Posts By Asher

0 EPK – Phaeton – Between Two Worlds (2023) (INB Music)

March 13, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Phaeton

EPK – Phaeton – Between Two Worlds (2023) (INB Music)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

For Fans Rush, Dream Theater, King Crimson, Opeth, Gojira, Meshuggah, Mastodon, Between the
Buried and Me, Animals as Leaders

Band: Phaeton
Album Title: Between Two Worlds
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Label: INB Music
Distribution: INB Music

Facebook.com/Phaetonband | Instagram.com/phaetonband | Twitter.com/phaetonband | Youtube.com/@phaeton-officialyoutubecha9571

Phaetonband.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Amazon | CDBaby | Spotify

“An instrumental quartet from Kimberley, British Columbia, Phaeton are skillfully blurring the boundaries between old- and new-school prog metal. Their second album, Between Two Worlds, covers a vast amount of ground, from intricate post-djent riffing, to indulgent prog pomp, and no single outstays its welcome. The nine-minute title track is a particularly impressive display of showboating and smart songwriting.” – Prog Mag – Dom Lawson

It’s Prog Mag’s brand new Tracks Of The Week! (April 21, 2023) – “Hailing from Columbia, Canada’s Phaeton are an interplanetary instrumental heavy prog metal quartet and as their name suggests, they are fascinated with astronomy, and the idea of life itself, in all its beauty and wonder and majesty, emerging from an instant of catastrophic cosmic violence. The epic Between Two Worlds is the title track of the band’s latest album.”

“Phaeton are relatively unknown, especially compared to the above mentioned bands (scale The Summit, Animals as Leaders), but they definitely hold their own on Between Two Worlds. All members absolutely kill it on their instruments, the songs are wonderfully arranged and produced, and there’s plenty of variety here to hold our attention. Instrumental prog might be a little talked about genre, but Phaeton belong in the conversation.” – Heavy Music Headquarters

““Between Two Worlds,’ the song, is the magnum opus of Phaeton: a progressive instrumental metal rollercoaster, almost second to none. This impressive track is filled with power chords galore, outstanding melodies, neck breaking riffs, almost inimitable solos and lots of tempo changes and variety; in other words, you never get bored here, even as the song clocks in over the nine minutes mark!” – Rock United

“…a killer album indeed, wonderfully arranged and produced; a superb prog metal opus where the music almost makes you dizzy, but most of all longing for more indeed. “Between Two Worlds” to me is one of the absolute highlights of this year, a unique twist and rollercoaster of progressive, instrumental metal, highly recommended indeed: especially suitable for fans of Rush, Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment. Play it LOUD and you will be hooked, listening tip: “Monsoon.”” – Rock United

“All metal influences flow into the respective songs and riffs and power chords are widely spread. The sound of the opener “Predestination” is very reminiscent of GHOST.” – Hellfire Magazin

“”Between Two World” was very competently arranged and recorded by PHAETON. Prog fans, who like sounds and virtuosity above all, will be well served with the disc.” – PowerMetal.de

“PHAETON releases an instrumental album in which the voice is not lacking; a nervous, boosted opus where the frank and limpid musicality makes you dizzy, where the notes invite you to travel in space to another dimension, where harmony is combined with controlled djent power; innovative music, on modern math metal-prog.” – Profil Prog

“If you’re open minded in your choice of Metal genres, you should feel free to let this instrumental work slip through your ears. It takes a little getting used to, so completely without singing. But if you get involved and listen carefully, one or the other will surely like something. The whole thing should appeal to fans of RUSH or DREAM THEATER.” – Hellfire Magazine

“Top-tier instrumental prog-metal-math music from the East Kootenay region performed by a quartet of veteran musicians.” – Stuart Derdeyn (The Vancouver Sun)

“The sound on all seven tracks is huge and if there was a “best sounding hammer-ons” award then March of the Synthetics could be a contender.” – Stuart Derdeyn (The Vancouver Sun)

“An epic Progressive Metal listening experience.” – Trevor Hatter (BeatRoute Magazine)

“This badass band makes a devastating impact with their high velocity musical assault.” – Time Lord (Progarchy)

“A sparkling, sizzling debut from PHAETON, taking us on a futuristic musical journey, with deep roots in the ancient past.” – Stephen Conrad (Progressive Rock Fanatics)

Band: Phaeton
Album Title: Between Two Worlds
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Label: INB Music
Distribution: INB Music

Track Listing:
1. Predestination – 4:57
2. Oceans of Time – 6:44
3. Terra Australis – 4:42
4. Monsoon – 6:06
5. Refraction – 4:48
6. Geomorphic – 4:51
7. Magma Chamber – 6:09
8. Between Two Worlds – 9:21
Album Length: 47:40

Album Credits:
– All songs performed by: Phaeton
– All songs written by: Phaeton
– Produced by: Phaeton
– Mixed by: Kevin Thiessen
– Mastered by: Jamie Sitar
– Album Artwork by: Dark Days Design
– Performing Rights Affiliation: SOCAN

Album Band Line Up:
Kevin Thiessen – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Keyboards
Daniel Airth – Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Ferdy Belland – Electric & Fretless Bass
Colin Righton – Drums & Percussion

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The album as a whole:

“Between Two Worlds” was a major step up for us in Phaeton, which is a big thing to say, as we were already extremely proud of what we accomplished on our debut album. As a prog-metal band that’s strictly instrumental, we need to be sharp and clever to grab people’s ears when there’s nobody singing, and the melody lines of the twin guitars are what draw the listener’s focus and take them on an emotional journey – which is the classic goal of all instrumental rock. And there’s certainly no ‘sophomore slump’ happening here! We pushed ourselves as musicians, we pushed ourselves as instrumentalists, and we pushed ourselves as a unit to create something that had to at least be on par with the first album – and we surpassed all our expectations. We’re hoping that fans of prog-metal find something enjoyable in these tunes, and will urge them into repeating listening, and we hope all the twists and turns and corners and swerves we’ve woven together will surprise and delight. And with us re-energized for live performance, we aim to convince the world that you can say so much…without saying a word.

Track by Track:

1. PREDESTINATION: This was the perfect song to open the album with, as it contains all the elements that Phaeton prides itself on: Colin Righton’s jazzy flutterings on the drums before he kicks into double-bass abandon and blast-beat fury; Kevin Thiessen’s ever-fascinating rhythm guitar, spelling out jazz-fusion chords with metal attack; Daniel Airth’s searing leads, and Ferdy Belland’s aggressive counter-melodic hyperdrive attack on bass. Stops and starts and seeming chaos and then the killer riffs and the impressive harmony leads fall on everybody’s head. Triumphant beauty and growling anger through amplified wires and wood. Crazy time signatures that almost topple off the cliff, but the catchy killer grooves make all the sense in the world. And on it goes.

2. OCEANS OF TIME: This kicks off as a banger and bangs away just long enough to catch you off-guard when Kevin’s spider-groove riff kicks back into half-time. And just when you’ve gotten used to this new theme – BOOM! Another new theme! And another! Is this just one song, or four songs welded together? Nope. Just one. And hey! Another new theme, is where Kevin and Daniel shine with harmonic interplay and trading lines. And WHOA! You thought the song was over? Think again! As with everything else we write, this tune isn’t designed for an ignorable background drone. You really gotta follow the bouncing ball on this one – or at least the bouncing riffs.

3. TERRA AUSTRALIS: The intro to this one always kills me, what with Kevin’s weird jazz chords trading off against the crunch chords and the tapping, and then the groove sets in the lead guitar get to work. When the complicated melodies really get revving up, you can almost hear the tortured squeak of our helpless tendons as we desperately crawl our fretting fingers across the fretboard in pretzel patterns. There’s a slight reprieve where we bring it down and present you with another hummable melody, and then things just start getting ridiculous again and it’s Phull On Phaeton.

