Category: EPKs
0 Protected: EPK – Cordyceps Corpse – Perverse Craving For Rotting Corpses (2026) (Gore House Productions)
0 EPK – Hrafnablót – Dísablót (single) from Forthcoming Debut Album Guðlaugar Saga (2026)
EPK – Hrafnablót – Dísablót (single) from Forthcoming Debut Album Guðlaugar Saga (2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We have spent countless hours polishing the song, and judging by how it’s been received when we’ve played it live, we are hopeful people will enjoy it thoroughly. We want to give listeners a sonic journey inspired by Icelandic nature and folklore—at times harsh and unforgiving, at others fragile and intimate, but always beautiful. Through the album and its singles, we take listeners on a Saga set in Iceland’s settlement age, immersing them in the landscapes, myths, and emotions that shaped the country’s earliest stories.” – Hrafnablót
“Dísablót was the first song we wrote together as a band. As such, we’ve had a long time to polish and refine it. The song opens the album with our protagonist Guðlaug going downtown in Reykjavík at 1 o’clock after midnight. She doesn’t know anyone and is quite shy, and consumes a lot of alcohol to gather courage. She sees a fairy (Dís) that beckons her to follow her to an afterparty, which turns out to be a ritual (Dísablót). She wakes up in the settlement age of Iceland wondering whether she had been drugged”” – Hrafnablót
For fans of Ensiferum, Nightwish, Wintersun, Skálmöld, Eluveitie
Hrafnablot.is | Facebook.com/hrafnablot | Youtube.com/@Hrafnablot | Instagram.com/hrafnablot
Hrafnablot.bandcamp.com | Spotify
“Iceland’s Hrafnablót and debut single ‘Svartigaldur’ a heavy piece of pagan folk metal; for the tale of a time traveller lashed to Viking mast accused of being a witch. With symphonic metal richness, black metal energy, traditional melodies, theatrical vocal harmonies and soaring, clean female vocals, it’s quite a ride!” – Loud Enough Magazine
Band: Hrafnablót
Single Title: Dísablót from forthcoming debut album “Guðlaugar Saga”
Length: 5:35
Single Release Date: July 31st, 2026
Album Release Date: TBD
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Genre: Sorcerous Folk Metal
Location of Band: Reykjavik, Iceland
Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Hrafnablót
• All songs written by: Hrafnablót
• Produced by: Hrafnablót
• Mixed by: Helgi Durhuus
• Mastered by: Lasse Lammert
• Single Artwork by: Ana Nikitina
Band Line-up:
Hugrún Hanna Stefánsdóttir – Vocals
Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson – Bass & Backing Vocals
Ólafur Daði Jónsson – Keyboards & Backing Vocals
Steingrímur Viðar Karlsson – Guitar & Backing Vocals
Andri Pétur Dalmar – Drums & Backing Vocals
Mara Birna Jóhannsdóttir – Guitar
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About the Single Artwork:
The artwork for Dísablót, drawn by Ana Nikitina with layout by guitarist Mara Birna Jóhannsdóttir, depicts the album’s time-travelling protagonist Guðlaug kneeling in a circle of flames, clutching a taser. Up in the sky, three ravens are circling her. The framing around the artwork features Icelandic magick runes called “Draumstafir” (Dreamstaves). When these staves are written on silver or white leather during the summer solstice and then slept on, the person can dream whatever they choose when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky during the night. – Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson (bass).
About the upcoming debut album (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Inspired sonically by various genres of metal and Icelandic folk music, and lyrically by Icelandic folklore and Sagas, Guðlaugar Saga is a true Icelandic epic. The album tells the tale of how a modern-day woman called Guðlaug gets sent back to the Icelandic settlement age with nothing but the clothes on her back and a taser. Listeners follow her journey through battle, celebrations, kidnapping, and her internal struggle over whether to return to her mundane life in the present or stay in the past. Musically, the album strongly contrasts darkness and light, ugliness and beauty, past and present. Drawing influences from Icelandic folk music, Nordic folk metal, NWOBHM, and various gothic and extreme metal, Hrafnablót has brewed its own brand of sorcerous folk metal.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. Spádómurinn
Spádómurinn is a spoken-word intro in which our guitarist Steingrímur portrays a seer, gazing into the future of our protagonist, Guðlaug. The track features various sound effects, ranging from howling Icelandic winds to ravens, along with eerie whispers. The lyrics are written in highly lyrical, old Icelandic.
2. Dísablót
Dísablót prominently features a groovy, driving main riff along with powerful vocals, twin guitar harmonies, and fast guitar solos. The song tells the story of how Guðlaug, alone and friendless at the bar, is drawn into an ancient rite called Dísablót and sent back to the Icelandic settlement age with nothing but the clothes on her back and a taser.
3. Heljarhlíð
Heljarhlíð is the first song on the album to feature harsh vocals by keyboardist Ólafur, alongside Hugrún’s clean singing. The song is influenced by various melodic death metal sounds and draws to a close with a strong vocal harmony. Lyrically, the song is about how Guðlaug is drawn into a battle and is forced to defend herself with her trusty taser.
4. Kappar, meyjar, komendur
Kappar, meyjar, and komendur are the spoken-word intro to the next song, Fögnuður, in which guitarist Steingrímur portrays an Icelandic chieftain celebrating after the battle and remembering the fallen. Musically, the song consists of arpeggiated guitars, deep bass tones, and melodic keys.
5. Fögnuður
Fögnuður, Icelandic for celebration, is a celebratory folk metal party song with a drinking chant, strong guitar melodies, vocal hooks galore, and even a keyboard solo. In Fögnuður, we follow Guðlaug through the post-battle celebrations.
6. Nornarheimt
In Nornarheimt, a band of brigands crashes into the hall after the party has subsided and the guests have fallen asleep. They assume Guðlaug must be a witch, having helped decide the battle with her magickal weapon, and kidnap her. Nornarheimt is perhaps the harshest song on the album, featuring galloping guitars strongly inspired by Icelandic folk music, swift, rhythmic singing and pounding drums.
7. Svartigaldur
Svartigaldur is, in essence, an Icelandic, metallized sea-shanty. The main riff for the song is adapted from the Icelandic folk song Að bíða þess sem búið er, which stands alongside rowboat rhythms, guitar chord work inspired by black metal, and exceptional clean vocal hooks. Lyrically, the song tells the tale of how Guðlaug, having recently been kidnapped, is bound to the mast on a boat as she is assumed to be a witch, no matter how much she explains her apparent lack of magickal powers.
8. Heimþrá
Heimþrá centers around a melodic keyboard riff and the vocals of singer Hugrún. Lyrically, Heimþrá, homesickness in English, centers on Guðlaug trying to come to grips with having been thrown into the past and wishing to return home to present-day Iceland. She realizes she has to embrace dark magicks to escape her captors.
9. Örlagavegur
Örlagavegur is a roughly 11-minute epic in multiple parts, with various tempo, key, and meter changes. Featuring everything from waltz-inspired rhythms to a heavy riff in 13/4 time. In Örlagavegur, Guðlaug is struggling with whether to return home to the present or stay in the settlement age. She’s visited by the Fates, who implore her to go back to the future. Realizing that in her old life, she had no power or purpose, she elects to stay in the past – changing the course of Icelandic history.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. Hrafnablót is strongly focused on narrative, and our debut album, Guðlaugar Saga, is a concept album that tells the tale of a modern-day woman sent back to the Icelandic settlement age with nothing but the clothes on her back and her trusty taser.
2. Hrafnablót had booked a slot at the Icelandic Sorcery Festival in a remote, small town named Hólmavík in Iceland in spring 2025. Andri, the band’s drummer, had a severe back injury at the time, so there was a great deal of uncertainty whether the band would actually be able to perform. In the end, Andri soldiered on. Lying on his back the whole time, except for when the band took to the stage. He had back surgery the day after returning home.
3. In February 2026, Hrafnablót ventured together to the south of Iceland, to a lighthouse in a remote cove called Selvogur, to record performance scenes for the music video for Svartigaldur. Apparently, they didn’t take a good enough look at the weather forecast. Upon arriving at the scene, band members were greeted with exceptionally stiff winds and a temperature of -12°c (10°f). The video shoot turned out to be completely impossible, so the band went to Þrastarskógur, a wooded area nearby, to shelter from the winds. Despite the biting frost, the band managed to shoot all the scenes for the day. A few days later, unbothered by the cold, singer Hugrún and bassist Þórgnýr headed out again to shoot scenes in -15°c (5°f).
4. All instrumental recordings for the album were done by band members themselves, chiefly edited by drummer Andri with assistance from bassist Þórgnýr.
5. The main riff for Svartigaldur is an interpolation of the melody from a lesser-known, old Icelandic folk song named Að bíða þess sem búið er.
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L-R Hrafnablót Line Up | Steingrímur Viðar Karlsson (Guitar) | Ólafur Daði Jónsson (Keyboards) | Hugrún Hanna Stefánsdóttir (Vocals) | Andri Pétur Dalmar (Drums) | Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson (Bass) | Mara Birna Jóhannsdóttir (Guitar)
Photo Credit – Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson
Hrafnablót is a sorcerous folk metal band, formed in Iceland in the fall of 2024. Drawing from the contrasting light and darkness of Icelandic magick, Sagas, and folklore, the band weaves together heavy riffs, folk influences, haunting melodies, and clean and harsh vocals. The outcome is a sound rooted in Icelandic myth and landscape.
Since forming, Hrafnablót has built a strong presence in the live music scene in Iceland, performing at venues such as Íslenski rokkbarinn, Lemmy, and BIRD, as well as the Icelandic Sorcery Festival in 2025.
Hrafnablót’s live shows channel ritual intensity and pure metal energy, carried by meticulous Icelandic lyrics, storytelling, and a distinct sense of drama.
Hrafnablót is releasing their debut album, Guðlaugar Saga, in the fall of 2026.
Discography:
2026 – Guðlaugar Saga LP (Release Date TBD)
Shared Stage with:
Fortíð, Kælan Mikla, Eldrún, Space Völvö, Aesculus, Frostborn, Morose
Tours and Festivals:
2025 – Galdrafár – Hólmavík, Iceland
0 EPK – Malefic – Impermanence (2026) (Terminus Hate City)
EPK – Malefic – Impermanence(2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelation[.]com
“We wanted to release an album that stood the test of time. There was a great push to put the absolute best effort we could into each and every song, and we think it shows. IMPERMANENCE is an album that defies typical genre boundaries and yet still sounds completely coherent. We wanted to mix a lot of influences in here without having an album become too bloated or weighed down. There are a lot of technical and even progressive elements to the album, yet every single song is under 5 minutes; hell, most of them come in under or around the 4-minute mark. We also really wanted a mix that showcases the sonic variety and dynamics that are far too often missing in modern metal. Everything today seems very “cookie-cutter,” template-driven, and just seems to sound the same. You don’t get that here. Instead, you get an album that has the emotional maturity of long-time musicians who dedicate their lives to their craft.” – Malefic
Band: Malefic
Album Title: Impermanence
Release Date: February 13, 2026
Label: Terminus Hate City
Distribution: AISA
Genre: Extreme Metal
Location of Band: Atlanta, GA, USA
For fans of Old Man’s Child, Carcass, Testament, Dissection, The Black Dahlia Murder
Maleficband.com | Facebook.com/maleficbandatl | Instagram.com/maleficbandatl
Tiktok.com/maleficbandatl | Youtube.com/@maleficband | Spotify
LinkTree: Linktr.ee/malefic
Terminus Website: www.terminushatecity.com/shop | Malefic.bandcamp.com
“Drawing from black metal atmosphere, death metal precision, and thrash intensity without sounding derivative, Malefic sharpen their influences into something distinctly their own. The result isn’t just a collection of songs, but a document of survival — confronting politics, addiction, and the wreckage of human choice. Impermanence stands as a cohesive and uncompromising statement from Atlanta’s underground – dark, chaotic, and unrelenting.” – Blackmetalartists@IG
“The debut album from this Atlanta Blackened Death Thrash band is an incredible experience that hits all the right elements of the style. Blending Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, and out-of-this-world melodies and harmonies that tie everything together. Between the clear and punchy production style and songwriting that feels endlessly inspired, this feels like the mix of The Black Dahlia Murder, Carcass, and Old Man’s Child that the world needs right now. Making an album this strong at 9 tracks and under 40 minutes is such a cool thing to see, as they give you everything they have, and you still want to see what will come next. You don’t often find a brand new band of this quality. Check out what Malefic is all about.” – Josh Rundquist, Heavy Debriefings
“This record fires on all cylinders with how heavy it is; from the intense vocals which are really impressive, to the aggressive way the guitars puncture through each and every song, it’s definitely a treat… Overall, this death metal album is very good. It has every element of a great album from the drumming to the riffs to the vocals. The energy this band has is unmatched and as I listened through it, I imagine bodies being thrown around in a mosh pit. I couldn’t recommend this album more.” – David Jones, Metal Temple Magazine
“Impermanence by @maleficbandatl has that raw blackened edge, but it’s got serious bite behind it… The riffs feel alive — sharp, urgent, and constantly pushing forward. It’s aggressive without feeling messy, and intense without turning into noise…There’s a weight to it as well. You can hear the death-metal thickness underneath, but it’s wrapped in that darker, almost suffocating atmosphere that keeps things feeling hostile…It sounds like a band that knows exactly what they’re doing and means every second of it…I really like how it never drags. It just keeps moving — blasting when it needs to, locking into tight grooves when it wants to hit harder. Nothing feels thrown in for the sake of it. Confident, focused, and properly heavy. If you’re into blackened thrash/death with real conviction behind it, this album deserves your time.” – LeightonBaller@IG
“Yes, “Impermanence” is an album that gives Black Metal a different aspect. Malefic‘s prone to make them grand and complex contributes a lot to their intent. The album is a kind of tour around Metal music subgenres that will please the fan a lot.” – Poleto, Metal Addicts (translated to english)
“Sans corpse paint, demonic titles, or masks; this band is taking the old-school approach of releasing quality heavy metal and letting the music speak for itself.” – Heavy Metal Philosophy
“Delivering nine tracks and around 38 minutes of high-octane music, this release is for the diehard fans of Black/Death Metal with plenty of melody and aggression. Headbanging from start to finish, this album will leave you neck sore and wanting more.” – Dark Emperor, Infernal Masquerade
“Since 2018, the band has navigated the friction of personal and professional upheaval, resulting in a record that feels weathered by experience rather than smoothed by polish. The agitation is audible and shows that Impermanence isn’t just a collection of songs, but a document of survival. Refusing to stay within the boundaries of any one genre, it collides sound in ways that mirror the instability of its core themes of politics, addiction, and the wreckage of human choice… “In the end, Impermanence is about consequences. The ones you fight for, the ones you abandon, and the ones that follow you regardless. It is the sound of choices made in real time, and the echoes that remain long after.” – Shelia Taylor, Amplify the Noise
“Impermanence is a must have for any thrash and/or death metal fans – a fierce, focused, and memorable release that demands to be played loud.” – Moshville Times UK
“The band has created a unique blend that doesn’t just blur the lines between thrash, black metal, death metal, and melodic metal, but completely obliterates them. It starts with the riffing, which at times veers into the death metal realm, while at other times lures the horned one out of the forest with black metal flair… MALEFIC’s Impermanence isn’t an album for relaxing or daydreaming; rather, it’s a constant adrenaline rush—almost contradicting the album title—that drags you through musical ups and downs and gives you no rest until you’re completely exhausted. The album is so intense and multifaceted at the same time that it took me several listens to find the peace to write this review.” – Maik, Zephyr’s Odem
“This is an essential listen.” – Metal Epidemic
“Overall, this album bleeds top-notch death metal because the energy the band brings is good enough to cause people to create a mosh pit. Malefic continues to prove that they have what it takes to keep thriving in the music industry as a powerful death metal band who is not afraid to show off the musical passions through their bombastic instrumentation and vocal performance.” – Cait Stoddard, MXDWN
“Forged through years of personal and professional trials, the album captures MALEFIC at their most focused and audacious, delivering a work that is as intellectually provocative as it is sonically devastating.” – El Templario del Metal
Band: Malefic
Album Title: Impermanence
Release Date: February 13, 2026
Label: Terminus Hate City
Distribution: AISA
Genre: Extreme Metal
Location of Band: Atlanta, GA, USA
Track Listing:
1. Blood of the Throne – [3:33]
2. In Darkest Dreams (the Reaping) – [3:44]
3. Of Gods and Man – [4:14]
4. Idiocracy – [3:56]
5. Deserter – [3:53]
6. Disembodiment – [4:39]
7. Obsidian Earth – [4:37]
8. Echoes of Silence – [4:45]
9. It Haunts – [4:01]
Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: MALEFIC
• All songs written by: DEVIN AUTRY AND MALEFIC
• Produced by: AARON BAUMOEL & JASON DAVILA
• Mixed by: ALEX PARRA @SECOND SIGHT SOUND
• Mastered by: ALEX PARRA @SECOND SIGHT SOUND
• Album Artwork by: MARK ERSKINE
Album Band Line-up:
Aaron Baumoel – Drums and Vocals
Devin Autry – Guitars
Jason Davila – Bass and Lead Guitars
Sam Williams – Lead Guitars
Live Band Line-up:
Aaron Baumoel – Drums and Vocals
Jason Davila – Guitars
Sam Williams – Guitars
Doug Rosander – Bass
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About The Album Artwork:
So initially we had some art done that was going to be based off of the working title “BLOOD OF THE THRONE”, but due to set backs in the album recording process we decided to use that to release a demo instead. Thus, we were forced to change the album title and come up with new art. Initially we were going to use the title “OBSIDIAN EARTH” (more on that later), so the idea was the earth itself being ripped apart or some kind of extremely tragic looking cover. We wanted people to see the album cover and just think “damn” while kinda having this sense of overwhelming dread. Then I got the idea of “what if you were standing on the planet as it was being ripped apart all around you?” How absolutely damning would that feel as everything you know, life itself, becomes ripped apart. We also knew we wanted there to be some very intense colors, kinda color themes that hadn’t really been explored; and thus the lava like theme was born (think Mustafar in Star wars). At one point there were ideas of a portal being tossed around but ultimately it morphed into this concave image of the black hole. Initially I was going for this kind of “we caused this” kind of idea, but the black hole made it much more impersonal. It still feeds on the notion that everything is finite and aligns perfectly with this idea of IMPERMANENCE which is excellent considering how there was no title for a very long time. I think we had the art for 4 years before we were actually able to showcase it!
