EPK – Prisoner – House of Cards (2024)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We want to come out with something from everyone, pushing the boundary of what fits within a genre. We come out of the gate with high tempo, thrashing riffs, that throwback to the bay area thrash scene. Into what is considered to some as a power ballad. Which then throws you into a traditional hard rock song with big choruses and tight harmonies. In theory these songs don’t make sense together but under the House of Cards EP everything is cohesive.” Trevor MacDonald (Bass) – Prisoner
For fans of Black Sabbath, Megadeth, ACDC, Judas Priest, Metallica
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“Can you guess what Metallica’s “Garage Days Re-revisited”, Trivium’s “Ember to Inferno” and Pantera’s “Cowboys from Hell” records have in common? A band having fun, a band giving it all out and a great and present bass guitar. This is what you will get when listening to “House of Cards” the new EP from the Canadian band Prisoner, formed in 2020 in Alberta by four young men on a mission to make Metal even bigger. The EP is formed by three songs and just under eleven minutes of playtime which is enough to show how fucking good they are! 9/10” – Ever-Metal
“And we’ve added the outstanding new single “On A Sunday” from heavy rockers Prisoner! Elements of alternative rock & metal with a twist of modern rock. So well written with acoustic passages leading up to the electric payoff, “On A Sunday” is a special one. Be sure to catch Prisoner on your Home for the Best New Rock.” – WJOE – Findlay’s Home for Rock & Roll
“A testament to their musical prowess and diverse range as artists, Prisoner adeptly captures both their high-energy and introspective moments in House of Cards.” – Amplify The Noise
“”House of Cards” did what an EP is supposed to do and that’s whet my appetite for more music from Prisoner. I look forward to their forthcoming full-length album and to hearing what else than do with,” – Rough Edge
“The Devil sends his beast with wrath, for he knows that time is short. Or something. That might be why Calgary metallers Prisoner have followed up their January debut full-length with this EP. And the Maiden reference at the start might have done them a disservice, actually, given that the trio of tracks showcases different sides than that. The opener, “Skies Are Blackened,” is full-on thrash. Think early Metallica, and you aren’t far off, but the next one, “On A Sunday,” couldn’t be more different. Acoustic in the way that Alice In Chains used to be, it’s a fabulous thing. And all of that is before “House Of Cards (The Game PT 2)” hustles into view on the back of quite a mighty gallop. A band to look for, you evidently will not chain Prisoner. 8/10” – Maximum Volume Music
“The Canadian band set out to return to their heavy rock roots, and by the sound of things they have very much done just that. This thing is like Prong but with punk vocals over the top, like the really early days of thrash or crossover. The production fits perfectly with the old-school feel too, feeling like it’s ripped right out of the 80s. The vocals really grew on me throughout, him being able to hit some damn impressive high notes! This thing honestly felt like it was too short, I’d love to have had more from them. Especially with the variety shown between the three tracks. Heck, the slower track, ‘On a Sunday’, is my favourite track on the EP, though the other two are close second and third. I somehow missed the band’s album back in January, but I’mma have to go back and check it out now, as I loved this! 8/10″ – Overtone Magazine
“Can you guess what Metallica’s “Garage Days Re-revisited”, Trivium’s “Ember to Inferno” and Pantera’s “Cowboys from Hell” records have in common? A band having fun, a band giving it all out and a great and present bass guitar. This is what you will get when listening to “House of Cards” the new EP from the Canadian band Prisoner, formed in 2020 in Alberta by four young men on a mission to make Metal even bigger. The EP is formed by three songs and just under eleven minutes of playtime which is enough to show how fucking good they are! 9/10” – Ever-Metal
“And we’ve added the outstanding new single “On A Sunday” from heavy rockers Prisoner! Elements of alternative rock & metal with a twist of modern rock. So well written with acoustic passages leading up to the electric payoff, “On A Sunday” is a special one. Be sure to catch Prisoner on your Home for the Best New Rock.” – WJOE – Findlay’s Home for Rock & Roll
“A testament to their musical prowess and diverse range as artists, Prisoner adeptly captures both their high-energy and introspective moments in House of Cards.” – Amplify The Noise