4. MONSOON: Daniel brought this one into the band and proves that he’s the Canadian King of the Killer Riff. After the kickoff crunch riffs set the mood, here comes a spooky halftime riff with a spookier guitar lead on it, and then another Killer Riff in quasi-swung time stabs out of the speakers. If Kevin is Phaeton’s version of a traditional Classical Composer (mind you, one with a 7-string Ibanez), then Daniel is our Classic Metalhead (one with a 7-string Schechter). Whereas Kevin’s songwriting style usually threads a string of different interlocking themes, Daniel knows how to capture the ears of even non-prog listeners by repeating the familiar themes, albeit with slightly different punctuations which are, to use formal musical terminology – Hella Cool.

5. REFRACTION: This tune opens with what may at first lick seem to be a happy day at the beach, but the volleyball game ends soon enough when Colin’s drums pick it up and then the major-9th power chords and the modal guitar leads start crazying up the works. Thought you could follow it easily enough? WRONG! More standout grooves and snappy riffs. The reggae-ish breakdown in the middle comes across almost like (Herakles help us) the Police, but then the djenty guitars envelop the proceedings and we’re back into Symphony X again. Confused yet? Don’t be. Listen to it again. See? It’s all awesome.

6. GEOMORPH: Another of Daniel’s works. The moody intro is cool enough, and then the World’s Greatest string-skipping Kissoff Riff rattles across the Schechter and gets immediately followed up by another crunchasaurus riff and then it’s Melodic Breakdown time, which gives a nod back to the intro, but then what’s this? The scene is now set for a dramatic build-up and then – hey, is that a synthesizer? No, it’s Kevin doing his thing, and then GADZOOKS! It’s yet another crushing riff (Dan’s got thousands of them, truly), and then here’s the World’s Greatest string-skipping Kissoff Riff! Could the song be ending? Not a chance; keep listening – what? Another killer riff? What else did you expect?

7. MAGMA CHAMBER: Colin really shines on this one. He honestly is one of the best-kept drumming secrets in all of Canadian Metal, and no, you can’t have him. Kevin’s ricocheting all over the bloody place on his guitar, whether it’s the hey-mom-look-what-I-can-do tapping frenzy or the cultured djent of his rhythm riffs. And no, we didn’t deliberately rip off Yes with the breakdown riff. And no, we didn’t deliberately rip off Rush when we moved out of the breakdown riff. But then we leave all that controversy behind with a spooky underwater-bass breakdown before Kevin and Daniel boot open the hatches on another djenty-noodly detour. The halftime groove doesn’t last long as Daniel and Kevin really start pulling out all the stops.

8. BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: Our title-track Magnus Opus, all nine and a half minutes of it. The solar wind is the first thing you hear before the drops of notes patter you like coastal rain, and then it’s power-chord time and we’re off. This is where we stretch our limits of chordal density versus open space, spelling off with each other and working hard to make every riff mean something, and every overlying or underlying melody sing. “Ahh,” you say. “Here’s the breakdown! This must be the middle of the song!” We laugh good-naturedly at your presumptions; buckle up, my friends! Themes from earlier minutes return in louder, more insistent, more dolled-up manner, and we claw our way to the dynamic heights and then we plunge our way into the dynamic depths. And we bookend the closure with the solar wind again. This one was a workout to compose, it was a workout to record it, and yes, it is a killer to play, but it’s all smiles and sweat from us. As it should be for you.

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FUN FACTS:

1. Ferdy Belland is a journeyman carpenter with Red Seal certification. All his musician friends were either jerking coffee at Starbucks or tending bars or bussing tables, and he always liked drinking in pubs better than he liked working in them. He needed a good-paying day job so he could afford good musical equipment, and he needed a job where he could either get a leave of absence to tour…or, if he had to quit in order to tour, he could easily find another job afterward. Ferdy likes residential construction and likes being creative with his hands. He’s proud that he successfully finished a trade apprenticeship and got his ticket, sure – but there’s a much smaller risk of losing a finger playing bass than there is handling a Skilsaw. He prefers playing bass.

2. Colin Righton’s endearing nickname is the “Octopus Tornado,” and he cooks in the kitchen just as amazing as he attacks his drums. He is an excellent chef in the Anthony Bourdain / Jamie Oliver / Gordon Ramsay manner, so he’s awesome to be around when we get baked out of our skulls in the studio and get ravenous munchies.

3. Kevin Thiessen is into the Back to the Future trilogy the way Godzilla is into stomping Tokyo. And because he’s such a devoted fan of Genesis, he’s also a fan of Phil Collins’ solo pop material, but the rest of his bandmates try very, very hard not to hold that against him.
4. Daniel Airth’s amazing solo releases are well worth tracking down on YouTube. And if he ever forms a solo project that tours, Kevin and Colin, and Ferdy will all be his backing band.

5. Ferdy Belland has enjoyed a long parallel career as a music journalist, having been published in the Georgia Straight, the Nerve Magazine, Terminal City Weekly, and Black Press.

L-R – Colin Righton – Drums & Percussion, Daniel Airth – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Kevin Thiessen – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Keyboards, Ferdy Belland – Electric & Fretless Bass
Photo by Julian Bueckert Photo

PHAETON was formed in Kimberley, BC in March 2017 by Kevin Thiessen (lead & rhythm guitar), Daniel Airth (lead & rhythm guitar), Colin Righton (drums & percussion), and Ferdy Belland (electric & fretless bass). Combining technically ferocious compositions of modern metal with the ambitious song-arrangement mindset of classic prog-rock, PHAETON (named for the theoretical proto-planet which collided with Ancient Earth during the Primordial Era) stands alone in the wilderness of British Columbia with their unique approach to instrumental prog-metal.

Live Band Line Up:
Kevin Thiessen – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Keyboards
Daniel Airth – Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Ferdy Belland – Electric & Fretless Bass
Colin Righton – Drums & Percussion

Discography
2018 – Self Titled – LP
2023 – Between Two Worlds – LP

List of bands we’ve shared the stage with:
FALSE FLAG, SOLBORN, ATAVISTIA, SYRYN, ELK HUNT, LEATHER APRON REVIVAL, CROOKED LINE, ZERO PEOPLE

Tours and Festivals:
2018 – July Fest – Kimberley, B.C.

0 Surface Of The Sun’s Music Video “Vanguard” Is A Compelling and Progressive Ode To Growth

March 13, 2023
by Asher
· Music News · Surface of The Sun

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – March 13, 2023

Surface Of The Sun’s Music Video “Vanguard” Is A Compelling and Progressive Ode To Growth

Surface Of The Sun is a progressive metal band hailing from Canada, it is the solo project of Devon Eggers who has been creating captivating and expansive soundscapes since 2011. SOTS has released three singles that are intertwined: “Oblivion” (off 2019 EP ‘Panacea’), and tracks “Dragon” and “Vanguard” (off 2020 EP ‘Dragon’), which all have corresponding music videos. “Vanguard” is the end of the cyclical process the singles are about – becoming a leader, passing on the strength found within, and allowing the process of growth to continue. Eggers explains in detail:

““Vanguard” is a longer, progressive soundscape that follows a unique arrangement that allows for interesting builds and dynamics between sections. The vocal arrangement is kept simpler to allow for more complexities within the Asian instruments that complement the heavy guitar tracks. I hope to share with fans something on a more personal level. The songs touch on internal struggles, but ultimately end on being able to overcome those struggles to become something bigger, better, and stronger.”

For Eggers, “Vanguard” was a song that he really resonated with once he started writing it. The song was based around the opening guitar riff and finding ways to make it grow and expand throughout the track. The feeling those first few riffs created in him left him attached to the song, and he spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with different arrangements to get the emotional journey right. With his music, he hopes to immerse listeners in a musical soundscape that is both catchy, but also something they can get lost in. The type of music one can close their eyes to, shut off all the lights, and just be carried away by the sounds and melodies.