I had followed this artist, Mark Erskine, for a while. He actually paints digitally, as in digital brush strokes, and he had amazing texture and color work so we decided to go with him. Yeah, he absolutely crushed it. Definitely go check out all of his work IG@erskine.designs.
About the album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
IMPERMANENCE is a sonic rollercoaster. You can find almost any sub-genre of metal within its walls. Where I think we succeeded most, is that they all feel completely coherent and even connected in some ways. I think the musicianship here is top notch. It’s not as overtly skilled as say a tech-death band but the nuances within the songs show a passion and a refinement of years of playing and writing music. There is a lot of melody; more than you typically find on a “blackened death metal” record. Pair that with the thrash influence on the drums and you get a very brutal and pummeling album. There is also a level of technicality here as well and I think a lot of that comes from the progressive rock/metal background and influence as well. It also doesn’t feel overly bloated. Coming it at under 40 minutes it begs for repeated listens.
The mix of the album is also a very important part of telling the story musically. Far too often bands these days use the same templates for mixes or the exact same drum samples. It all feels very “cookie-cutter”. Everything sounds the same and is overly compressed and just downright hurts my ears to listen to. We wanted something different. Something that still showcased the nuances in the guitar work, the dynamics in the drumming, and allowed for mistakes. It just needed to feel human. We get all that here; all while the mix still sounds modern and refined. I think this in and of itself is why a lot of the emotion in metal has been pushed out. Everything sounds too sterile. The emotion in the performance itself still needs to be showcased. And Alex absolutely nailed that here.
When it comes to the lyrics they were more of a collaborative effort. However, when we put the final over-arcing work together we realized that there was a flow to them. The personal struggles, the current socio-political issues and the societal struggles all seemed extremely relatable. So while they aren’t necessarily telling a story or trying to hammer in one particular point, they do tell the tale of the ever changing nature of life as a whole. Which gives rise to the idea of impermanence really. And how we came upon that title is a beautiful thing.
Track by Track
1. Blood of the Throne
Starting off the album with a bang, Blood of the Throne is a blistering blackened thrash song, with high tempos and unrelenting aggression. This song definitely showcases each members abilities to the extreme. Very fast, precise picking on the guitar, overly ornate drumming and excellent use of leads, melodies and harmony.
The lyrics to this song talk about the struggles of capitalism and global control of the masses.
Blood of the Throne is on par with slaying the monarchy, but in this case we are referring towards a more modern idea of power (CEO’s, Congress members, world leaders, etc.) Ironically the song was written by former guitarist Cory (who fell hard to the ideologies of the Alt-Right movement and the Trump-train during the early part of the decade) but the lyrics were still very fitting with the times and desperation present in the music. They are also easily relatable no matter which side of (American) politics you fall under. The point being: we all know who the real demons of our society are; we just don’t agree on what the solution is.
Being such a hype, high tempo song, we really felt the album should start out with a banger. Something that says Malefic isn’t here to play around. Initially this song was going to be the album title and there was artwork made for it, however we ended up using that to release a four song demo on Bandcamp and subsequently a tape. Blood of the Throne (title and all), has been around as a song since the early days of the band but has transformed significantly with the modern lineup. The song builds up tension perfectly encapsulating the desperation of the music in the vocals, ultimately opening up into a super melodic break that is reminiscent of more 80’s style heavy metal. The song then concludes with an outro verse/solo. Initially I felt the space at the end gave a somber vibe, almost like a reflection of the sobering reality that capitalism and global politics chews people and spits them out. Ultimately the band decided to fill up that space so more lyrics were written and ultimately a solo vamp underneath that served as a just final statement.
All in all this song is a crowd-pleaser and one of our favorites to play live. However, it is also one of the most difficult songs to play for our drummer/vocalist due to the sheer ferocity of all the parts included
2. In Darkest Dreams (the Reaping)
The second song on the album definitely showcases more of the death metal influence in the band while still retaining the blackened, thrashy vibe. One of the few songs on the album with an actual chorus, yet the song still has a very neat, progressive structure to it. The middle section “breakdown” does a lot to show the bands versatility in rhythm and tight playing style, ultimately culminating into a “rippin” solo by Sam, that really shows off his skills as a soloist. Each section of this song is whole-y unique, offering a different foray into the versatility of the writing.
The lyrics of this song are really a reflection of the old band. Written by Cory initially after Devin left the band the lyrics were altered slightly by Aaron to make more sense in the overall story. The older lyric’s style definitely comes from a more horror influenced background in this case telling the tale of what is assumed to be some kind of reaper figure. To me, (Aaron), they don’t seem to make a lot of sense at moments, but they sure as hell sound cool. I think in the future I may still try and visit some of these style lyrics despite it not being something I typically write about.
This is also one of the oldest Malefic songs. It dates back to pre-2010 and has changed significantly over the years. Mainly in the approach to drums and lyrical cadences. Devin was known for ad-libbing so not a lot of lyrics were actually written in stone (does anyone ever pay attention to black metal lyrics? haha). The chorus to this song however is a pretty good example of something that stayed. In fact, it is believed that the lyrics were written around the chorus being what it was from before without even knowing the rest of the original lyrics. With the drums, my background (as far as metal goes) really comes from thrash and high speed, technical music. I personally like to reserve more groovy beats for middle, instrumental sections of songs or the breakdown. My playing style is also very heavily influenced by Progressive Rock in which the drums change the pulse a lot even within the same riffs and a lot was done here on this song to revamp the rhythm so that it didn’t feel so monotonous (or maybe that’s just my ADHD coming through). I feel like this song is an excellent example of the pulse changing frequently. There was also definitely some back and forth in the studio on the chorus section of the song as to whether it should remain upbeat the whole time. Obviously a compromise was made.
3. Of Gods and Man
The third track on the album is a huge change of pace from the first two songs. This song showcases more of the melodic elements of black metal from various eras as well as shows off some tasteful bass lines from Jason. The song is basically three separate movements; the first being very triumphant with an almost urgent feel to the verses, followed by a break into some really intense, fast, intricate picking that ultimately breaks down into an outro featuring some chunky riffs with a dueling solo section the middle.
Initially the lyrics of this song were to be about the story of Faust and how he traded his soul for eternal greed and how that relates to the modern world where everyone is so consumed with consumerism, instant gratification and the next big thing that they forget how to be in the moment and actually be human. But the themes morphed into a more existential thought process about dealing with ones own relation to a creator type figure. Struggling with acceptance of ones own mortality as well as ones own desires. Still the themes presented here are more ambiguous overall I believe, and thus open to interpretation. The melodies of the song really gave me (Aaron) the feeling of being let down on a grand scale and I think I was able to still portray those emotions through the lyrics. A common thing I like to do with lyrics is using off-rhymes. One will probably notice it throughout this album if they read the lyrics but in singing (especially in metal), words tend to “rhyme” that wouldn’t normally depending on how they are presented. This song also utilizes a lot of “call-and-response” type lyrics written with the intention of using multiple vocal timbres. This is something that happens a lot over the album.
I think overall this is one of the finer songs on the album from a musical standpoint. It was co-written as a band using everyone’s ideas and it really came out magnificent. It being in a 12/8 almost waltz style feel allows for the rhythms to be interpreted many different ways. Typically we use this song as a set closer because it is such a good way to say good-bye. However, it didn’t really seem to sit quite right as a closer for an album and we felt it was good to push it early to really show off the dynamics of the band as a whole. There was a huge point of contention when writing this song as to whether it just be intense drumming the whole time. I (Aaron) really wanted to open it up so that the rhythm in the guitars could shine through and give the song a more “floaty” vibe. I feel like far to often in metal music in particular, bands tend to jam pack songs with everything they got from all the instruments at all times and never really let the music open up and “breathe”.
4. Idiocracy
Track four follows up the change in dynamics with a different more black-n-roll type song. This song is surprisingly heavy yet still very melodic. The middle section really digs into the arpeggios that are very popular in black metal as well as in Devin’s writing style. Overall this song has a very “head-bobbing” vibe and its triplet pulse leads to a lot of neat picking patterns especially in the verses. The outro of this song is very heavy and epic and is probably one of my (Aaron’s) favorite moments on the whole album.
Lyrically, this song follows more of the political and philosophical themes of modern society. I (Aaron) really wanted to showcase cleverness with the word choice while at the same time poking fun of the part of society that is “drinking the cool-aid” so to speak. What was kinda sad to watch was our guitarist/vocalist at the time, Cory, falling hard down the conspiracy/alt-right train despite our best efforts to level with him. So seeing him sing these lyrics literally about himself and people like him was extremely juxtaposing and almost comical. Because as in the lyrics and real life, these people don’t even have a clue as to their own ignorance. Thus, the title of the song.
Initially called “Rot”, this was one of the first ones not fully yet written that was jammed with Devin in my (Aaron’s) basement in 2017. Parts of the song had existed for years but we deconstructed and reconstructed the song entirely from there. For me, this was the first one that didn’t feel like i was forced to learn someone else’s parts regardless of any of the other ones ever being recorded. We played this one live for many years but it has since fallen to the wayside. We hope to bring it back into the fold again soon as it really is a great song. Mix-wise, I think the heaviness of this song really stands out on the overall album and the solo that was added towards the end of tracking by Sam is absolutely fantastic. Perfectly capturing the vibe of what was there before but completely adding his own style, and technicality to the mix.
5. Deserter
This song is a homogeneous mix of death metal, thrash metal and of course black metal. We think this is the one song that perfectly captures our mix of genres. It starts off showcasing the drums and builds into a super, groovy riff, laden with intricate leads. Out of nowhere it blasts the listener into a magnificent thrash riff that morphs and changes as the drums and guitars move around it, ultimately landing on some very black metal sections. Before you know it we are off to the thrash again leading the listener into a barrage of death metal riffs with some “call and response” guttural vocals. The syncopation between the bass and drums on this song is unrivaled and really shines through.
This song’s lyrics were also written mostly by Cory before our falling out. Although quite a few lines were re written that never really sounded right or made sense with the “story” of the lyrics. This song tackles feelings of being abandoned and/or wanting to die which supposedly fits alright with the overall theme of the album. A lot about personal struggles and some existentialism.
Deserter was mostly written before the current lineup but it has morphed into an almost completely different song. The guitars are much tighter and intricate; the drums went from a monotonous death metal groove to a barrage of thrash beats and blasts; and the vocals were broadened and meticulously written out; all of which drastically changed the feel of the original song. The middle stop into the syncopated interlude section is probably one of the most hype moments for me (Aaron) personally live. Since most of these songs were written with a guitarist singing in mind, the drums were always pushed to be extremely intricate and technical. This often made certain things very difficult when switching over to the me (the drummer) doing the lead vocals. A lot of my lyrical style involved “call and response” type sections where there would be gang shouts or other backup vocals which helped a lot when deciding to sing, however, certain sections needed to be the “main” vocalist. This middle part was one of those that I initially thought was going to be impossible to pull off because the fact that I had every limb doing something different and the vocal cadence didn’t match the drums. I am very proud of myself for working up this section; It just makes me feel so unstoppable to nail that syncopated section with the vocals over top of the drums and the bass locked in with the feet live.
6. Disembodiment
It is a song rife with technical brutality and a mood that’s set immediately upon it’s haunting introduction. The first track to feature an acoustic intro but not the last. This song probably has the most black metal elements of all the songs on the album. It is also one of only three songs that actually has a “chorus”. The dueling chordal harmonies of the chorus section make this one of the more emotional high points of the album, while the instrumental section leading up to the breakdown is a perfect example of the progressive, technical nature of the band. Disembodiment is a path to despair amongst a litany of beautiful dissonance.
Lyrics, huh? Ugh, well in hind-sight I (Aaron) honestly wished I could re-write the lyrics to be a little less obvious, but it follows the story of a very terrible person who enacts immense harm to those around them. One of the newer experiences I have had in my life was dealing with a narcissist (actual NPD), so with the emotional journey that I felt this song took the listener on it only seemed fitting to write about this experience. Anyone who has ever dealt with NPD or gas-lighting or any kind of emotional manipulation probably will be able to relate to these lyrics. I could probably write a lot about this even though the experience is well behind me, but the lead up, and the disbelief that a person could be in fact this harmful is all there leading to some pretty harsh words towards the end. One of the things I am big on is not repeating lyrics for the “chorus” moments in songs. I feel as a lyricist it is a clever way to propel the narrative forward while keeping the same cadences or melodies but changing certain words.
