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Category: EPKs

0 EPK – Hooker Spit – Krötch Splitter (2023)

  • May 17, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Hooker Spit

EPK – Hooker Spit – Krötch Splitter (2023)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

For fans of At The Gates, Lamb of God, The Black Dahlia Murder, Blood Bath, Carcass

“We are trying to paint a dark picture with our music and lyrical content while touching on the raw emotion, desperation, and depths of depravity contained within the human experience. We put our hearts and souls into this record and we truly hope that people will enjoy listening to this album as much as we enjoyed making it.” – Daniel White – Vocals – Hooker Spit

Hookerspitofficial.com | Facebook.com/hookerspitofficial | Instagram.com/hookerspit.official | Youtube.com/@hookerspitofficial

Hookerspitofficial.bandcamp.com | ​Spotify

“Over the top musically and influenced horror and the horrors of life, the band just dropped their new single “White Lighter!” Check out the track now!” – Ghost Cult Mag

“Prepare for an intense metal experience with Hooker Spit’s debut album Krötch Splitter, showcasing a fusion of metal styles while maintaining a unique brand and name. The band’s seven meticulously selected tracks deliver a relentless barrage of fast riffs, thunderous drums, and intense guttural vocals. The raw, emotionally charged lyrics delve into the depths of human experience. With grand ambitions and abundant energy, Hooker Spit aims to take their aggressive death metal to new heights, shocking everyone in their path.” – Metal Insider

“No surprise that a Red Deer band with the name Hooker Spit and a new album called Krötch Splitter, plays ear-piercing, dystopian death metal.” – Red Deer Advocate

“”Krötch Splitter” boasts some impressive moments and the band undoubtedly has potential… it’s a promising debut for Hooker Spit…” – Amplified-Mag

“Brutal groovin’ thrashy death metal. Cool stuff!” – The Moshpit – WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)

“an up and coming (melodic) death metal band with a penchant for writing songs with heavy yet catchy riffs, low grunts and destructive drum grooves.’  Wings of Death

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Band: Hooker Spit
Album Title: Krötch Splitter
Release Date: July 28, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Track Listing:
1. Call of the Void – 3:13
2. Corpse Grinder – 3:18
3. The Huntsmen – 4:06
4. Krötch Splitter – 3:48
5. Flesh Feast – 3:55
6. Dry Fisted – 3:34
7. White Lighter – 2:54
Album Length: 24:02

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Vlad Gligor, Dan White, Jose Garza, Devin Link, Scott Gooding
• All songs written by: Vlad Gligor, Dan White, Jose Garza, Devin Link, Scott Gooding
• Produced and Engineered by: Vlad Gligor, Levi Jones, Brad Choquette
• Mixed by: Develop Device Studios
• Mastered by: Develop Device Studios
• Album Artwork by: PaleaRaptor
• Member of SOCAN
• MAPL (Canadian Content)

Album Band Lineup:
Daniel White – Vocals
Vlad Gligor – Guitar
Devin Link – Guitar
José Garza – Bass
Scott Gooding – Drums

==============================================================

The album as whole is explained by Hooker Spit vocalist Daniel White:

The album combines dark, heavy, high-energy music intertwining with lyrical themes that convey the abject cosmic horror of what it means to be human.

Track by Track explained by vocalist Daniel White and guitarist Vlad Gligor:

1. Call of the Void: This is the first song we wrote. It contains all of the elements you could expect in a Hooker Spit song.  Lyrically the song deals with the subject of self-harm and the pendulum-like experience of someone who is trying to process those thoughts.  The lyrics are intrusive thoughts personified.

2. Corpse Grinder: The intention musically was to write a love letter to Cannibal Corpse. Vlad pitched the name and Dan decided to write it from the perspective of a cannibal meditating on their next feast.

3. Huntsmen: We really wanted to write a song with a clean intro and it evolved into an upbeat and melodic death metal song.  The song discusses the struggle of life and having the strength to move through to reach the truest expression of self.

4: Krötch Splitter:  This song is a macabre tale of a necrophiliac receiving their “just deserts” from a recently exhumed corpse.  This song marries death and symphonic black metal to create a terrifying revenge story.

5. Flesh Feast: This track is a combination of old-school and modern death metal.  The song contains a thrashy feel while bringing you to unexpected harmonies and breakdowns.  Lyrically the song describes a dystopian society at the edge of extinction.  Prior to systemized genocide, the populace revolts and devours their overlords.

6. Dry-fisted: It was composed when Vlad was going through some tough times.  Dan was also experiencing something similar during the writing process leading to a metalcore epic about abandonment and betrayal.

7. White Lighter: This is by far our most chaotic song. White lighter embodies American death metal such as Lamb of God and Dethklok.  It expresses the contrast between the rhetoric and the reality of organized religion.

==========================================================

Fun Facts – Story Angles

1. Devin is known as Father Quack.  At first, he was referred to as Daddy Ducky but that name has since evolved.  During a show we played with Ravenous E.H. he wore a complete rubber duck print outfit and threw rubber ducks out to the crowd.  Instead of applauding, the crowd then proceeded to squeak the ducks.  There are still people coming out of the woodwork messaging us about how much they love their ducks.

2. Our artwork is created by a close friend and Canadian artist who goes by PaleaRaptor.  We plan to keep our look consistent but add new characters as we go.  Eventually, we would love to have a whole roster of Hooker Spit girls.  We plan to introduce new characters as we release more content.

3. When we played a black metal event we thought it would be really funny to paint our faces like Kiss.  While being surrounded by people who looked like Abbath we looked like sell-out 70s rockers.

4. The beginning of Flesh Feast came about from Dan being drunk twice in one day.  Things got a little silly and he was doing an impression of a Southern Baptist while recording.  Vlad loved the idea but said it needed more “rosemary”. We refined it and the intro to Flesh Feast was born.

5. Our album as well as the initial mix was recorded and done in Vlad’s home studio.  Final mix and mastering were completed by Develop Device Studios who has worked with the likes of Jeff Loomis and Aborted in the past. We were excited to work with Jaroslav and we are happy with the results.

Left to Right and Center: Vlad Gligor (Lead Guitar), José Garza (Bass Guitar), Scott Gooding, (Drums), Devin Link (Rhythm Guitar), Center: Daniel White (Vocals)

Emanating from Red Deer, Canada, Hooker Spit is an up-and-coming Death Metal band with a penchant for writing infectious riffs. Comprising Vlad Gligor (Lead Guitar), Devin Link (Rhythm Guitar), José Garza (Bass), Daniel White (Vocals), and Scott Gooding (Drums), the Quintet is inspired by internationally acclaimed bands like At The Gates, Bloodbath, Carcass, and The Black Dahlia Murder.

 Filled with heavy chunky riffs, guttural vocals, and destructive drum grooves, Hooker Spit has developed a sonic quality and episodic visual concept that is so unique to them, it can be immediately recognized as their own. The band has a unique innate competency to ingeniously present music in multiple styles of metal, all while maintaining a consistent brand, one of the factors that make this band one to keep an eye out for. With big dreams and plenty of energy to spare, Hooker Spit hopes to tour the world, bringing their music to people from all walks of life.