Compared to the other two singles, “Vanguard” is meant to be more progressive, and contrasting, and a current example of the roots of Surface of the Sun. It is recommended for fans of A Perfect Circle, Chevelle, and Tool.

Watch the music video for “Vanguard” at https://youtu.be/RsRDW80ovkU

EP “Dragon” was released on Aug 17, 2020, and is available at Surfaceofthesunmusic.com/shop, Surfaceofthesun.bandcamp.com, Spotify.

Track Listing:
1. Dragon (3:47)
2. Vanguard (6:19)
EP Length: 10:06

EP Credits:
Music: All music and lyrics written and performed by Devon Eggers, except the drums, which were performed by Chris Warunki.
Produced, recorded, edited, and mixed by Devon Eggers at Surface of the Sun Studios.
Mastered by Andrew Downton at Railtown Mastering.
EP Artwork: By Vohrart
Member of SOCAN
Content is Canadian Music (MAPL)

For more info: Surfaceofthesunmusic.com | Instagram.com/surface_of_the_sun_music | Facebook.com/surfaceofthesun

– 30 –

“Canadian artist Surface of The Sun released the EP “Dragon” back in the summer of 2020, and progressive rock is the style explored on this production. It is an atmospheric laden and groove oriented variety of the form we get here, with the two songs alternating between gentler atmospheric laden and harder edged landscapes, and frequently carefully developing the songs from one orientation to the next and back again rather than opting for abrupt changes or the use of transitional elements. Expressive but careful use of instrument details is a trademark feature of the former, often with one instrument sporting a more vibrant role in the arrangements, while the more groove oriented sections have a more defined hard progressive rock vibe to them and an orientation comparable to a band like Tool or Riverside. This latter aspect of the songs is also the most defining one, and due to that I’d suspect that many of those who find a band like Tool to be interesting also when this style of progressive rock is explored in a bit more of a mild mannered way should find this EP to be an interesting discovery.” – Progressor

“Panacea is a very well put together release and really showcases Eggers’ production and musical skills” – Powerplay Magazine UK (2019 – Panacea EP)

—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780 | jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations | Instagram @AsherMedia | Tweet @AsherMedia
(Rockshots Records, Extreme Metal Music, Armstrong MF, Loud As Hell, Metalocalypstick, Decimate MF, Electric Highway Fest, Wacken Metal Battle Canada/USA, Hyperspace MF, Le FestEvil)

0 Canada’s CATEGORY VI Call Upon The “Valkyries” From New Album “Firecry” Out March 2023 via Moribund Records

March 10, 2023
by Asher
· Category VI (Moribund Records) · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – March 10, 2023

Canada’s CATEGORY VI Call Upon The “Valkyries” From New Album “Firecry” Out March 2023 via Moribund Records

Newfoundland, Canada’s CATEGORY VI will be releasing their new album “Firecry” toward the end of March via Moribund Records, and in lead up to it earworming its way to fans along with celebrating International Women’s Day that passed earlier this week, the quartet is sharing their next single “Valkyries”.

“This song is about sexism and misogyny and my own personal experiences with this. Being told to shut up my whole life backfired. LOL 🙂 It’s about sisterhood and banding together like a bunch of powerful Valkyries against the assholes in the world!” says vocalist Amanda Marie Jackman.

Watch and listen to “Valkyries” via its lyric video at https://youtu.be/KvsRIJsdgUU

CATEGORY VI returns in 2023 with a full blazing firestorm with their third album and most accomplished release to date “Firecry”. From the initial flickering flame of “Firecry” to the final cinders of the absolutely combustible cover of HEART’s classic “Barracuda”, CATEGORY VI delivers true and classic 80’s heavy metal with utter perfection. “Firecry” boasts a crisp, clear, and scorching modern production that does not distract from the band’s true 80’s metal sound.

Lyrically crafted around themes of personal pride and triumph (Valkyrie, Heavy is the Crown), witchcraft persecution (Firecry), women’s strength (She Runs With Wolves) & their excellent live performances (Coven), these concepts are boldly and powerfully delivered by the soaring vocal excellence of Amanda Jackman. Bolstered and fueled by the powerful stainless steel riffs and catchy melodies of guitarist Geoff Waye, the pounding anvil bass of Keith Jackman, and the thunderous steadfast drumming of Brian Downton, CATEGORY VI brings classy and classic 1980s power – Traditional Heavy Metal into the 21st century with blazing glory.

To close out one of the best heavy metal albums of the decade, CATEGORY VI delivers an immaculate true metal, yet radio-friendly cover of the chart-topping Heart classic “Barracuda”. With “Firecry”, CATEGORY VI unleashes a global scale climate-changing metal cyclone that just may melt the North American frozen tundra with its blazing power metal.

The album “Firecry” is due out March 24th, 2023 via Moribund Records.

Album pre-order – http://www.moribundcult.com/product/DEAD304.html

Single / Title track – “Firecry” – https://youtu.be/odqnpiCzCks

Track Listing:
1. Firecry – 6:10
2. Valkyrie – 6:05
3. The Vultures Never Came – 4:10
4. She Runs With Wolves – 4:12
5. Heavy is the Crown – 3:47
6. Coven – 4:52
7. The Cradle Will Fall – 4:53
8. Burning Bridges – 3:49
9. Barracuda (Heart) – 4:21
Album Length: 42:18

For more info: Facebook.com/CategoryVI | Instagram.com/categoryviofficial

Follow Moribund Records: Facebook | Instagram

– 30 –

“a promising band worth watching.” – Rock Hard (DE)

“the band, with their sound rooted firmly in the early 80s, play with real charisma.” – The Independent Voice

“a really nice slab of metal that should please fans of the old and new heavy and power metal genres.” – Metal Crypt –

“If you dig acts like Seven Kingdoms, Mindmaze, or Helion Prime, then I’d call this a no brainer although Category VI do separate themselves from their contemporaries with a more pugilistic edge, and a lethal injection of classic metal attitude which would call to mind Judas Priest or Mercyful Fate. Overall a solid record. You could do far worse than check this out. “ – The MetalCrypt

“So if you like your metal aggressive yet smooth, soulful while never failing to thrash, and resonating without sacrificing in that certain visceral punch, War is Hell is a must – an album that will appeal to the diehard fans of a forgotten generation of thrashers and headbangers, while bringing sufficient juice and sizzle to lure wayward fringe fans of the millennium and beyond. “ – Metalheads Forever

“This album, their second full length, is a power metal tour de force. Although I don’t think they sound like either band per say, they do give off a classic metal vibe like JUDAS PRIEST or MERCYFUL FATE. “ – Metal Temple

“Musically, Category VI are a storming True Metal band with no pretentions and no excuses made….Unlike the trend-driven sub-genres, the sound of Category VI is timeless and WAR IS HELL has already shown that they are ready to take it to the international stage.“ – Metal-Rules

0 Montreal’s MILANKU Release Mystical And Melancholic “À l’aube; nous sommes disparus” Off “À l’aube” Out March 2023

March 10, 2023
by Asher
· Milanku (Folivora) · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – March 10, 2023

Montreal’s MILANKU Release Mystical And Melancholic “À l’aube; nous sommes disparus”

New Album “À l’aube” Out March 2023

Photo Credit – Alexandra Stairs

From the start, Montreal, Canada’s Milanku hammers out its brutal character, infused with melancholy, even dystopia, and standing straight upright on the wire: defiant, shouting, and inspired. Mesmerized by the warrior’s rage, flayed by its own doldrums, the quartet relies on pared-down arrangements and an oft-staged vocal presence, harmonizing like an instrument, and howling at the big time, but plastered with a disquieting sense of dilettante. They are gearing up to share their fifth album “À l’aube” with the world in March, but just before that is releasing the single “À l’aube; nous sommes disparus” (At dawn, we disappeared), which they share their thoughts on:

“This is the most musically emotional track of the album, this song starts off as a sweet guitar melody and slowly turns into a storm featuring Erika’s voice as the grand priestess of this storm that everyone is trying to escape. The lyrics in Swedish and French make it even more mystical. The album is poignant, and intense, heavily influenced by the emotions of despair and loneliness brought on by the pandemic.”

