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.
========================================================
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)
ashermediarelations.com 