I (Aaron) can’t honestly remember much about how this song came about. I do remember the basic layout was written but the drums helped shape a lot of what was to come. I do remember there never being any real lyrics to the song and the second “chorus” was a guitar solo that was eventually ditched for a more complete, song-like structure. Ultimately I had an idea to bring a solo into the breakdown section with the key change (since we were working with an incredible player, Sam) and I kinda had this crazed, controlled madness of a solo in my head. I think I made some noises with my mouth over the music to give Sam an idea of what I thought would fit the best and boy did he absolutely crush that one. It perfectly showcases the fiercer side of Sam’s solo abilities as well as his extreme technicality. It is definitely a high-point for the song too. This song is super fun to sing live especially with how ferocious the chorus is on drums paired with the epic, emotional guitar melody over top of it. When everyone is synced up and super tight on the breakdown section it feels like being part of a well oiled machine, pummeling its way through the audience.
7. Obsidian Earth
For all intents and purposes, this is the title track to the album. The magnum opus if you will. This song is unrelenting and angry. Melodic and grandiose. Chaotic and evil. It takes the listener through a barrage of black metal motifs and blasting, melodic hooks that builds up to one of the sickest thrash riffs. Periodically bouncing between fresh ideas and the old it finally lands on an epic solo by none other than Jason Davila. Obsidian Earth is a powerhouse of a song with some of the strongest drumming and playing on the whole album.
Obsidian Earth always gave me (Aaron) very epic but also uncomfortably angry vibes; almost in a high and mighty, commanding way. Initially I had started with this idea of using the hypocrisy of Christianity to paint an almost pathetic depiction of them, but that trope has been done far too much in black metal. We are in fact vehemently anti-religion of any kind but our lyrics tend to be written about more things like personal struggle or political idealism. Initially during the demo process, Cory had ad-libbed some vocal patterns and then I filled in the space with lyrics. Over time I changed and added a lot of lyrics to certain sections but the general idea was there. “We are barreling towards a man made extinction with nothing slowing us down” It’s honestly quite sad and anger inducing. I could say a lot about this because I am personally a very nature loving person, but the gist was I want to shame humanity for what they have done. Thus the angriness of the song really lets the lyrics push that emotion through to the listener. This song also being the “title track” it more or less encapsulates the current state of humanity and the struggles ahead. Each song is kind of a reflection on selfish decisions that have been made almost entirely out of self preservation. Except maybe the few “horror” themed songs but even those can probably be tied in somehow.
This is the song that broke my neck (given that I ended up throwing a disk out and exploding another shortly after finishing tracking this song); well at least that’s how the story goes. Obsidian Earth had all been more or less written prior to the current lineup. The initial drum machine parts seemed a little too monotonous and at 230 bpm a lot was thought to be too fast for me to play. I remember Cory struggling with some cadences in tracking the vocals towards the end of his tenure. We all graciously tried to help (because they are difficult cadences given all that is going on) but I believe this was the icing on the cake that ultimately led to his decision to step away. This was the last song tracked on drums, the last song tracked on guitar and the last song tracked vocally. It is definitely probably the hardest song to play given its high tempo and unrelenting momentum. We haven’t played this one live since 2019.
8. Echoes of Silence
Once again we find ourselves with an acoustic introduction; this one a bit more ominous. The last in a slew of epic songs, this one is probably the most progressive off the entire album. The melodies are craftily interwoven with each other carefully delivering the listener to the next section of the song. The counterpoint in the “middle-section” of the song really pushes the narrative forward on the dual nature of addiction. The riffing chaos is dispersed with heavy black metal laden chords and cries of desperation. Everything seems to build up and carry the listener to the moment of realization “guitar solo”, which is the seemingly notable “break” in the tension unleashed. The final “chorus” is a reminder of how fragile life can be in a world of emotions.
The lyrics to this song center around our drummer’s history of drug and alcohol addiction and the emotions surrounding it. I (Aaron) knew I wanted to write something along the way about addiction because I have a very personal experience with drug and alcohol addiction; something I am proud to be free of for almost 14 years. In this case I wanted to write as it pertained to the constant feeling of just wanting to not exist. Any moment of profound effect on my life and emotional state over the past decade never really makes me feel like I want to “use” to escape my reality; my hope is that if I “use” I might die because I am too much a coward to do it myself. That is the nature of many people who struggle with addiction. Even with 14 years sober I still have to deal with these thought patterns in my brain as they come up. They aren’t normal; but nothing ever is for an addict. Often times the people who try the hardest, the ones who really want to escape, end up being the ones that die. It just seems to unfortunately be that way. I definitely wanted the listener to be able to relate to the struggle as there is a constant mess of emotions always going on in an addicted mind and never any way to make sense of that (at least not until you put the substances down, but even then you have to put in work and want to change). I felt the musical journey of this song was perfect to encapsulate a myriad of ideas surrounding being deep in addiction. (Negative thoughts of self harm, moments of no control, sobering reflections, a glimpse of hope, and ultimately dealing with consequences) The chorus gave me a unique opportunity to write sort of past vs. present in a way, (I wasn’t necessarily satisfied with my final version but an artist never really is).
Writing this song was done mostly as a group. There were a lot of ideas that had been established prior to the current lineup but most of that was deconstructed with the current members when actually assembling the song. This is also the newest song on the album. A noticeable element is this songs very swing-y “chorus” riff which led the song to always be referred to as “the pirate song” and then “Mortis” for a good bit thereafter before official lyrics had begun. We knew we wanted to get a guest solo on this album mainly because at the time we didn’t have a strong lead player (until Sam came along), so who none other to ask than our good friend Taylor Washington (Paladin, Bit-Brigade). Many of us had played in a band with him before, he’s always been a huge part of the local scene and he is an incredible lead player. This song stands out for many reasons but I think the technicality of the musical passages is probably the best thing we have written together. This song was almost entirely written in the studio and wasn’t “vetted” live like all the rest of the songs. Pushing ourselves to get this to the point of playing live was an arduous task.
9. It Haunts
After establishing a solid foundation we sound off with a steep drop back into the blackened abyss. It Haunts pummels the listener with it’s rifling intensity and fierce vocals. The song takes the listener on a journey laced with brutal riffs and haunted memories, while never straying too far from the black metal. After an epic solo the song explodes with an outro that commands your attention, leaving the listener with a super unique rhythmic texture that is sure to endure in one’s subconscious for days to come.
The lyrics to this song mark the final lyrics written by Cory before his departure and they became pretty commonplace among the band so we kept them mostly intact. Not quite sure what this is about outside the generic “horror” theme. Clearly some kind of haunting of some sort. The ending chant was definitely added
A lot of this song was written by Jason and Devin right before I (Aaron) joined the band, so it is most certainly an older song. A few extensions were suggested in order to add an element to drums but mostly it has remained consistent. Definitely some truly unique playing by all on this song, especially the drums during the outro. Lot’s of neat harmonies and intricate guitar work all over the place on this one. I always think an album needs a strong closer, something that can be released as a single but also feels right as a conclusion when it begins. This one has that “final moment” vibe as soon as the first two chords hit. “The end of the journey has come at last!” Pair that with the extremely repetitive chanty outro and it was the clear winner.
Interlude (kinda).
There is an acoustic section that was initially written to go to the end of Idiocracy (at the time it was called “Rot”) however having Idiocracy segue into Deserter had a much better flow and didn’t break the pace of the album. Thus we decided to throw this idea to the end of the album and put some leads on it and it kinda make it a fade in thing after all is said in done. More so a haunting conclusion to the overall work of music.
Conclusion:
Overall we are extremely proud of this product. As avid music listeners of all different genres we feel that every song is super strong and stands on its own. A culmination of many years (a decade maybe?) of hard work and dedication; and a lot of nit-picking. We are hopeful that all the extra attention to detail and waiting pays off.
Initially we wanted to title the album OBSIDIAN EARTH; however the album has gone by many names at different times, all drawing from the lyrics of Obsidian Earth before ultimately we came across IMPERMANENCE. Not only did this describe the overall vibe of the album “that everything ultimately comes to end” but also a lot of what we struggled with during the myriad of lineup changes and perseverance through all of that.
To me (Aaron) one of the big overall themes to the album was that every choice we make has consequences. And most every decision is always selfish in the sense of self preservation. A lot of topics were talked about from politics to drug use to existentialism and in each one of these very deep personal choices were made. The consequences of which will always leave their mark. Perseverance through these moments is what makes us human and uniquely individual.
As some people may know there was a lot of setbacks during the process of recording this album. Devin leaving initially fueled the fire to really get stuff done and put together one of the most powerhouse lineups Atlanta has ever seen. For a good bit we almost there. Then, Cory leaving after the tracking of all the vocals was very unsettling. He tried to blame Aaron (Jews were always his scapegoat) but the fact was he had been slowly drifting down the whole Q-anon/trump train the entire time during the pandemic and distancing himself on an intellectual level from the rest of us. The way he went about it was very disrespectful and thus the choice was made to re-track all his parts ultimately leading to another year in production for the album. There are a few things left of course with him in it, as in lyrics and some backup vocals, but the way that he “left the band” was almost unforgivable. It was a very trying time indeed but Jason refused to let it take the band out and became the rock during those moments.
Being with a group of musicians who all like to contribute and are all excited about the music is often hard to find among the higher skill levels.
Overall this album establishes a foundation. One in which the fusing of multiple influences behind a singular purpose can make for very engaging music. There are many strong points on this album; the over-the-top drumming, the technical riffing, the lead work, the crispness of the vocals, the emphasis on lyrical cadences. All of which never seem to be overbearing or tiring and are tastefully executed. The melodies are there, the production quality is there and each members performance is all there catapulting the music to the forefront of metal evolution.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. So, back to the album art and album title there was this beautiful art we had made because we had aligned ourselves to the notion of naming the album “Obsidian Earth”. Well that quickly changed when two other Atlanta bands released titles with the word obsidia or obsidian in them. Even though we knew we had had this title long before the others we didn’t want to seem like a bunch of posers ya know so we decided to change the name. Well, that took forever and no one could come up with any clear winner as far as a title. There was always an argument or something that didn’t quite agree. We knew it had to reflect the content within but also the album cover itself. We ultimately had given up. Then one day we were having a party to “celebrate?” Shaving our drummers head when the topic of nothing lasting forever came up. Then someone mentioned the word “impermanence” as part of the conversation. Immediately Aaron interrupted and said, “that’s it! Thats the fucking album title. It’s perfect, it explains everything so well”. We thought about it more and the more we thought about it the more we realized how well it fit our story. The hardships of getting the album out and losing members to the obvious current state of the world. And of course, how well it surmised the subjects contained within the lyrics of each song.
2. As a lot of people know (or don’t), we went through some serious trials while trying to get this album out. From multiple members quitting, to having to retrack a lot of stuff and then ultimately getting a new mix to the album. But i think the wildest thing is how it forced us to have our drummer be the vocalist. It was all born out of necessity. After “this guy who shall not be named” tracked all the vocals he disappeared for two weeks then rage quit on us and tried to steal the Social Media pages and lock us out from our email and shared accounts. It was all very surreal. He also happened to be our singer and guitarist at the time. So the defeat kind of started to set in (yet again) because how do you replace not only a guitarist, but also the singer as well? At this point Aaron was basically like well I can give it a shot, considering he wrote most of the lyrics and came up with the cadences for all that stuff. It would be far easier to find just a lead guitarist than it would be to find someone who could also not only sing, but had the experience and comfortability to be the front man of the band. Less for one person to learn kind of situation but also keeps the integrity of the band alive as a new person could drastically alter the band’s sound. The real problem came with the fact that all the lyrics and cadences were written as if a guitarist would be singing. And it also didn’t help that all the drums were written very immersive with no thought of having to possibly ever sing over top of them. Then for a year Aaron busted his ass to make it work and by god, he fucking somehow pulled it off. But still we were all skeptical… could we really go out there on stage with our drummer as the front man especially since the vocals aren’t “typical” drummer style vocals of mostly grunts and shouting. So we did a few trial shows and Jason was basically like “welp, i guess this is our thing now”. And so we ran with it.
3. Tour Moment: We were in the middle of a run up the east coast, and right after we finished up a show in VA, on the way out of the venue, roughly a mile down the road we ended up getting a flat. After taking a few moments to figure out what the best course of action would be. We split the band in 2 groups, one group was handling insurance and a potential AAA rescue, while the other group walked back to the venue with the hope of recruiting some people who would help. Upon reaching the venue, we were absolutely swarmed with an overwhelming group of saviors @ the bar who took it upon themselves to immediately make us a part of their family, and see it through that we got our flat fixed and on the road within an hour. Truly a great moment of perseverance for the band, as well as a great moment for the mental community. Jason Davila (guitars)
4. One of the most meaningful aspects of Malefic is the sense of community we’ve built within the Atlanta metal scene. Over the years, the band has become a collective of talented musicians who have supported one another through different seasons of life and creativity. For example, when our debut album was announced and the accompanying press began rolling out, Andy McGraw was serving as our bassist. However, a significant portion of the album was actually written and recorded with contributions from our returning and current bassist, Doug Rosander. When Doug needed to step away for a period of time, Andy stepped in and helped keep the band moving forward. Now, with Andy stepping down to focus on life priorities, Doug has seamlessly returned to the lineup, and we haven’t missed a beat. That same spirit of collaboration has extended to other roles in the band as well, including guitarists, and speaks to the strength and camaraderie of the many incredible musicians who make up the Atlanta metal community. Jason Davila (Guitars)
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L-R – Andy McGraw – Bass ; Aaron Baumoel – Drums and Vocals ; Jason Davila – Guitars ; Sam Williams – Guitars
Photo by Jeri Mize IG@529jeri IG@vizions_of_mize.llc
Malefic are an established Atlanta-based melodic blackened death metal act known for their aggressive, atmospheric sound and high-intensity live performances. Originally formed in 2007, the band has become a staple of the Southeast extreme metal scene, combining black metal atmosphere, death metal precision, and thrash aggression into a sound that is both modern and distinctly their own.
Following years of development, lineup refinement, and songwriting evolution, Malefic released their debut full-length album, Impermanence, on February 13, 2026, via Terminus Hate City. The album has earned strong critical acclaim across multiple international metal publications, with reviewers praising its mature songwriting, technical musicianship, thematic depth, and unique approach to modern blackened metal.