The lyrics of Milanku are written in the form of text per album. Once the music is composed, the lyrics are composed. The lyrics and the flow are inspired by the music and the feeling it gives them inside. They are inspired by Milan Kundera and more precisely, his works of “La lenteur” and “La plaisanterie”. Once the text of the album is composed, the sentences are divided from one song to the other of the album. The music, the lyrics as well as the live performances of the group are very much influenced by the daily life of each one where we are plunged into a reality where everything goes very fast.

Intense, with heavy broody melancholy, Milanku is recommended for fans of GYBE!, Neurosis, and Envy.

Watch and listen to “À l’aube; nous sommes disparus” via its music video premiere on Doomed And Stoned HERE.

Digital pre-save – https://bfan.link/a-l-aube-nous-sommes-disparus

The album “À l’aube” is due out March 31st, 2023 via FOLIVORA (Canada), D7i (Canada/USA), and Moment of Collapse (EU).

Album pre-order – https://milanku.bandcamp.com

Previous Single:

Music Video – “À l’aube; de leurs silences” – https://youtu.be/tLk_CL0pSBs

Digital – https://bfan.link/a-l-aube-de-leurs-silences

Show Dates:

March 31st – Ausgang Plaza – Montreal. QC – Info

Track Listing:
1. À l’aube; de leurs silences – 10:54
2. À l’aube; il sera déjà trop tard – 8:04
3. À l’aube; prêchant la mauvaise nouvelle – 5:43
4. À l’aube; de la grande tristesse – 4:55
5. À l’aube; nous sommes disparus – 8:41
Album Length: 38:16

Album and Live Band Lineup:
François Lemieux (Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals)
Carl Ruest (Guitar, Vocals)
Guillaume Chamberland (Bass, Vocals)
Guillaume Boudreau-Monty (Drums)
Jean-François Bourbonnais (Guitar)

For more info: Facebook.com/milankuband | Instagram.com/milankuband

About: If Milanku draws its origins from the work of Milan Kundera, the soundtrack is definitely more on the side of the thundering density of the being than of its “unbearable lightness”, galvanized by the Czech author.

From the start, Milanku hammers out its brutal character, infused with melancholy, even dystopia, and standing straight upright on the wire: defiant, shouting, and inspired.

Mesmerized by the warrior’s rage, flayed by its own doldrums, the quartet relies on pared-down arrangements and an oft-staged vocal presence, harmonizing like an instrument, and howling at the big time, but plastered with a disquieting sense of dilettante.

At the heart of the enterprise, tearing off the peels of flapping skins, we explore the state of affairs of the contemporary genre, tragic, desolate, where any notion of common sense seems diffuse in the amalgam of trompe-l’oeil. The texts are meditative, inquisitive and the observations that emanate from them, weep and persist in trying to make sense of it, through its ever-growing losses of illusion.

With four full-length releases behind them, both in Canada (D7I Records, Désordre Ordonné, L’oeil du Tigre), and abroad (Tokyo Jupiter Records (Japan), Moments of Collapse (Germany), Replenish Records (USA), GS production records (Russia), We are Grain of Sand (Russia) Alerta-Antifascista, Milanku presents today À l’aube (Folivora, 2023), a five-track burn that breathes new life into a caste of disenfranchised people, imbued with a disarming lucidity, and gives itself a framework and a voice to pull its head out of the swamp.

International recognition

The band has been affiliated with several; indie labels and distributors over the years, namely: in Canada (D7I Records, Désordre Ordonné, L’oeil du Tigre), Jupiter Records (Japan), Moments of Collapse (Germany), Replenish Records (USA), GS production records (Russia), We are Grain of Sand (Russia) as well as Alerta-Antifascista (Germany).

In 2016, the band will continue to tour Europe, visiting the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria.

The band’s albums have been consistently recognized at the GAMIQ since 2013 in addition to jumping on a plethora of specialized year-end lists around the globe.

– 30 –

“The slowness of the post-hardcore of Milanku or the erasure of the world.” – Weirdsound.net

0 Montreal’s SANGUINE GLACIALIS “Welcome” Fans To New Music Off Third Album “Maladaptive Daydreaming”

March 10, 2023
by Asher
· Music News · Sanguine Glacialis

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – March 10, 2023

Montreal’s SANGUINE GLACIALIS “Welcome” Fans To New Music Off Third Album “Maladaptive Daydreaming”

L-R – Jonathan Fontaine (Guitar & Back Vocals), Jérémy Racine (Drums & Back Vocals), Maude Théberge (Vocals, Keyboard & Violin), Marc Gervais (Bass & Back Vocals), Alexandre Lépine (Guitar & Back Vocals)

Photographer Credit: Philippe Quinn

Montreal, QC’s Sanguine Glacialis (ft. members of Valfreya, the Growlers Choir, The Monster Factory) have a new lyric video to reveal the first single “Welcome” from their forthcoming album “Maladaptive Daydreaming” planned for release later this year to follow the band’s 2018 record “Hadopelagic”. Influenced by a vast array of musical styles such as jazz, classical, folk, symphonic, death, and black metal, the new full-length is a concept record about mental illness and an imaginary world that lives in the head of its main character, a subject that opens the door to many, many different ideas on the album.

“We’ve never been this hyped about a new album. The pandemic was great for this at least: we really took the time to compose and write to make the best album possible, and it shows. We pushed our limits once again to explore new styles and instruments. It’s a catchy melodic death metal album, yet progressive and dark as well. The lyrics are about an imaginary world created in someone’s mind to hide from reality, and how this world can suck you completely out of reality. It talks about different aspects of mental illness and how it’s lived inside someone’s mind. As a person with mental illness myself, I have a ton of content to work on. ” adds Maude Théberge (Vocals, Keyboard & Violin).

Today, the band presents the first single, “Welcome”, a track with many different surprises and invited guests. It sets the world in which the concept record takes place. It’s the perfect representation of what’s to come from their new album “Maladaptive Daydreaming”. The single starts with a clean intro with the violin, then switches to a catchy gang vocals chorus. There’s a saxophone and a guitar solo, and it ends with a brutal breakdown.

“Welcome is about the imaginary world calling for the lead character, but that world is not as fun and fulfilling as it may seem,” says Maude Théberge (Vocals, Keyboard & Violin).

Fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse, The Agonist, and Diablo Swing Orchestra will likely be interested in the genre-bending sounds of Sanguine Glacialis.

Watch and listen to “Welcome” via its premiere TheCirclePit YouTube Channel – https://youtu.be/fcBDJp2U7jY

“Welcome” is available on the following platforms: Sanguineglacialis.bandcamp.com, Apple Music, Spotify.