Shared Stage with: Paramnesia, Omniarch, Atavistia, Ravenous E.H., Black Pestilence, Tymo, Narcissistic Necrosis, Fall of Earth, Wraith Risen, Netheriel, Divide the Dead, Pridelands, Omniarch, Decrepitation

Tours and Festivals:
2023 – Loud As Hell – Drumheller, AB – w/ Jungle Rot, Incite, Necronomicon, The Convalescence

0 EPK – Circana Arcana – F.U.C.K.Y.O.U. (2023)

  • May 17, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Circa Arcana · EPKs

EPK – Circana Arcana – F.U.C.K.Y.O.U. (2023)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“We want the listener to really express their rage for modern-day society.” – Circa Arcana

For fans of Wage War, We Came As Romans, Attila, Underoath, A Day To Remember

Band: Circa Arcana
EP Title: F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.
EP Release Date: September 1, 2023

Facebook.com/circa.arcana | Instagram.com/circa.arcana | YouTube

Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Circaarcana.bandcamp.com

https://linktr.ee/circaarcana

“this EP swept me up in a wave of nostalgic feelings with its mixture of heavy guitar riffs, melodic choruses, crushing vocals, and the occasional somber and more emotional moments. The tracks on this EP showcase everything that got me into this style of music” – Mike Leighton, Metal Epidemic (EP Review)

“Since 2021, Circa Arcana has been working the grind: they opened up for Limp Bizkit at Rebel Rock & went back to perform in Florida this year, April 23rd, to perform at the Earthday Birthday 2022 festival. That was the same festival that groups such as Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills & Jelly Roll performed.” – Daniel Paulus, KLAQ

“Needless to say, Circa Arcana hit all the right notes here, so if you’re looking for something familiar yet fresh, this might be the one for you.” – New Fury Media

“Circa Arcana’s debut EP was released on February 18 for the world to hear. With a cacophony of breakdowns juxtaposed with infectious choruses that are easy to sing along to, the EP is a fast-paced rollercoaster to the face with the songs flowing together and showing a strong diversity in their music styles.” – HEAVY Magazine

“Circa Arcana presents a solid first effort and is recommended for fans of Wage War, Like Moths To Flames and We Came As Romans.” Keith Clement, – Metalheads Forever Magazine

“a nice melding of the emo and hardcore styles. The 5 song EP shows Circa Arcana performing at the top of their abilities. Bridget Viginti is a nice showcase of some hardcore influenced tracks that are given an injection of melody… There are sing-along moments to be found here and they blend in nicely. There is catchiness and it leads to memorability.” – Heavy Music Headquarters

“A short and sweet explosion of American Metalcore, ranging from personal struggles with addiction and personal demons to stories of occult legends and disassociated dreams.” – The Headbanging Moose

“Drawing very much on the spirit of metalcore pioneers such as Killswitch and 36 Crazyfists, while also strongly referencing latter day proponents such as BMTH and We Came As Romans, Circa Arcana could well prove to be one of those bands that make you re-evaluate your assessment of what you believed to be a dying sub-genre by bringing a whole new level of excitement and re-invigoration to it. Fuck, they even throw anthemic power punk into the eclectic recipe, with obtuse sidebar of ‘Luna’.” – Uber Rock

Band: Circa Arcana
EP Title: F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.
EP Release Date: September 1, 2023

Track Listing:
1. 500 Likes – 2:53
2. King’s Wench – 3:06
3. Dybuk – 5:01
4. No Fucks Left – 3:40
5. Switchblades and Fistfights – 3:38
EP Length: 18:10

EP Credits:
Performed By: Circa Arcana
Songs Written By: Johny Serna, Kevin Cangas, Federico Corral, Jonny Garcia, Frankie Loya
Produced By: Federico Corral
Mixed By: Federico Corral
Mastered By: Legazpy Mastering, Cesar Legazpy
EP Artwork By: Circa Arcana

=======================================================

The EP as a whole:

The most unforgiving fucking album of 2023. It’s pretty aggressive, pretty fucking mean.

Track By Track:

500 Likes
It’s more of just modern-day stuff, not like an alpha male thing or anything like that, just be a fucking man bro. It’s pretty much about standing out there and doing whatever the fuck you want. 

King’s Wench
This song is about a dude who hates his fucking girlfriend but when she dies, he goes and digs her up and starts fucking her body.

Dybuk
It’s about the band talking to our fans and telling them to stand the fuck up and not let someone put them down. Like man the fuck up and go do something about it. You know, fuck everybody.

No Fucks Left
Yeah, that song’s literally about telling all the whiny ass bitches of today’s modern lifestyle to go suck a dick because we don’t care what they think. It’s a big fuck you to the cancel culture.

Switchblades and Fistfights
It’s straight-up a fighting song. This song was made for people to hit each other too, the perfect song to be in the mosh pit for.

Encompassing a blend of influences from metalcore, post-hardcore, and nu-metal acts, American four-piece Circa Arcana, from El Paso, Texas have defined their sound to give listeners a nostalgic yet new variation of sound so often repeated in the metal music scene. They released their first single “Esoteric” in 2021 and an EP “Bridget Vīgintī” in 2022. This year they are following it up with “F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.”, which they declare is the most unforgiving, aggressive, and meanest recording of the year.

According to the band, the first EP  “Bridget Vīgintī” (released February 2022) was very emo, more of a heartfelt fan-to-fan moment, and with this new record, after touring and seeing how shitty people are, they wrote this one in a dark place. Music runs in their veins, and they bring a mixture of melodic, aggressive vocals, and hard-hitting riffs.

Fans who like to can get their adrenaline fix by bands such as Wage War, We Came As Romans and Attila are sure to get their fists pumping for Circa Arcana’s next offering “F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.” due out on September 1, 2023.

Circa Arcana is:
Johny Serna (Guitar)
Jonny Garcia (Drums)
Federico Corral (Bass)
Kevin Cangas (Vocals)

Shared Stage with:
Memphis May Fire (Direct Support), Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Jelly Roll, Matriarchs, The Convalescence, Living Dead Girl, Farewell To Fear, Steellake, Glorious

List of Tours and Festivals:
Mosh In The Deep End Tour – August 2022
Earthday Birthday Festival – April 2022
The Whisky A Go-Go (Special Guest Performance) – May 2023

0 EPK – Chronic Trigger – Word of Hate (single) (2023)

  • May 16, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Chronic Trigger · EPKs

EPK – Chronic Trigger – Word of Hate (single) (2023)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

For fans of Tony Danza TapDance Extravaganza,  Dr. Acula, Fit for an Autopsy, Signs of the Swarm, Kublai Khan

“This album is an audio conglomeration of all the challenges and adventures that helped us evolve into the band we are today. Every song on this album we wrote to excite our own inner musical goblins. If it excites the goblins, we feel it will excite the masses. The album was recorded over a period of one year with Flip Two Good at Aggressive Audio in SLC, UT and mastered in Germany by Manuel Renner at Uberlarm Studios. Several of the tracks from the album have been released as singles with associated music videos, all written and directed by us, in-house. Including a claymation video that took two years to create and film, all on our kitchen table.” – Chronic Trigger

Word of Hate (5:43) – Single off upcoming album “You Can’t Dance To This”
Single Release Date: May 16, 2023
Label: TBD
Distribution: TBD

All Links: Linktr.ee/ChronicTrigger

Facebook.com/ChronicTrigger | @billsabus_CT | Youtube.com/ChronicTriggerOfficial | Instagram.com/ChronicTriggerOfficial | Tiktok.com/@ChronicTrigger 

Bandcamp.com/ChronicTriggerOfficial | Spotify.com/ChronicTrigger | Music.Apple.com/ChronicTrigger | Etsy.com/ChronicTrigger

“A blistering new thrash and death metal single from Chronic Trigger absolutely melts your face with endless changes and trudging masterfully performed riffs, screaming and melodic edgy vocals to go along with a vast and closed fisted set of riffs and drumming that destroys all the way through. The track is delightfully called “Plucking Pustule Peter’s Poisoned Porky Porpoise Punchbowl Party” and if you think that’s a mouthful, dive into this track because it’ll feel like an earthquake under your feet.” – BuzzSlayers (Aug 1, 2022)