DISCOGRAPHY:
2026 – Impermanence – LP
2022 – Blood of the Throne – Demo
2018 – Ancient Demo – Demo
2017 – Malefic Demo #2 – Demo
2007 – Malefic Demo #1 – Demo
0 EPK – Victoria Lies – Vendetta (2026) (Black Cat Records)
EPK – Victoria Lies – Vendetta (2026) (Black Cat Records)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We are trying to give the listener something new, not just screaming at them for 5 minutes a song for 10 songs; we want to take the listener on a journey with no shortage of twists and turns. The first single, I think, serves as an explosive introduction to the Victoria Lies universe. It’s hard-hitting right out of the gate and is laden with lore.” – Rory Fitzsimmons (Guitars)
“Each of the singles off this album is very different. While they are all very good on their own, each single opens the door to a certain side of the band’s sound.” – Jay Powell (Bass)
“We really wanted each song to hit a bit differently. We focused on really trying new things with each song, not as a necessity but instead to push ourselves outside our comfort zones and contribute to the unique sounds we wanted to achieve. Because it is a concept, I would really love for fans to speculate on what’s going to happen next!” – Brett Hetherington (vocals)
For fans of Bad Omens, Atreyu, AFI, Killswitch Engage, Dayseeker
Band: Victoria Lies
Album Name: Vendetta
Release Date: October 30, 2026
Label: Black Cat Records
Genre: Metalcore
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
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Band: Victoria Lies
Album Name: Vendetta
Release Date: October 30, 2026
Label: Black Cat Records
Genre: Metalcore
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
Track Listing:
1. Victoria – 1:40
2. We Ignite – 3:25
3. Terra Critical – 4:00
4. Laced With Hate – 6:30
5. Red – 2:44
6. Weaving Webs – 4:18
7. Trial by Fire – 3:33
8. Absurd – 4:21
9. Red Lips, Loaded Gun – 5:52
10. Ravens – 3:41
11. Truth and Sugar – 4:15
Album Length: 44:23
Album Credits:
Produced by Victoria Lies and Scott Bennett
Mixed by Scott Bennett
Mastered by Cody Anstey
Recorded at Interim Studios (Calgary, AB)
All songs performed by Victoria Lies
Album Artwork by Larissa Pinto
Album and Live Band Line-up:
Jay Powell (Bass)
Brett Hetherington (Vocals)
James Cuncanon (Drums)
Chris Koehler (Guitars)
Rory Fitzsimmons (Guitars)
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About The Album Artwork
The album artwork depicts Victoria walking through the streets, leaving behind her decay
The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)
Musically, I wanted to challenge myself with this album; I didn’t want to repeat myself, and I wanted to incorporate ideas from every corner of music. I wanted to create something that, when you hear it, you know that you are in Victoria’s universe. (Rory)
This album is built around a mysterious concept that gradually reveals itself through the course of the tracks. Alongside the narrative are songs that go beyond the storyline, exploring genuine emotion, personal experiences, and themes that resonate on a more individual level. Musically, the album moves between heavier sounds and more reflective moments, helping to shape the overall journey while also giving each song its individuality. – Brett
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Victoria -I wanted to set the scene, almost like you’re at a Broadway show. I feel like the track lets you know that we are in a dark world with a disturbing story – Rory
This song starts with a bang! What a great track to open this album with; it really sets a scene and gets your ears intrigued for what’s next. – Brett
We Ignite – It was the first riff I worked on for the album. My favourite part of this one has to be the bridge; we break it down, and you know something big is coming. – Rory
It’s funny that the second track on the album has literally nothing to do with Victoria, but at the same time, it is so important to Victoria Lies. This song really defines our sound, and kind of acts like a demo to give the listener an idea of what’s to come. I think it was the first song we wrote as Victoria Lies.
This song is actually based on a recurring nightmare I have of the world going into an apocalypse. Pretty metal. – Brett
Terra Critical – This one started life after I was messing around with some Tosin Abasi-type chords, and at the same time, Jay and Brett showed me a song that they were each digging. One was Silver Tongues by I the Mighty. It has a really cool verse that I just couldn’t shake outta my head, and that’s when the Abasi chords came in. The other was Nowhere To Go by Bad Omens, and that’s where the inspiration for the chorus and bridge came from. My favourite part of the song has to be just before the final chorus after the bridge. There is a 4-bar break that makes me think of being in the eye of a storm. Chaos all around you, but you are in the space of calm and tranquility for a brief moment. – Rory
The third song has GOT to be about Victoria, right? Wrong! Yet another earlier song in Victoria Lies’ history. This song has one of my favorite beginnings on the album. The Earth is fed up with our shit, and it’s too late to say sorry. – Brett
Laced With Hate – I don’t know what I was thinking here. I love to play somewhat unconventionally. I don’t like to use the same tired techniques that only serve the guitarist’s ego. (Sweep picking is a prime example of a technique that sounds awful, but it’s difficult and showcases the guitarist’s skill). So two-handed tapping it is! (which I know also sounds douchy) It just sounds so nice with a crystal clear guitar tone. -Rory
This is the first track on the album that dives into the world of Victoria Lies. This song has been around longer than Victoria Lies, but it has evolved so much from what it was. This song shows a glimpse of Victoria’s situation before her change and what might have led to her future decisions. While telling a story about Victoria, it can also paint a picture of what real spousal abuse can look like. – Brett
Red – This song drove me nuts. Brett, Jay, and I were in the studio trying to write, and they both had a clear idea of what they wanted to do…. I, however, did not. They wanted a really simple, hard-hitting song (which I agreed with), but I always like to throw a lot of variation into what I write, so it was really difficult to rein that in. Every 5 minutes, I had Jay slapping my knuckles, telling me to do less. When we got to the chorus, I was allowed to let loose somewhat.
Red in my eyes is the defining moment when Victoria becomes Victoria. The specific moment that triggers every event that follows in the story. It comes in heavy, disorienting, and with urgency. I wanted this song to convey the chaos in Victoria’s mind at the moment when her life turns over on itself, and a new purpose arises. I love the contrast between the verses and the chorus. – Brett
Weaving Webs – Even though not a part of the Victoria universe directly, this one lyrically talks about how we all can see and communicate across the world. We can all see the terrible things that are happening. The same lies that have been told for decades no longer hold any ground, and we can now see who the real villains are. We will not forget. – Brett
Weaving Webs – Was inspired initially by an Attack, Attack! Song, as I said earlier, I like to utilize ideas from all different styles of music. So the intro to the track was a really fun side quest to go see if a crazy idea I had would work. – Rory
Trial by Fire – This was one that Jay and I worked on. We were in the studio just staring at a blank canvas and had no idea what we wanted to do, then Jay busted out an old riff he came up with in high school, and BOOM, we had the main riff! Once we had that, it was pretty easy to get the rest of the song in the bag. – Rory
This song steps back from the concept and instead explores our feelings surrounding gun violence. I had read a story about a shooting that happened in Canada at a wedding over someone being jealous or whatever stupid reason. I think about the children in the States. Being a father, it terrifies me to hear of the violence that happens there on a day-to-day basis involving children. I just wanted to essentially yell about it. Thus, the lyrics to Trail by Fire. – Brett
Absurd – Ahhhh, everyone’s darling! I love this song; I think it means more to me than people think. In my mind, two clear parts define this song: the verse and the first chorus. The verse/intro was written with my brother in mind. He passed away from cancer at 19. But this part of the song just reminds me of how we would go out on the town together in Edinburgh and get ourselves into trouble. And then the chorus was written with my mother in mind, who I lost during COVID. It came out when I was just feeling the feels one day, thinking about her. – Rory
This might be everyone’s favorite; I know it’s mine. The night of the murder… This song really sets a scene and takes you through a harrowing night of deception and murder. The sounds on this track are very powerful, and they successfully lend to the moments where Victoria is in her head, speaking how she truly feels. We got to explore some new sounds with this track as well, which I think turned out very well. – Brett
Red Lips, Loaded Gun – This is definitely one of the more lore-heavy tracks on the album. It follows Victoria as she goes away to get her revenge on the person who wronged her. We try not to be heavy-handed with how we want to guide listeners because we really want to know how people interpret Victoria and her actions, but on this track we did a bit more guiding. We let listeners learn that Victoria is a moniker, not a real name, and they get to hear the more human side of her as she makes a phone call to a loved one. Musically and lyrically, this is one of the more different tracks on the album where we experimented more with a more groovy rhythm and poetic, symbolic lyrics. – Jay
Ravens – Outside the concept, for the last time. “ The ravens in my mind,” these ravens represent the voices in everyone’s head that tell you to do this, do that. The bad decisions you know you probably shouldn’t follow through with, but some people do. The urges that get you into trouble sometimes are how you just can’t control yourself. This song is another heavy hitter, but also surprisingly really easy to dance to. – Brett
Truth and Sugar – I really enjoyed writing the lyrics to this song; it was a new challenge for me as I had never written a song that had two lead singers before. I wanted it to be a duet but feature the guest vocals more heavily than my own. This allowed me to really play with vocal layer ideas. This song follows our current-day Victoria now that she has some experience and confidence. She is far from finished. This was all just a memory. – Brett
====================================================
Fun Facts – Story Angles:
1. During one of the Vendetta sessions, when we were recording Red, it was the final of the Euro football competition, with Rory’s childhood team, England, competing. So our dear producer Scott took it upon himself to “borrow” his mother’s TV and set it up in the studio for us to watch. Rory then proceeded to yell at the TV for 90+ minutes, which caused the people tracking to make mistakes. Which he then yelled at them for fucking up. All this yelling really helped Brett get in the mindset for laying down his screams on one of our angriest songs.
2. Another dangerous situation that is funny now, but at the time was pretty scary, was when our other guitarist, Chris, nearly sliced his fretting fingers off. When he showed up with his hand wrapped in bandages to track “Truth and Sugar”, we assumed that he, being altruism personified, had sacrificed his appendages to save a puppy from a ravenous black bear. But no, it was because he was cutting a bagel.
====================================================
L-R – Jay Powell (Bass), Brett Hetherington (vocals), James Cuncanon (Drums), Chris Koehler (Guitars), Rory Fitzsimmons (Guitars)
Photo Credit – Heather Kim
Victoria Lies is a Canadian metalcore band pushing the boundaries of its genre with intense, narrative-driven lyrics, heavy grooves, and graceful technicality. By integrating theatrical elements (such as props and a dancer who plays the role of Victoria) with dynamic melodies that cross genre lines, the band aims to deliver a fresh and compelling sound. Originally formed in 2023, the current lineup consists of vocalist Brett Hetherington, drummer James Cuncannon, guitarists Chris Koehler and Rory Fitzsimmons, and bassist Jay Powell. Their singles “Trial By Fire” (May 2024), “…Ready for it?” (December 2024), and “Zerotonin” (May 2025) have garnered thousands of plays across streaming services and serve as a bombastic introduction to the Victora Lies universe. Having played in locations across Alberta, including their hometown of Calgary, Drumheller, Lethbridge, and Edmonton, the quintet is set on connecting with their audience through their electrifying live performances. They have played Gatorfest II in Calgary, AB, and also Decimate Metalfest in Millet, AB. Victoria Lies’ first full-length album is set for release in October 2026.
Album and Live Band Line-up:
Jay Powell (Bass)
Brett Hetherington (Vocals)
James Cuncanon (Drums)
Chris Koehler (Guitars)
Rory Fitzsimmons (Guitars)
Discography:
October 2026 – Vendetta – LP
May 2024 – Trial by Fire (single)
Dec 2024 – Ready for it (single)
May 2025 – Zerotonin (single)
Dec 2025 – Just Keep Breathing (single)
Shared Stage with:
Into Eternity, Famous Strangers, The Path Less Traveled, Eye of Horus, Our Last Crusade, Ignite, Citizen Rage, Godfall, Black Friday, Balrogath, Astral Prophets
Tours and Festivals:
2026 – Ampfest – Canmore, AB
2026 – Alt Waves – Medicine Hat, AB
2025 – Decimate Metalfest – Millet, AB
2025 – Serenade Metalfest – Edmonton, AB
2025 – Gatorfest – Calgary, AB
0 EPK – Destroy My Brains – WILT (2026)
EPK – Destroy My Brains – WILT (2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“Wilt is the finale of the last 4 albums we have written. Worthless, InsignifiCan’t, Lifeless, Tormented. We had the idea all the way back when we were writing Worthless to make 4 albums, and we already picked the titles of the albums so that all the first letters would spell WILT. Most bands never make it this far in their lifespan, but we have and completed our goal. Wilt is keeping the classic ideals of old and new DMB albums and combining them, mixed with better, more experienced production, and here we are with the best-sounding DMB album to date, hands down. It has it all that we are known for. Pure hatred full blast as hard as you can, screaming vocals, thunderous, creative, and infectious drumming with over-the-top fills, thick as motor oil bass, and emotionally driven riff-laden guitars touching in doom/sludge and punk styles of riffing. We are pleased to degrade and devolve you while you take in our sonic displeasures.” – Jarret – Vocals, Guitar – Destroy My Brains
For fans of Eyehategod, Crowbar, Buzz-oven, Acid Bath, Electric Wizard
All Links: https://linktr.ee/destroymybrains
Facebook.com/DMBdestroymybrians | Instagram.com/destroymybrains | Youtube.com/@destroymybrains3883
Destroymybrains.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music
“Lyrically, this is a hateful and hopeless screed, the vicious and fatalistic thoughts of someone falling apart and drowning in intoxicants.” No Clean Singing (Decontribute single off Wilt – 2026)
“The riffing swarms like carnivorous insects; the bass brutally thunders; the drums cut like a dismembering ax; and the vocals sound like a screaming person being strangled, in arms with a growling pit bull.” No Clean Singing
“Catharsis has been defined as “the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.” DESTROY MY BRAINS is a vehicle created to do just that.” – Doomed & Stoned (Tormented – 2022)
“a coup de grace of sludgy Crowbar riffs and throat shredding screams of hate” Those Once Loyal (Tormented – 2022)
Release Date: August 14, 2026
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release
Location of Band: Lloydminster, SK/AB
1. OCI (Obsessive Compulsive Imploder) – 4:32
2. Burn The Virgin – 10:30
3. Decontribute – 7:28
4. Avulsion – 7:08
5. Downgrade – 5:14
6. Spill – 9:30
7. Wilt – 11:40
Album Length: 56:03
• All songs written by: Destroy My Brains
• Produced by: Doom Tomb Recording Studio – Jarret
• Mixed by: Doom Tomb Recording Studio – Jarret
• Mastered by: Doom Tomb Recording Studio – Jarret
• Album Artwork by: Naufal Alwy
About The Album Artwork:
The artwork was a commission piece from Naufal Awly. I gave him my ideas, and he brought it to life in spades. On the cover, the main attraction is a Wendigo. We are from the prairies of Canada, and Native American culture is all around us at all times. I grew up learning of an evil spirit called the Wendigo that roams the forests and can possess men and turn them into diseased cannibals. Also, the Wendigo is the bringer of starvation, desperation, and rot, which fit the name Wilt very nicely. So we went with that idea, and he killed it for us. We have a very large selection of album art merch coming featuring the art!
About The Album (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
As a whole, the album is an ode to pain, trauma, and hate so thick you can touch it. It’s riffs on top of riffs, and songs about ruin and degradation. This album is not for the average listener lyrically, but the music is going to pull people in without knowing what the songs are about. I can’t wait to subliminally fuck with people’s minds.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. OCI (obsessive compulsive imploder)
We wanted this album to hit hard right out of the gate when someone puts it on, enter OCI. Skill-wise, the main riff is 3 notes, but we do it in classic DMB fashion where the picking evolves to make the riff more intense as it moves forward, accompanied by Jadan’s furious drumming; the album opens hard. The lyrics are inspired by the mental disorder of OCD, but take form by unloading how it feels inside as things are not working out for the OCD mind. Anxiety, discomfort, and compulsive pull of feelings that cannot be ignored. Later on, concluding with a huge riff and being locked up in a mental institution.