For more info: Facebook.com/SanguineGlacialis | Twitter.com/sglacialis | Instagram.com/sanguineglacialis

– 30 –

“It’s rather difficult to slot Sanguine Glacialis into one specific style because they utilise a good amount of approaches and genres into their music, such as death metal and symphonic metal, as well as more unusual styles such as classical and jazz. They have a very interesting sound as a result and it definitely helps them to stand out from the crowd…” Soundscape Magazine

“Sanguine Glacialis threw me a bit of a curve ball as I was expecting a similar showing stylistically, primarily because I could hear the singer warming up her falsetto backstage. To my delight, the group launched into a more groove filled progressive black metal vibe that was thoroughly entertaining. Singer Maude Théberge navigated her tiny frame through the cramped stage to play the role of both soprano and banshee while providing intermittent piano sections. The band’s performance, energy, and crowd interaction won the crowd and me over, and I’m excited to hear their new album in the fall.” – Bucketlist Music Reviews
—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780 | jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations | Instagram @AsherMedia | Tweet @AsherMedia
(Rockshots Records, Extreme Metal Music, Armstrong MetalFest, Loud As Hell, Metalocalypstick, Decimate MF, Electric Highway Fest, Wacken Metal Battle Canada/USA, Hyperspace MF, Toledo DeathFest)

0 EPK – Sanguine Glacialis – Welcome (single) (2023)

March 10, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Sanguine Glacialis

EPK – Sanguine Glacialis – Welcome (single) (2023)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“Welcome is the first single from this new album. It has many different surprises and invited artists and it’s super catchy. It sets the world in which the album takes place, so that’s why we chose to represent it with a lyric video and the album cover. It’s the best presentation we could give after all these years of working on the album!” – Sanguine Glacialis

For fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Diablo Swing Orchestra, The Agonist, Jinjer

Single Title: Welcome (4:16)
Off Album Title: Maladaptive Daydreaming
Release Date: March 10th, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release

Facebook.com/SanguineGlacialis | Twitter.com/sglacialis | Youtube.com/SanguineGlacialis | Instagram.com/sanguineglacialis/

Sanguineglacialis.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

“The first thing that drew me to this release was the stunning artwork, and I’m glad it did because Hadopelagic is a rather kickass listen. It’s rather difficult to slot Sanguine Glacialis into one specific style because they utilise a good amount of approaches and genres into their music, such as death metal and symphonic metal, as well as more unusual styles such as classical and jazz. They have a very interesting sound as a result and it definitely helps them to stand out from the crowd – indeed, the jazzier moments are some of my favourite elements of the album!” – Soundscape Magazine

“Hadopelagic offers a little over one hour of amazing metal music that takes full advantage of the manifold vocal talents of Maude Théberge. She has so many different voices that you will feel in awe. Her piano sound could do with a little more variation though. Her band is top-notch and we can only hope that they will stay with her. The guitars are adding progressive textures, whereas the drummer gives the music that necessary punch that shows you that despite being in the presence of an artful piece of work, Sanguine Glacialis are still a through and through metal band. Hadopelagic is a must-have for fans of playful metal that offers brains and brawn alike.” – Disagreement.net

Single Title: Welcome (4:16)
Album Title: Maladaptive Daydreaming
Release Date: March 10th, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release

Album track listing: TBD

Single Recording Credits:
Song performed by: Sanguine Glacialis, featuring Remi LeGresley (guitar solo) and Mia-Lin Gromko (Saxophone)
Song written by: Maude Théberge
Produced, Mixed and Mastered by: Christian Donaldson
Album Artwork by: Alex O’Dowd
Member of SOCAN: Yes (Maude Théberge)
All music is 100% Canadian – MAPL

Album Band Line-up (Same as live line-up)
Maude Théberge (Vocals, Keyboard & Violin)
Jonathan Fontaine (Guitar & Backvocals)
Alexandre Lépine (Guitar & Backvocals)
Marc Gervais (Bass & Backvocals)
Jérémy Racine (Drums & Backvocals)

Photographer Credit: Philippe Quinn

Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Sanguine Glacialis have shared the stage with Dark Tranquility, Omnium Gatherum, Delain, Hammerfall, Unexpect, Necronomicon and many more. The dark heart of Sanguine Glacialis is vocalist/keyboardist Maude, the sole original member left in the band. She describes their sound as ‘unique, original, intense and dark’

Maude is enthusiastic about their new songs. “We took a huge step forward with this album and fans will appreciate it much more than the previous one. Everything is better in this one in my opinion. We want to show the new direction of the band. We want to show how much we’ve grown and how much the band has changed between the two albums.”

“This album is a very dark part of my life, and it’s something that everybody lives in their own way, and I hope this album will help fans go through their own difficulties.” Lyrically, Maude avoids the usual metal clichés. “Most of the songs are personal experiences that I wrote in the form of stories and legends.”

The band released the official video for the song “Monsters”, taken from the upcoming album “Hadopelagic”.

Maude promises that Sanguine Glacialis offer a very different live experience. “What really makes this band special is the vast variety of influences we have. It goes from technical death metal to classical, through nu metal, rock, jazz, pop, rap, world music, and so much more. On stage, we bring our own theatrical style as well as a dark atmosphere that fits our songs. We have our own dynamic, and I play keyboards and sing at the same time during the show, which is also a change from the typical front-woman!”

Discography:
Maladaptive Daydreaming (2023 – To be released)
Hadopelagic (2018)
Pitch Black Sight EP (2016)
Dancing with a Hanged Man (2012)

Shared Stage with:
Dark Tranquility, Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, Beyond Creation, Delain, Carach Angren, Wolfheart, Mors Principium Est, Hammerfall, Oceans of Slumber, Unexpect, Necronomicon, Anonymus, etc.

Tours and Festivals:
2020 – Ride of the Valkyries – Montreal
2020 – FestEvil – Quebec City
2019 – FarmFest – Vankleek Hill
2019 – Gaspesian Metal Fest – Matane
2019 – Seven Spires – Montreal
2018 – Gothfest – Montreal
2018 – Carach Angren, Mors Principium Est & Wolfheart – Quebec City
2018 – Insomnium and Oceans of Slumber – Montreal
2017 – Delain and Hammerfall – Montreal
2015 – Delain – Montreal
2014 – Saguenay Viking Fest – Jonquière
2014 – Dark Tranquility, Omnium Gatherum & Mors Principium Est – Montreal
2012 – Hellfest Lanaudière – Mandeville

0 Rockshots Records – New Video – AVALAND – “Kingslayer” + New Album ft. Guests From TSO, Edguy, Sortilège Out March 2023 + Show Dates w/ Rhapsody of Fire

March 10, 2023
by Asher
· Avaland (Rockshots Records) · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – March 10, 2023

Rockshots Records – New Video – AVALAND – “Kingslayer”

New Album “The Legend of the Storyteller” Out March 2023

+ Show Dates w/ Rhapsody of Fire

Album Guests Zak Stevens (ex-Savatage/TSO), Madie (ex-Nightmare/Faith In Agony), Pierre “Cara” Carabalona (Eltharia),
Ivan Castelli (Lionsoul), Angèle Macabiès, Jens Ludwig (Edguy), Bruno Ramos (Sortilège/ex-Manigance)

Fantasy symphonic power metal band France’s Avaland are sharing their next music video “Kingslayer” in support of their upcoming sophomore full-length “The Legend of the Storyteller” due out on March 31st, 2023 via Rockshots Records to follow their 2021 debut “Theater of Sorcery”.

The band comments:

“This one was directly felt as a potential single by the band. Lucas made incredible work on the guitars on this song. The riffs are groovy and the chorus is a real hook. And no, it’s not a song about Jamie Lannister haha! But the question, here, is: Where is the good? Where is the evil?”

Watch and listen to “Kingslayer” at https://youtu.be/vKUTuIXYGKk

In addition to the album’s upcoming unveiling, the band will be supporting Rhapsody of Fire in the Netherlands and Belgium tour dates on March 10th and 11th (dates listed below).

