Oct – Nov 2025 – Absolute Underground TV / Magazine
w/ Visitant – Exitus Stratagem Records, Ancient Thrones, Ivy Gardens, Harvested, Phaeton, Little King, #ashesofthesun, The Fixer, Unpunished, Devolver
https://absoluteunderground.tv/absolute-underground-magazine-issue-126/
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – August 1, 2025
Out Now! From the Mind of Ethan Henry (Freya, The Last Season) One-Man Solo Band ASHES OF THE SUN’s Debut Album “Gods With Machines”
Debut Album “Gods With Machines” Out August 2025
“If Metallica and Megadeth had a baby with Alice in Chains, that’s Ashes of the Sun.” – Ethan D. Henry
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ASHES OF THE SUN, the one-man solo band from the mind of Ethan Henry (Freya, The Last Season), is proud to reveal the debut album “Gods with Machines”, out now as of August 1st via his label Ignorant Tourist Productions.
The album was written from a catalog of songs that Henry had written over the years while in his other bands. Unsure of what to do with them. He finally decided that it was time to hit the studio and start recording them. After those sessions, Henry decided his eclectic song list was cohesive enough to make an album.
The nine tracks on “Gods With Machines” were written, performed (drums, guitar, bass, vocals), and produced, along with the album artwork, all by Ethan D. Henry, with mixing and mastering done by Jason “Jocko” Randle at CAPTURE STUDIO (Syracuse, N.Y.). The result is an album that is ultimately about an alien race that lands on a planet after destroying their world. Realizing the people are looking to the sky for heaven, they pretend they are gods and take advantage of the natives, steal their resources, and live in their paradise. Eventually, the people rebel against the gods after years of abuse and lies. They overthrow the gods and realize they aren’t what they claim to be.
This album expresses feelings of being misled by those you admire and trust. It’s about being yourself and finding your spiritual path. My overall vision was to have this album flow like some of my playlists, and I imagine most people’s playlists. I hope that fans will enjoy the mellow acoustic/ballad intros that transition into hard rock/ metal flows. I wanted these songs to reach rock fans and metal fans alike. I’ve been in metal bands for a long time and love the brutality Karl and Dan brought to Freya and The Last Season, but I wanted to reach a broader audience. So I chose to tone the heavy vocals back and sing the album. I think ultimately, whether it’s my metal, rock, or grunge influences coming through in these songs, it sounds like the era of music I grew up listening to. late 90s, early 2000s. I like that about this record,” adds Henry.
Recommended for fans of Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden, “Gods With Machines” is available at https://ignoranttouristproductions.com/
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fErG2WGi76m7NZwZqPZC0
Music Video – “Here To Stay” at https://youtu.be/qqF20imtxU8
Lyric Video – “A New Way to Die” – https://youtu.be/a9qodtHeNTQ
Ethan Henry is best known as the drummer of hardcore titans FREYA (2004 – 2008, 2017-present), which features EARTH CRISIS members Ian Edwards, Eric Edwards, and Karl Buechner, along with co-writing and performing on the THE LAST SEASON 2003 album “Called It Civilization.
