Category: EPKs
0 Protected: EPK – HardBall – Self-Titled (2023)
0 Protected: EPK – Black Pestilence – Chaotic Wisdom (2023)
0 Protected: EPK – Baited – Cutting Teeth (2023)
0 Protected: EPK – Our Dying World – The Egregious Sins Of Humanity (single) (2023)
0 EPK – Gamerra – Tedium (2023)
EPK – Gamerra – Tedium (2023)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Exodus, Death, Revocation, Warbringer, Havok
Facebook.com/GAMERRAThrash | Instagram.com/gamerra_thrash_metal
Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon
Digital- https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/gamerra/tedium
CD – https://gamerra.bigcartel.com
“Born from friendship and a love of commenting on the world around them, thrash metal band Gamerra is making a name for itself around Acadiana”… “Detached from Reality- available on iTunes- relies on observation of sociopolitical happenings and even touches on past events such as the Vietnam War.” – Miranda Davis from 008 Magazine (In February/March issue on page 81).
“Where does one start when talking about the mighty Gamerra? These Lafayette, Louisiana thrash metal inspired gents are young and they are dead set on blowing-I mean killing the Lafayette Metal Scene. Jacob Broussard, Reece Benoit, and [Jake] Meche are three highly talented musicians who have created a sound all their own.” – Moe Solet of Tales From the Riff
[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Track Listing:
1. Tedium (4:15)
2. Cryogenesis (6:34)
3. Vicariously Experienced (6:18)
4. Suspended Animation (3:23)
5. Obsessively Aware (10:29)
6. Nefarious Entities (6:58)
Album Length: (37:57)
Album Credits:
-All songs performed by Gamerra.
-All Rhythm Guitar recording by Broussard
-Drum Programming and bass tracking by Broussard
-1st guitar solo on the song Tedium, 2nd guitar solo on the song Cryogenesis, and 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, & 10th guitar solos on the song Nefarious Entities tracked by Benoit
-All other guitar solos by Broussard
-All main vocal parts tracked by Meche, with occasional lead vocal parts by Broussard.
-Backing vocals by Benoit, Broussard, & Meche.
-All songs written by Gamerra
-Lyrics mostly written by Broussard. Most lyrics on Vicariously Experienced by Meche with one line by Broussard
-All music written by Broussard except for the bulk of Nefarious Entities and solos performed by Benoit
Band Lineup:
Jake Meche- Lead Vocals
Jacob Broussard- Lead Guitar/Vocals,
Reece Benoit- Rhythm Guitar
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The EP as a whole:
Tedium: The result of a very quick burst of inspiration. Dark moments in our own lives brought out the music and lyrics present in this EP.
Track By Track:
-Tedium: The Title track of the EP. A fast, short, easily consumable Thrash song with interesting twists. The lyrics reflect my mindset at the time that I wrote it. I hated my job, I felt lost, and I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere. The song is about the repetitive and grinding nature of everyday life. Life in itself felt tedious, hence the name “Tedium.”
-Cryogenesis: Home to some of the most dissonant and cold riffs I have ever written. Super fast and intense at most parts, but long and spacy at some parts. Varied sounds across the whole track. My favorite lyrics on the EP are on this song. The song is based on the concept that on this planet, there is ice that has remained frozen for eons. Some of it has remained frozen for a couple million years. Within that ice are microbes that haven’t been released since they were frozen. So basically, there are bacteria and various pathogens that no current living creature on this planet has immunity to. So, if these ices were to melt completely like the current melting rate would suggest, these pathogens would undoubtedly get out and do untold damage to Earth’s current ecology. So this song is kind of science fiction in that it slightly exaggerates the effects, but it is completely rooted in reality.
Scientists would go into the melt sights and accidentally release these pathogens into the world’s population, at least according to the song.
-Vicariously Experienced: Probably, objectively the best song on the EP. It came out better than we expected. A good mix of chunky groove, and the melodic, progressive elements we’ve folded into our sound over the years. I even added a little bit of Goatwhore influence a little before the solo. The song is about watching people you care about make bad decisions and ruin their lives in the process, then using those observations to craft yourself into a better individual as you grow up. This is a concept the three of us in the band are very familiar with.
-Suspended Animation: The only instrumental track on the EP. Very inspired by the melodic side of Revocation. Short and Sweet.
-Obsessively Aware: The long, epic song of this release. I wanted to really bring out my prog side with this one. Much of the beginning of the song is very much an ode to old-school Meshuggah. Think Contradictions Collapse, None, and Destroy Erase Improve. The majority of the rest of it is a serious nod to our love of Revocation and Death. A lot of dissonant, weird timing bits for all the Progressive Death Metal nerds to sink their teeth into. At 10 and a half minutes, this song is a wild ride. Lyrically the song is about my mind when I’m put into stressful situations like meeting band deadlines or being the only manager on duty on a Sunday with a crap load of people in the store and things are going wrong left and right. I’m a pretty high-strung person, so it kinda feels like I’m losing my mind when situations like that arise, despite my external demeanor seeming to not show it.
-Nefarious Entities: The only collaborative musical effort on the EP. Reece wrote the majority of this one and I brought in a handful of riffs to round out the structure. A lot of crazy stuff on this one. A true culmination of our influences. There are Exodus sounding parts, Revocation sounding parts, Death sounding parts. There’s even a Suffocation part Reece threw in at the end. Lyrically, most people would mistakenly label it as political. While there are political jabs thrown in, the song has more to do with the structure of rule in the world. What most people don’t understand is that most of what we’re told is a lie and the people we’ve been led to believe control the country are actually just puppets. Most people say it’s the politicians holding us down. A fewer, more accurate group say it’s the corporations. In reality, these sentiments are both simultaneously true and untrue. The people who really control the world as we know it use these two entities as attack pieces on a chess board. It’s the world’s royal families, the Vatican, and the dynasties left over from the monopoly holders back in the early 1900s that really pull the strings and put us in this position. They hold the corporations in their hands, the corporations hold the governments of the world in their hands, the governments hold the militaries and police, so on and so forth. Most bands would use this as a rallying cry for a government overthrow. Not us. We take a more realistic view. This will likely never change, so we might as well stop watching the news and keep to ourselves, writing music about it instead. That’s what the final track on Tedium is really about.
STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND
1. I had to play drums for a couple shows because our drummer quit after we booked the shows, and we don’t like to cancel. This included when we opened for Insomnium.
2. Jake’s first show ever was when we opened for Goatwhore.
3. Jake’s second show ever was when we opened for Warbringer.
4. My dad once did a backflip in the mosh pit of one of our shows from the impact.
5. Reece jumped off the stage on the last show of our Southeast Louisiana Mini Tour and messed his knee up pretty badly and he finished the set laying down on the stage. I was concerned, but he said keep going.
L-R – Reece Benoit (Rhythm Guitar), Jacob Broussard (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Jake Meche (Lead Vocals)
Photo Credit: Tyson Pate of CobraTai Photography
A good-time thrash band seeking the ultimate jam. Mixing in spicy doses of death metal and progressive metal, producing a sound akin to a fusion of Exodus and Death with the intense vocal patterns and delivery of Warbringer, the aggressive and experimental leanings of Revocation, the ferocious rhythm guitar tone of early Meshuggah, and the attitude and fun-loving vibes of Havok, all played in the spirit of old school Sepultura. Through many lineup changes, Gamerra survives in the new decade. Despite consistently not having a drummer, and still lacking a bassist, Jacob Broussard, Jake Meche, and Reece Benoit persist on and will continue to write, record, and release music in the hopes of catching the ears of musicians that might be interested in playing for them.
Band Lineup:
Jake Meche- Lead Vocals
Jacob Broussard- Lead Guitar/Vocals,
Reece Benoit- Rhythm Guitar
May 26th, 2023- Tedium-EP
December 23rd, 2022- The Cover Up- Cover EP
October 28th, 2022- Couillon Death Squad- EP
May 20th, 2022- REDO- EP
June 20th, 2021- Demo 2021- Demo
December 13th, 2019- Detached from Reality- LP
September 18th, 2017- Gnarlymetalextreme- Demo
0 EPK – Rockin’ Engine – Altered By Evil (2023)
EPK – Rockin’ Engine – Altered By Evil (2023)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Gojira, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Lamb Of God
EP Title: Altered By Evil
Release Date: July 7, 2023
Label: Self-Release
“People who already follow us will notice a huge musical growth since our last EP in 2020. Our sound has evolved quite a bit, technical and more refined, but still punchy and heavy as Hell! After “The Wretched And The Damned”, we knew exactly where we were heading with our next record, and we can proudly say that we achieved our goal. It’s horror, it’s creepy, it’s dark, yet it’s also creative, fun and theatrical at times. Anyone who listens to this album will be brought into a psycho-horror fantasy, where Wes Craven meets Stanley Kubrick, where Ramirez meets Bundy, where “Tubular Bells” meets “Dies Irae”. The various subtle influences and nuances gathered in this work will please any hardcore horror movie fanatic, but also anyone who can plunge themselves into an imaginary world of monsters and evil spirits. We are certain that our new EP ‘Altered By Evil’ will define the future of Rockin’ Engine and that fans will receive this as our best work yet!” – Rockin’ Engine
Facebook.com/rockinengineofficial | Instagram.com/rockinengine | Twitter.com/Rockin_Engine | Youtube.com/c/RockinEngine
“this ENGINE is runnin’ and rockin’ on all cylinders with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.” – KNAC
“Midnight Road Rage” has great instrumental ideas. It’s an album that makes us proud. Love at first sound. It’s such a pity that it is only of eight tracks. Believe me. You won’t regret.” – Metal Addicts (2019 – Midnight Road Rage)
“a bombastic and heavy hitting forty minutes of metal and rock, full of swagger and sass.” – Metal Gods TV (2019 – Midnight Road Rage)
Matzes Gitarrenbude Radio Station: Album Of The Year – 2019 – Midnight Road Rage
[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]
EP Title: Altered By Evil
Release Date: July 7, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Track Listing:
1. Carnival Of Evil – 5:45
2. Day Of Wrath – 4:22
3. Liber Ex-Mortis – 4:59
4. Monsters Under Your Bed – 5:11
5. Psycho Path – 5:23
6. Room 185 – 4:13 ft. guest vocals Steph Jomphe (Insurrection)
EP Length: 29:55
EP Credits:
All songs performed by: Rockin’ Engine (Guest feature of Steph Jomphe “INSURRECTION” in Room 185)
• All songs written by: Rockin’ Engine
Produced by: Dark Moon Productions
Mixed by: Dark Moon Productions
Mastered by: Dark Moon Productions
Album Artwork by: Steve O Leff (Image reference from Adobe Stock and Shutterstock)
Member of SOCAN
EP Recording and Live Band Lineup:
Steve O Leff – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Ste Vy Leff – Lead Guitar
JP Buzzard – Bass
Joel Bilodeau – Drums/Vocals
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The EP as a whole
“Altered By Evil” is a tribute to everything we love about horror movies and serial killer documentaries. There’s a fascination behind the love of the macabre and the grotesque that we wanted to explore with our lyrics and expose different nuances of some classic works of art. With this album, we’re bringing the audience into a fantasy world of monsters and evil spirits, with a dash of historical elements that makes the listening experience even more interesting.
Track by Track explained:
Carnival Of Evil:
Inspired by the works of Rob Zombie, more specifically Sid Haig’s fictional character Captain Spaulding, the Carnival Of Evil is a group of creepy gypsy-looking psychopathic killers moving from town to town, not only to amuse the audiences but also to terrorize them as their spectacles take place. They are ruthless yet charismatic, and they will stop at nothing to deliver a performance to die for!
