abused you mentally and destroyed you, only to be angry when you persevered and overcame it all.
5. Graves: a goodbye to love that once was.
====================================================
FUN FACTS – STORY ANGLES:
1. A lot of Zac’s lyrics are based on personal experiences. He goes into and relives those emotions to convey the aggression he feels, which complements metal music so well.
2. With the music, we have been on a mission to challenge ourselves as musicians to take our performances to the next level.
3. Jeff (bass) and Joe (drums) are twins who started the band together.
4. All of Dawn Vally’s music has been produced by Eli Heinamen, the bassist of hardcore band HEAT.
5. Anton is a classically trained guitarist with heavy jazz influence. He also teaches guitar.
6. Zac (vocals) was the guitarist for popular hardcore band Pound Of Flesh
7. Dawn Vally’s first album, “The DVP,” was only available on burned CDs; they wouldn’t drop music online until the Just Please Her album in 2013.
Formed in 2007 by twin brothers Jeff (bass) and Joe Bartolo (drums), Dawn Vally erupted from the underground with a mission to deliver metalcore that’s unapologetically aggressive, emotionally raw, and sonically punishing. What began as a DIY project. burning CDs of their debut album The DVP before releasing music online in 2013 with Just Please Her—has evolved into one of Canada’s most relentless metalcore acts.
The band’s sound is a collaborative effort, shaped by the diverse musical backgrounds of its members. While metalcore and deathcore are the backbone, influences range from Anton’s jazz guitar finesse to Zac and Joe’s love for classic rock and Jeff’s hardcore roots. This fusion creates a sonic identity that’s both familiar and fearlessly unique.
In early 2025, Dawn Vally welcomed Zac Emmons as their new lead vocalist. Formerly the guitarist of hardcore outfit Pound Of Flesh, Zac left the band in February to pursue vocals. Already close with the group, he joined for a jam session—and things clicked instantly. His emotionally charged lyrics, often drawn from personal experiences, dive into the darker corners of the psyche, giving fans something visceral to connect with.
Their third EP, “Near Death Experience,” out July 31st, 2026, marks the first release with Zac on vocals. Featuring tracks like “Graves” and “Orange,” the record promises 5–6 songs of refined brutality. “Graves,” the second single, is a standout, lyrically drenched in betrayal and musically ferocious. Zac describes writing it by tapping into a dark place in his mind, and the result is the heaviest Dawn Vally song to date. It channels the intensity of their previous album Blueprints of the 416 while pushing their sound to new extremes.
Live, Dawn Vally is a full-throttle experience: punishing breakdowns, wild leads, and a wall of sound that leaves no one standing still. With plans to expand their brand Canada-wide, the band is gearing up for tours both out west and east in the coming year.
Influenced by heavyweights like Whitechapel, Parkway Drive, BMTH, Get The Shot, and Hatebreed, Dawn Vally continues to challenge themselves as musicians, pushing their performances and songwriting to the next level.
Discography:
2026 – Near Death Experience (EP)
2025 – Graves (single)
2025 – Orange (single)
2024 – Blueprints Of The 416 (EP)
2017 – Still Bleeding (EP)
2015 – Bleed Through Your Ears (single)
2013 – Just Pleaser (Album)
Shared Stage with: Fallujah, Allegaeon, Summoning The Lich, Signs Of The Swarm, Bodysnatcher, BrokeNCYDE, The Bunny The Bear, Autumn Lies Buried, MyChildrenMyBride, BrokeNCYDE, The Bunny The Bear, Cryptopsy, Bodysnatcher
TOURS AND FESTIVALS YOU HAVE PERFORMED ON.
2026- Panda Fest – Ottawa, ON
2026 – Rye Fest – Brantford, ON
2026 – Loud As Hell Fest – Drumheller, AB
2026 – Heavy Fest – Toronto, ON
2026 – Alternative Waves Music Festival – Medicine Hat, AB
Carter Brown Memorial Fest(Newmarket, ON) 2025
Laura-Palooza 2025 (Toronto, ON)
WalterFest 2024 & 2025 (Toronto, ON)
Road To Arby’s Tour (2023)
Weekend Slaughter Tour (2025)
Artist endorsements:
Collision Drumsticks. Soultone Cymbals. InTune Guitar Picks.
ashermediarelations.com 
Comments
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
No incoming links found yet.