2. BURN THE VIRGIN
Ritual sacrifice to summon the lord of darkness unto the sick earth is the theme of this song. We wanted to change gears right after opening hard with OCI, so we placed BTV right in its shadow. The song begins melodic with storytelling lyrics of a virgin sacrifice to Baphomet and his master Satan. The cult chains the offerings upside down and burns them alive, on the eve of
Walpurgisnacht in an attempt to summon their infernal Overlord. As the song progresses, it leads to a total shift in riffing. Doom-laden slimy riffs and pounding drums bring the song into its next phase. As the cultists watch the offerings burn, they become intoxicated with the pleasures of their deeds completed.
3. DECONTRIBUTE
Decontribute is basically a tribute to Destroy My Brains’ long-standing goal of degrading and devolving the world and everyone in it, including ourselves. We are told when we are young to grow up, go to school, get a job, and contribute to society, but DMB have a different goal. Degenerating and misleading everyone along with themselves into a destroyed world of misery and chaos. “YOU CAN WATCH ME, FALL APART, DESCENDING, TAKING YOU, ALONG WITH ME, I DECONTRIBUTE TO REALITY.” This is classic DMB, but a new mastered version. Degraded and devolved.
4. AVULSION
Avulsion is a continuation of the 5 previous albums of willful self-destruction. Being completely ripped apart, skin from underlying tissues, ligament and tendon from bone. This is the definition of Avulsion, and DMB uses that as a metaphor for being internally torn apart mentally by a life of personal torment, life-destroying decisions, and the loss of will to live. This is the doomiest song on the whole album, and the melodic leads at the end mixed with the pained anguished screams will stick in your head for days.
5. DOWNGRADE
Going back to Destroy My Brains’ punkish roots is the Sludgelord’s opus Downgrade. Following in suit with the themes of ruin, Downgrade unfolds a story of two people. One is a sadistic manipulator, and the other is the soon-to-be ruined victim of their friend, or who they think is their friend, ultimately ruining their lives on drugs and overdosing. In the song, the manipulator claims to be doing this work of ruin for Satan, and believes the Devil himself is working through him. The song ends with an ultra headbanger sludge riff and extremely vile, dishonest lyrics.
6. SPILL
Spill is a personal song that touches on mental, verbal, and physical violence many people experience as children growing up in homes where hate is present. The experiences and damage dealt, and their lasting effects are present here. The song has many changes and shifts, as someone would as they grow older, but the underlying problem is always there, and the wounds of the heart never heal. “I CAN’T FEEL, I DON’T FEEL, I WON’T FEEL, ANYTHING EVER…” These are the final lyrics of the song. It’s the moments when you’ve emotionally shut down and shut out the world from the abuses listed beforehand. This song was painful to write.
7. WILT
The ultimate conclusion to the 5 album series. Wilt stands tall and ominous like a wall of black clouds filled with turmoil, hatred, pain, confusion, and don’t forget giant riffs and atmosphere. The song is about something many of us sadly know too much about, and it’s child abuse. “YOU DESTROYED THE CHILD WITHIN ME” is how the song opens overtop of one of the darkest-sounding sonic moments DMB has ever put into a recording. This tragic song continues its onslaught for 11 mins, and would be best described as tragic. We recommend reading the lyrics to this song and the whole album to finally understand the real reason and message behind the music.
STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND
1. The Destroy My Brains band was formed when Jarret and Jadan smoked a bong called the Green Spiritual Bastard.
2. The band has had a previous member named Jeremy Seery who has been in and out of the band 2 times. He played bass on the original S/T demo and also played guitar on InsignifiCan’t. He also wrote some riffs for the song Pure Filth on Lifeless. He was a totally unhinged human, and we miss him.
3. At most shows we play, almost all the bands that play before us say, “Are you ready to get your brains destroyed?” and we hate it.
4. At our 1st show, our friend Kyle Fluney announced us as Destroy Your Brains. Thanks Kyle, you whore.
5. 3 out of 4 of the members of the band work in the industrial fields, and don’t get the same days off very often, so it’s hard to jam and play shows. We do only a few every year, or sometimes not at all for longer than a year, so if you ever see us pop up on a show poster, please come out and check us out. We give 110% on stage, and all of our shows mean so much to us. They are beyond important. Don’t be afraid and throw down with us.
Destroy My Brains – L-R – Rob – Bass, Jarret – Vocals, Guitar, Chase – Guitar, Jadan – Drums
Destroy My Brains is the sound of the Canadian prairies (Lloydminster, SK/AB) rotting from the inside out, a doom/sludge monstrosity born from bong‑fumed nihilism, self‑harm mythology, and a lifelong commitment to sonic degradation. Formed when Jarret and Jadan were blasting riffs and ripping bowls from the infamous Green Spiritual Bastard, the band took shape the moment Jarret dropped the name he’d forged at 15 during a spiral of drugs and self‑destructive chaos: Destroy My Brains, not a slogan, but a lifestyle.
From day one, DMB has weaponized trauma, addiction, hatred, and psychological collapse into riffs thick enough to suffocate and drums violent enough to bruise bone. Their sound is a festering hybrid of Crowbar‑worshipping sludge, Eyehategod‑level filth, and punk‑driven anarchy, delivered with vocals that peel the flesh off the front row. As Jarret puts it, “I scream so fucking hard live people in the front are often pelted by throat chunks, spit, or worse.”
Their five‑album WILT saga, Worthless (2018), InsignifiCan’t (2020), Lifeless (2020), Tormented (2022), and the final chapter WILT (2026), is a descent into human ruin unmatched in Canadian extreme metal. WILT stands as their most punishing statement yet, speaking on childhood abuse, riffs stacked like collapsing buildings, and lyrics carved from real trauma. The Wendigo‑themed artwork embodies the band’s ethos: starvation, rot, possession, and the slow death of the self.
Destroy My Brains writes collaboratively, violently, and obsessively. Jarret brings hundreds of lyrics born from “furious hate and pain,” Chase supplies riffs that glue the sludge together, Rob’s bass hits like industrial machinery, and Jadan’s drumming is a clinic in improvised punishment. They record in Jarret’s Doom Tomb Studio, where vocal takes end in migraines, puking, or worse, because anything less than total physical collapse isn’t DMB.
Live, they are a rare event, industrial‑field workers who can barely align schedules, meaning every show is a once‑in‑a‑year detonation. Guitars stay heavy as sin, bass stays loud, drums stay feral, and vocals stay louder than the sound guy wants. If you see their name on a poster, you’re not attending a show; you’re entering a controlled demolition.
Destroy My Brains is not here to entertain. They’re here to degrade, devolve, and infect. Sludge for people who want their music to hurt. Doom for listeners who understand that suffering is a genre. Hate music from the Canadian prairies, sharpened, hardened, and ready to ruin you.
Aggrofest – Headlined 2021 Crystal Springs SK Outdoors
Electric Highway – Opened 2023 Calgary AB Dickens PubShared Stage with:
Kryotic, Display of Decay, Decrepitation, Doomsday Grin, Hooker Spit, Repugnant Scum, Skinwalker, Terrsix, Ashes of Yggdrasil, Brain Stem, Powerload, Citizen Rage… lots more…
0 EPK – Shiverwood Shade – Escaping Darkness (2025)
EPK – Shiverwood Shade – Escaping Darkness (2025)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“Escaping Darkness represents our most personal and ambitious work to date. Over the years, we’ve experienced challenges, growth, setbacks, and victories that shaped not only who we are as individuals but also who we are as a band. This album captures those experiences through a combination of heavy music, cinematic storytelling, and honest emotion. We wanted to create an album that listeners could experience from beginning to end—a journey through darkness, doubt, resilience, and ultimately hope. While the record explores difficult emotions and personal struggles, its message is ultimately one of strength and perseverance. We hope listeners find pieces of their own story within these songs.” – Shiverwood Shade
For fans of Linkin Park, Bring Me the Horizon, Story of the Year, Breaking Benjamin, Architects
ShiverwoodShade.com | Facebook.com/swsprod20 | 𝗫.com/ShiverwoodS | Youtube.com/@SWS449 | Instagram.com/shiverwoodhsade
Shiverwood.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music
“Shiverwood Shade’s song “Pulling Away” begins with melancholy synths before the guitars explode with a powerful mix of punk and nu metal riffs. -Skylight Webzine
“Escaping Darkness: Shiverwood Shade on Chaos, Catharsis, and a Modern Nu‑Metal Pulse” – Wall Mag
“Exploring themes of inner struggle, resilience and transformation, Escaping Darkness balances aggressive riffs with melodic passages and atmospheric synth layers. Tracks such as Crawling Back and Holding On showcase the band’s signature mix of raw intensity and emotional depth”. -Rock Street Journal, India
Band: Shiverwood Shade
Album Title: Escaping Darkness
Release Date: December 26, 2025
Label: From The Depths Entertainment
Distribution: Songdew Network (India)
Genre: Nu Metal/Post hardcore/Alternative Rock
Location of Band: Kolkata, India
Track Listing:
1. Intro – 1:02
2. Pulling Away – 4:14
3. Facing Darkness – 3:53
4. Holding On – 3:37
5. Crawling Back – 3:54
6. Walking In Circles – 4:50
7. Alone – 3:12
8. Lost – 3:50
9. Haunted – 3:39
10. Divided By Hate – 4:06
11. Break Free – 3:21
Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Shiverwood Shade
• All songs written by: Shiverwood Shade
• Produced by: Shiverwood Shade
• Mixed by: Shiverwood Shade
• Mastered by: Shiverwood Shade
• Album Artwork by: Shiverwood Shade
Album Band Line-up:
Gaurav Ghosh – Vocal
Anupam Ghosh-Guitar
Saptarshi Basu-Bass
Manav Kundu-Keys
Sayan Pal-Drums
Monish Mallick-Guitar
Live Band Line-up:
Gaurav Ghosh – Vocal
Anirban Bhattacharya-Vocal
Anupam Ghosh-Guitar
Saptarshi Basu-Bass
Manav Kundu-Keys
Sayan Pal-Drums
Monish Mallick-Guitar
====================================================
About The Album Artwork:
Lyrically, “Escaping Darkness” explores themes of inner conflict, healing, resilience, self-discovery, and personal growth. Musically, the album combines crushing riffs, atmospheric textures, cinematic layers, soaring melodies, and emotionally charged performances. The album balances heaviness with vulnerability, creating a diverse yet cohesive listening experience.
Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
This track-by-track breakdown explores the musical and lyrical themes of the album, focusing on a journey through emotional struggles and ultimate liberation.
1. Pulling Away (4:14)
Musical/Lyrical: Combines ominous synthwave with heavy nu-metal, with lyrics focusing on the pain of separating from a toxic environment.
2. Facing Darkness (3:53)
Musical/Lyrical: Features industrial, groove-heavy sounds with lyrics about confronting internal demons and trauma.
3. Holding On (3:37)
Musical/Lyrical: Driven by a melodic, bass-heavy sound with lyrics about the exhaustion of fighting internal battles.
4. Crawling Back (3:54)
Musical/Lyrical: A chaotic, high-energy track with lyrics detailing the frustration of personal relapses.
5. Walking In Circles (4:50)
Musical/Lyrical: A progressive,, long-form track featuring lyrics about feeling stuck in mental loops.
6. Alone (3:12)
Musical/Lyrical: A minimalist, intimate song that builds to an explosive finish, with lyrics about the pain and necessity of isolation.
7. Lost (3:50)
Musical/Lyrical: A high-tempo nu-metal track, exploring the feeling of losing one’s identity and direction.
8. Haunted (3:39)
Musical/Lyrical: A dark, industrial track with lyrics focused on being plagued by past memories and regrets.
9. Divided By Hate (4:06)
Musical/Lyrical: The heaviest track on the album, with lyrics examining the destructive nature of internal and external anger.
10. Break Free (3:21)
Musical/Lyrical: An uplifting, anthemic finale that signifies the end of the emotional journey and achieving personal freedom.
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STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND
1. Shiverwood Shade has been active since 2012 and has performed across India at major college festivals including IIT Kharagpur, IIIT Gwalior, and ITM.
2. The band’s sound combines Nu Metal, Post-Hardcore, and cinematic elements, creating a style they describe as “Cinematic Metal.”
3. The album “Escaping Darkness” was built around the concept of overcoming adversity and finding hope through difficult experiences.
4. Every member contributes creatively to the songwriting process, making each track a true collaborative effort.
5. Shiverwood Shade has been featured by international and national rock and metal platforms including Rock Rage Radio and Rock Street Journal,W.O.A FM99(UK) aired by billboard charting artist “Oliver Sean” who himself has commented on the band and their music.
6. The 1,500-Kilometre Rebirth
Originally founded in Gwalior back in 2013, the band built their early live identity winning foundational college battles like Spring Fest IIT Kharagpur. However, the creative core underwent a massive cross-country evolution, completely reforming 1,500 kilometres away in Kolkata in 2022 with a brand-new lineup. This literal geographical relocation mirrors the sonic transition of Escaping Darkness—leaving behind past science-fiction themes to build a tight, unified underground metal brotherhood from scratch.
7. Sonic Hybridization Over Pure Metal
While the record is clearly anchored in heavy guitar riffs, the band purposefully integrated non-traditional electronic textures into their production. By overlaying standard post-hardcore and nu-metal with industrial elements, EDM, and synthwave, they deliberately broke genre boundaries. The band chose to craft long, complex song arrangements explicitly to take listeners to entirely different musical places, treating electronics as cinematic narrative tools rather than simple background tracking.
8. Despite maintaining deep roots in the Indian independent circuit, the band engineered a massive leap onto the global stage for this specific album rollout. They successfully bridged the gap between Eastern metal composition and Western distribution by signing with US-based label From The Depths Entertainment alongside global backing from MN2S in the UK. This international push earned them a feature on the UK’s Laura Beth Show,W.O.A.FM99,Rock Rage Radio(USA) etc. proving that their intensely personal, therapeutic themes resonate far beyond local borders.
(Top L-R: Shiverwood Shade Line Up | Sayan Pal (Drums) | Saptarshi Basu (Bass) | Manav Kundu(Synth) | Gaurav Ghosh (Lead Vocals) | Monish Mallick (Guitar) | Anupam (Guitar)
Photo Credit – Indranil Chowdhury
Shiverwood Shade is an alternative/groove metal outfit originally formed in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), India, in late 2013. The band quickly made a name for themselves in the Indian independent circuit, winning high-profile national college music festivals, including Spring Fest at IIT Kharagpur. Their early material was heavily inspired by science fiction, space concepts, and progressive metal arrangements, serving as an outlet for their musical interests at that stage in their lives.
Discography:
2026 – Myself – Single
2025 – Escaping Darkness- Album
2016 – Humanity-EP
SHARED STAGE WITH:
IF HOPE DIES(India), VIRUS (India)
TOURS AND FESTIVALS YOU HAVE PERFORMED ON.