Day Of Wrath:
This dramatic piece was originally inspired by one of my favourite horror movies, The Exorcist. However, it was only when I did some research on the origins of its musical score that I discovered the amazing historical value behind this masterpiece. Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, is probably one of the best horror movie songs ever written, but there were certain parts in the movie where I had the feeling I’ve heard similar music before and it got me curious. In fact, Dies Irae (Day Of Wrath) was originally a poem written by Christian monks in the thirteenth century describing the day that God would descend on earth and unleash his final judgment on us all. This poem was later compiled amongst other literature pieces in a manuscript named Carmina Burana. The manuscript, which is thought to have been written in the fifteenth century, was only found in 1803 in the Benedictine monastery of Benediktbeuern, in Bavaria. This collection later inspired many orchestral virtuosos, including Verdi and Carl Orff, to compose what I think are the best classical works of all time.
Liber Ex-Mortis:
Inspired by the amazing Evil Dead saga, more specifically Army Of Darkness, Liber Ex-Mortis (Book Of The Dead) is the story of a man who was sent into the Middle Ages through an evil spirit wormhole and is forced to battle the undead in his quest to return to the present. He forms an alliance with two rival armies, and together, they vanquish the forces of evil to send them back into the Book Of The Dead, the spirit world.
Monsters Under Your Bed:
This is the story of a young woman haunted by her past, her imaginary monster. Being sleep deprived for a long time, she fears falling asleep as she constantly feels her monster’s presence around her. The monster, however, can only harm her in her dreams, her nightmares… or so she thinks! Inspired by the genius work of Wes Craven, Monsters Under Your Bed is our version of the infamous Nightmare On Elm Street. This piece is heavy, punchy, and catchy, and will satisfy the eyes and ears of any horror movie fanatic!
Psycho Path:
I’ve always been fascinated and intrigued by human behaviour, especially the deviant nature of humans. I’m a huge fan of serial killer documentaries, not because I support their actions, but mostly to try to understand the origin and the nature of Evil. Actor Christian Bale in his role in American Psycho is actually the main reason why I started learning more about actual historical psychopathic characters such as Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez. During the writing process of this song, I wanted to take a different approach to their stories and tell them according to their point of view, like an actual psychopath. It’s the most evil and disturbing song we’ve ever written!
Room 185:
Jack Torrance, the character played by Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, has to be my favourite horror movie character of all time. That performance is what made me addicted to horror movies. I wanted to write a song about this movie as an homage to this masterpiece. When we started to work together on this song, we soon realized that this would be our heaviest composition to date, and we needed someone to help us express this emotion in order to be satisfied with our work. After doing some research, we approached Insurrection’s lead vocalist Stef Jomphe in an attempt to have his voice on the track, just to make it that much better! We were absolutely honoured and excited when he accepted the project and headed straight to the studio. This song hits you in a way that you have no choice but to headbang!
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS
1. Being huge fans of the 80’s rock era, Joel and Ste Vy once decided to kidnap me (Steve O Leff) to go see Steel Panther live in Quebec City, which was a 5-hour drive from where we live. We unfortunately missed the show since the place was sold out and we couldn’t get in. We ended up in a bar to see our friends from The Agonist perform and spend the night. Surprisingly, the guys from Steel Panther end up in the same bar and we told them about our little misfortune. We ended up partying with them all night, singing karaoke, and drinking tequila shots. One thing’s for sure, they certainly live up to their image!
2. All our music videos have references to popular movies. We also do all our special effects, costumes, and makeup for the video shoots. I also like to write a script beforehand to help everyone grasp the ideas behind every scene, that way we can really capture the emotions we’re trying to expose in the videos.
3. When we shot the video with Dark Moon Productions for our song “The State Of Nature”, we rented a Victorian-style reception space, located in a church basement in Ottawa. Everyone was dressed in Victorian gothic fashion, with vampire fangs, pale skin, and some blood. Joel built a super nice table for the human sacrifice scene, which was very bloody of course. Little did we know, a mass was taking place in the church above us and two priests came downstairs to ask us to lower the music. Let’s just say that when they came on set and saw all the blood and vampires everywhere, their faces were priceless!!!
4. As we did in our previous music videos, we always build our own props and video sets ourselves. Only, with the videos for this album, we decided to go big and build our own mechanical effects as well. After posting a few of our projects on social media, we started receiving demands to build props and special effects for other bands, which made us realize that we had something special to offer. We are now working on commercializing our creations to help out music video and even movie producers, while creating amazing professional relationships and perhaps making a living out of it.
5. JP Buzzard is quite the animal on stage! He really brings the spirit with his wicked long hair, leather pants, and signature moves. One of his moves is to throw his bass toward the crowd at the very end of our show but quickly grabs it back with his bass strap before it hits someone. But since not all stages are made for this beast, he once threw his bass right on a sprinkler head and everyone was going nuts… until we realized the sprinklers were deactivated. Talk about being lucky!
L-R – Ste Vy Leff (Lead Guitar), Steve O Leff (Vocals, Guitar), Joel Bilodeau (Drums), Jean-Pierre Proulx (Bass).
Photo Credits: Lisa Thompson of Dark Moon Productions
PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, MOTOR RUNNING HIGH
That’s how Rockin’ Engine rolls, full throttle, no compromise. Officially formed in 2018, they released their first self-produced album “Midnight Road Rage” which caught the attention of many hard rock and heavy metal enthusiasts throughout Europe and America. After joining forces with Dark Moon Productions to produce their first professional music videos, it was clear that this quartet’s path toward heavy metal eminence was only beginning. They later released a post-apocalypse concept EP, “The Wretched And The Damned”, that truly reflected the direction in which the band was heading. Their creativity, high-octane energy, and will to succeed, granted them a few honourable opening performing spots with Tony MacAlpine, Ross The Boss, Death Angel, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
Switching things into high gear for 2023, Rockin’ Engine produced their very anticipated new EP “Altered By Evil” inspired by 80’s psycho horror, ready to be released this summer. They claim it is by far their best work yet and look forward to raising Hell wherever they set foot. If Gojira, Lamb Of God, and Rob Zombie made a baby, Rockin’ Engine would be their bastard son. Their fusion of Hard Rock and Thrash Metal will set fire to any stage and leave everyone with a bad case of whiplash.