“”House of Cards” did what an EP is supposed to do and that’s whet my appetite for more music from Prisoner. I look forward to their forthcoming full-length album and to hearing what else than do with,” – Rough Edge
“The Devil sends his beast with wrath, for he knows that time is short. Or something. That might be why Calgary metallers Prisoner have followed up their January debut full-length with this EP. And the Maiden reference at the start might have done them a disservice, actually, given that the trio of tracks showcases different sides than that. The opener, “Skies Are Blackened,” is full-on thrash. Think early Metallica, and you aren’t far off, but the next one, “On A Sunday,” couldn’t be more different. Acoustic in the way that Alice In Chains used to be, it’s a fabulous thing. And all of that is before “House Of Cards (The Game PT 2)” hustles into view on the back of quite a mighty gallop. A band to look for, you evidently will not chain Prisoner. 8/10” – Maximum Volume Music
“The Canadian band set out to return to their heavy rock roots, and by the sound of things they have very much done just that. This thing is like Prong but with punk vocals over the top, like the really early days of thrash or crossover. The production fits perfectly with the old-school feel too, feeling like it’s ripped right out of the 80s. The vocals really grew on me throughout, him being able to hit some damn impressive high notes! This thing honestly felt like it was too short, I’d love to have had more from them. Especially with the variety shown between the three tracks. Heck, the slower track, ‘On a Sunday’, is my favourite track on the EP, though the other two are close second and third. I somehow missed the band’s album back in January, but I’mma have to go back and check it out now, as I loved this! 8/10″ – Overtone Magazine
[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]
EP Title: House of Cards
Release Date: August 21, 2024
Label: Self-Release
Track Listing:
1. Skies are Blackened (2:42)
2. On a Sunday (4:26)
3. House of Cards (The Game Pt.2) (3:38)
EP Length: 10:46
Recording Credits:
All Songs performed by: Murray Emery, Wes Bartram, Jeremy Hartmann
All songs written by: Murray Emery
Produced by: Murray Emery, Reed Alton (Vocals)
Mixed by: Cody Anstey at Clarity Studios, Calgary, Alberta Canada
Mastered by: Cody Anstey at Clarity Studios, Calgary, Alberta Canada
Artwork by: John Garrett
SOCAN Member
MAPL – Canadian content
EP Band Lineup:
Murray Emery (Vocals/Guitar)
Jeremy Hartmann (Guitar)
Trevor MacDonald(Bass)
Wes Bartram (Drums)
Karl Pflug (Drums)
Live Band Lineup:
Murray Emery (Vocals/Guitar)
Jeremy Hartmann (Guitar)
Trevor Macdonald (Bass)
Karl Pflug (Drums)
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About the EP artwork. Answered by Murray Emery
The artwork by John Garrett is hand painted and then digitized, and is a continuation of the first record. With the conceptual theme of our mascot “Davey” and his travels within the setting of his world. You can see from the first record his captivity within a cage. Which then evolves from the ‘Skies are Blackened’ single artwork foreshadowing the colors and theme of the EP. Davey’s movements reveal his magical powers and a more personal look at his character. We believe the artwork is just as important as the music, creating a feeling and idea around the band that we can use to make better music and perform better live. Hence why all of our album art is hand painted to reflect how organic our process is and stays true to our vintage influence in music taste.
About the EP as a whole. Answered by Karl Pflug
It is a conglomeration of music with multiple elements from varying sub-genres. Which are represented throughout the EP. It then bridges the gap between emotion and life experience to truly connect music to the individual. As a drummer, I love the style changes from song to song as it pushed me to be a better musician, all while keeping the music consistent, even though the songs are so different.
Track by Track.
1. “Skies are Blackened” is a hard hitting, in your face hard rock/metal track rooted in thrash metal influence. Its upbeat tempo and high energy rhythm drives the listener into the anthemic chorus topped with soaring high vocals. Lyrically it speaks on world ideals and how we interact with one another in society under a scoped direction created by the upper echelon of people running our world. This 2:42 track does not overstay its welcome and is a must listen for anyone interested in modern rock and metal that pays homage to its predecessors from the 70s-2000s.