Compared to Avaland‘s debut album, the band’s next full-length “The Legend Of The Storyteller” is heavier and is a much more epic power metal record full of anthems upon anthems for fans to chant to as they are taken on a journey over twelve theatric tracks. The record also hears double vocal duties from Adrien G. Gzagg and Jeff Kanji along with album guests that include Zak Stevens (ex-Savatage/TSO), Madie (ex-Nightmare/Faith In Agony), Pierre “Cara” Carabalona (Eltharia), Ivan Castelli (Lionsoul), Angèle Macabiès, Jens Ludwig (Edguy) and Bruno Ramos (Sortilège/ex-Manigance).

Lead by Adrien G. Gzagg (Autor/Composer/Lead Singer/Synths and Orchestrations), the album’s storyline is a prequel to the band’s first album “Theater of Sorcery” as he explains further:

“This album, as the first one, is a journey, a trip out of our world, into the universe of Avaland. We enjoy seeing Avaland as a great saga, as a movie, or series. We feel like listening to Avaland is like watching Game Of Thrones, The Lord Of The Rings, or reading comics, it’s an escape from everyday life. For this album, we took a lot of inspiration from Game Of Thrones and Arthurian Myths. We love fantasy and mythologies and we also find ourselves having a great fascination for alchemy and esoterism. Time is also a great subject, it’s mystical… in fact, time will be at the center of this saga. This new opus is showing a heavier and darker atmosphere of Avaland’s theatrical universe. Are you ready to be part of “The Legend Of The Storyteller”?”

Avaland is recommended for fans of Savatage, Angra, Avantasia, Symphony X, and Queen.

Album pre-order – https://bit.ly/StorytellerCD

Album Pre Save – https://bfan.link/the-legend-of-the-storyteller

Previous single:

“Crimson Tyranny” (feat. Cara, Madie & Zak Stevens) – https://youtu.be/InA_q25NMm4

“Betrayers” (feat. Madie (ex-Nightmare/Faith In Agony) – https://youtu.be/W8odyjY8_U8

Track Listing:
1. The Vision – 2:03
2. Crimson Tyranny – 6:45
3. Insurrection – 4:42
4. To Be The King – 4:34
5. Secret Night – 3:24
6. Kingslayer – 4:10
7. The Gift – 4:48
8. Out Of The Fog – 5:11
9. Betrayers – 5:23
10. Madness Of The Wise – 5:27
11. You’ll Be The Legend – 5:17
12. Lies – 10:29
(Bonus Track – La Folie Du Sage)
Album Length: 1:02:19

Avaland is:
Adrien G. Gzagg (Autor/Composer/Lead Singer/Synths and Orchestrations)
Jeff Kanji (Lead Singer/Additional Voices and Guitars)
Lucas Martinez (Guitars)
Camille Souffron (Bass)
Leo Mouchonay (Drums)

Avaland w/ Rhapsody of Fire
March 10 – Volt – Sittard, NL
March 11 – Hell – Diest, BE

For more info:
Rockshots.eu
Avaland-themetalopera.com
Facebook.com/avaland.metal.opera
Instagram.com/avaland_metal_opera
Twitter.com/AvalandMetal

– 30 –

0 Calgary’s The Electric Highway Festival Shares Official Spotify Playlist For This Year’s 2023 Lineup – March 23 – 25

March 9, 2023
by Asher
· Music News · The Electric Highway Festival

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – March 9, 2023

Calgary’s The Electric Highway Festival Shares Official Spotify Playlist For This Year’s 2023 Lineup – March 23 – 25

Calgary’s The Electric Highway Festival is inching near with its 3 days of music on March 23, 24, and 25 at Dickens with Canadian bands trekking from across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba along with American headliners, Los Angeles’ Sasquatch.

To showcase this year’s festival lineup, event organizers are sharing their curated Spotify playlist of bands performing on the 2023 edition of The Electric Highway Festival.

Check out the playlist at https://spoti.fi/3ZKB9Tm

About:

Buckle up for The Electric Highway Festival!

The 2023 edition of the festival focuses on Desert rock and metal, Doom, Sludge, Heavy Psych and has expanded to include some punk and hardcore bands as well.

The festival features Californian headliners Sasquatch, one of the festival’s past favorites, laying down their brand of fuzzy, kick-ass Desert Rock & Heavy Psych with direct support from Vancouver’s La Chinga returning for their 4th appearance on Saturday night. Black Mastiff returns to headline Friday night with Calgary’s Gone Cosmic and HypnoPilot headlines the Thursday show with support from Citizen Rage. These are just a few of the wicked bands that will be playing at The Electric Highway. The full lineup can be found below.

The Electric Highway Official Nightly Lineups:

Thursday, March 23:
HypnoPilot (Lethbridge, AB) – Daily headliner
Citizen Rage (Calgary, AB)
Musing (Calgary, AB)
No More Moments (Siksika, AB)
Father Moon (Calgary, AB)
Destroy My Brains (Lloydminster, AB).
Doors open at 6:30pm
Music starts at 7:30pm
Show runs to 12:30am
Expo 6:30pm – 10:30pm
Merch 6:30pm – 12:30pm

Friday, March 24:
Black Mastiff (Edmonton, AB/Vancouver, BC) – Daily Headliner
Gone Cosmic (Calgary, AB)
Set & Stoned (Crossfield, AB)
Hombre (Calgary, AB)
Empress (Vancouver, BC)
Molten Lava (Vancouver, BC)
Space Queen (Vancouver, BC)
The Basement Paintings (Saskatoon, SK) Owls & Eagles (Calgary, AB)
Doors open at 5:30pm
Music starts at 6:15pm
Show runs to 1:30am
Expo 5:30pm – 11:30pm
Merch 6:30pm – 1:30pm

Saturday, March 25:
Sasquatch (Los Angeles, CA) -Festival Headliner
La Chinga (Vancouver, BC)
Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary, AB)
Brown Dwarf (Red Deer, AB)
The Astral Prophets (Calgary, AB)
Iron Tusk (Siksika, AB)
The Sleeping Legion (Winnipeg, MB)
Tebby & the Heavy (Edmonton, AB)
Garuda (Cranbrook, BC).
Doors open at 5pm
Music starts at 5:30pm
Show runs to 1:30am
Expo 5:30pm – 11:00pm
Merch 5:30pm – 1:30am

3 Day Festival Pass holders can pick up their wristbands at Dickens at any time during the event. Pre-order merch sales will also be available for pickup throughout the weekend too. Don’t be disappointed. Order your merch ahead of time.
The Electric Highway is a fully immersive festival experience and offers much more than just music. The festival also features an art & vendor exposition during all three days at Dickens, March 23 – 25, 2023.

Check www.TheElectricHighway.ca to purchase and for more festival information.

All tickets and pass holders will be receiving instructions by email on how to transfer their 2020 tickets for 2023 ones. As well, all vendors will receive an email to confirm their attendance. Anyone that cannot attend this year – both ticketholders and vendors – can transfer their attendance to a future year.

We look forward to bringing this festival to you, and can’t wait to see everyone in March!

Ticket Information:

Advance 3-day Festival Passes are $75. Advance passes are on sale March 22 or while quantities last.
Regular Festival Passes are $95 at the door if quantities are available.

Limited advance 2-day passes are on sale until March 22 or while quantities last.
Thursday/Friday $45 advance
Thursday/Saturday $55 advance
Friday/Saturday $65 advance

Advance single-day tickets are available until March 22 or while quantities last.
Thursday $20 advance/ $25 door
Friday $30 advance/$35 door
Saturday $40 advance/$45 door
*Door prices are in effect if any are left. Watch the event and page for ticket and pass updates.

Please note: All ticket/pass holders from the canceled 2020 Electric Highway can redeem their tickets and passes for 2023 Festival tickets and passes or can choose to hold on to them to use at a future edition of The Electric Highway. You must contact the Festival via email to arrange the transfer of your passes before attending the festival. We are holding spots for all previous pass holders until February 28, after that tickets and passes are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Social Media Links:

Website: TheElectricHighway.ca

Facebook: Facebook.com/ElectricHighwayFestival

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/849216866328036

Instagram: Instagram.com/TheElectricHighway

Twitter: Twitter.com/TheElectricHwy

Hashtag #BuckleUp

Festival Artwork by David Paul Seymour
The Electric Highway Logo by Sketchy Intuitions

Festival Press Materials Dropbox HERE.