Rockin’ Engine is:
Steve O Leff – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Ste Vy Leff – Lead Guitar
JP Buzzard – Bass
Joel Bilodeau – Drums/Vocals
Discography:
2023 – Altered By Evil
2020 – The Wretched And The Damned
2019 – Midnight Road Rage
Shared Stage with: Angelus Apatrida, Yngwie Malmsteen, Anvil, Death Angel, Exmortus, Hell Fire, Ross The Boss, Tony MacAlpine, Warrior Soul, Ghoulunatics, Fractures & Outlines, Cevilain, Colorsfade, Scepter, Lycanthro, Cynical Sons.
Tours and Festivals:
2019 – Canadian Army Run, Ottawa.
2018 – Canadian Army Run, Ottawa.
2017 – Canadian Army Run, Ottawa.
2016 – Canadian Army Run, Ottawa.
0 EPK – All Else Fails – The Incident at Black Lake (2022)
EPK – All Else Fails – The Incident at Black Lake (2022)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations.com
For fans of Chimaira, Killswitch Engage, Revocation, Soilwork, Fleshgod Apocalypse
Band: All Else Fails
EP Title: The Incident at Black Lake
Release Date: Sept 30, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CD Baby
Facebook.com/AllElseFailsCanada | Instagram.com/allelsefailscanada | YouTube.com/user/allelsefailscanada
Allelsefails.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music
“The Incident at Black Lake might be “just” a four-track EP by All Else Fails, but its 25 minutes of music are absolutely intense and electrifying, proving why they’re undoubtedly one of the most important names of the Canadian Metalcore scene.” – The Headbanging Moose
“The third theme is my favorite without a doubt. “Flesh/Excess/Wealth” has one of the most vibrant riffs starting at minute 2`40« and they make up for it with a percussion chorus that had previously been heard on the vocals. Finally, when I couldn’t like it more, ALL ELSE FAILS decides to end with a tribute to my beloved DEATH. The cover that they do with “Crystal Mountain”, uniting the trail that Chuck Schuldiner left us while leaving his personal mark, to take off his hat. I love these Canadians and look forward to their next album.” – 9.5/10 – Necromance Magazine
“The EP itself is a cyclone of melodic metalcore fire, death metal toxicity and progressive imagination revealing ALL ELSE FAILS at their most open, intense and thrilling.” – The Ringmaster Review
“Being dark in nature, it tells the suffering that Klesko was facing and what he was seeing in his head. While very dark at times, it’s mind-bendingly beautiful to see it from this perspective. And I can’t wait to hear what else the band has to offer.” 4/5 – Metal Epidemic
““Flesh/Excess/Wealth” is a close second for my favorite song, however. Klesko says he wrote it about losing his sense of humanity. It’s a really aggressive song, but also contains some really beautiful clean singing and a wicked guitar solo. The final song on the EP is a cover of “Crystal Mountain” by the band DEATH, a song much loved by the band. Lyrically, the song fits the dark tone the band set for the previous songs on the EP. I think the band did a good job with the cover and putting their own sound to it. Overall, I thought this was a great EP where I could really feel the emotions that went into writing it.” – Metal-Temple
“”The Incident At Black Lake” is a solid EP” – Powermetal.de
“Canadian band All Else Fails are out with the EP “The Incident at Black Lake”, and this is a production that probably will be of interest to some fans of progressive metal. While a variety of a core based style of metal is at the heart of the proceedings here, the different vocal tones, the changes and alterations over to atmospheric laden and melodic metal, what might be described as thrash metal as well as some quirky instrument movements and expressive arrangement choices does add what I’d describe as a progressive spirit to the proceedings here… If metalcore with an expressive orientation and progressive aspirations sounds interesting to you, this is an EP you might consider becoming a bit more familiar with.” – Progressor
“A Monster of a Metal Opus” – The Edmonton Journal (The False Sanctuary 2018)
“All Else Fails has a striking level of detail, constant melodic bloodshed and unremitting rhythms that push through your throat leaving you with no choice but to bang your head.” – Boston Rock Radio (The False Sanctuary 2018)
“They are by turns pissed and melodic, speedy and anthemic – but always organic sounding….their song “The Sons Of Plenty”, a tune that encompasses all those things and demonstrates what the band is capable of.” – Gear Gods (The Forever Lie 2017)
“Guttural heaviness + impacting music = You’ll like it!” – CFMU 93.3 FM – Master Radio (Hamilton, ON) ( The Forever Lie 2017)
“From song to song you are greeted by pummeling riffs, heavy blasting drums, thick bass lines and vocals that transition between menacing and deadly growls to soaring and highly intoxicating cleans. Before you know it All Else Fails has you headbanging and singing along to each of their songs.” – Cadaver Garden (The Forever Lie 2017)
“this six track EP sees this quartet expand their mutant thrash blueprint with doses of melodic crooning and bursts of dizzying orchestral strings on Obedience At The Altar Of Sacrifice.” – Metal Hammer Mag UK (Fucktropolis – 2013)
““Fucktropolis”. What an awesome name for an EP. And what an awesome EP it is.” – Metal Temple (Fucktropolis – 2013)
“They have a very ominous sound, if you will, with quick, intricate and skillful instrumentals – especially the drumming. Their talent really shows through in their final product.” – Spill Magazine (Fucktropolis – 2013)
[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]
Band: All Else Fails
EP Title: The Incident at Black Lake
Release Date: Sept 30, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CD Baby
Track Listing:
1. I, Defiler (5:48)
2. Devour the Sun (8:24)
3. Flesh /Excess /Wealth (5:36)
4. Crystal Mountain (5:19)
EP Length: 25:09
EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: All Else Fails (Barrett Klesko, John Saturley, Coco Lee, Nelson Collins-Lee)
• All songs written by: All Else Fails (Barrett Klesko, John Saturley, Coco Lee, Nelson Collins-Lee)
• Produced by: All Else Fails (Barrett Klesko, John Saturley, Coco Lee, Nelson Collins-Lee)
• Mixed by: Bevin Booth
• Mastered by: Bevin Booth
• Album Artwork by: Zulmi_m (https://www.fiverr.com/zulmi_m)
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
EP Recording and Live Band Line Up:
Barrett Klesko – Vocals, Guitar
John Saturley – Guitar
Coco Lee – Bass, Vocals
Nelson Collins-Lee – Drums
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The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
This EP is fucking dark, musically and lyrically. I wrote my parts in the darkest, most distressed headspace I have ever been in. Most of the time during the writing of this EP, I was convinced that I had been unglued from time, I was barely functioning. Through the fog and sensation of reality warping around me, I somehow found clarity in my writing. Weirdly, at first, I didn’t know that I was writing about myself, I was just kind of writing. I remember there was a day when we got our first mix back, and I hadn’t heard the songs in a few weeks, 30 seconds into the first verse, I collapsed in this park I was walking in, and I realized that the songs were me, describing the suffering I had been experiencing so that I could understand what was happening in my own head, it was completely overwhelming. I had created something so direct, with zero awareness that I was doing so. It was a mind-bending experience as if a past version of myself had reached out through time to help me understand what was happening to me, an absolute headfuck. For my contributions musically I created tones and sounds that conveyed how distorted the world around me felt, I was attempting to use the music to level out the turmoil I was experiencing internally. I was experiencing reality in waves of vertigo, time-loss, and visual blackouts, I was trying to push back on these sensations with music. I think this EP is beautiful, there is elegance in darkness. I think it’s sad because I know the turmoil and pain it took to write it, and I think it’s powerful because it’s the first time I have truly been honest in my music.