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Track Listing:
1. Sophisticated Clowns – 5:49
2. Save The World – 4:17
3. Forced To Kill – 5:51
4. The Elephant – 4:34
5. A New Way To Die – 4:26
6. Gods With Machines – 5:15
7. The Lost Ones – 4:07
8. Here To Stay – 6:11
9. They Bleed Just Like You 4:31
Album Length: 45:05
More info: https://ignoranttouristproductions.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/ethanhenry43/ | https://www.instagram.com/ignorant_tourist_productions_/
-30-
“One-man solo band ASHES OF THE SUN is the work of drummer / filmmaker Ethan D. Henry and he’s just dropped his new single, “A New Way To Die” from the forthcoming full length album “Gods With Machines” (Aug. 1st). Razor sharp riffs, heavy duty percussion and an overdrive rhythm section rule on “A New Way To Die” and it’s pretty glorious. We’ve had a chance to preview the entire album and it’s a hard rock juggernaut just waiting to be unleashed that is sure to please. Catch ASHES OF THE SUN on your Home for the Best New Rock… W-J-O-EEEE” – WJOE – Findlay’s Home for Rock & Roll
“New Way To Die – It’s about death and it’s metal but it’s not death metal. Nevertheless it is absolutely exceptional.” – indie rock journalist Jason Daniel Baker formerly of UberRock.co.uk
—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – July 17, 2025
Ethan Henry (Freya, The Last Season) One-Man Solo Band ASHES OF THE SUN Shares New Video “Here To Stay” From Debut Album “Gods With Machines”
Debut Album “Gods With Machines” Out August 2025
“If Metallica and Megadeth had a baby with Alice in Chains, that’s Ashes of the Sun.” – Ethan D. Henry
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Best known as the drummer of hardcore titans FREYA (2004 – 2008, 2017-present), featuring EARTH CRISIS members Ian Edwards, Eric Edwards, and Karl Buechner, along with co-writing and performing on the THE LAST SEASON 2003 album “Called It Civilization”, Ethan D. Henry will be releasing his first solo effort, ASHES OF THE SUN, and its debut album “Gods With Machines” due out August 1st, 2025, via his label Ignorant Tourist Productions.
This past June, AOTS revealed the first single “A New Way To Die” and is now ready to share the next track in prelude to the album’s release. Entitled “Here To Stay”, the song is about the chosen one and his community accepting the reality that the gods are not what they appear, The Leaders are in league with these false gods. As a whole, they decide to take their lives, land, and religion back. It’s time to unite and stand up.
Watch and listen to the music video for “Here To Stay” at https://youtu.be/qqF20imtxU8
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/track/4bdFGerd2CsbsYzQtovCZA
ASHES OF THE SUN was born out of a catalog of songs Henry had written over the years. Unsure what to do with them, he sat in his studio and started to record them. Not sure what would become of them. He had his friend Jason “Jocko” Randle at CAPTURE STUDIO (Syracuse, N.Y.) to take a listen and put his mixing and mastering touch on it. After those sessions, Ethan decided his eclectic song list was cohesive enough to make an album.
“After recording about a dozen songs, I developed solos and vocals for them. I felt the way I played the solos and sang would help bring the songs together and could make the collection work as a full-length album. I’m very happy with the way GODS WITH MACHINES came out. It’s simply the way I play and write, and shows some of my influences in the metal/rock/grunge/alternative scene and how they blend together. The vision for this album was to have a flow like some of my playlists, and I imagine most people’s playlists. I hope that fans will enjoy the mellow acoustic/ballad intros that transition into hard rock/ metal flows. I wanted these songs to reach rock fans and metal fans alike. I’ve been in metal bands for a long time and love the brutality Karl and Dan brought to Freya and The Last Season, but I wanted to reach a broader audience. So I chose to tone the heavy vocals back and sing the album. I think ultimately, whether it’s my metal, rock, or grunge influences coming through in these songs, it sounds like the era of music I grew up listening to. late 90s, early 2000s. I like that about this record,” adds Henry.
The nine tracks on “Gods With Machines” were written, performed (drums, guitar, bass, vocals), and produced, along with the album artwork, all by Ethan D. Henry. Overall, the album is ultimately about having faith in God and constantly questioning it. It expresses feelings of being misled by those you admire and trust. It’s about being yourself and finding your spiritual path and God.
“On this particular album, my lyrics are about an alien race that lands on a planet after destroying their world. Realizing the people are looking to the sky for heaven, they pretend they are gods and take advantage of the natives, steal their resources, and live in their paradise. Eventually, the people rebel against the gods after years of abuse and lies. They overthrow the gods and realize they aren’t what they claim to be,” says Henry.