2. “On a Sunday” directs the listener to the calmer angelic side of hard rock. With glassy acoustic guitar and a direct larger than life chorus it appeals to those who dabble in the world of hard rock and heavy metal. Influenced by 90s-2010s modern rock, this song speaks about human interaction in interpersonal relationships. The idea that someone believes they know you but in reality has no concept of your personal perception.
3. “House of Cards” is your go to anthemic hard rock anthem. Ripping guitar harmonies, with a massive and catchy chorus it’s reminiscent of pop punk styling and structure all while remaining rock n roll. This song has everything for every type of listener from musician to casual music fans alike. Lyrically and musically referencing the continuation of “The Game” from the first record.
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FUN FACTS – STORY ANGLES
1. “Skies are Blackened” was the first song ever written for Prisoner. I had been playing guitar for maybe two years and wrote it in an hour. It was my extreme thrash metal influence at 16 where I wanted to write something quick and simple as a show opener. The boys and I love playing it and it is collectively one of our favorite songs to play.
2. “On a Sunday” was the most unexpected song to come from the Prisoner camp. I had the intro riff on a voice note, and during our travels from Ontario to Alberta we as a band were going through potential ideas. I hated the idea at first, but with a bit of encouragement the boys and I wrote the rest of the song in one afternoon… on a Sunday. Lyrically I feel like everyone has been in a situation where no matter how hard they try, someone just can’t wrap their head around who they are. To me this is a relationship I know well, where someone knew me better than anyone, but also had no clue who I was and what my personal perception of myself was.
3. Prisoner’s first show was in the basement of the original guitar player’s frat house in Guelph, Ontario. The band built the stage out of stolen pallets and plywood behind Home Depot and Walmart. The house was packed and the show/party was shut down by police as people started to show up and party outside as they physically couldn’t get into the house. The roof was shaking and flexing during our performance from everyone jumping above us and we were worried it was going to be our one and only shot at glory before it collapsed. Thankfully we’re still here making music. The house also had a “mold room” full of old mattresses which made Murray extremely sick for the next 3 shows Prisoner played in Ontario.
4. “Skies are Blackened” was the first song Murray ever wrote for Prisoner.
5. Prisoners drummer Karl was originally a jazz drummer and was introduced to metal when he was adopted into the band. Yet he had insane double pedal chops and his playing left the rest of the band speechless. He is currently going through the discographies of recommended bands from his bandmates.
6. Each member of Prisoner crossed paths before the band’s current formation without knowing each other. Murray met Trevor doing live sound for his band Even Odds and recording their music. He also met Jeremy when he was doing live sound at The King Eddy while Jeremy played in a performance with “Jam Club” at the Bell National Music Center. Trevor knew Karl from high school band and brought him up on the bands search for a “kick ass drummer”
7. We all have day jobs and we find them relatively humorous, but Jeremy’s takes the cake. He works at a basil farm… Which is hilarious because whenever we bring it up to other bands and people in general, they always ask him if he has a “hook up”. Yet he actually grows basil. Which we use on the regular for band made pesto sauce.
L-R – Murray Emery (Guitar/Vocals), Karl Pflug (Drums), Jeremy Hartmann (Guitar), Trevor MacDonald (Bass)
Photo Credit – Mikayla Loschuk
The high-energy Canadian rock band bringing you hard hitting riffs and unmistakably tight grooves. Founded in Calgary Alberta in 2020, Prisoners music is rooted in classic/hard rock, heavy metal, and blues. Influenced by all styles of rock and metal, their classic roots combine with a modern style to create a congruent take on modern rock music. Through the talents of frontman Murray Emery, guitarist Jeremy Hartmann, bassist Trevor Macdonald, and drummer Karl Pflug, Prisoner will deliver audiences the ultimate hard rock experience.
Discography:
2024 – House of Cards (EP) Current
2024 – Prisoner (self titled LP)
2022 – Prisoner of Time (Single)
Shared the stage with:
Osyron, Hazzerd, As Heads is Tails, Karnage through Crossing, Anciients, Flashback, Dead Quiet, Empress, LOVERS, Polluted
Tour/Festivals List:
2024 – Electric Highway Festival – Calgary, AB
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