2026 – Chasing Daylight Tour, Ashutosh College-Kolkata, India
2016 – Spring Fest, IIT Kharagpur – Kharagpur, India
2015 – JCI Gwalior Rock Band Fest-Gwalior, India
2014 – Rock Knock, ITM University – Gwalior, India
Corporate sponsors/artist endorsements:
M.G.Motors
0 Shores of Null – Homesick (2026) (Dusktone)
Shores of Null – Homesick (2026) (Dusktone)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“I think Homesick is meant to be experienced as a whole rather than as a collection of separate songs. It is a record that moves through different emotional states: longing, loss, anger, vulnerability, and the need to find a place to belong. We wanted it to feel immersive, with songs that can hit hard in the moment but also reveal more of themselves over repeated listens.
The singles will offer different entry points into the album, each showing a different side of its sound and emotional weight. But the full picture only comes together when you listen to the record from beginning to end. Hopefully, it will be an intense and personal experience for anyone willing to spend time with it.” – Davide Straccione – Vocals – Shores of Null
For fans of Paradise Lost, Amorphis, Swallow The Sun, Katatonia, Borknagar
Shoresofnull.com | Facebook.com/shoresofnull | Instagram.com/shoresofnull | X.com/shoresofnull | Youtube.com/user/shoresofnull
Shoresofnull.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Amazon
Dusktone Label: https://www.dusktone.it/ | https://dusktone.bandcamp.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/dusktone/ | https://www.facebook.com/dusktone
“Italy’s Shores Of Null return with first single from album HOMESICK due October. This is ‘Bleed To Life,’ a darkly atmospheric piece of modern metal fusing power metal melody and drama with doom and a touch of death metal heaviness.” – Loud Enough Magazine
Album Title: Homesick
Release Date: October 16, 2026
Label: Dusktone
Genre: Gothic Doom Metal / Melodic Death Doom Metal
Location of Band: Rome, Italy
Track Listing:
1. Allies Before Defeat – 4:35
2. Two Mountains – 4:34
3. Bleed to Life – 4:09
4. Homesick – 5:31
5. Son of the Tide – 4:18
6. Dreaming of a Scar – 5:08
7. Society Is the Murderer – 4:30
8. The Numbing Void – 6:18
9. Another Breath – 3:52
10. Disappear – 4:33
Album Length: 47:32
Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Shores Of Null
• All songs written by: Gabriele Giaccari and Raffaele Colace
• All lyrics by: Davide Straccione (except ‘Allies Before Defeat’ by Matteo Capozucca)
• Produced by: Shores Of Null and Marco Mastrobuono
• Mixed by: Marco Mastrobuono
• Mastered by: Marco Mastrobuono
• Album Artwork by: Brooke Shaden
Album and Live Band Line-up:
Davide Straccione – Vocals
Gabriele Giaccari – Guitars
Raffaele Colace – Guitars
Matteo Capozucca – Bass
Emiliano Cantiano – Drums
==============================================
About The Album Artwork:
Some artworks illustrate an album. Others seem to have been waiting for it. That’s exactly how we felt when we discovered Reflection: Departed, a piece by photographer and visual artist Brooke Shaden from her Begin Again series, which we ultimately chose as the cover artwork for Homesick. The artwork portrays a figure climbing through an empty frame, leaving behind shattered pieces of glass on the ground. As Brooke describes it, the frame represents the way we frame our lives and the places we look to in search of belonging and a sense of self. But here the glass is shattered, and the frame stands empty. Is she breaking free from her cage, or becoming trapped even further inside it? That ambiguity resonates deeply with the concept of Homesick. The album revolves around the contradiction contained within the idea of homesickness itself: the longing to return to something familiar, while knowing that what we call “home” may also be the source of our pain. Throughout the record, home becomes something far more complex than a physical place. It can be a person, a memory, a state of mind, or a former version of ourselves. It can comfort us, but it can also haunt us. The artwork captures that tension beautifully. The figure is neither arriving nor leaving, neither free nor imprisoned, suspended between departure and return, much like the emotional space inhabited by the songs themselves. For us, nostalgia is not simply a refuge. It is also the courage to face the past and the realization that, however painful it may be, our history is what ultimately shaped who we are.
About the album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Lyrically, Homesick revolves around the idea of belonging and the complicated relationship we have with the places, people, memories, and experiences that shaped us. At its core lies the contradiction contained within the very idea of homesickness: the longing to return to something familiar while knowing that what we call “home” may also be the source of our pain. Many of the songs deal with nostalgia, loss, trauma, mortality, acceptance, and the difficult process of reconciling with our past rather than escaping from it. There is also a recurring sense of cycles throughout the record: tides, seasons, memories and emotions constantly returning, reminding us that some things never truly leave us, but perhaps can eventually be understood and embraced.
Musically, I think Homesick represents the most mature and focused version of Shores Of Null so far. The different elements that have always been part of our sound now coexist more naturally than ever before, always serving the emotional core of the songs rather than existing for their own sake. The result is probably our most intimate and emotionally honest record to date, but also one of our heaviest and most dynamic. At the same time, it contains some of the catchiest and most memorable melodies we’ve ever written, like‘Bleed To Life’ or ‘Two Mountains’. It is an album that lives in contrasts: light and darkness, comfort and danger, despair and acceptance, departure and return. Sounds like home.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. ALLIES BEFORE DEFEAT
This was always meant to be the opening track of the album. It immediately establishes the emotional direction of Homesick, combining explosive energy with a deep sense of melancholy. Lyrically, it explores the complex relationship between love, support, suffering, and separation, and was written by our bassist Matteo Capozucca.
2. TWO MOUNTAINS
Probably the catchiest song we’ve ever written. The lyrics are inspired by the Legend of Maja, an ancient story from Abruzzo, the region where I was born and still live today. It’s a tale of maternal love, grief, and sacrifice that has been passed down through generations and remains deeply rooted in the identity of our land.
3. BLEED TO LIFE
One of the most aggressive and in-your-face songs on the record, but also one of the most melodic. The song revolves around the idea that pain, sacrifice and suffering are not only things we endure, but experiences that shape who we become and ultimately bring us closer to life itself.
4. HOMESICK
The first song ever written for the album and the one that gave the entire record its title and emotional core. It explores the idea of home as something deeply ambiguous: a place of comfort and belonging, but also of fear, pain, and memories we can never fully leave behind.
5. SON OF THE TIDE
Built around crushing growl-driven verses and an epic chorus, the song explores themes of solitude, destiny and belonging through imagery connected to the sea, which becomes a metaphor for the forces that shape our lives and the paths we inherit rather than choose.
6. DREAMING OF A SCAR
Musically, it sits somewhere between melodic death metal and gothic rock atmospheres, opening with a piano and violin introduction that immediately sets the mood for the journey ahead. The violin was performed by Shaun MacGowan of My Dying Bride, whose contribution adds another layer of melancholy and elegance to the song. Lyrically, it’s a dialogue between childhood and adulthood, reflecting on the passing of time and the desire to hold on to the wonder and dreams of our younger selves, even as life slowly changes us.
7. SOCIETY IS THE MURDERER
Probably one of the most unusual songs of the platter, built around some unconventional ideas and arrangements. It’s also entirely sung with clean vocals. Lyrically, it deals with our relationship with failure and the pressure of living in a society that glorifies success while often condemning those who fall short of it. It’s ultimately an invitation not to fear failure, but to accept it as an inevitable and valuable part of our journey.
8. THE NUMBING VOID
Featuring guest vocals by Natalie Koskinen of Shape Of Despair, this song ventures into more death doom territory, while opening up into melodic passages during the chorus. In many ways, it feels like a spiritual successor to Beyond The Shores. Lyrically, it explores grief, mortality and the helplessness that often follows the loss of someone close to us, along with the regret that so often comes with realizing there was never as much time as we thought there would be.
9. ANOTHER BREATH
After the slowest and most introspective moment on the album, this song arrives like a bolt from the blue. Driven by recurring blast beats and abrasive energy, it reflects the anxiety, loneliness and relentless repetition that often define modern life.
10. DISAPPEAR
The closing track of the album and yet another example of how central melody remains to our songwriting. Despite dealing with themes of loss, surrender and acceptance, the song carries one of the most memorable choruses on the record, almost inviting the listener into one final singalong before the journey comes to an end.
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Photo Credit – Arianna Savo
Shores of Null stand out as one of Italy’s most compelling and forward‑thinking metal acts, defined by their ability to merge seemingly disparate elements into a seamless, emotionally charged whole. Their sound is overwhelmingly heavy yet deeply soothing: blackened aggression intertwines with gothic‑doom melancholy, while chorale‑like guitar textures stretch across the instrument’s full range. A powerful rhythmic backbone supports a refined interplay of clean and growled vocals, enriched by the lush harmonies that have become the band’s unmistakable trademark.
Formed in Rome in 2013, Shores of Null quickly established themselves within the metal underground through a series of acclaimed releases. Their debut “Quiescence” (Candlelight, 2014) introduced a melodic and somber approach, followed by the darker and more intricate “Black Drapes For Tomorrow” (Candlelight/Spinefarm, 2017). In 2020, the band unveiled the ambitious “Beyond The Shores (On Death And Dying)” (Spikerot Records), a 38‑minute doom opus featuring guest appearances from Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow The Sun), Thomas A.G. Jensen (Saturnus), and Elisabetta Marchetti (Inno), further cementing their reputation for bold, immersive songwriting.
Their fourth album, “The Loss Of Beauty” (2023), was hailed as one of the genre’s standout releases of the year. Shores of Null supported it with an extensive EU/UK tour alongside Swallow The Sun, Draconian, and Avatarium, followed by major festival appearances at Hellfest, Rock Imperium, 70000 Tons of Metal, and more, solidifying their status as one of the rising forces in contemporary melodic death doom.
In 2025, the band released “Beauty Over Europe,” a powerful live album capturing the raw emotional weight and commanding presence of their performances across the continent. The same year, they announced “Latitudes of Sorrow,” a highly anticipated split with Finnish funeral doom masters Convocation, offering a profound exploration of grief, atmosphere, and sonic heaviness.
Now, Shores of Null return with their most ambitious and accomplished work to date. “Homesick,” out October 16, 2026, via Dusktone, marks a new milestone in the band’s evolution. Following the success of The Loss Of Beauty, the band expands their emotional and sonic universe with ten meticulously crafted songs—each carrying its own identity while contributing to a cohesive, immersive whole. Refined arrangements, streamlined structures, and subtle details reward repeated listens, showcasing Shores of Null at their most mature.
Produced with exceptional clarity and depth by Marco “Cinghio” Mastrobuono, Homesick features the strongest production in the band’s history, enhancing the contrast at the core of their sound: deeply melancholic and decadent passages balanced by moments of intensity, energy, and emotional elevation. Guest appearances from Natalie Koskinen (Shape of Despair) and Shaun MacGowan (My Dying Bride) add further dimension, with Koskinen’s haunting vocals and MacGowan’s evocative violin enriching the album’s atmosphere.
Lyrically, “Homesick” explores nostalgia, absence, and the complex meanings of “home”, not merely a place, but a memory, a wound, a person, or a version of oneself left behind. Conceived as a complete listening experience, the album moves through longing, loss, anger, vulnerability, and the search for belonging, revealing its full emotional weight when experienced from beginning to end.
With “Homesick,” Shores of Null deliver one of the strongest statements of their career: a deeply emotional, immersive, and meticulously crafted record that reaffirms their place among the leading forces of melodic death doom while continuing to push their sound into new territory.
Discography:
2026 – Homesick – Album
2025 – Latitudes Of Sorrow – Split w/ Convocation
2025 – Beauty Over Europe – Live Album
2023 – The Loss of Beauty – Album
2021 – Quiet Whispers (Unplugged at Traffic Garden) – Live Album
2020 – Beyond the Shores (On Death and Dying) – Album
2017 – Black Drapes for Tomorrow – Album
2014 – Quiescence – Album
Shared Stage with:
Paradise Lost, Swallow The Sun, Saturnus, Draconian, Lacuna Coil, In Flames, Messa.