Recommended for fans of Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden, “Gods With Machines” is available for pre-order (out August 1, 2025) at https://ignoranttouristproductions.com/
First Single – “A New Way to Die”:
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/a9qodtHeNTQ
Digital single – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ashesofthesun/a-new-way-to-die-single
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Track Listing:
1. Sophisticated Clowns – 5:49
2. Save The World – 4:17
3. Forced To Kill – 5:51
4. The Elephant – 4:34
5. A New Way To Die – 4:26
6. Gods With Machines – 5:15
7. The Lost Ones – 4:07
8. Here To Stay – 6:11
9. They Bleed Just Like You 4:31
Album Length: 45:05
More info: https://ignoranttouristproductions.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/ethanhenry43/ | https://www.instagram.com/ignorant_tourist_productions_/
-30-
—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – June 17, 2025
Ethan Henry (Freya, The Last Season) Reveals First Single “A New Way To Die” From One-Man Solo Band ASHES OF THE SUN
Debut Album “Gods With Machines” Out August 2025
“If Metallica and Megadeth had a baby with Alice in Chains, that’s Ashes of the Sun.” – Ethan D. Henry
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Drummer and filmmaker Ethan D. Henry is proud to announce his first solo effort, ASHES OF THE SUN, and its debut album “Gods With Machines” due out August 1st, 2025, via his label Ignorant Tourist Productions.
Henry is best known as the drummer of hardcore titans FREYA (2004 – 2008, 2017-present), featuring EARTH CRISIS members Ian Edwards, Eric Edwards, and Karl Buechner, along with co-writing and performing on the THE LAST SEASON 2003 album “Called It Civilization”.
Henry has worn many hats over the years in his bands. Whether he needed to play bass, guitar, or drums, he was always up for the challenge.
“I was always a bass player with guitar second in my comfort zone. I could always sing, but I wasn’t like great at it. I don’t know when it happened, like when I became good enough to play any instrument, if we needed a drummer or guitar player, I was like…Okay, I’ll give it a shot. Then one day I was a drummer, I guess? I think I have impostor syndrome. ha”
Over the years, Henry had compiled a huge catalog of songs he had written. Unsure what to do with them, He sat in his studio and started to record them. Not sure what would become of them. He had his friend Jason “Jocko” Randle at CAPTURE STUDIO (Syracuse, N.Y.) to take a listen and put his mixing and mastering touch on it. After those sessions, Ethan decided his eclectic song list was cohesive enough to make an album. Thus, ASHES OF THE SUN was born.
“After recording about a dozen songs, I developed solos and vocals for them. I felt the way I played the solos and sang would help bring the songs together and could make the collection work as a full-length album. I’m very happy with the way GODS WITH MACHINES came out. It’s simply the way I play and write, and shows some of my influences in the metal/rock/grunge/alternative scene and how they blend together. The vision for this album was to have a flow like some of my playlists, and I imagine most people’s playlists. I hope that fans will enjoy the mellow acoustic/ballad intros that transition into hard rock/ metal flows. I wanted these songs to reach rock fans and metal fans alike. I’ve been in metal bands for a long time and love the brutality Karl and Dan brought to Freya and The Last Season, but I wanted to reach a broader audience. So I chose to tone the heavy vocals back and sing the album. I think ultimately, whether it’s my metal, rock, or grunge influences coming through in these songs, it sounds like the era of music I grew up listening to. late 90s, early 2000s. I like that about this record,” adds Henry.
The nine tracks on “Gods With Machines” were written, performed (drums, guitar, bass, vocals), and produced, along with the album artwork, all by Ethan D. Henry. Overall, the album is ultimately about having faith in God and constantly questioning it. It expresses feelings of being misled by those you admire and trust. It’s about being yourself and finding your spiritual path and God.
“On this particular album, my lyrics are about an alien race that lands on a planet after destroying their world. Realizing the people are looking to the sky for heaven, they pretend they are gods and take advantage of the natives, steal their resources, and live in their paradise. Eventually, the people rebel against the gods after years of abuse and lies. They overthrow the gods and realize they aren’t what they claim to be,” says Henry.
