EPK – Degenerator – The Abyssal Throne (2023)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“Degenerator is a sonic experiment that I conducted to unleash the noise that was haunting my mind. I wanted to capture the essence of the old Smashing Pumpkins, with their distorted and fuzzy guitars, but also add a touch of gothic darkness that I find appealing. This album is a radical departure from anything I have produced before. It’s more somber, but not as heavy, as All Else Fails, slower, but also more profound than the Misfires, and though it has more order than my other project The Secret Places of the Earth, it still keeps some of the mystery. I hope my following fans and unfamiliar ones can discover a new facet of my creativity and a new bond with the art that I make.” – Barrett Klesko – Degenerator
For fans of Baroness, Type O Negative, Alice in Chains, The Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden
Band: Degenerator
Album: The Abyssal Throne
Release Date: November 24, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CD Baby
Degeneratormusic.bandcamp.com | Spotify
““Eternalism,” hits the thunder with a brutality that is of yet unmatched in its synchronicity.” – The Median Man
“What I enjoy about The Abyssal Throne is the blending of not only genres, but influences. Listen closely and one could pick up echoes of bands like Nine In Nails, Tool, Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, Alice in Chains and more. The Abyssal Throne is a wonderful blend of melodies and atmospheres, and is an authentic aural journey that’s fuelled by raw creative talent.” – Amplify The Noise
“There is a feeling of sorrow that pervades the record, but this is tempered by big drumming (“The Spiral”), compelling rhythms (“Hiraeth”), winding snake-like riffs (“Eternalism”), rumbling crescendos (“Heart Like a Hole”), and consoling vocals (“For Every Truth”). The guitar play is outstanding throughout, with plenty of thoughtful touches (“Neurotonic”) and effective emotional moments (“A Way Out”) reminiscent of Jerry Cantrell. There is great musical inventiveness on display here, with a deft blend of influences. An ideal vibe for this foggy, cloud-covered Thanksgiving Day. Degenerator’s new spin The Abyssal Throne is an emotionally moving album, worthy of being on a playlist with the likes of Chevelle, Young Hunter, Ancient VVisdom, Foot, and Mars Red Sky. Look for it this Friday, November 24th, and take it out for a long drive on a gloomy morning.” – Doomed and Stoned
“The cut “Neurotonic” culled from the first half of The Abyssal Throne is likewise atmospheric and catchy. In some of its harder moments, there’s a sense of Degenerator The Abyssal Thronemetallic emotionalism that reminds of Katatonia, but by and large Degenerator — that’s vocalist, guitarist and bassist Barrett Klesko and drummer Jonathan Webster — keep the vibe geared toward a heavy alternative rock, not quite stoner or even prog-stoner, but certainly aware of and wiling to be led by its riff, and the melody of the vocals in hook digs into pop hookmaking without sounding ridiculous, and that’s something of a triumph itself. In combination with the sharper-edged “Eternalism,” the album-opener and prior single, it portrays the band as experienced songwriters at the relative outset of developing an already-broad sound.” – The Obelisk
“The Abyssal Throne is remarkable work. Consistent but varied, old-school but without exaggerating the homage, clear of production, and powerful of transmission. Like a Billy Corgan working in concert with the late Chris Cornell on behalf of a subsidiary of 4AD, DEGENERATOR opens its mind, and lets wander some symptomatic psychedelic diversions of the parentage between Black SABBATH and the Seattle wave, sometimes citing MILK, BARONESS, and other witnesses of an era of crossbreeding pushed to its extremes.” Metalnews.fr
“With The Abyssal Throne, Degenerator show that this new project is clearly designed to make an impression! There’s a clear desire to offer a wide range of music that retains a strong overall identity and invites the soul to travel. We encourage you to jump on it as soon as it’s released, and to join us in hoping that the Canadian duo decide to cross the ocean for a European tour. It’s a great success that we’ll be playing over and over again to take in all its subtleties.” – Sounding Shivers
Band: Degenerator
Album: The Abyssal Throne
Release Date: November 24, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CD Baby
Track Listing:
1. Eternalism – 3:42
2. Finality – 4:06
3. The Day That Never Comes – 4:39
4. Darkness Prevails – 3:58
5. Neurotonic – 4:46
6. The Children of the Night – 3:59
7. Hiraeth – 4:06
8. The Spiral – 4:13
9. Heart Like a Hole – 4:15
10. For Every Truth – 5:38
11. A Way Out – 3:52
Album Length: 47:14
Album Credits:
– Produced by Barrett Klesko
– Mixed and Mastered by Jonathan Webster
– Album Artwork: Barrett Klesko
– Member of SOCAN
– Canadian Content – MAPL
Recording Lineup:
Barrett Klesko: Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Jonathan Webster: Drums
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About The Album Artwork:
I have been really fascinated with recent trends in AI artwork and how it can be used as a tool for artists to create new ideas, I basically ran prompts until I found something that reflected the way this music makes me feel, and then refined it using traditional methods until I began to perceive a level of depth that reflected the music. It reminds me of the old days when I used to experiment with different media and techniques and try to capture the essence of my emotions in a visual form.