Tours and Festivals:
2026 – Tour in support of Paradise Lost and Saturnus – Europe
2025 – Headlining UK Tour – UK
2025 – Support show for In Flames and Lacuna Coil – Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy
2025 – Mini Tour w/ Decembre Noir – Germany
2024 – Hellfest Open Air Festival – Clisson, France
2024 – Rock Imperium Festival – Cartagena, Spain
2024 – 70000 Tons Of Metal – Miami-Puetro Plata (USA / Dominican Republic)
2024 – Finnish Tour – Finland
2024 – Fekete Zaj – Mátrafüred, Hungary
2024 – Teifljågd Metal Open – Helfenberg, Austria
2023 – Tour in support of Swallow The Sun, Draconian, Avatarium – Europe and UK
2022 – Tour w/ Impure Wilhelmina – Italy and Slovenia
2022 – Metal Days Festival – Tolmin, Slovenia
2022 – Metalgate Czech Death Fest – Červený Kostelec, Czechia
2019 – European Tour w/ In The Woods, Ereb Altor, Isole – Europe
2019 – Italian mini-tour w/ Arcturus – Italy
2018 – Headlining Tour – Europe
2017 – Tour in support of Harakiri For The Sky – Europe
2017 – Metalitalia Festival – Milan, Italy
2017 – Frantic Fest – Francavilla al mare, Italy
2016 – Tour in support of Novembre and Isole – Europe
2016 – Italian mini-tour w/ Harakiri For The Sky – Italy
2016 – Tour in support of Hooded Menace and Mourning Beloveth – Europe
2016 – Inferno Metal Festival – Oslo, Norway
2015 – Co-headlining tour w/ Doomraiser – Europe
2014 – Candlefest – London, UK
2013 – Doom Over London – London, UK
2013 – Mini-tour w/ Negura Bunget – Italy
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What the press has said:
““An Easy Way” is the first of three Shores of Null songs on the split, and it quickly begins in a very un-easy way, delivering slowly writhing and uncomfortably dissonant notes along with gritty, ragged growls. In its upper reaches, the music also miserably wails in glistening tones, in counterpoint to vividly throbbing beats. From there, the band ratchet up the music’s intensity, deploying hammering drums and tremolo’d riffing that creates a searing form of distress. At that point the vocals also change, soaring in song, but far from joyful in mood. The band then continue shifting gears and sensations (as well as the high/low vocal stylings), intertwining sounds of gloom and torment, as well as riffing that throbs and captivating melodies that both miserably sparkle and moodily flow above a heavy low-frequency undercurrent. At times the music seems to grieve and yearn, or to become dour and bitter, leavened with bursts of aggression that include hard jolts at the song’s conclusion.” – No Clean Singing
“Latitudes Of Sorrow is deeply affecting and powerful through and through. Shores of Null and Convocation are ideally paired on this release and provide a good balance to this ship adrift in nihilistic fog.” – Doomed & Stoned
“The Shores Of Null tracks are atmospheric, bleak and haunting, while the Convocation pieces are crushing, very funereal and cavernous. Combined, they make a bleak, thought-provoking and sublime listen…. End-to-end, a superb EP,” – Metal Talk
“Reviewing a split release is interesting because you can often judge it from different perspectives. Should you review each band’s contribution separately or should you make a judgment of it as a cohesive front to back release? Both approaches are valid and for Latitudes of Sorrow, I think it’s a pretty good contribution from Shores of Null paired with a stellar one from Convocation, adding up to a really good release overall. If you like either band, you’ll certainly be pleased.” – 4/5 – Toilets ov Hell
““Latitudes of Sorrow,” this split effort pitting Shores of Null and Convocation, lands at an ideal time, when summer has indeed ended and the cold weather is seeping into our pores. These are two bands that bury you in power and punishment, making sure the toll you pay is physical and mental. It also is perfect music for the darker days, when your hope is at its bleakest and you take some solace in knowing you don’t suffer alone. ” – Meat Mead Metal
“One track really stands out above all of them, and it’s a bit of a collaboration. It’s the sort of thing that really makes the split come together. “The Year Without Summer” is an absolute gloomfest, and it sees Shores of Null team up with Convocation vocalist Marko Neuman. It’s a highly effective way to transition from one band to the next, as it opens with a more melodic feel and slowly ramps up some of the heaviness to prime the listener for the second half. It’s a fantastic touch, but it’s also a great track on it’s own, bringing some anguished and brutal vocals to the more melodic Shores sound and it makes for a very epic feel as the song moves on. For fans of either group, or anyone looking for a strong bit of icy doom to start your winter season with, Latitudes of Sorrow is a great selection. Both bands provide their own flavors of misery and gloom, in such a way that fans of one group should find themselves drawn to the other by the time the split ends. 8/10″ – Dead Rhetoric
“Split EP’s do not always work. Sometimes there is a glaring split between the bands that cannot be overcome. What Everlasting Spew Records have done is link a couple of bands on their roster that work together, delivering an EP that leaves you wanting more from both bands, including a joint tour. 5/5″ – Metal Epidemic
““Latitudes of Sorrow” is a masterful study in contrast, proving that grief has many voices. SHORES OF NULL approaches sorrow as a turbulent, human experience: passionate, melodic, and driven by dynamic tension. Their side is the sound of the emotional struggle itself, filled with weeping guitars and soaring vocals that fight against the darkness.” – Tuonela Magazine
“As a whole, “Latitudes of Sorrow” is one punishing release filled with crafty atmospherics, monumental riffing, and very bleak and desolate moods. Both bands create unique vibes on their sides of the EP, but the overarching theme of mystery and melancholy very much permeates their music. With all songs perfectly crafted to never overstay their welcome and yet inflict the maximum amount of mystery, this split release is as effective as they come for the genres portrayed.” – Infernal Masquerade
“Doom and darkness take center stage with Latitudes of Sorrow, bringing together two underground bands with complementary styles under the same banner. While Shores of Null knows how to be both aggressive and melancholic, Convocation sticks to its slow aggression to win us over. Both bands are becoming sure bets on the scene.” – Acta Infernalis
“The three tracks contributed by SHORES OF NULL are thoroughly melodic, building on rather sad emotions and constantly hovering between dark metal reminiscences and something more organic gothic metal.” – PowerMetal.de
“„Latitudes Of Sorrow” is a successful split that presents both in their typical musical habitat… the almost 40-minute record serves its purpose and shows that it is always worth bringing split releases onto the market in order to open up new perspectives and target groups for both sides.” – Metal.de
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Metal Hammer writers’ top metal albums of 2023 – Edwin McFee – #20 – Shores of Null – The Loss of Beauty
“With The Loss Of Beauty, SHORES OF NULL have produced their second world class record in a row.” – Distorted Sound Mag (9/10)
“The deep, dark, poetic brilliance behind The Loss Of Beauty is undeniable, and Shores Of Null’s doomy melancholic style is especially ideal for those considering themselves fans of Swallow The Sun, Draconian and Saturnus.” – Metal Storm (8,5/10)
“The Loss of Beauty is a morose and often magnificent listen.” – Metal Hammer UK (8/10)
“The Loss of Beauty is an engaging, exquisite, and moving slice of melodic doom that further cements Shores of Null’s esteemed position in the scene.” – Dead Rhetoric (9/10)
“The Loss of Beauty is an incredibly strong and versatile album, on which themes known from genres such as post black metal or post punk are presented in a diverse and varied manner.” – BetreutesProggen (13/15)
“Once again, Shores of Null continue to impress with yet another slab of high-quality doom/death that seems the quintet on an upwards trajectory.” – Angry Metal Guy (4/5)
“With lyrics like “my loneliness will guide me” and “isolation will set us free,” classic doom drumming, and impressive vocals, Shores of Null announce their intent to deliver the best doom album of 2023.” – Noizze UK (9/10)
“Un grato disco de casi una hora de música, donde la melancolía no es predominante, sino lo melódico, y eso es cae a la perfección.” – Metallerium (9.2/10)
“A savourer, en s’aimant. A savourer, l’esprit ouvert aux beautés que l’on croit – ou que l’on relègue au rang d’- insignifiantes et qui sont le sel du monde qui nous entoure. A savourer, tout simplement..” – Soil Chronicles (9/10)
“Shores of Null haben für mich mit The Loss of Beauty einen heißen Anwärter auf mein Album des Jahres veröffentlicht, das ich jedem Fan von melancholischem Metal mit Doom, Gothic, Melodic Death und Black Metal Einflüssen nur wärmstens empfehlen kann! Von mir gibts für dieses Meisterwerk die Höchstnote!.” – Sound Magnet (10/10)
“If “Beyond the Shores (On Death and Dying)” granted them the status of Masters of the Genre, with “The Loss of Beauty” we cannot help but acknowledge their unquestionable talent for creating stunning beauty that goes under your skin, both with music and words.” – Tuonela Magazine
“It is an album with many faces, a true chameleon, that shows the best of heavy, doom, dark, gothic, death, and a pinch of black metal. The musicians of this band are playing at the very highest level and it is unprecedented what this band is capable of.” – Zware Metalen (94/100)
0 EPK – Mutual Trauma – Left Inside (single) (2026)
EPK – Mutual Trauma – Left Inside (single) (2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“Left Inside represents a significant step forward for Mutual Trauma, both musically and lyrically. The song explores the lasting effects of abuse and betrayal while emphasizing resilience and the determination to move forward. It also reflects the band’s continued evolution, combining crushing heaviness, memorable melodies, layered electronic elements, and dynamic songwriting into what we feel is our strongest release to date. Previous singles “Dead Dreams” and “Die Alone” helped establish the band’s sound, while “Left Inside” marks the next step in that evolution.” – Brandon Reynolds – Lead Vocals – Mutual Trauma
For fans of Spiritbox, Counterparts, Knocked Loose, Polaris, Soilwork
Facebook.com/MutualTrauma | Youtube.com/@MutualTrauma | Instagram.com/mutualtrauma
“Canada’s Mutual Trauma and ‘Left Inside,’ a piece of modern metal weaving elements of metalcore with prog metal and electronic for a sound that is richly textured, dark and yet melodic.” – Loud Enough Magazine
Band: Mutual Trauma
Single Title: Left Inside
Length: 4:14
Release Date: June 12, 2026
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid
Genre: Metalcore/Modern Metal
Location of Band: Victoria, BC, Canada
SINGLE RECORDING CREDITS:
• All songs performed by: Mutual Trauma
• All songs written by: Combination of Trustin Bruyere (guitars), Michael Gignac (bass), Chris Heretic (drums clean vocals), and Brandon Reynolds (Screams / lead vocals)
• Produced by: Trustin Bruyere, Michael Gignac, Derek Mattin, Matt Thomas
• Mixed by: Matt Thomas
• Mastered by: Matt Thomas
• Album Artwork by: Trustin Bruyere, modifications by Damian Donald
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
RECORDING AND LIVE LINEUP:
Michael Gignac – Bass Guitar
Chris Heretic – Drums, Clean Vocals
Brandon Reynolds – Screams / Lead Vocals
Trustin Bruyere – Lead Guitar
Damian Donald – Rhythm Guitar
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About Single Artwork:
The album cover is pretty simple. It depicts the silhouette of a hand reaching out from a dark place, grasping in the light, but there’s nothing there to grasp. We felt it fit pretty well with the single, which is about abuse. – Michael Gignac – Bass
About The Single (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Lyrically, “Left Inside” explores the lasting effects of abuse and betrayal. Rather than focusing solely on the pain itself, the song is also about refusing to let those experiences define you. Even when the scars remain, there is strength in choosing to move forward instead of being consumed by the past. – Brandon Reynolds – Lead Vocals
From a musical perspective, I’d describe Left Inside as a pretty energetic song, despite the darker subject matter. I think that this gives a feeling of resilience and defiance, rather than acceptance and despair. Even without saying so, it feels to the listener like, though the abuse may have occurred and the negative consequences continue to be felt, we can refuse to be defined by it, and we can rise above it. We will not allow the abuser to take everything, and we can prosper in defiance.
The main riff has a strong beat to it begging for people to headbang, while the verses are chunky and pummeling. We opted for melodic singing, done by Chris, for the choruses on this song, with Brandon punching in a few growls to keep up the aggression. After a brief dreamlike respite, the song kicks back in for the 3rd chorus, which climaxes with all hell breaking loose in the second half, with Brandon’s screams, Chris’ singing, some relentless kick drums, and almost black metal-y fast chord strumming all happening at once before an epic octave-based groovy riff closes us out.
We put a lot of time and effort into this track, and I think it shows. – Michael Gignac – Bass
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. The phrase/name “Mutual Trauma” was first coined after Trustin and Damian survived the Hot Ones hot wing challenge together. What started as an inside joke eventually became the band’s name. Over time, though, the name has taken on a deeper meaning. Everyone carries different struggles and experiences, and just as shared challenges can bring people together, so can music. We hope our songs create that same sense of connection by exploring emotions and experiences that listeners can relate to.
2. The song Echoes, which will be the closer for the upcoming EP, is the song that convinced Mike to join as the bass player despite knowing dick all about modern metal at the time
3. During a show at the Cobalt in Vancouver, Mike ripped a massive hole in the crotch of his prized cyberpunky pants and opted to play the next 2 shows of the tour wearing a very un-metal baby blue cabana set that happened to have shorts that were small enough that they showed more of his hairy, untanned, upper legs than most people would ever choose to see.
4. Chris unknowingly played our very first live set with a slice of pizza tucked into the cargo pocket of his shorts. None of us realized it until after the show. Please join us in a moment of silence for the slice.
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L-R – Trustin Bruyere – Lead Guitar Chris Heretic – Drums, Clean Vocals Brandon Reynolds – Screams / Lead Vocals Michael Gignac – Bass Guitar Damian Donald – Rhythm Guitar
Photograph by: Copyright 2026 @Finding Charlotte Photography / John Carlow
Born from the ashes of past projects and fueled by a refusal to stop creating, Mutual Trauma is a modern metal force emerging from Victoria, BC. Built by Chris Heretic (drums/clean vocals) and Trustin, the band quickly expanded with Brandon Reynolds (lead vocals) and Michael Gignac (bass), both formerly of Reaver, alongside Damian Donald (rhythm guitar). Their sound blends metalcore, melodic death metal, djent, and electronic textures, shaped by influences like Invent Animate, Soilwork, and In Flames.
Mutual Trauma’s music explores real emotional experiences, abuse, betrayal, resilience, and growth, anchored by Brandon’s introspective lyrics and the band’s dynamic, collaborative writing process. Their latest single, “Left Inside,” marks a major step forward, combining crushing riffs, atmospheric layers, and a powerful message of defiance.
Onstage, the band delivers high‑energy, cyberpunk‑infused performances that stand apart in the local scene. With a new EP in development, Mutual Trauma continues to evolve while staying true to their modern, emotionally driven sound.
Band Lineup:
Michael Gignac – Bass Guitar
Chris Heretic – Drums, Clean Vocals
Brandon Reynolds – Screams / Lead Vocals
Trustin Bruyere – Lead Guitar
Damian Donald – Rhythm Guitar
DISCOGRAPHY:
June 12, 2026 – Left Inside – Single
June 19, 2025 – Die Alone – Single
March 18, 2025 – Dead Dreams – Single
LIST OF BANDS YOU HAVE SHARED STAGE WITH:
No Living Witness, Blackthrone Ascension, Arrow in the Quiver, Our Last Crusade, Antler, All was Lost, Utility Provider, Under the Mountain, Krypteia, Dead after Dark, Yegg, Thirteen Goats, Torrefy
LIST OF TOURS AND FESTIVALS YOU HAVE PERFORMED ON
JUN 2025 – Arrow in the Quiver Polarity LP Release Shows – Nanaimo/Victoria, BC
AUG 2025 – Mosh the Rock metal festival, Sooke BC
NOV 2025 – No Living Witness/Blackthrone Ascension Tour – Vancouver/Nanaimo/Victoria, BC
0 EPK – Hrafnablót – Svartigaldur (single) from Forthcoming Debut Album Guðlaugar Saga (2026)
EPK – Hrafnablót – Svartigaldur (single) from Forthcoming Debut Album Guðlaugar Saga (2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We want to give listeners a sonic journey inspired by Icelandic nature and folklore—at times harsh and unforgiving, at others fragile and intimate, but always beautiful. Through the album and its singles, we take listeners on a Saga set in Iceland’s settlement age, immersing them in the landscapes, myths, and emotions that shaped the country’s earliest stories.” – Ólafur Daði Jónsson (keys) – Hrafnablót
“Svartigaldur was the last song we wrote for the album, and it came together at lightning speed. The song tells the story of how our album’s time-travelling protagonist, Guðlaug, is kidnapped and put on a Viking longship, with all the trouble that entails. We are extremely proud to finally release Svartigaldur as we invite every listener on this journey through the Icelandic settlement age along with us.” – Hrafnablót
For fans of Ensiferum, Nightwish, Wintersun, Skálmöld, Eluveitie
Hrafnablot.is | Facebook.com/hrafnablot | Youtube.com/@Hrafnablot | Instagram.com/hrafnablot
“Iceland’s Hrafnablót and debut single ‘Svartigaldur’ a heavy piece of pagan folk metal; for the tale of a time traveller lashed to Viking mast accused of being a witch. With symphonic metal richness, black metal energy, traditional melodies, theatrical vocal harmonies and soaring, clean female vocals, it’s quite a ride!” – Loud Enough Magazine
Band: Hrafnablót
Single Title: Svartigaldur from forthcoming debut album “Guðlaugar Saga”
Length: 5:17
Single Release Date: July 10th, 2026
Album Release Date: TBD
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Genre: Sorcerous Folk Metal
Location of Band: Reykjavik, Iceland
Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Hrafnablót
• All songs written by: Hrafnablót
• Produced by: Hrafnablót
• Mixed by: Helgi Durhuus
• Mastered by: Lasse Lammert
• Single Artwork by: Ana Nikitina
Band Line Up:
Hugrún Hanna Stefánsdóttir – Vocals
Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson – Bass & Backing Vocals
Ólafur Daði Jónsson – Keyboards & Backing Vocals
Steingrímur Viðar Karlsson – Guitar & Backing Vocals
Andri Pétur Dalmar – Drums & Backing Vocals
Mara Birna Jóhannsdóttir – Guitar
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About the Single Artwork:
Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson (bass): The artwork for Svartigaldur, drawn by Ana Nikitina with layout by guitarist Mara Birna Jóhannsdóttir, depicts the album’s time-travelling protagonist Guðlaug being bound to the mast of a Viking longship. Having been kidnapped, under the assumption she’s a witch, she stares out to sea. The framing around the artwork features Icelandic magick runes called Staves against witchcraft, specifically used during the Middle Ages to ward against black magick.