Track by Track explained (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
I, Defiler: The first song I wrote lyrically for the EP. In the early days of my spiral, when confusion about my own state was at its highest. I was doing everything I could to understand the suffering I was experiencing. I tried using Acid in an attempt to explore my own mind. Informally guided trips allowed me to see aspects of myself that I hadn’t considered, and I was desperately searching for clarity I couldn’t find in the real world. Primarily this song is about those explorations of self, both the positives and the futility. The song opens with the line “We are the Watcher” which is the experience of standing outside my own body and judging myself as lacking. During one of these trips my mind disconnected from the flow of time for the first time, I describe it as being able to “slide the scale” into different times in my own life, often which had points anchored in trauma, but occasionally were sitting in places of peace and beauty. The lyrics attempt to put to music these sensations, and the following experiences of both déjà vu and Jamais vu, sometimes simultaneously. Musically the song is erratic, kinetic, and industrial. It is heavy, both in guitars but in electronics and noise as well, and carries a time change into its bridge that furthers the disconnect between perception and reality.
Devour the Sun: This song is an allegory. A child from a beautiful nameless place travels across existence. It was born in warmth and life, from an engine of creation, and its only need is to share who it is with whatever it comes in contact with. As it travels, it leaves a piece of its radiance behind as a gift, a tiny slice of its essence that it shares with exuberance. It travels for years, shining it’s light on whatever it encounters, however, over the long years, it eventually forgets who it is, and with that, where it came from. The child drifts, older now, and comfortable at first to be pulled along by the forces around it, buffeted across the ether, fulfilled by the simple act of experience. Over time, however, discontent begins to grow. Who was it? There must be a purpose beyond drifting endlessly in the black. Its questions turn to screams and cries in the heavens, but the black has no answers. Eventually, devoid of solace, its voice becomes quiet and its mind despondent. It slowly diminishes, becoming a faded husk, lost inside its own ruminations, until one day it enters the atmosphere of a nameless biome. For the first time in years, it sees its own reflection. Cast back unto itself by the starry eyes of a young girl, undistorted by expectation, its fragmented and damaged memories return. It knows once again that long ago it was a star, a sun, burning bright in the deepest reaches of the universe. In this child’s eye, the light that was once a star becomes an experience; bright, beautiful, and warm, and then a memory; comforting and soft. For a moment, the light knows peace in the surety of itself, but the child sleeps, the memory fades, and the light from the long-dead star is lost forever in nothingness. Musically this song follows an unconventional narrative. It ebbs and flows, thrash riffs turn to piano-esq clean parts. Soaring melodies devolve into full-bodied guttural torment before becoming aethereal whispers.
Flesh /Excess /Wealth: This song explores the horror of having the sense of my own humanity removed from my conscious existence. I live in a time where I am taught to ignore my strongest human instincts, to follow systems put in place to hurt me, and to ignore what I perceive with my senses. I put progress and individualism over kindness and community, I have forgotten that I am part of a greater universe to which humanity has barely opened our eyes to. I hurt myself in the name of our god; currency, I humiliate myself at the altar of ego. I place the needs of the unknown few above the wanting many and am often not aware of doing so. This song is about disconnection. Musically it is oppressive, militant, violent, and aggressive.
Crystal Mountain: This is a song we love, and felt that we could cover faithfully at its core, while adding our own twists to its soundscape, to justify its existence. Lyrically it speaks to religious oppression on a personal and community level.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. During a festival performance in India, Barrett was stage diving in the crowd. When he tried to return over the barricade, he was mistaken for a fan rushing the stage, and beaten with what he describes as “whapping sticks”. Post-show, the security team asked for selfies which Barrett agreed to on the condition that he got to hold one of the sticks.
2. During the recording of this album the band founded a “Bourbon Club”, in which they sampled (consumed) and reviewed over 60 bottles of Bourbon. The group favorite for both quality and price point: Four Roses.
3. The band initially intended to release this album as one 25-minute song due to the flow between songs and old-school story telling vibe that it evoked, but scrapped the idea in favour of a more fan friendly, standardized experience. The album is still recommended by the band to be consumed as a whole.
4. John and Barrett miscalculated the strength of some weed edibles once on tour, leading to an incident called “The Brain-Lasering”.
5. The programming / keyboards / noise were originally started as an afterthought to a very guitar forward album, but as the band began work on writing these parts, the songs took on a whole new dimension, fundamentally changing their sound. The intensity of the work and the level that these layers affected the songs have led us to described the process as “scoring the soundtrack to our own album”.