Bringing fans back to the era where metal and hard rock ruled the scene, and Headbangers Ball was kicking, Ashes of the Sun reveals the first single “A New Way to Die”. Henry explains the track:
“The chosen one is lost and giving up. He has lost his faith and doesn’t have the drive to carry on when he hallucinates a child taunting him. He cannot catch the child and continues to follow deeper into the wild. Eventually, he concludes this is the end and there is no hope. No one will find him. No one will save him. There is no heaven. We live in hell. What’s the point of going on? It’s time to throw in the towel.”
Listen to “A New Way to Die” via its premiere on New Noise Magazine HERE.
Digital single pre-save – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ashesofthesun/a-new-way-to-die-single
“Gods With Machines” – Album pre-order (out August 1, 2025) – https://ignoranttouristproductions.com/
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Track Listing:
1. Sophisticated Clowns – 5:49
2. Save The World – 4:17
3. Forced To Kill – 5:51
4. The Elephant – 4:34
5. A New Way To Die – 4:26
6. Gods With Machines – 5:15
7. The Lost Ones – 4:07
8. Here To Stay – 6:11
9. They Bleed Just Like You 4:31
Album Length: 45:05
More info: https://ignoranttouristproductions.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/ethanhenry43/ | https://www.instagram.com/ignorant_tourist_productions_/
-30-
“One-man solo band ASHES OF THE SUN is the work of drummer / filmmaker Ethan D. Henry and he’s just dropped his new single, “A New Way To Die” from the forthcoming full length album “Gods With Machines” (Aug. 1st). Razor sharp riffs, heavy duty percussion and an overdrive rhythm section rule on “A New Way To Die” and it’s pretty glorious. We’ve had a chance to preview the entire album and it’s a hard rock juggernaut just waiting to be unleashed that is sure to please. Catch ASHES OF THE SUN on your Home for the Best New Rock… W-J-O-EEEE” – WJOE – Findlay’s Home for Rock & Roll
—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
EPK – Ashes of The Sun (2025) – Gods With Machines
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Band: Ashes of The Sun
Album Title: Gods With Machines
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Label: Ignorant Tourist Productions LLC
Distribution: Distrokid
“I hope this album brings fans back to the era when metal and hard rock ruled the scene. Headbangers Ball was kicking, and it wasn’t out of the ordinary to turn on MTV and see Metallica’s One cranking. Tasty, heavy metal and hard rock with cool glammed-out solos and a ballad. I think it blends a few genres like grunge and metal at times. The album flows like some of my playlists, and I would imagine most people’s playlists. I hope that fans will enjoy the mellow acoustic/ballad intros that transition into hard rock/ metal flows. I wanted these songs to reach rock fans and metal fans alike. I’ve been in metal bands for a long time and love the brutality Karl and Dan brought to Freya and The Last Season, but I wanted to reach a broader audience. So I chose to tone the heavy vocals back and sing the album. At times, it reminds me of Dave Mustaine, James Hetfield, and Layne Staley. Every once in a while, I’m like, that kind of sounds like Bon Jovi or Scott Weiland. It’s funny because I never really listened to STP, only in passing. I think ultimately, whether it’s my metal, rock, or grunge influences coming through in these songs, it sounds like the era of music I grew up listening to. Late 90s, early 2000s. I like that about this album.” – Ethan D. Henry
For fans of Megadeth, Metallica, Alice in Chains, Five Finger Death Punch
https://ignoranttouristproductions.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/ethanhenry43/ | https://www.instagram.com/ignorant_tourist_productions_/
“One-man solo band ASHES OF THE SUN is the work of drummer / filmmaker Ethan D. Henry and he’s just dropped his new single, “A New Way To Die” from the forthcoming full length album “Gods With Machines” (Aug. 1st). Razor sharp riffs, heavy duty percussion and an overdrive rhythm section rule on “A New Way To Die” and it’s pretty glorious. We’ve had a chance to preview the entire album and it’s a hard rock juggernaut just waiting to be unleashed that is sure to please. Catch ASHES OF THE SUN on your Home for the Best New Rock… W-J-O-EEEE” – WJOE – Findlay’s Home for Rock & Roll