“Progressive extreme metal band Chronic Trigger releases a monstrous music video visualization for the group’s new, ominous single “Black Mental Epilepsy”! (…)This track proves that Chronic Trigger is a formation known for the dynamism in the distinguishable mixture of music that the members’ talents are generating, simultaneously mixing classic elements of hardcore with technical and progressive death metal to create an unique heavy sound landscape.” – Kronos Mortus News (Nov 02, 2021

“Blending melody and brutality into one frantic unit, Chronic Trigger balance the line of technical hardcore and progressive metal with precision. The band showcases the uncanny ability to display technical chops while not skimping on the heavy and brutal metal style.” – Wail Music Magazine (Sept 01, 2018)


Word of Hate (5:43) – Single off upcoming album “You Can’t Dance To This”
Single Release Date: May 16, 2023
Label: TBD
Distribution: TBDSingle Credits:
All songs performed by: Chronic Trigger
All songs written by: Chronic Trigger
Produced by: Flip Twogood | Aggressive Audio | SLC, UT
Mixed & Mastered by: Manuel Renner | Ueberlaerm Studios | Germany
Album Artwork by: Adam SmithSingle Band Line Up:
Ryan Pigott (Vocals) | Adam Smith (Bass) | Rob Whittle (Drums) | Marshall Rock (Guitar)Live Band Line Up:
Ryan Pigott (Vocals) | Adam Smith (Bass) | Rob Whittle (Drums) | Marshall Rock (Guitar) | Landon Colledge (Guitar)

L-R: Chronic Trigger – Ryan Pigott (Vocals) | Marshall Rock (Guitar) | Adam Smith (Bass) | Landon Colledge (Guitar) | Rob Whittle (Drums)

Chronic Trigger is a metal band formed in 2016. Showcasing the uncanny ability to blend melody and brutality into one frantic unit of technical hardcore and progressive metal precision. Through several independent, tumultuous tours we have perfected our professional performance and established ourselves as a highly driven, unique brand. Chronic Trigger is known for its exuberant live shows and ridiculously entertaining and engaging content. We’re from Utah by the way…

Discography:
2023 – You Can’t Dance to This – Album
2023 – Word of Hate – Single
2022 – Plucking Pustule Peter’s Poisoned Porky Porpoise Punch Bowl Party – Single
2021 – Child Predator Dogs – Single
2021 – Black Mental Epilepsy – Single
2019 – Cats on Cocaine – Single
2017 – Psycles – Single
2017 – Psycles – EP

Shared Stage with:
AlterBeast
Angra
Bodysnatcher
Depths of Hatred
Ektomorph
Enterprise Earth
Green Jelly
Hemlock
Ingested
Jungle Rot
Psychostick
And MANY more!

Tours and Festivals:
2018 – Strangulation Nation Tour – NM, TX, GA, TN, MO, KS, CO
2018 – Hemlock 25 Year Anniversary Tour – Mt. Pleasant, UT
2018 – Feast Winter Tour (AlterBeast) – SLC, UT
2017-2018 – Word of Hate Tour – NV, AZ, CA, WA, OR, CO, OK, TX, NM, UT
2017 – San Carlos Metal Fest – Peridot, AZ
2017 – The VelociTurkeySaurus Rex Tour (PsychoStick) – SLC, UT
2017 – North American Tour (Arkaik) – SLC, UT
2017 – 2017 Summer Annihilation Tour (Product of Hate) – SLC, UT

0 EPK – Hessdalen Light – Khajiit Has Wares, If You Have Coin (single) (2023)

  • May 12, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Hessdalen Light

EPK – Hessdalen Light – Khajiit Has Wares, If You Have Coin (single) (2023)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“It was the 4th song written for our upcoming album but it really stuck with us so we decided to prioritize it as a standalone single. The song is structured in true prog fashion, where each part flows independently into the next and no parts repeat. This creates a fun, adventurous type of experience for the listener as they journey through it. We also tried out some new delays and other modulation effects on this song, and intend to showcase that newer style throughout the rest of the album.” – Hessdalen Light

For fans of Chon, TTNG, The Fall of Troy, Dance Gavin Dance, Enemies.

Facebook.com/HessdalenLight | Instagram.com/hessdalenlightband | Youtube

Spotify | Hessdalenlight.bandcamp.com

“It’s thoughtful, complex and emotional. The four-and-a-half minutes is a journey and a half with the guitar, bass and drums weaving in and out of each other. Every instrument sort of does it’s own thing, yet come together in a very seamless and beautiful way. Would it be dumb to compare this to some of the math rock-y songs found on the Death Note soundtrack? That’s just what kind of frame of reference this writer has for this subgenre.” – Central Dallas Track – May 18, 2022 – Song of The Day – Hessdalen Light — “Devil’s Cigar”Single Title: Khajiit Has Wares, If You Have Coin
Release Date: 05/12/23
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid

Track Listing:
Khajiit Has Wares, If You Have Coin – Length (6:08)

Single Credits:
Song performed by: Hessdalen Light
Song written by: Tanner Thornton
Produced by: Trey Herod at Europa Studios
Mixed by: Trey Herod at Europa Studios
Mastered by: Trey Herod at Europa Studios
Single Artwork by: Hannah Boettinger

Band Line Up
Tanner Thornton – Guitars
Antonio Guzman – Bass
Zephaniah Stake – Drums

Discography:
2023 –  Khajiit Has Wares, If You Have Coin
2022 – False Dichotomy – EP
2018 – Gravity – EP

========================================================

Fun Facts – Story Angles:

1. Many of the Hessdalen Light’s song titles (as well as the band name) are references to unexplained scientific phenomena. With the music being instrumental, this provides a way to weave in some intrigue for our listeners who want to learn about something cool or interesting outside of the music.

2. Zephaniah (Drums) and Antonio (Bass) worked together at a local BBQ chain several years ago and had always tossed around the idea of forming a band, but the timing or situation never worked out. It wasn’t until many years later, that Antonio was already linked up with Tanner (Guitar) and Hessdalen Light, that the two BBQ boys were able to realize their goal of playing in a band together.

3. Our close friend, Trey Herod, of the Band Fall Europa, has built and opened his own recording studio (Europa Studios). For this single and every subsequent song on our upcoming album, we recorded all the instruments at Europa Studios and the songs will be Mixed and Mastered by Trey Herod.

4. All three current members of Hessdalen Light are fully self-taught on their respective instruments.

5. We have a band tradition where we get a huge breakfast at a restaurant in Dallas called ‘Snooze’ before any recording/studio session we do.


L-R: Tanner Thornton (Guitar) | Zephaniah Stake (Drums) | Antonio Guzman (Bass) | Photo Credit: Brandon Cole

Hessdalen Light began in early 2015 as a solo bedroom project of Tanner Thornton while he was pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Florida. He spent the following 3 years writing music in the little free time he had from the commitments of his studies. 

Enamored with the creative freedom that instrumental progressive rock music allowed, Tanner sought to turn his bedroom hobby into a full-fledged creative endeavor, and eventually release his music as an EP. Upon graduation from UF in 2018, he traveled to Nashville to meet up with his hometown friend, Hank Bachara, and record four songs that would eventually become Hessdalen Light’s debut release, Gravity. The Gravity EP was released in late 2018 and received generally positive feedback.

Around this same time, work brought Tanner out to Dallas, TX to begin a new life away from his home state of Florida. The 9-5 lifestyle offered him much more flexibility than school, and he knew it was finally time to turn Hessdalen Light into a full live band. 