About:
Over the last 15 years, Edmonton, Alberta based award-winning metal band All Else Fails has become a cornerstone of the melodic heavy metal community in Canada. Combining intense riffs, intricate rhythm sections, brutal guttural screams, and melodic yet unusual vocal lines paired with relevant and relatable lyrics, All Else Fails’ message resonates with us all.
Formed in 2006 with the release of their self-titled EP, All Else Fails has gone on to release 9 studio albums, many of which have garnered awards and nominations from across the Canadian music industry and have propelled the band into live performances all over the world, including their massively successful tour of India in 2017.
For the past two years, the band has been hard at work writing their new album “The Incident at Black Lake.” A deeply personal, brutally honest, and staggeringly complex take on the reality-bending mental struggles of vocalist and founder, Barrett Klesko (The Misfires, The Order of Chaos). The band is filled out by guitarist John Saturley (The Order of Chaos, Skepsis), bassist and vocalist Coco Lee (Eternal Prophecy), and drummer Nelson Collins-Lee (The 21st Agenda, Skepsis). The album is produced by Bevin Booth of In the Booth Recordings and engineered at The Electric Treehouse in Edmonton, Alberta.
In 2022, the band is returning to their DIY roots by mindfully abandoning their social media and redirecting their energy to contributing to their local metal scene by building a direct personal connection to their fans and followers, living in line with a humanist philosophy and encouraging a culture of support between artists. All Else Fails’ new single “Flesh /Excess /Wealth” drops in early September with the full EP “The Incident at Black Lake” releasing September 30th. Fans can experience their explosive new live show this fall in Western Canada.
All Else Fails is:
Barrett Klesko – Vocals, Guitar
John Saturley – Guitar
Coco Lee – Bass, Vocals
Nelson Collins-Lee – Drums
Discography:
2022 – The Incident at Black Lake (EP)
2018 – The False Sanctuary (EP)
2017 – The Forever Lie (EP)
2013 – Fucktropolis (EP)
2012 – Ruins Punk for Everyone – LP
2011 – The Oracle: What Was, Is, and Could Have Been Special Edition Re – Release (full length)
2010 – The Oracle: What Was, Is, and Could Have Been EP
2008 – Against the Darkening Sky – LP
2007 – Of Ashes and Accusations Live DVD / CD
2006 – Self-Titled EP
0 EPK – Dorea
EPK – Dorea
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Band: Dorea
Single Title: Hypnotic:
Release Date: May 22, 2023
Label: Self-Release
“We hope the fans perceive the sound as something fresh & unique. We continue to write music because it is our passion and we want to leave behind a legacy and repertoire of timeless music. We are really devoted to making the songs as groovy, heavy, melodic, and catchy as possible while at the same time adding elements of virtuosity. In other words, the goal is for the listeners to sing along to the hooks but at the same time appreciate the musicianship and technical aspects of each member’s individual performance.” – Dorea
Doreaband.com | Facebook.com/Doreaband | Instagram.com/doreaband
Digital – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dorea/hypnotic
L-R – Manuel Iradian – All Guitars/ Bass/ Vsts, Hugo McSween – Vocals, Kevin Alexander – Drums
Montreal, Canada’s Dorea is a fresh metal band on the scene that features high energy, tightness, and precision, a clear, modern sound with both clean and harsh vocals, insane guitar solos, and crushing drums. They are eager to introduce themselves to the world with their debut single along with many others they have recorded since their inception. They have carefully chosen their forthcoming music to show listeners what they’re capable of and they deliver nothing less than catchy hooks, moving lyrics, and melodies that give way to bone-shaking riffs. The band’s first introduction “Hypnotic” is presented with a dark and gloomy music video, which complements the dark theme of the lyrics. The band shares their thoughts:
“This song speaks about a man that loses everything he has, reminiscing about his past life and searching for truth in answers he never found. The song has everything from ballads to ripping guitar solos and complex riffing. It’s a melting pot of styles. We hope the fans perceive the sound as something fresh & unique. We continue to write music because it is our passion and we want to leave behind a legacy and repertoire of timeless music.”
Devoted to making the songs as groovy, heavy, melodic, and catchy as possible while at the same time adding elements of virtuosity, Dorea’s goal is to entice listeners to sing along to the hooks and at the same time, appreciate the musicianship and technical aspects of each member’s individual performance.
Their music is colorful, rich in its diversity of styles, with even some pop elements that can be heard from time to time. “Hypnotic” was chosen as the debut single as it is the most accessible in terms of its diversity of listening ability. It takes the audience on a journey by creating complex structures with fluid transitions, but unexpected heaviness hits you right in the face.
There is no fluff with Dorea, and they are devoid of any theatricals, they are simply three metal dudes writing and performing some of the best material they can. Edgy, and familiar, Dorea is recommended for fans of Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, Symphony X, and Opeth.