Business Partners/Sponsors:
Asher Media Relations
Athena Bookkeeping Services Inc.
Black Collar Manufacturing
Calgary Metal Scene Events
The Celestial Agency
Dickens
FACTOR Canada
High Voltage TV
Loud as Hell Festival
METALHEADS UNITED
New Level Brewing

Travel and Tourism Partners:
Tourism Calgary
Travel Alberta

Media Partners:
Absolute Underground
Broken Neck Radio
CJSR
CJSW
Digital Distortion
Doomed and Stoned
The Obelisk
Outlaws of the Sun
Metal Devastation
Metal Rules
Trash Talk
V13

Business partnerships and sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact theelectrichighwayfestival[@]gmail[.]com for more information.

– 30 –

0 Streaming Now! Canada’s ODINFIST’s New Album Is Classic Metal “Remade in Steel”

March 9, 2023
by Asher
· Music News · Odinfist

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – March 9, 2023

Streaming Now! Canada’s ODINFIST’s New Album Is Classic Metal “Remade in Steel”

With its six tracks, each song on the full-length offers a unique musical experience, where you don’t always know what’s going to come next. The end result is a complete album that has a little bit for everyone with its elements of Power, Thrash, and NWOBHM cast all together in a cauldron of heavy metal enchantment.

“We think fans will come back to this one again and again, hearing parts for the 100th time and yet the first time. Over the course of our musical careers, we’ve always prioritized making music that we enjoy and want to listen to first. Each album is a snapshot of where we were mentally, creatively, and socially– but we always wanted to explore new spaces within the genre and try to push into places we hadn’t been before. Remade in Steel is true to Odinfist’s roots in Traditional Heavy Metal, offers its listeners the same energy and sound that they’ve come to expect from the band, but still shows off the band’s love for discovery.”

With 16 years of playing metal for Okanagan metalheads, Odinfist is all about relentless energy on record and an entertaining live show of moshing and partying. Fans familiar and new with the band will love the throwbacks to their original sounds and enjoy the density of their new creative direction.

They are recommended for fans of Eternal Champion, Judas Priest, and Savatage.

“Remade In Steel” is due out on March 10, 2023, and can be heard in full via its album stream premiere on MetalInsider HERE.

Album pre-order at https://odinfist.bandcamp.com/album/remade-in-steel

Track Listing:
1. Riffmaster – 6:28
2. Metalmancer – 4:36
3. Remade in Steel – 5:16
4. Allfather – 6:52
5. Deadline – 5:16
6. Masquerade – 8:34
Album Length: 37:02

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Odinfist
• All songs written by: Odinfist
• Produced by: Shane Bouthillier
• Mixed by: Shane Bouthillier
• Mastered by: Shane Bouthillier
• Album Artwork by: Art of Grimmuza
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album and Live Band Line Up:
Tyler Anderson – Lead Vocals and Guitar
Bradley Caulien – Drums
Justin Ketterer – Guitar and Backing Vocals
Jesse Valstar – Bass

For more info: Facebook.com/Odinfist | Instagram.com/odinfist.official

About: Odinfist has been bringing heavy metal to the Okanagan Valley for sixteen years, and has participated in a variety of major shows and festivals across Western Canada. They have played with a variety of other bands such as Kataklysm, Thor, 3 Inches of Blood, etc. Members of Odinfist are also very involved with the Okanagan Metal scene. The band is all about fun, melodic heavy metal that you mosh, party, or just have a good time to, with a relentlessly energetic and entertaining live show.

– 30 –

“Something new in Okanagan metal band’s seventh album” – Kelowna Daily Courier

“Old-school metal is in vogue and on the rise and Odinfist delivers on all fronts with this anthem-filled good-time, moshing composition of heavenly Heavy Metal!” The Metal Gods Meltdown

“there’s some cool stuff here, so Odinfist is definitely a band to keep an eye on if you can’t get enough traditional heavy metal.” – The Metal Crypt

““Riffmaster,” gets the bluesy inclinations going strong. It hits the heights and moves with a fierce grit, turning through the shriek and bringing the goods. “Metalmancer,” turns through, hitting the triumphs and the growing bounds of time. “Remade In Steel,” hits the hammer hard, turning the growing sounds of the thunder forward.” – The Median Man

“Heavy Metal in the Old Vain, the followers of extremely heavy Heavy Metal cult bands in pure steel culture like CAULDRON, RIOT CITY, SAVATAGE, ETERNAL CHAMPION, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST as well as the True Metal faction lets water run on the mill wheel by the liter . – A mighty Hail… – to the Odinfist! 8/10” – FFM-Rock

“‘Metalmancer’ dives super catchy into the pool of grooves, immediately getting into the blood ensnared by powerful JUDAS PRIEST/METAL CHURCH epic anthem material convinces his fan clientele, to which the reviewer of these lines belongs, after the proclaimer of the truth has expressed his opinion melodic, powerful, anthemic and heavy,” – FFM-Rock

““Remade In Steel” is a thoroughly old-school Metal disc that can definitely get you in the mood if you have a heart for this style.” – Hellfire Magazin

—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780 | jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations | Instagram @AsherMedia | Tweet @AsherMedia
(Rockshots Records, Extreme Metal Music, Armstrong MF, Loud As Hell, Metalocalypstick, Decimate MF, Electric Highway Fest, Wacken Metal Battle Canada/USA, Hyperspace MF, Toledo Death Fest)

0 EPK – Despite The Reverence – Stress Of Evolution (2023)

March 9, 2023
by Asher
· Despite The Reverence · EPKs

EPK – Despite The Reverence – Stress Of Evolution (2023)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

For fans of The Muse, Tool, Porcupine Tree

Band: Despite The Reverence
Album Title: Stress of Evolution
Release Date: April 14, 2023
Label: Self-Release

“This album features songs that range from epic technical arrangements to straight-up rock songs. The album starts out heavy and intense. There is a classical acoustic piece in the middle, followed by a heavy metal ballad and a surfer rock-style song before the songs rise again to a heavy crescendo. The 12th song almost stands alone as a heavy metal disco anthem. The lyrics follow the theme of technology being infused into society and directly into humans making us dependent on them and creating less of a need for human interference.” – Despite The Reverence

Facebook.com/despitethereverence | Instagram.com/despitethereverence | Youtube.com/@Despitethereverence | Twitter.com/DTRofficialband

Spotify| Despitethereverence.bandcamp.com

Band: Despite The Reverence
Album Title: Stress of Evolution
Release Date: April 14, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Cyborg – 5:41
2. Khali Yuga – 4:33
3. Surprise Kill Vanish – 4:42
4. Primate Centurion – 6:11
5. Killing Plebs – 3:54
6. Fears Of Our Fathers – 1:45
7. Stress Of Evolution – 5:02
8. Human Obsolete – 4:24
9. Thinning The Herd – 3:56
10. War Machine – 4:55
11. At My Door Knocks Death – 5:43
12. Disco Death Tech – 4:01
Album Length: 54:53

Album Credits:
All Songs performed and written by Despite The Reverence
Produced and Mixed by: Chris Douglas and The Sound Castle
Mastered by Trevor Case at Case Mastering
Despite The Reverence is a member of SOCAN

Album Recording and Live Lineup
Jon Fast (Guitars/Backing Vocals)
Tom Liska (Lead Vocals)
Jordan Poelzer (Bass)
Brad Zimmer (Drums)

=======================================================

The album as a whole:
This album features songs that range from epic technical arrangements to straight-up rock songs. The album starts out heavy and intense. There is a classical acoustic piece in the middle, followed by a heavy metal ballad and a surfer rock-style song before the songs rise again to a heavy crescendo. The 12th song almost stands alone as a heavy metal disco anthem. The lyrics follow the theme of technology being infused into society and directly into humans making us dependent on them and creating less of a need for human interference.