Tanner began searching for musicians to join HL and quickly came across Kyle Garrison, a seasoned drummer with a similar appreciation for progressive rock music. Kyle then recruited his good friend and bassist, Antonio Guzman, as the two had formerly played together in a local grunge band called Doubt. The trio of Thornton, Garrison, and Guzman immediately hit it off musically, and thus Hessdalen Light had reached its full potential as a live band.

The trio played several shows around the DFW area in 2019 and 2020 until the pandemic hit, quickly halting their aspirations. They used this time to focus on writing more music that would eventually make up a second EP. 

In early 2021, Thornton and Guzman mutually parted ways with Garrsion and spent some time searching for his replacement. They eventually settled on drummer Zephaniah Stake, as Stake and Guzman were long-time high school friends.

The trio immediately set their focus back to recording and in the fall of 2021, they recorded their 2nd EP, “False Dichotomy” with their friend Trey Herod at Europa Studios in Crandall, TX.

False Dichotomy was released in March of 2022, after being mixed and mastered by Jamie King. The trio of Thornton, Guzman, and Stake spent the remainder of the year playing shows around the DFW area, including opening for Math Rock juggernauts Standards and Catbamboo.

In 2023, the band hopes to keep writing and releasing new music and playing more shows as they continue building their following organically.

Share Stage with:
Standards, I Met A Yeti, Pulses, With Sails Ahead, Painted Light, Turquoise, Nygma, Indego, DTB, Catbamboo, Observer, Fall Europa

Tours and Festivals:
2019 – Math Fest 2.0 – Denton TX

0 EPK – Red Cain – NÄE’BLISS (2023)

  • May 5, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Red Cain

EPK – Red Cain – NÄE’BLISS (2023)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

Red Cain returns with their Wheel of Time-inspired 3rd full-length album “NÄE’BLISS”. This album is their homage to the legendary world of Robert Jordan’s fantasy epic.

With a grimdark edge, down-tuned guitars, death metal influences, and an unrelenting march forward, “NÄE’BLISS” is a foray into the reverse side of the Wheel of Time story – that of the Forsaken, antagonists, instruments of the Great Lord of the Dark, and the brutal and captivating allure of letting Chaos reign supreme.

For fans of Kamelot, Mastodon, Powerwolf, Lord of the Lost, Tesseract

Album Title: NÄE’BLISS
Release Date: June 2, 2023
Label: Independent
Distribution: Digital

RedCain.ca | Redcain.bandcamp.com | Facebook.com/redcainofficial | Instagram.com/redcainarmy | Twitter.com/redcainarmy | YouTube

Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon

“NAE’ BLISS is a fine example of world-class Metal.  With every album they grow in statue and status they can stand shoulder to shoulder with the titans of the genre.” – Metal-Rules

“Red Cain continue their evolutionary path with NÄ̈E’BLISS, taking us all on a fantastic and metallic journey that will surely help them carve their name even deeper into the metal scene worldwide.” – The Headbanging Moose

“they come up with elements of melodeath, symphonic-, prog- and powermetal, melted together by the expressive vocal performance of singer Evgeniy Zayarny, who convinces with his full tone and an impressive range… “Näe’bliss” is well written, varied and dynamic, telling the stories about a common “good” against an “evil” antagonist in a great way.” The Prog Space

“What a masterpiece! In my last review, I gave my first 10/10 and called it my album of the year. That place has already been overtaken.” – Musipedia of Metal

“Canadians Red Cain took on the mammoth task of turning Robert Jordan’s works of the Wheel of Time series into an album… Needless to say the Power Prog band delivers an ambitious album filled with twists and turns that will keep you on your toes!” – Belgian Jasper

“Red Cain has made by far the best Wheel Of Time-related piece of art that I’ve seen or heard since before November 18, 2021. Sour grapes aside, this is some energetic power metal worthy of the source material.” – Metal Utopia

“Red Cain combine with clean singing and growling vocals on opener “Fisher King.” Much of Nae Bliss has a fresh modern sound (“Blight” and the gothic “The Great Hunt”) and some modern groove (“Sightblinder”)… The modern metal here reminds me of Iced Earth and Nevermore which has some excellent clean vocals. ” – Transcending the Mundane

“this is an album to explore if you tend to enjoy a more theatrical and bombastic variety of progressive metal.” – Progressor

 

“If you’re into the symphonic side of metal, then this is a must have album.” – Smorg Magazine


“As such Red Cain uses Näe’bliss to showcase the slickest noodling and power grooving of their career… Red Cain hasn’t yet made an album for the ages in this modern expression of classic prog/power exuberance, but each record thus far has swung for the fences and landed in good graces—stop sitting around and spin some Red Cain!” – Angry Metal Guy

“you’ll still feel the mighty pull of Power Metal all over the record. But the progressive parts now start to encroach on soundscapes bands like Haken or Caligula’s Horse3) usually usurp. And that leaves us with an uncannily savvy power prog mix with an unholy urge for unusual extreme metal undercurrents on full display. And that led – yet again – to overheated turntables over at the RMR office tower. Red Cain are back and in full swing yet again, feisty as ever. And as well they should be. So, where’s that bookshop? Robert Jordan’s fantasy lore’s beckoning us.” – Rock Music Raider

“With Näe’bliss, Red Cain has created their own progressive metal epic fantasy that is fuelled with blast beats, howling guitars, wailing vocals, and rumbling bass. The intricate lyrics tell their own tales and have captured the essence of the adversaries and nemesis of the story. Perhaps for me, storyline aside, is the wonderful vocal dynamic between Evgeniy Zayarny and Kalie Yan and how they play off each other in a beautiful tit for tat of clean versus harsh and singing versus operatic as if they were the protagonist and antagonist. Let the chaos reign supreme, crank Näe’bliss to 11.” – Amplify The Noise

““Fisher King,” is a monstrous opening, a song that tempts the deliverance and brings the power of brilliance and chaos of the whirlwind…. “Fires of Heaven,” is bombastic, powerful, enchanting and downright haunting. A song that smashes through everything.” – The Median Man

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: NÄE’BLISS
Release Date: June 2, 2023
Label: Independent
Distribution: Digital

Track Listing:
1. Fisher King – 5:35
2. Blight – 6:37
3. The Great Hunt – 4:09
4. We Are Chaos – 4:55
5. Sightblinder – 2:47
6. The Man Who Can’t Forget (Part I) – 2:38
7. Crane of Malkier (Part II) – 2:04
8. Red Cain – Fires of Heaven ft. James Delbridge (Lycanthro) – 8:02
Album Length: 36:52

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Red Cain
• All songs written by: Red Cain
• Produced by: Red Cain
• Mixed by: Tyler Corbett – Sole Audio
• Mastered by: Alan Sacha Laskow – Perfect Filth Studios.
• Album Artwork by: Red Cain
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Recording and Live Band Lineup:
Evgeniy Zayarny – Vocals
Samuel Ridout – Guitars
Kalie Yan – Bass, Vocals
Taylor Gibson – Drums

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RED CAIN – “NÄE’BLISS” – About The Album

Red Cain returns with our Wheel of Time – inspired 3rd full-length album “NÄE’BLISS”. This album is our homage to the legendary world of Robert Jordan’s fantasy epic.

With a grimdark edge, downtuned guitars, death metal influences, and an unrelenting march forward, “NÄE’BLISS” is a foray into the reverse side of the Wheel of Time story – that of the Forsaken, antagonists, instruments of the Great Lord of the Dark, and the brutal and captivating allure of letting Chaos reign supreme.

“We are fascinated by antagonists, why they stand against the “common good”, and how they came to fill that role – and when reading the Wheel of Time, there was the same intrigue behind how the very clearly defined “evil” faction in this world justified its existence. Why did the Forsaken willingly join the Shadow? Why do some men and women want the world to burn, the Wheel to stop spinning? Within such a carefully crafted narrative and beautifully balanced universe, there were puzzling, unexplored gaps that we were determined to delve deeper into.