[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Band: Ashes of The Sun
Album Title: Gods With Machines
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Label: Ignorant Tourist Productions LLC
Distribution: Distrokid
Track Listing:
1. Sophisticated Clowns – 5:49
2. Save The World – 4:17
3. Forced To Kill – 5:51
4. The Elephant – 4:34
5. A New Way To Die – 4:26
6. Gods With Machines – 5:15
7. The Lost Ones – 4:07
8. Here To Stay – 6:11
9. They Bleed Just Like You 4:31
Album Length: 45:05
Album Credits:
ALL SONGS PERFORMED BY – Ethan D. Henry
ALL SONGS WRITTEN BY – Ethan D. Henry
PRODUCED BY – Ethen D. Henry
MIXED BY – Jason “Jocko” Randall
MASTERED BY – Jason “Jocko” Randall
ALBUM ARTWORK BY – Ethan D. Henry
LIVE BAND – TBD
========================================================
About The Album Artwork:
Ethan made the artwork for the album to represent not only the story of the album, but also based on stuff he’s interested in. Like the ancient alien God connection. Astral projection and deeper awareness of who we are spiritually.
About The Album:
The album ultimately is about having faith in god and constantly questioning it. Feeling that you’re being lied to by the people you look up to and trust. It’s about being yourself and finding your own spiritual path and god.
Track Listing:
1. Sophisticated Clowns
Is about People trusting their government and eventually seeing through the lies. Their leadership ultimately pushes its people to question everything and start losing faith in their leadership.
2. Save the World
This track is about one of the planet’s native characters finding a child of the gods. The child communicates with them, asking to be returned to where it came from through telekinesis. Unsure if they want to take the task, the tribe supports the idea of returning the child before it angers the gods, potentially causing problems for the locals and their community.
3. Forced to Kill
Is about the chosen one venturing out to return the child and discovering the truth about their gods. He soon realizes they are not who they appear to be. He is threatened by the gods to keep his mouth shut, and he will live to see another day. They spare him because of his good deed. But leave him deep in the wild to fend for himself on his return home.
4. The Elephant
The chosen one has a long journey home. He looks to the sky and to the gods for help. But his prayers don’t get answered…they never get answered. He lost and is disappointed with his so-called gods, and his faith is gone. He doesn’t know where to turn and loses his faith and fears that there is no one looking over us.
5. A New Way to Die
The chosen one is lost and giving up. He has lost his faith and doesn’t have the drive to carry on when he hallucinates a child taunting him. He cannot catch the child and continues to follow deeper into the wild. Eventually, he concludes this is the end and there is no hope. No one will find him. No one will save him. There is no heaven. We live in hell. What’s the point go going on? It’s time to throw in the towel.
6. Gods with Machines
Our hero is rescued by his tribe. tired, weak, Delirious, and malnourished. He tells the story of what he experienced and how the gods aren’t really gods. He drifts in and out and has visions of Gods and angels. They aren’t like the ones who live on their planet. They tell him it’s okay and they do exist. He drifts in and out between reality and his visions.
7. The Lost Ones
The local government seeks to speak with the chosen one and threaten him to keep his mouth shut about what he saw. His tribe and community stand up against the leaders and support their champion. Their aggressive approach to address the hero leads the community to question their leadership and to listen again to the chosen one and his story of False gods and deception.
8. Here to Stay
This song is about the chosen one and his community accepting the reality that the gods are not what they appear, The Leaders are in league with these false gods. As a whole, they decide to take their lives, land, and religion back. It’s time to unite and stand up.