Band: Dorea
Single Title: Hypnotic:
Release Date: May 22, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Single Credits:
• All songs performed by: Manuel Iradian, Kevin Alexander, Hugo McSween
• All songs written by: Manuel Iradian, Kevin Alexander & Vocals/Lyrics by: Hugo McSween
• Produced by: Manuel Iradian & Kevin Alexander
• Mixed by: Chris Donaldson
• Mastered by: Chris Donaldson
• Single Artwork by: AI
Dorea is:
Hugo McSween – Vocals
Manuel Iradian – All Guitars/ Bass/ Vsts
Kevin Alexander – Drums
0 EPK – Hooker Spit – Krötch Splitter (2023)
EPK – Hooker Spit – Krötch Splitter (2023)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We are trying to paint a dark picture with our music and lyrical content while touching on the raw emotion, desperation, and depths of depravity contained within the human experience. We put our hearts and souls into this record and we truly hope that people will enjoy listening to this album as much as we enjoyed making it.” – Daniel White – Vocals – Hooker Spit
Hookerspitofficial.com | Facebook.com/hookerspitofficial | Instagram.com/hookerspit.official | Youtube.com/@hookerspitofficial7156
[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Band: Hooker Spit
Album Title: Krötch Splitter
Release Date: July 28, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Track Listing:
1. Call of the void – 3:13
2. Corpse Grinder – 3:18
3. The Huntsmen – 4:06
4. Krötch Splitter – 3:48
5. Flesh Feast – 3:55
6. Dry Fisted – 3:34
7. White Lighter – 2:54
Album Length: 24:02
Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Vlad Gligor, Dan White, Jose Garza, Devin Link, Scott Gooding
• All songs written by: Vlad Gligor, Dan White, Jose Garza, Devin Link, Scott Gooding
• Produced and Engineered by: Vlad Gligor, Levi Jones, Brad Choquette
• Mixed by: Develop Device Studios
• Mastered by: Develop Device Studios
• Album Artwork by: PaleaRaptor
• Member of SOCAN
• MAPL (Canadian Content)
Album Band Lineup:
Daniel White – Vocals
Vlad Gligor – Guitar
Devin Link – Guitar
José Garza – Bass
Scott Gooding – Drums
==============================================================
The album as whole is explained by Hooker Spit vocalist Daniel White:
The album combines dark, heavy, high-energy music intertwining with lyrical themes that convey the abject cosmic horror of what it means to be human.
Track by Track explained by vocalist Daniel White and guitarist Vlad Gligor:
1. Call of the Void: This is the first song we wrote. It contains all of the elements you could expect in a Hooker Spit song. Lyrically the song deals with the subject of self-harm and the pendulum-like experience of someone who is trying to process those thoughts. The lyrics are intrusive thoughts personified.
2. Corpse Grinder: The intention musically was to write a love letter to Cannibal Corpse. Vlad pitched the name and Dan decided to write it from the perspective of a cannibal meditating on their next feast.
3. Huntsmen: We really wanted to write a song with a clean intro and it evolved into an upbeat and melodic death metal song. The song discusses the struggle of life and having the strength to move through to reach the truest expression of self.
4: Krötch Splitter: This song is a macabre tale of a necrophiliac receiving their “just deserts” from a recently exhumed corpse. This song marries death and symphonic black metal to create a terrifying revenge story.
5. Flesh Feast: This track is a combination of old-school and modern death metal. The song contains a thrashy feel while bringing you to unexpected harmonies and breakdowns. Lyrically the song describes a dystopian society at the edge of extinction. Prior to systemized genocide, the populace revolts and devours their overlords.
6. Dry-fisted: It was composed when Vlad was going through some tough times. Dan was also experiencing something similar during the writing process leading to a metalcore epic about abandonment and betrayal.
7. White Lighter: This is by far our most chaotic song. White lighter embodies American death metal such as Lamb of God and Dethklok. It expresses the contrast between the rhetoric and the reality of organized religion.
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Fun Facts – Story Angles
1. Devin is known as Father Quack. At first, he was referred to as Daddy Ducky but that name has since evolved. During a show we played with Ravenous E.H. he wore a complete rubber duck print outfit and threw rubber ducks out to the crowd. Instead of applauding, the crowd then proceeded to squeak the ducks. There are still people coming out of the woodwork messaging us about how much they love their ducks.
2. Our artwork is created by a close friend and Canadian artist who goes by PaleaRaptor. We plan to keep our look consistent but add new characters as we go. Eventually, we would love to have a whole roster of Hooker Spit girls. We plan to introduce new characters as we release more content.
3. When we played a black metal event we thought it would be really funny to paint our faces like Kiss. While being surrounded by people who looked like Abbath we looked like sell-out 70s rockers.
4. The beginning of Flesh Feast came about from Dan being drunk twice in one day. Things got a little silly and he was doing an impression of a Southern Baptist while recording. Vlad loved the idea but said it needed more “rosemary”. We refined it and the intro to Flesh Feast was born.
5. Our album as well as the initial mix was recorded and done in Vlad’s home studio. Final mix and mastering were completed by Develop Device Studios who has worked with the likes of Jeff Loomis and Aborted in the past. We were excited to work with Jaroslav and we are happy with the results.
Left to Right and Center: Vlad Gligor (Lead Guitar), José Garza (Bass Guitar), Scott Gooding, (Drums), Devin Link (Rhythm Guitar), Center: Daniel White (Vocals)
Emanating from Red Deer, Canada, Hooker Spit is an up-and-coming Death Metal band with a penchant for writing infectious riffs. Comprising Vlad Gligor (Lead Guitar), Devin Link (Rhythm Guitar), José Garza (Bass), Daniel White (Vocals), and Scott Gooding (Drums), the Quintet is inspired by internationally acclaimed bands like At The Gates, Bloodbath, Carcass, and The Black Dahlia Murder.
Filled with heavy chunky riffs, guttural vocals, and destructive drum grooves, Hooker Spit has developed a sonic quality and episodic visual concept that is so unique to them, it can be immediately recognized as their own. The band has a unique innate competency to ingeniously present music in multiple styles of metal, all while maintaining a consistent brand, one of the factors that make this band one to keep an eye out for. With big dreams and plenty of energy to spare, Hooker Spit hopes to tour the world, bringing their music to people from all walks of life.
Shared Stage with: Paramnesia, Omniarch, Atavistia, Ravenous E.H., Black Pestilence, Tymo, Narcissistic Necrosis, Fall of Earth, Wraith Risen, Netheriel, Divide the Dead, Pridelands, Omniarch, Decrepitation
Tours and Festivals:
2023 – Loud As Hell – Drumheller, AB – w/ Jungle Rot, Incite, Necronomicon, The Convalescence
2023 – CEMR Metal Fest – Edmonton, AB
0 EPK – Circana Arcana – Switchblade and Fistfights (single) (2023)
EPK – Circana Arcana – Switchblade and Fistfights (single) (2023)
For fans of Wage War, We Came As Romans, Attila, Underoath, A Day To Remember
Band: Circa Arcana
EP Title: F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.