And of course, fantasy is but a mirror of reality – so outside WoT lore, these questions apply equally well to the world beyond our window. Which of our idols are false, which heroes degenerates, what history a compendium of careful lies? It is all too easy to raise your fist against those labelled evil by the multitudes or a voice above, while failing to realize you yourself are the instrument of tyranny and corruption.”

We are all massive fantasy fans, and for us, Wheel of Time rubs shoulders with LOTR as a genre-defining epic fantasy series that started it all. The world of the Wheel is a brutal, compelling world with multitudes of fascinating characters, and we were particularly interested in exploring its more visceral aspects – an area which begs to be paired with heavy metal. We’ve seen some of our musical icons, like Blind Guardian, successfully go down this path, and it was magnificent to see new musical interpretations of those stories spun out by them – not to mention some bloody good fun.

Now, it is our turn to ride forward in another turn of the Wheel. Enjoy!

Red Cain – “NÄE’BLISS” Track by Track Comments

1. FISHER KING
Conceptually, “Fisher King” takes place in the universe of the legendary Wheel of Time fantasy series. It is the throw of the gauntlet by the Dragon Reborn, the Champion of the Light in his prime – a showcase of the kind of monumental inertia that brooks no opposition. Unsettling, bombastic and unrelenting, this track showcases a musical and lyrical contest of wills between the “Chosen One” archetype, and his antithetical, flawed, yet lethal opponent caught in his unrelenting march.

The concept of the Fisher King comes from Arthurian legend, telling the story of a wounded king unable to act as the protector of his lands, spending his time fishing in a pond, leading to them falling into ruin. The epic and forthright style of this track belies the lyrical theme of self-annihilation and corruption that can take root in those who are raised to be heroes or saviours. Our protagonist, Rand al’Thor, is a monumental force of destruction, inevitable, standing for all that is Good. But this destruction is also within himself – the vessel of the Light can be consumed by that same Light from within – and is personified by his antagonist, the Chosen One of the Shadow. This track is a study of two men, both on a collision course with each other, both doomed and aware of their fate, locked in a mortal conflict that sees no end and spans eons.

2. BLIGHT
Blight is defined as an organic contagion that damages, destroys, or corrupts. In the Wheel of Time universe, where the Dark One touches the world, uncontrolled and aberrant growth sprouts and covers the land, home to malign flora and monstrous fauna. With this track, we moved the needle firmly into the progressive part of our progpower style, delivering an atmospheric, chilling, and dynamic performance meant to mimic the unstoppable advancement of the Blight over the land. Is the Blight a disease or a majestic triumph of organic life without limits? With this Tesseract, Ihsahn, and Insomnium-influenced track, we explore this idea.

The concept for “Blight” came out of a question – what is the ideal state in the evolution of organic life? Influenced by authors like Stanislaw Lem and Adrian Tchaikovsky, this has long been a theme in science fiction, and is becoming relevant in the modern era. The Blight also plays a key role within the Wheel of Time universe, and the concept sets the stage for a musical exploration from our end where another evolution to our sound likewise takes root.

3. THE GREAT HUNT
With our next single for the upcoming album “NÄE’BLISS”, we are pleased to debut one of the heaviest tracks in the Red Cain repertoire – “The Great Hunt”. A stomping, driven ¾ march utilizing 8-string guitars and layers and layers of bass, this track pushes further into the djent riffs present elsewhere on the album, yet contains all of the usual characteristics of a Red Cain anthem – lush electronic backing, soaring, aggressive vocals, and a pulsing, headbanging groove.

Conceptually, within the album’s theme continuing to revolve around the “Wheel of Time” universe, “The Great Hunt” calls our Forsaken protagonists to begin the hunt for the most dangerous game – their archenemy, the worldbreaking Champion of the Light – the Dragon Reborn himself. With regression to the status quo threatening, and Chaos the only antidote, will this bold move yield success – or drive the world deeper into the designs of the Wheel?

Step up, heft your spear – and join The Great Hunt.

4. WE ARE CHAOS
Ruminations on chaos. Four rebellious souls plotting against a tyrant. An occult ceremony. A secret waiting to be torn open. Red Cain’s new single + music video “We Are Chaos” brings us back into the universe of the Wheel of Time, into the lair of the Forsaken – the Chosen, as they see themselves – in their resistance to the unending turning of the Wheel.

Under the leadership of the enigmatic Moridin, irreversibly tied to their enemy, the Dragon Reborn, Sammael, Demandred, and Semirhage are the bulwark against the rising tide of the Dragon and his followers, and the decaying status quo that his ascension brings.

Continuing the experimental nature of previous single “Blight”, “We Are Chaos” plants its flag firmly in death metal territory, with vocalists Evgeniy Zayarny and Kalie Yan trading off growls amid heavy, groove laden riffs, backlit by the usual eerie soundscapes, and Samuel Ridout’s staccato guitarwork. A plunge into the nature of chaos, promises broken, and a bond that threatens mutual destruction, “We Are Chaos” is very much a new iteration of the core Red Cain sound, and an emphatic musical and visual statement en route to the upcoming album release.

5. SIGHTBLINDER
The Aiel are a hardened, brutal, yet noble culture of desert warriors who are in many cases the last line of defence against the encroaching forces of the Dark. “Sightblinder” is the Aiel term for the Dark One – a presence that destroys sight, mind, and the tools to appreciate the ephemeral and visceral beauty of life. “Til shade is gone, ’til water is gone, to spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the Last Day” is a battle promise given by all Aiel warriors, dedicating their life to fight the Great Lord of the Dark and his influence.

This perseverance, brutalism, and refusal to fall – qualities respected by ally and enemy alike – are at the core of this progressive, heavy, and intricate instrumental. “Sightblinder” doubly refers to the private, though indirect, battle fought between Tigraine, the mother of Rand al’Thor, and Shai’tan himself – the battle to birth the Dragon Reborn, won by the Maiden of the Spear.

6. THE MAN WHO CAN’T FORGET (Part I) / 7. CRANE OF MALKIER (Part II)
An instant hit from the long-awaited Wheel of Time TV series, performed by Thom (Alexandre Willaume) this raw, tobacco-and-whisky flavoured ballad immediately caught us and wouldn’t let go. So we wrote a metal cover of it in our own flavour. And then we added our own twist to it with the Part II of this track – Crane of Malkier.

Where the original song speaks quite clearly and eloquently about Lews Therin, the original Dragon, who caused the Breaking of the World in his madness, and the torment that came to him as a result, our track focuses on another “Man who can’t forget” – the last Malkieri king, on a sworn crusade to avenge the death of his land and bring down the Dark One.

In a relatively classical and beloved power metal ballad format, dressed up with familiar Red Cain stylistic elements and electronic backing, these two tracks shape the duality, juxtaposition, and dimmed glory of two men, neither of whom can let go of the past.

8. FIRES OF HEAVEN (feat. James Delbridge – Lyrcanthro)
The smell of char. The howling of Trollocs and screeches of Fades. Lightning tendrils of the One Power arcing across the carmine skies. The landscape is ashen, and reality is visibly torn by the vicious cyclones of raw power concentrated around Shayol Ghul – the prison of the being known as the Dark One.

The Wheel creaks under the strain of the ta’veren. The air itself is charged with the expectation of bloodshed. And the most powerful forces of the Third Age face one another. One side – the adherents of the Dragon Reborn, fight for the status quo and the minimization of human suffering – shortsighted, naive, altogether ignorant of the true oppressive weight of the cyclical nature of the Wheel. The other – Forsaken, blood on their hands, in an unholy union with the Dark One, yearning to break the Wheel, derail the cycling of Ages, burn this false Heaven down and, through entropy, create a new world.