9. They Bleed Just Like You
The people, tribe, and community are led by the chosen one to the gates of paradise, where the gods reside. Once inside, they ravage the communities within the walls. During their cleansing, they soon realize the gods aren’t fighting back and they aren’t special or even much different then they are. In fact, these people have been lied to but their leadership and have been led to believe the tribes and communities were wild savage animals and didn’t have the ability to understand how to be civil, how to work as a community, how to love. Soon, both sides realize they have been lied to by the same people and decide to work together and take back paradise and take back their freedom. Once they overthrow their tyrants, they learn to live in peace in paradise and have the freedom to find their own way of life and find their own version of god.
Ethan D. Henry – Photo Credit – Gidget Photos
ASHES OF THE SUN is the solo project of longtime FREYA contributor Ethan D. Henry. Freya was formed in 2001 by three members of the legendary straight edge/ Vegan band EARTH CRISIS by bassist Ian Edwards, guitarist Eric Edwards, and vocalist Karl Buechner. Ethan joined Freya in 2004, touring with the group for their first release on VICTORY RECORDS, AS THE LAST LIGHT DRAINS.
Since its conception in 2001, Freya has been writing music, making videos, and touring in the metal and hardcore scenes. They have been featured on MTV’s Room Raiders, Road Rules, and Headbangers Ball. More recently, they have had their music on the hit Television show Shameless, which airs on Showtime. Freya has also been featured in Kerrang, Decibel, Amp, and Metal Hammer magazines, to name a few.
Henry has been working with Freya since 2004 – 2008, 2017-present. He joined Freya as a temp to tour with the band as the last light drains, until becoming a full member in 2004. He co-wrote LIFT THE CURSE ( VICTORY RECORDS), THOUSAND YARD STARE ( UPSTATE RECORDS) FIGHT AS ONE (UPSTATE RECORDS ) BLOODTHIRST ( UPSTATE RECORDS )
In 2007, Freya went to Europe for the HELL ON EARTH tour with WALLS OF JERICHO, ALL SHALL PERISH, BORN FROM PAIN, AND FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW. Henry says, “ Going to Europe on the Hell on Earth tour was such an amazing experience for me. I had been touring the States and Canada for years, but doing that tour, with those bands…That was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Very Grateful to have been able to do it. “
In addition to his duties with Freya, Ethan also co-wrote and performed on THE LAST album titled CALLED IT CIVILIZATION, released on SURFACE RECORDS in 2003. The Last season featured frontman Dan Johnson from BLOOD RUNS BLACK, GODBELOW, and THE UNHOLY based out of Syracuse, N.Y.. GODBELOW later became the hard rock band BRAND NEW SIN.
Ethan has worn many hats over the years with his bands. Whether he needed to play bass, guitar, or drums, he was always up for the challenge. “ I was always a bass player with guitar second in my comfort zone. I could always sing, but I wasn’t like great at it. I don’t know when it happened, like when I became good enough to play any instrument, if we needed a drummer or guitar player, I was like…Okay, I’ll give it a shot. Then one day I was a Drummer, I guess? I think I have impostor syndrome. ha”
Eventually, Henry had compiled a huge catalog of songs he had written over the years. Unsure what to do with them, He sat in his studio and started to record them. Not sure what would become of them, He had his friend Jason “Jocko” Randle at CAPTURE.STUDIO (Syracuse, N.Y.) to take a listen and put his touch on it. After a few mix and master sessions, Ethan decided his eclectic song list was cohesive enough to make an album. Thus, ASHES OF THE SUN was born.
An alternative, metallic, grungy style of music that spans over a few genres. “If Metallica, Anthrax, and Megadeth had a baby with Alice in Chains, Queens of the Stone Age, and the Foo Fighters, that’s Ashes of the Sun.” – Ethan D. Henry
Freyas Discography featuring Ethan
Hoods/Freya Split – Victory Records (2004)
Lift the Curse – Victory Records (2007)
Thousand Yard Stare – (Single) Upstate Records (2022)
Fight As One – Upstate Records (2023)
Blood Thirst – (Single) Upstate Records (2024)
The Last Season featuring Ethan
Called It Civilization (2003)
ashermediarelations.com 