Track D by Track explanation:

1. Cyborg 05:41
– One of the more technical songs on the album featuring a blistering opening lead riff and heavy pounding guitars under the verse sections of the song. The vocals are heavy and growling over the verses but break into a melodic crescendo during the chorus. The song slips into a quiet dark interlude in the middle section which builds in intensity back into the chorus and outro. The lyrics touch on the melding of humans and robotics.

2. Khali Yuga 04:33
– This song starts with a somber and pulsing intro before the band kicks in with a more hard rock riff and vocals. The chorus is very catchy and straight ahead. The middle section picks up into a Pantera-esque riff and almost western style guitar solo. Khali Yuga is one of the periods of the human cycle which ultimately is destruction leading to rebirth.

3. Surprise Kill Vanish 04:42
-Inspired by the black ops and the assassin to surprise, kill and then disappear. The main riff was inspired by Lamb Of God but turns into a bluesy hard rock verse riff. The chorus again builds in dynamics and the middle section of the song breaks down into a dark pulsing riff followed by a blues rock style solo mixed with some tapping. The outro of the chorus is interesting as the lyrics become a spoken story over a quieter groove version of the chorus.

4. Primate Centurion – 06:11
-Our first single released off of the new album starts with a very ominous but with hints of Pink Floyd before kicking into an early Tool “Undertow” style riff. This song hits hard with a very big sound and a huge chorus. The middle guitar solo continues the groove and rolls right through to the ending. This is more of a straightforward hard rock song that’s all about continuing the hook and not deviating too far away from the groove. Following the album theme, this song follows the evolutionary theme from ape to human to artificial intelligence.

5. Killing Plebs – 03:54
-This is a more commercial-sounding hard rock song that starts with a guitar fade into the main riff. The drums, bass, and rhythm pound together throughout while the melodic lyrics belt out catchy lyrics and a memorable tune that gets stuck in your head. The middle section starts to get heavy and then cuts out to a breakdown with a pulsing rhythm and subtle guitar reminiscent of Faith No More. The lyrics are spoken with an echo that makes it very unique. The song kicks back in with an epic ballad-style guitar solo and then a powerful vocal chorus that matches it perfectly. The lyrical content is regarding the death of the common man and his character which has been sacrificed to appease a lazy and entitled culture.

6. Fears Of Our Fathers 01:45
-This is a very stand-out song as it is only classical acoustic guitar and vocals and also features Christine Douglas performing a perfect and haunting harmony during the middle section. The song was inspired by the idea that fears can be passed down inherently from father to son and also the fear that a father has for his son. It is a short piece but a nice change in the dynamics of the album and starts a quieter section of the album.

7. Stress Of Evolution 05:02
-This is a true ballad on the album and starts with a quiet building guitar instrumental that gradually fades into the opening riff. The song lyrically is about the growing pains of change and evolution of a species. The verses are more subtle but kick into a powerful chorus with a guitar lead that reminisces Boston or other power rock and with a strong chorus and unforgettable lyrics. The guitar solo continues over the chorus riff and is one of the best on the album. As the solo fades, so does the band and a middle heavy section follows which builds and then ends quickly going back into the chorus again but this time on steroids.

8. Human Obsolete 04:28
It’s another very interesting track and more of a surfer-style hard rock song. The lyrics as they indicate are about the growing obsolescence of the human race. This song finds the groove right away and carries it all the way through making it a real head-banger. The guitars, bass, and drums follow the groove while the lyrics tell a story.

9. Thinning The Herd 03:19
This song is pure thrash metal with one of the craziest time signatures we’ve ever written (in fact we never figured it out). Part of the song was recorded without a click track and just by feel. It is fast-paced and rips through complicated riffs and furious vocals. This song doesn’t stop being intense as the lyrics sing about the strongest surviving and natural selection. This is the fast song we have written to date.

10. War Machine 04:55
-War Machine is another heavy rocker and packs a lot of energy. The song comes in with a roar and pounding guitars, bass, and drums. The verses quiet down but only for a moment and really to give more emphasis to the rest of the song. By the time the bridge hits in the middle, the song is full steam ahead. A ripping solo followed by a half-time but heavily beaten ending wraps the song up. The lyrics are powerful and strong and the outro has a ring to it with the feeling of royalty.

11. At My Door Knocks Death 05:47
Half of this song is definitely inspired by Black Sabbath. The second half by Iron Maiden and the outro has a very punk rock vibe to it. The song has a variety of riffs that capture the stoner metal genre and then the 80’s classic metal style. The lyrics, especially the chorus are huge and haunting. The theme is hypocrisy, especially in religion, and the way power corrupts. There is an instrumental breakdown near the end featuring the drums and bass that has a Led Zepplin “Whole Lotta Love” vibe to it and is unique to the album. This song really wraps up the concept of the album however there is one more.

12. Disco Death Tech 04:07
-This is the 12th song and not really an “afterthought” but we had to keep it because it was so unique and catchy. This is a disco-metal song, like a heavier version of “I was made for Loving You” by Kiss and “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top. The main guitar riff is fast and the hook of the song just keeps trucking through the rise and fall of the song while the bass pops and the drums play a fast syncopated disco-style beat. The lyrics dance over the music making this one of the most “fun” songs on the album, likely to be performed as an encore if the mood is right.

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Story Angles/Fun Facts About The Band

1. We’ve been together writing and performing for over 10 years now with the same line up which is pretty impressive considering the lifespan of most bands.

2. 5 full-length albums

3. We toured the UK with The Maension back in 2017 which was amazing, a real-life experience

4. We are all working professionals outside of the music industry to pay the bills and work as financial consultants, insurance brokers, IT Analysts, and Estimators. We’ve all played music our whole lives and never had the thought of quitting.

5. We always order a pizza to the hotel after every show

6. In one of our earliest shows, we packed up while the house music played “Just Like A Woman” by Bob Dylan and we always sing it while we pack up now. Recently we have started our shows by walking out to that song.

7. We featured 5 songs on the movie soundtrack for Saskatchewan filmed movie, “Ferocious” starring Kim Coates. The studio we were recording our first album in was also doing the sound for the movie and asked us if they could use our music for the bar scenes.

8. We’ve played all over Western and Central Canada over the years, took a private jet to Ontario for a private show, and played with many bands.

9. We have performed events such as the World Junior Hockey, local television spots and charity fundraisers though we really pick and choose our gigs/venues as being a heavier style of music, we want the audience to enjoy it.

Impressively, Canada’s Despite The Reverence has been together writing and performing for over 10 years now with the same lineup and as of this year, has produced five full-length albums. The most recent addition to their catalog is “Stress Of Evolution”, a twelve-track, neck-breaking monster of an album that builds on all of their previous work.

Excited to hear fans’ responses to their latest work, the band has come a long way and their growth is evident in the music. They’ve taken all the best elements of their personal styles, honed them, and now invite fans around the world to their metal feast. Dynamic from heavy to melodic, it’s a mixture of tempos, styles, and instrumentation. Variety is the spice of life and Despite The Reverence tries to bring everything under one roof creating unique and interesting compositions which flow together under a common concept.

“Stress Of Evolution” comes out on April 14th, 2023, and is recommended for fans of Pantera, Tool, and Black Sabbath.

Discography:
Stress of Evolution (2023)
Plethora (2019)
Becoming The Savage (2017)
Alien Intrinsic (2013)
Self-Titled (2011)

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