EP Release Date: TBD
Single – Switchblade and Fistfights
Single Release Date: May 10, 2023
Facebook.com/circa.arcana | Instagram.com/circa.arcana | YouTube
Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Circaarcana.bandcamp.com
“this EP swept me up in a wave of nostalgic feelings with its mixture of heavy guitar riffs, melodic choruses, crushing vocals, and the occasional somber and more emotional moments. The tracks on this EP showcase everything that got me into this style of music” – Mike Leighton, Metal Epidemic (EP Review)
“Since 2021, Circa Arcana has been working the grind: they opened up for Limp Bizkit at Rebel Rock & went back to perform in Florida this year, April 23rd, to perform at the Earthday Birthday 2022 festival. That was the same festival that groups such as Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills & Jelly Roll performed.” – Daniel Paulus, KLAQ
“Needless to say, Circa Arcana hit all the right notes here, so if you’re looking for something familiar yet fresh, this might be the one for you.” – New Fury Media
“Circa Arcana’s debut EP was released on February 18 for the world to hear. With a cacophony of breakdowns juxtaposed with infectious choruses that are easy to sing along to, the EP is a fast-paced rollercoaster to the face with the songs flowing together and showing a strong diversity in their music styles.” – HEAVY Magazine
“Circa Arcana presents a solid first effort and is recommended for fans of Wage War, Like Moths To Flames and We Came As Romans.” Keith Clement, – Metalheads Forever Magazine
“a nice melding of the emo and hardcore styles. The 5 song EP shows Circa Arcana performing at the top of their abilities. Bridget Viginti is a nice showcase of some hardcore influenced tracks that are given an injection of melody… There are sing-along moments to be found here and they blend in nicely. There is catchiness and it leads to memorability.” – Heavy Music Headquarters
“A short and sweet explosion of American Metalcore, ranging from personal struggles with addiction and personal demons to stories of occult legends and disassociated dreams.” – The Headbanging Moose
“Drawing very much on the spirit of metalcore pioneers such as Killswitch and 36 Crazyfists, while also strongly referencing latter day proponents such as BMTH and We Came As Romans, Circa Arcana could well prove to be one of those bands that make you re-evaluate your assessment of what you believed to be a dying sub-genre by bringing a whole new level of excitement and re-invigoration to it. Fuck, they even throw anthemic power punk into the eclectic recipe, with obtuse sidebar of ‘Luna’.” – Uber Rock
(Cover Artwork TBD)
Band: Circa Arcana
EP Title: F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.
EP Release Date: TBD
Single – Switchblade and Fistfights
Single Release Date: May 10, 2023
Track Listing:
1. Intro – 00:36
2. 500 Likes – 2:53
3. King’s Wench – 3:06
4. Dybuk – 5:01
5. No Fucks Left – 3:40
6. Switchblades and Fistfights – 3:38
EP Length: 18: 54
EP Credits:
Performed By: Circa Arcana
Songs Written By: Johny Serna, Kevin Cangas, Federico Corral, Jonny Garcia, Frankie Loya
Produced By: Federico Corral
Mixed By: Federico Corral
Mastered By: Legazpy Mastering, Cesar Legazpy
EP Artwork By: Circa Arcana
=======================================================
The EP as a whole:
The most unforgiving fucking album of 2023. It’s pretty aggressive, pretty fucking mean.
Track By Track:
Into
I feel like our music still has, from the first album to this one, some cool creepy sounds that happen which stem from our love for horror shit, so for me, I’m a huge Twilight Zone fan, always have been, and I’ve always been able to do that voice. We were trying to figure out the intro for the album and we were like fuck it, let’s do it like a Twilight Zone intro. And it was funny, everyone thought it was good but I said nah, put a rattlesnake rattle right there and I did the voice on top of it and it prepares you to get your feelings hurt by this album. I fucking love it.
500 Likes
It’s more of just modern-day stuff, not like an alpha male thing or anything like that, just be a fucking man bro. It’s pretty much about standing out there and doing whatever the fuck you want. The whole song is about fucking some dude’s chick and him not doing anything about it.
King’s Wench
This song is about a dude who hates his fucking girlfriend but when she dies, he goes and digs her up and starts fucking her body.
Dybuk
It’s about the band talking to our fans and telling them to stand the fuck up and not let someone put them down. Like man the fuck up and go do something about it. You know, fuck everybody.
No Fucks Left
Yeah, that song’s literally about telling all the whiny ass bitches of today’s modern lifestyle to go suck a dick because we don’t care what they think. It’s a big fuck you to the cancel culture.
Switchblades and Fistfights
It’s straight-up a fighting song. This song was made for people to hit each other too, the perfect song to be in the mosh pit for.
Texas 4-piece metalcore act, Circa Arcana, from El Paso, Texas brings forth a mixture of melodic aggressive vocals, bouncy breakdowns and hard-hitting riffs. Led by members Johny Serna (Guitar), Jonny Garcia (Drums), Federico Corral (Bass), and Kevin Cangas (Vocals) the band released their first single “ESOTERIC” in January 2021. Touching on the struggles of overcoming one’s personal demons, “ESOTERIC” led the way to the band’s second single which unfolded a darker concept within the band. “THE TOWER”, released in June 2021, touched on the ideas of sanity versus madness, death and the occult.
Encompassing a blend of influences from metalcore, post-hardcore and nu-metal acts, Circa Arcana have defined their sound to give listeners a nostalgic yet new variation of sound so often repeated in the metal music scene. The band’s first EP titled “Bridget Vīgintī” (which title derives from the name of the first “witch” burned during the “Salem Witch Trials” and the Latin number “20”, symbolic for the number of “witches” burned during the trials) was released February 18, 2022.
Shared Stage with:
Memphis May Fire (Direct Support), Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Jelly Roll, Matriarchs, The Convalescence, Living Dead Girl, Farewell To Fear, Steellake, Glorious
List of Tours and Festivals:
Mosh In The Deep End Tour – August 2022
Earthday Birthday Festival – April 2022
The Whisky A Go-Go (Special Guest Performance) – May 2023
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