About The Album (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Degenerator is a sonic experiment that I conducted to unleash the noise that was haunting my mind. I wanted to capture the essence of retro The Smashing Pumpkins, with their saturated fuzzy guitars, but also add a touch of gothic darkness that I find deeply appealing. Interestingly, we started with the drums and then built everything else on top of them. The result is a contrast to anything I have done before. It’s darker, but not as heavy, as All Else Fails, slower, but more existentially profound than the Misfires, and though it has more Structure than The Secret Places of the Earth, it retains some of the mystery.
The Abyssal Throne is a lyrical journey of how I fit in the cosmic scheme. It touches on themes of time, madness, despair, and contrasting dark and light. The music, which came first, was shaped to match these themes.
Track By Track Explanation (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
The Abyssal Thorone in Haikus
1. Eternalism:
Time slips away fast
Aggression and melody
Balance the darkness
2. Finality:
A crow seeks the end
The last human soul to guide
To the afterlife
3. The Day that Never Comes:
We postpone our lives
For a tomorrow unknown
But we miss today
4. Darkness Prevails:
We chase empty dreams
Money and happiness bought
But all for nothing
5. Neurotonic:
Loss haunts our hearts
We must cherish our loved ones
Before they are gone
6. The Children of the Night:
They resist tyranny
Sacrificing their own lives
We owe them our all
7. Hiraeth:
A place in my heart
That I can never return
Hiraeth calls me
8. The Spiral:
A mind in anguish
Resists the modern culture
Seeks a different path
9. Hearth Like a Hole:
Alone in the world
Searching for a purpose
Meaning is a lie
10. For Every Truth:
We tell ourselves lies
We believe them to be true
But truth always wins
11. A Way Out:
Eat the rich eat the
Rich eat the rich eat the rich
Eat the rich eat them
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Story Angles – Fun Facts About The Band:
1. This album started with the drums, more specifically the scratch tracks for Pass of Era’s new album for whom Jono also drums. They have been re-written since, but you can definitely hear the seeds of the grooves in their recent album “A Pagentry of Inner Violence”
2. A Common theme of this album is existentialism, which Barrett pulls a lot from in his writing, stemming from his severe struggles with mental illness over the years.
3. The guitar sounds on this album started as a personal experiment to collect and re-create classic gear to simulate the tones that Billy Corgan crafted on The Smashing Pumkpins’ album Siamese Dream. It was tweaked to modernize it a bit, but still retains a lot of the characteristics.
4. This album is fully DIY; Barrett and Jono Recorded their parts in their personal studios and Jono mixed and mastered it.
5. The last time Barrett and Jono shared the stage musically was in Guwahati, India in 2019.
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L-R – Jonathan Webster – Drums, Barrett Klesko – Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Degenerator, Edmonton’s aggressive sonic titans, unleash a captivating blend of stoner, sludge, grunge, and goth rock.
Degenerator, the relentless musical force hailing from the underground scene in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, emerges from the depths to deliver a spellbinding sound that resonates with fans of Baroness, Type O Negative, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and Alice in Chains. With their captivating blend of stoner, sludge, grunge, and a touch of doom, Degenerator sets the stage for an immersive journey through explosive moods, progressive time signatures, and hauntingly unusual vocal melodies.
Driven by a collective passion for pushing the boundaries of music, Degenerator boasts an exceptional lineup featuring members from renowned bands such as Striker, All Else Fails, The Order of Chaos, Tyler Dory Trio, and The Secret Places of the Earth. Their combined expertise and unwavering dedication forge a distinct sonic tapestry that both embraces and reinvents the spirit of goth and grunge from the ’90s and ’00s.
Drawing inspiration from the genre’s most revered figures, Degenerator fearlessly invites listeners into an enigmatic soundscape where raw emotions intertwine with thought-provoking lyrics. Their music reflects the complexities of the human experience, delving into the depths of despair while simultaneously igniting a raging fire within the soul.
From the very first notes, Degenerator launches audiences into a realm where aggression surges and anticipation fills the air. With their unyielding commitment to innovation, they flawlessly navigate intricate and progressive time signatures, resulting in a sonic assault that defies convention. Each song becomes an adrenaline-fueled journey, enticing listeners to surrender to the primal depths of their own emotions.
As they traverse the sonic landscape, Degenerator masterfully balances thunderous, distorted riffs with intricate melodies that seamlessly intertwine. Their music evokes a wide range of emotions, from seething rage to cathartic release, leaving no listener untouched by its commanding power. Fans of ’90s and ’00s goth and industrial rock will find solace in the band’s fusion of familiar elements while being propelled by their fresh and unrelenting approach.
Degenerator’s journey to musical excellence is further underscored by their remarkable accolades. The band’s members have been recipients of prestigious awards, including a JUNO Award for Best Metal Album, a Canadian Music Award for Metal Recording of the Year, Edmonton Music awards, and numerous other industry honors. Their track record of success serves as a testament to their unwavering dedication and artistic brilliance.
Degenerator’s forthcoming release promises to be a revelation for music enthusiasts craving an aggressive and captivating sonic experience. With their untamed creativity, unmatched musicianship, and a proven history of award-winning success, Degenerator is poised to leave an indelible mark on the world of alternative rock.
Artist Endorsements: Evertune, Spector
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