For the longest Red Cain track yet, we invited James Delbridge from  Canadian band Lycanthro to lend his classic heavy metal vocal to this opus of a song hitting the crescendo of the lore behind “NÄE’BLISS”. A culmination of the musical elements in the other tracks of the album, “Fires of Heaven” brings the “NÄE’BLISS” concept to a close with a blistering, sprawling tour de force mirroring the epic closing of the Wheel of Time series – Tarmon Gai’don – The Last Battle. Heaven must burn.

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STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. Evgeniy, the frontman, is of joint Russian/Ukrainian descent and was exposed to Slavic paganism from a young age, gaining insight into old ceremonies and spoken word myths, as well as the vast and strange body of Slavic folklore. A lot of these experiences and his love for myth and the exploration of the occult come through in the lyrics and concepts of Red Cain’s music.

2. Red Cain’s first two full albums, “Kindred: Act I” and “Kindred: Act II” conceptually told a sprawling story of how raw and primal ancient myth collides with modern society and human yearning toward the stars, toward perfection. The albums contained a ton of genre inspirations, from gothic rock to ambient electronica, power, black, and death metal, and were universally lauded for their inventiveness, variety, and strong conceptual content.

3. The band members feel strongly in favour of experimentation, whether with genres, resulting in much of the material sitting across multiple genres, not all related to metal; visual elements, with striking and inventive story-based music videos a particular focus; or art and concepts, many of which relate to the clash between the ancient and modern, with more recent material zeroing in on a futuristic design and musical style.

4. Red Cain’s story music videos for “ZERO” and “Juliet” have cumulatively earned the band 17+ international film festival awards, including wins at major festivals such as IndieX FilmFest, Global Shorts, LA Film & Script Festival, Cannes Indies Cinema Awards, and finalist with Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival, Tokyo International Short Film Festival, and New York Tri-State International Film Festival. The band is currently planning its next feature music video to follow these two successes.

 

L-R – Taylor Gibson (drums), Kalie Yan (bass, vocals), Evgeniy Zayarny (vocals), Samuel Ridout (guitar)

Photo Credit Zak Kelly

Melancholy and Rage

Born out of the vast prairies and snowy peaks of Alberta, Canada, Red Cain is a modern progressive metal project with Eastern European roots. With intricate songwriting, powerful vocals, eerie soundscapes, and strong electronic-backed groove, Red Cain champion a fluid, dynamic, and unique style centered around telling dark, conceptual Faustian sagas and constructing those into an unforgettable live experience. Described by frontman Evgeniy Zayarny as a vehicle of “Melancholy and Rage”, Red Cain delivers power, flair, thematic Slavic influence, and intricate, lethal edge in their work. Listeners might well pick out elements reminiscent of such luminary acts as Kamelot, Symphony X, Tesseract, Lord of the Lost, whipped into a venomous new shape. The current incarnation of this Canadian metal band is of these influences mixed with a lot of vodka and Eastern European melancholy, shaken and stirred.

Red Cain self-released its debut self-titled EP in North America in 2016 to excellent reviews, and followed this up with two award-winning full-length albums, “Kindred: Act I” in 2019, and AFA-funded “Kindred: Act II” in 2021, working with Sliptrick Records globally to have over 3500+ physical copies sold, as well as over 200,000 digital streams to date. The band has hit #1 on the Canadian National Loud Charts on multiple occasions and is a 1x winner and 3x nominee for the Metal Recording of the Year at the YYC Music Awards.

The band has created 13 videos, of which 2 are full-length, high-production music videos for “ZERO” and “Juliet”. The latter two videos have won 17 awards at international music festivals, including the Berlin Short Film Festival, Venice Shorts, Global Shorts, IndieX FilmFesti, AIFF, and Hollywood Art & Movie Awards, among others. The band has a strong history of collaboration, with a highlight being our work with Juno Award-winning vocalist Kobra Paige of heavy metal band Kobra and the Lotus, on the track “Wing of the Crow”.

Red Cain released our latest album “Kindred: Act II” globally with Sliptrick Records in 2021, with a particular focus on promotion and engagement in the United States and Eastern Europe, where the band has received significant traction in 2020-21. With live performances stunted by COVID, the band has focused strongly on building out the concept behind the two-album “Kindred” arc with non-musical collateral, creating story content and custom art for the album concept.

With a significant upward trend of fan interest for this release, and 100,000 + digital streams, Red Cain has our set sights firmly set on another ambitious and conceptually exciting project, with the next release cycle coming in 2023.

Red Cain is:
Evgeniy Zayarny – Vocals
Samuel Ridout – Guitars
Tyler Corbett – Guitars
Kalie Yan – Bass, Vocals
Taylor Gibson – Drums

What the press is saying:

“This is a track (Sunshine (Blood Sun Empire) that infuses their progressive and power metal sound, similar to that of Symphony X and Kamelot. Alongside this, there are also faint similarities to bands like Dream Theater and even Korn. This is a nearly 6 minute track that doesn’t let up and doesn’t fear to change up its style throughout.” – Metal Injection

#10 Red Cain !earshot – The National Loud Chart For the Week Ending: Tuesday, February 9, 2021 (Earshot)

“From the proggy goodness of album opener “Kindred”, to the blast beats of “Baltic Fleet”, to the epic closer “Sunshine (Blood Sun Empire), there is something here for every fan of progressive power metal.  With this being Act II in Red Cain’s Kindred body of work, I really feel as though I entered a movie theater right in the middle of an epic saga. Each song is a journey in and of itself, but each also contributes to the overall fantastic voyage.  I will absolutely be purchasing Act I of this amazing tale and listen from start to finish, the way it was intended. Do yourself a favor and do the same!” – Metal Rules

“If you like your music melodic, mysterious, and gothic, with a progressive power metal base, then this is for you. This has been a joy to review and yet another band to add to my favoured list. ” – The Prog Space

“Zayarny is a powerhouse vocalist and the contortions he forces into Red Cain make for a very diverse record.. the talent behind the record is undeniable, and at the very least, Kindred proved far more creative and thought-provoking than most death metal records I’ve recently tackled. You should give it a shot — even if you’re not a big weenie..” – Angry Metal Guy

“Overall, ‘Kindred: Act II’ is an interesting mix of styles that combine together in technical wizardry to set the backdrop for the continued tales of the warrior Zalcoatl. There’s some unexpected musical influences that bubble to the surface, particularly the liberal use of electronic elements provides a futuristic, yet gothic, element to the tales. Vocally, there’s some clear inspiration from Kamelot going on here. They’re predominantly clean, but with a wide range between high pitched and deep passages. The guitar work is pretty varied as well and at times even hits a distinctly djent groove that seems to appear out of nowhere!… Fans of Kamelot and Mastodon alike will find some common ground with ‘Kindred: Act II’ (and Act I for that matter).” – Uber Rock

“These seasoned metal performers brought me to school with a clear cut album, delivered beautifully across seven tracks. The epic highs and lows of the album leave me wanting more… My hat is off to RED CAIN!” – Metal Temple

“With a flurry of progressive guitars, grandiose vocals and intriguingly wild effects, Red Cain burn brightly from the very start with the opening track, Kindred.” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“Songs alternate between melodic and more progressive portions in fine fashion. There is also a heroic aspect to the band that assures that they have some variety and also ties them to power metal. The entire affair is uplifting and does a good job getting the listener entranced in the music… a fun album and a very nice way to start the year off. It will also appeal to fans of bands from a number of different sub-genres.” – Heavy Music Headquarters