About the upcoming debut album (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Inspired sonically by various genres of metal and Icelandic folk music, and lyrically by Icelandic folklore and Sagas, Guðlaugar Saga is a true Icelandic epic. The album tells the tale of how a modern-day woman called Guðlaug gets sent back to the Icelandic settlement age with nothing but the clothes on her back and a taser. Listeners follow her journey through battle, celebrations, kidnapping, and her internal struggle over whether to return to her mundane life in the present or stay in the past. Musically, the album strongly contrasts darkness and light, ugliness and beauty, past and present. Drawing influences from Icelandic folk music, Nordic folk metal, NWOBHM, as well as various gothica and extreme metal, Hrafnablót has brewed its own brand of sorcerous folk metal.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. Spádómurinn
Spádómurinn is a spoken-word intro in which our guitarist Steingrímur portrays a seer, gazing into the future of our protagonist, Guðlaug. The track features various sound effects, ranging from howling, Icelandic winds to ravens, along with eerie whispers. The lyrics are written in highly lyrical, old Icelandic.
2. Dísablót
Dísablót prominently features a groovy, driving main riff along with powerful vocals, twin guitar harmonies, and fast guitar solos. The song tells the story of how Guðlaug, alone and friendless at the bar, is drawn into an ancient rite called Dísablót and sent back to the Icelandic settlement age with nothing but the clothes on her back and a taser.
3. Heljarhlíð
Heljarhlíð is the first song on the album to feature harsh vocals by keyboardist Ólafur, alongside Hugrún’s clean singing. The song is influenced by various melodic death metal sounds and draws to a close with a strong vocal harmony. Lyrically, the song is about how Guðlaug is drawn into a battle and is forced to defend herself with her trusty taser.
4. Kappar, meyjar, komendur
Kappar, meyjar, and komendur are the spoken-word intro to the next song, Fögnuður, in which guitarist Steingrímur portrays an Icelandic chieftain celebrating after the battle and remembering the fallen. Musically, the song consists of arpeggiated guitars, deep bass tones, and melodic keys.
5. Fögnuður
Fögnuður, Icelandic for celebration, is a celebratory folk metal party song with a drinking chant, strong guitar melodies, vocal hooks galore, and even a keyboard solo. In Fögnuður, we follow Guðlaug through the post-battle celebrations.
6. Nornarheimt
In Nornarheimt, a band of brigands crashes into the hall after the party has subsided and the guests have fallen asleep. They assume Guðlaug must be a witch, having helped decide the battle with her magickal weapon, and kidnap her. Nornarheimt is perhaps the harshest song on the album, featuring galloping guitars strongly inspired by Icelandic folk music, swift, rhythmic singing and pounding drums.
7. Svartigaldur
Svartigaldur is, in essence, an Icelandic, metallized sea-shanty. The main riff for the song is adapted from the Icelandic folk song Að bíða þess sem búið er, which stands alongside rowboat rhythms, guitar chord work inspired by black metal, and exceptional clean vocal hooks. Lyrically, the song tells the tale of how Guðlaug, having recently been kidnapped, is bound to the mast on a boat as she is assumed to be a witch, no matter how much she explains her apparent lack of magickal powers.
8. Heimþrá
Heimþrá centers around a melodic keyboard riff and the vocals of singer Hugrún. Lyrically, Heimþrá, homesickness in English, centers on Guðlaug trying to come to grips with having been thrown into the past and wishing to return home to present-day Iceland. She realizes she has to embrace dark magicks to escape her captors.
9. Örlagavegur
Örlagavegur is a roughly 11-minute epic in multiple parts, with various tempo, key, and meter changes. Featuring everything from waltz-inspired rhythms to a heavy riff in 13/4 time. In Örlagavegur, Guðlaug is struggling with whether to return home to the present or stay in the settlement age. She’s visited by the Fates, who implore her to go back to the future. Realizing that in her old life, she had no power or purpose, she elects to stay in the past – changing the course of Icelandic history.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. Hrafnablót is strongly focused on narrative, and our debut album, Guðlaugar Saga, is a concept album that tells the tale of a modern-day woman sent back to the Icelandic settlement age with nothing but the clothes on her back and her trusty taser.
2. Hrafnablót had booked a slot at the Icelandic Sorcery Festival in a remote, small town named Hólmavík in Iceland in spring 2025. Andri, the band’s drummer, had a severe back injury at the time, so there was a great deal of uncertainty whether the band would actually be able to perform. In the end, Andri soldiered on. Lying on his back the whole time, except for when the band took to the stage. He had back surgery the day after returning home.
3. In February 2026, Hrafnablót ventured together to the south of Iceland, to a lighthouse in a remote cove called Selvogur, to record performance scenes for the music video for Svartigaldur. Apparently, they didn’t take a good enough look at the weather forecast. Upon arriving at the scene, band members were greeted with exceptionally stiff winds and a temperature of -12°c (10°f). The video shoot turned out to be completely impossible, so the band went to Þrastarskógur, a wooded area nearby, to shelter from the winds. Despite the biting frost, the band managed to shoot all the scenes for the day. A few days later, unbothered by the cold, singer Hugrún and bassist Þórgnýr headed out again to shoot scenes in -15°c (5°f).
4. All instrumental recordings for the album were done by band members themselves, chiefly edited by drummer Andri with assistance from bassist Þórgnýr.
5. The main riff for Svartigaldur is an interpolation of the melody from a lesser-known, old Icelandic folk song named Að bíða þess sem búið er.
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L-R Hrafnablót Line Up | Steingrímur Viðar Karlsson (Guitar) | Ólafur Daði Jónsson (Keyboards) | Hugrún Hanna Stefánsdóttir (Vocals) | Andri Pétur Dalmar (Drums) | Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson (Bass) | Mara Birna Jóhannsdóttir (Guitar)
Photo Credit – Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson
Hrafnablót is a sorcerous folk metal band, formed in Iceland in the fall of 2024. Drawing from the contrasting light and darkness of Icelandic magick, Sagas, and folklore, the band weaves together heavy riffs, folk influences, haunting melodies, and clean and harsh vocals. The outcome is a sound rooted in Icelandic myth and landscape.
Since forming, Hrafnablót has built a strong presence in the live music scene in Iceland, performing at venues such as Íslenski rokkbarinn, Lemmy, and BIRD, as well as the Icelandic Sorcery Festival in 2025.
Hrafnablót’s live shows channel ritual intensity and pure metal energy, carried by meticulous Icelandic lyrics, storytelling, and a distinct sense of drama.
Hrafnablót is releasing their debut album, Guðlaugar Saga, in the fall of 2026.
Discography:
2026 – Guðlaugar Saga LP (Release Date TBD)
Shared Stage with:
Fortíð, Kælan Mikla, Eldrún, Space Völvö, Aesculus, Frostborn, Morose
Tours and Festivals:
2025 – Galdrafár – Hólmavík, Iceland
0 EPK – Fernando Molinari – Numen (2026)
EPK – Fernando Molinari – Numen (2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“If you are a prog and fusion fan, I think you will really enjoy it! This EP is a journey into a very dense atmosphere with layers, riffs, and melodies.” – Fernando Molinari
For fans of Al Di Meola, Egberto Gismonti, Avishai Cohen, The Aristocrats, Virgil Donati, Plini, Mahavishnu Orchestra
Instagram.com/molinarifernando | Facebook.com/FernandoMolinariPage | Youtube.com/@Fbmolinari
Spotify | Fernandomolinari.bandcamp.com
“Numen is a heavy-hitting progressive album that fuses metal, jazz, fusion, and flamenco. Molinari composed, arranged, and produced the five tracks and got a murderer’s row of musicians to bring it to life, including Marco Minnemann, Andre Nieri, Chris Clark, Daniel Felix, and more. He hammers out odd-time syncopations that will break your neck, then gets the fretless out to double a face-melting melody. Seriously, if you like heavy, adventurous music with outrageous bass playing, go listen to it right now.” – No Treble
“Fernando Molinari has a new album out that may be one of the year’s best prog and fusion records. Reaching Inside is packed with tantalizing riffs and grooves that the bassist has been honing over the past few years. His ideas came to fruition with a stellar cast of musicians including drummers Marco Minnemann and Arthure Rezende; guitarists Brunno Henrique, Davi Filho, and Kit Tang, and keyboardists Herbert Medeiros and Daniel Félix. If you’re like me, discovering new music is exciting, exhilarating, and rewarding! I can’t tell you how many times I hear “there’s no good music anymore”. You have got to be kidding, there are great bands/artists out there creating. Brazilian bassist Fernando Molinari’s latest Reaching Inside is a wonderful piece of modern fusion, and had I known about this one prior to making my best of 2021 list, it would be on it.” – Sea of Tranquility – Pete Pardo
“I will choose “Reaching Inside” by Fernando Molinari. It’s amazing! Absolutely incredible! It’s short at 35 minutes long, Great melodies! This guy is a great songwriter! It’s evident from the first time you hear the album. As a bass player he is absolutely flawless! I love “Focus”, the album’s opening song. Beautiful guitars, I love the melodies “Mercurio” rocks! It has hints of progressive and is very intense! Great job by the whole band! I love the bass lines on this album, they’re really good. “Ocean Wind” is another great song, “Control” is amazing I mean, there are no errors. It’s a beautiful mix of times throughout the album, there’s a lot of variety! Killer album by a very talented guy!” – Sea of Tranquility – Pete Pardo (2021 – Reaching Inside)
“The bass player, FERNANDO MOLINARI, launched on December 2021 the CD, “Reaching Inside”, considered by critics as one of the best albums of Fusion/Progressive of the world.The new work records a journey of self-knowledge where Fernando, who is already a world reference for the bass, demonstrates all his dexterity as a composer creating riffs, grooves and themes that take turns the spotlight with a stellar team of musicians.” – MS METAL AGENCY
Band: Fernando Molirani
Album Title: Numen
Release Date: June 19, 2026
Label: Self-Release
Genre: Fusion/Prog
Location of Band: USA
Track Listing:
1. Minvera – 5:47
2. Netuno – 4:36
3. Mitra – 4:49
4. Gemina – 5:32
5. Marte – 4:12
Album Length: 24:58
Album Recording Credits:
Written, produced and arranged by: Fernando Molinari
Fernando Molinari – Bass.
Marco Minnemann – Drums (Minerva, Netuno and Gemina)
Andre Nieri – Guitars (Minerva and Netuno)
Mariko Muranaka – Cello (Gemina)
Joao Hanysz – Acoustic and Electric guitars (Mitra and Marte)
Luigi Paraventi – Drums (Marte)
Chris Clark – Piano solo (Gemina)
Arthur Rezende – Drums (Mitra)
Daniel Felix – Electric piano, Keyboards and Effects (Netuno and Gemina)
Herbert Medeiros – Keyboards (Minerva)
Cristian Del Giorgio – Keyboards (Mitra)
Pascoal Molinari, Rosemary Molinari & Juliana Chimenes – Rhythmic Claps (Mitra)
Mixed and Mastered by Paulo Anhaia
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About The Album Artwork:
The concept of NUMEN is a Latin term for “divine presence”, “divine will”, or “divinity” – not a specific god, but a manifestation of something divine. So the concept behind the artwork was to illustrate it with elements taken from the song titles.
About the album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
This album is full of flavors and textures. I wanted to build something epic — huge on themes, strong melodies, killer riffs, deep textures, and tons of personality.
Track By Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. Minerva – This song is built in 5/4 time with 5 distinct layers running simultaneously. It features a very strong melody and riffs. Prog/fusion track!
2. Netuno – A powerful track with heavy riffs and odd time signatures. It balances crushing riffs with layered harmonies. Prog/fusion/Metal track!
3. Mitra – This song has a flamenco vibe, driven by acoustic guitars, percussion, and piano. It’s a very deep and dark piece. Flamenco/Fusion/Prog track!
4. Gemina – A mix of prog metal, Middle Eastern textures, and jazz fusion, featuring powerful riffs and beautiful cello and piano melodies. Fusion/Prog/ethnic/jazz track!
5. Marte – The most straightforward song on the record, played as a trio. Heavy, groovy, with massive breakdowns! Metal/prog track!
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Brazilian bassist and composer Fernando Molinari has carved out a unique space in the modern prog and fusion world, building a career defined by creativity, precision, and fearless musical exploration. What began as a necessity, becoming a solo artist because no musicians in his hometown were interested in forming a band, has evolved into a signature artistic identity rooted in depth, energy, and genre‑blending innovation.
Molinari describes his sound in five words: deep, energetic, prog, fusion, and heavy. His latest EP, NUMEN, released June 19, 2026, embodies all of these qualities, offering listeners a dense, atmospheric journey filled with layers, riffs, melodies, and emotional weight. Fans of progressive music and fusion will find plenty to connect with, as the record balances technicality with storytelling and mood.
Despite being a bassist, Molinari approaches music as a composer first. His writing process is unconventional: he never begins with an instrument. Instead, he records vocal ideas on his phone, later transcribing them into full arrangements on the computer. Only once a song is complete does he pick up an instrument, ensuring the composition isn’t limited by technique. He writes for every instrument, building tracks that feel like full‑band pieces rather than bass‑centric showcases. His arrangements are rich with simultaneous layers, harmonic depth, odd time signatures, recurring motifs, and intricate textures, all while remaining musical and listenable.
Over the years, Molinari’s sound has evolved significantly. Early compositions were built around a live trio format, bass, drums, and guitar, resulting in more straightforward structures. During the pandemic, he expanded his sonic palette by inviting additional musicians and incorporating piano, cello, percussion, multiple guitars, and keyboard layers. This shift elevated his compositions to a new level of complexity and emotional resonance.
The musicians featured on NUMEN are notable figures in their own right, each bringing world‑class experience to the project:
Marco Minnemann – Drums (The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Steven Wilson)
Andre Nieri – Guitar (Virgil Donati Band)
Mariko Muranaka – Piano (Hans Zimmer, Madonna)
Joao Hanysz – Guitar (Casagrande & Hanysz with Eloy Casagrande of Slipknot/Sepultura)
Luigi Paraventi – Guitar (PALEFACE SWISS)
Chris Clark – Piano (Virgil Donati / Jon Anderson Band)
Daniel Felix – Keyboards (Caravellus)
The EP was mixed and mastered by Paulo Anhaia, a Grammy Award–winning producer.
Conceptually, NUMEN is rooted in Roman mythology. The term “numen” refers to a divine presence or manifestation—something sacred that cannot be fully explained. Molinari wrote the EP during one of the most difficult periods of his life, channeling his emotions into music as a form of healing. For him, music is a numen: a place of peace, clarity, and connection to something greater.
The EP’s artwork reflects this concept, incorporating visual elements inspired by the song titles and the overarching theme of divine presence.
Musically and emotionally, NUMEN is epic in scope, full of textures, strong melodies, killer riffs, and deep personality. It stands as Molinari’s most ambitious work to date, a testament to his evolution as a composer and his ability to transform personal struggle into powerful instrumental storytelling.
Discography:
2026 – NUMEN
2021 – BUILD BY ELEMENTS
2016 – REACHING INSIDE
2010 – IDENTIDADE
Artist Endorsements:
Fbass, Gallien Krueger, DR Strings, Focusrite, GruvGear, BeyerDynamic, In-Earz, XVive, Kala, KraftGeek, Capurso, S.Martyn, ACS Guitars, Cabos CTS, DMT efeitos, Ghostfire, Reunion Blues.
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