“the crew here found yet another gem from Red Cain, one filled with cosmic terrors this time. Kindred: Act II provides us with an additional slice of that delicious metal geekery that this band is capable of. A record that makes complexity sound easy, even casual. And that’s a feat not many bands master these days anymore.” – Rock Music Raider

“RED CAIN keep us on our toes right down to the final track Sunshine (Blood Sun Empire). There is a mixture of all sorts going on but again, it flows together seamlessly. It’s complex yet memorable. I knew logically this was the last track of the album but I feel this story is not over yet. Will there be Act III to follow in the next year or so? Who knows, I personally hope there is. Kindred:  Act II was a great introduction to RED CAIN and their sound. From listening to this, it’s easy to see why they have been nominated for awards. I look forward to see how their sound grows and develops from now.” – Rock Out Stand Out

“One of the best aspects, despite the fact that this is prog, is that the music is very easy to get into and enjoy. It is often midtempo, headbobbing music as a general style, and that makes things exceedingly easy for fans in general that prefer normal, song-friendly speeds…  the real big reason to listen is the melodic singing. It makes this listener really curious to find out if the singing can be this good in the live concert. Is this voice for real?! It sounds so good, and strong, and also melodic. It is the thing that takes the band over the top in terms of music and of catching the interest of potential fans. There is an elegance and style to the singing that makes the songwriting attractive and pulls you in to check out more of the music.” – Metal Bulletin Zine

“Kindred: Act II is a solid offering. It straddles a number of different styles and influences without committing 100% to any of them… any metalhead with a taste for the dramatic should find something rewarding in here.” – The Independent Voice

“I think Red Cain took the right chances and put forward an interesting release that will challenge the listeners to catch everything they’ve put into making this album. It’s definitely not a one listen and you’ve got it album. It is a listen multiple times to catch what you missed each time before type of album. Give this one a chance and see if you don’t love it yourself.” – Yesterdaze News

“an atmosphere between anger and melancholy are exactly what the band is all about. “KINDRED: ACT II” is definitely a really strong album and one only regrets that it ends so early. But as the saying goes : Quality is more important than quantity!” – Metal-Heads.de

“This new album is opened by KINDRED, a brilliant tune with different influences, from power/prog to electro-rock. It’s enriched by an interesting solo, a well-groomed production and cinematic mood.” – HardRockHeavyMetal

“a strong progressive mix and very melodic power metal, they are a band of experienced musicians who give us a well-defined, real album with these seven tracks, for lovers of this genre it will be more than good and unique.” – Darkzen Dragon Metal Angels

“The album kicks off with a couple of brilliantly technical and melodic tracks – ‘Kindred’, is heavy and showcases the skillset these guys have at their disposal in true Progressive style. ‘Demons’ is a much more catchy hook-based track, although no less technically capable, but with catchy riffs, melodies and enough commercial bent to pull in a new listener – whilst still playing to that vocal ambidextrousness with a couple of lines that wouldn’t sound amiss on a Marilyn Manson album. And then the album switches style and becomes haunting, moody and totally surprising with the falsetto introduction to ‘Precipice Of Man’, which fools you into thinking it’s a power ballad before belting you around the head with one of the heaviest bass sounds I have heard in a while and a much more extreme vocal sound. These kind of body swerves just keep coming, and are what makes this album such a refreshing change.” – Ever Metal

“Concluding this album is the pure Power Metal entity known as ‘Sunshine (Blood Sun Empire)’. This proves to be an enjoyable ad worthy finale for what has been a brilliant album. ‘Kindred: Act II’ doesn’t include a single bad song and advertises the talent of Red Cain excellently.” – AC Rock Reviews

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“What we have here is a two headed beast of sad and melancholy music on one side and angry and raging music on the other. The two combine somewhere in the middle with flair for the dramatic and impassioned vocals. This is definitely worth your time if you are looking for something off the beaten path.” – Metal Temple (Kindred Act I Review)

“Red Cain’s first full-length act is a more than solid release that I can warmly recommend if you enjoy the likes of Kamelot, TesseracT and Blind Guardian or just enjoy some good old thinking man’s metal music in general. With a charismatic frontman, well thought out and varied songwriting and a healthy dose of power and energy, Red Cain is a up and coming Canadian act that I’ll sure be keeping my eye on!” – Belgian Metal Shredder (Kindred Act I Review)

“Kindred: Act I is all about raw and unbridled metal power. A thoughtful brand of metal that – for once – does not base itself on mindless growling about the stage along normal lines of metal conduct. Instead they rip the established status quo to pieces and attack with a very unusual metal dish. One that comes with a distinct groove to boot… a very tasty fusion of Progressive and Power Metal that we have rarely seen to date. A metal dish best consumed red-hot. Have some, you will not regret it.” – Rock Music Raider (Kindred Act I Review)

“Symphonic progressive metal with alternative and gothic nuances – Red Cain are well on their way to establishing new territory in story telling and musical match-ups. Kindred: Act Irepresents a fine opening album for these Canadians, and should lend itself well to various multi-media opportunities for live show and film options. The best records connect on a mind, body, and spirit level – and this will be one that should be in the conversation for visionary, forward-thinking effort, proving the ink is not dry on what metal can bring to the table for innovation.” – Dead Rhetoric (Kindred Act I Review)

“I couldn’t be more impressed with this band and album from the opening track “Snake Bouquet” to the last track “Wing Of The Crow” which is an awesome closing track with guest vocals from Kobra Paige of Kobra and The Lotus. This album takes you on an epic and melodic journey, I feel fans of bands from Avatar to Kamelot to Marilyn Manson and anything in between will really love this album.” – Crannk (Kindred Act I Review)

“Red Cain have produced a very awesome album. It sounds and looks very professional, has great riffs and epic melodies. Keep an eye on these guys, they will come very far.” – Lyrical Spell Magazine (Kindred Act I Review)

0 EPK – Diner Drugs – This War (single) (2023) BatSkull Records

  • May 4, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Diner Drugs · EPKs

EPK – Diner Drugs – This War (single) (2023) BatSkull Records

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“This War” is the first single off of Diner Drugs’ latest EP titled “42”. Diner Drugs are proud of this loud and driving track, complete with catchy choruses and an epic, heavy ending. This song features powerful vocals, with lyrics of warning about the dangers of assuming things will work out for the best, without cautiously preparing for the worst.” – Diner Drugs

Management / Booking: Manager, Kate Butler, She Said Feck Records – shesaidfeckrecords[@]gmail.com

Single Title: This War
Release Date: May 4, 2023
Label: BatSkull Records

For fans Red Fang, Cancer Bats, Alexisonfire, The Bronx, Heart Attack Kids

SheSaidFeckRecords.com/diner-drugs-epk | Facebook.com/DinerDrugs | Twitter.com/DinerDrugs | Youtube | Instagram.com/DinerDrugs

DinerDrugs.Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon| Spotify 

Tour Dates: ​
May 12 – St. John’s, NL – The Deck
May 13 – St. John’s, NL – The Abbey (All Ages)
May 13 – St. John’s, NL – The Deck
May 24 – Charlottetown, PEI – Trailside w/ Cancer Bats, Thousand Knives
May 25 – Moncton, NB – Xeroz w/ Cancer Bats, Thousand Knives
May 26 – Halifax, NS – The Seahorse w/ Cancer Bats, Thousand Knives
May 27 – Sydney, NS – Curling Club w/ Cancer Bats, Thousand Knives

[Download Single Artwork | Download Single Lyrics]

Band: Diner Drugs
Single: This War
Release Date: May 4, 2023
Label: Batskull Records

Single Credits:
Written By: Landry/Lee/Briggs/Fournier
Performed by: Landry/Lee/Briggs/Fournier
Singe/Album Artwork: Jonah Landry
Members of SOCAN
Canadian Content – MAPL

Diner Drugs is
Jesse Briggs – Drums
Chris Lee – Bass/Vocals
Jordan Fournier – Guitar/Vocals
Jackson Landry – Guitar/Vocals

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Story Angles – Fun Facts

A) Jordan was the last member to join the band. When he learned the songs from some recordings the other guys had made, he accidentally learned them in the wrong guitar tuning. To this day, Jordan still plays in a different tuning than Chris and Jackson.

B) While in the van on tour, Diner Drugs mainly listens to comedy specials and podcasts.

C) Chris and Jesse were once in a band called “Bong Jovi” with Jackson’s brother. Jordan and Jesse were in a band together called “The Human Comedy” with the singer of Bong Jovi, who is Jordan’s cousin. Jesse and Chris were in a band called “Savage Young”, whose singer also played guitar in Bong Jovi. Through these three bands, Diner Drugs has sort of been in the making since we were all in high school.

D) In our old jam room we had many, many rats. One time in the hottest week of summer, a huge rat died in our room and was left in there for a full 7 days in +30-40C heat. What we found the next room was as bad, and probably worse than you would expect. That was right around the time we decided to move out.

E) On Diner Drugs’ first tour to Ontario and Quebec, Jordan did not respect the importance of not eating too much sodium. He lived off instant ramen and dollar store cheese sticks the entire time, and got cartoonishly swollen ankles for the remainder of the tour as a consequence for his gluttony. Months later on another tour, his bandmates were making fun of him and asked him: “How are the ankles, bud?”. When Jordan insisted that he had learned his lesson about the sodium, he lifted up his pant legs only to discover that they were once again, freshly swollen. He just could not resist the gas station nacho pumped cheese and $1.99 taquitos.

Back – Jesse Briggs (Drums), Middle (L to R) – Jackson Landry (Guitar), Jordan Fournier (Guitar), Front – Chris Lee (Bass)

Photo Credit: Bryan Otter

Diner Drugs is a four-piece stoner metal punk crew, born out of a desire to defeat the boredom of east coast living. Diner Drugs is fast, loud and are always keen to turn up the heat with catchy choruses and deep vocal harmonies while sticking to their deep stoner metal roots. They are ready to hit the road this spring and have a flashy new single “This War” coming out to get fans excited. The single is the first look at a new EP that will be coming out this year. The band explains in detail:

“This is the first single off of our latest EP titled “42”. We are proud of this loud and driving track, complete with catchy choruses and an epic, heavy ending. This song features powerful vocals, with lyrics warning about the dangers of assuming things will work out for the best, without cautiously preparing for the worst. So much hard work from so many people went into this, it’s loud and fast and we hope everyone digs it.”

The tour this spring will take Diner Drugs all over the east coast of Canada. With relaxed attitudes and groovy riffs, they enjoy bringing fun metal to people and enticing them to headbang. Loud and energetic is their goal, and their lyrics come from both personal experience and witnessing the experiences of others. They live in a have-not town, so they are more than familiar with hard times. They draw from these troubles for inspiration and hope to maybe help anyone stuck in these situations feel a little less alone in their battles.

It’s loud, fast, meaningful metal, and according to the band the song means a lot more to them this time around and they feel it reflects in the upcoming record. They are recommended for fans of Cancer Bats, Dead Quiet, and Mokomakai.

Discography:
TBD – 43 (EP)
2019 – As Is (LP)
2017 – Self Titled (EP)

Shared Stage with:
Cancer Bats, Mokomakai, Red Fang, Dead Quiet, Heart Attack Kids, Iron Giant, Zaum, Hard Charger Motherhood, Greber, Cell Press

Tours and Festivals:
2023 – Ontario/ Quebec Tour w/ Greber, Cell Press
2019 – Cancer Bats East Coast Tour w Dead Quiet
2019 – Mud City Meltdown Festival w Red Fang – Moncton, NB
2019 – Heart Attack Kids East Coast/ON/QC Tour
2018 – Heart Attack Kids East Coast Tour
2018 – She Said Feck Records East Coast Tour
2017 – Mokomaki – East Coast Support

0 EPK – Orchid’s Curse – The Decay (2023)

  • May 4, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Orchid's Curse

EPK – Orchid’s Curse – The Decay (2023)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“We are elated to finally be releasing THE DECAY to the masses. Writing for this EP started before the pandemic and we are glad the time to release it is finally here.  One positive is that with the shutdowns we had a lot of extra time to spend refining these songs to ensure it was most mature and competent release to date. 

We really wanted to ensure THE DECAY picked up where our last few releases left off.  With each new record we always try to continue to progress and up the ante musically and artistically.  We all feel really confident in these songs and this release as a whole.  Although the release was delayed longer than we had hoped, we are happy that the time is finally here.” – Orchid’s Curse

For fans of At the Gates, The Black Dahlia Murder, Burnt By The Sun, Darkest Hour

Band: Orchid’s Curse
EP Title: The Decay
Label: Self-Release
Release Date: June 16, 2023

Orchidscurse.com | Facebook.com/orchidscurse | Instagram.com/orchidscurse

Orchidscurse.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify

“Orchid’s Curse’s The Decay Waves a Flag For Eastern Canadian Metal… The Decay sees the band taking steps to consciously be as stylistically diverse as possible with each of the six songs on offer, from slow and low to fast and furious, from melodic death metal and thrash to late ’90s/early ’00s Hydra Head/Relapse metallic hardcore and epic bright-eyed sludge.” – Decibel Magazine

“there’s something refreshingly different about their sound… High on energy, full of passion, you can’t fault any part of this release. It’s been five years since their last release, Graveyard of the Gulf. With The Decay, Orchid’s Curse have fired a flare in the sky. It says, “we are back, and you’d better believe it”.” – Moshville Times

“Beat my senses into a pulp like this EP is doing. So top marks to guitarist Brian Jones for giving the music such a huge sound. So no messing around. You get 5 tracks in about 24 minutes and if it doesn’t rip you a new one, I’ll be very surprised. Love It” – Smorg Mag

“Everyone above a certain age is well aware of the scene in Pulp Fiction where Vincent viciously stabs a spike loaded with adrenaline right into Mia’s heart to bring her back from a heroin overdose. Immediately, the adrenaline makes her explode back to life. That scene popped to mind in listening to the Orchid’s Curse song “Dead Idols” that we’re about to premiere — specifically, the way the song begins. There’s no warning, no introductory pause, just a sudden furious injection of scorching screams, hammering drums, and maniacally pulsating riffage. And then the song becomes even more explosively unhinged, thanks to a turbocharged percussive eruption and a blizzard of tremolo’d chords. If you’re not bolt-upright and pop-eyed awake after that, it’s probably too late to call emergency services.” – No Clean Singing

“After a few spins of this five-song effort, prepare to suffer some mental/physical bruising at the ferocious tones, attacking nature, and stunning comfort of shifts between melodic death, metalcore, groove/thrash, and hardcore elements thrown into the arrangements.” – Dead Rhetoric

“The forceful, militant delivery vocalist Josh Hogan employs pushes the band into that raw, crossover territory – it’s an aspect that won’t be soon forgotten from the first song to last. These musicians understand the need to pump out killer hooks right from the get go – which is what you’ll get in the stunted, staccato-like shifts surrounding the melodeath mainframe “Better Men”, bridging aspects of At the Gates, Machine Head, and The Black Dahlia Murder. Orchid’s Curse contains solid players plus dynamic abilities to synthesize numerous sub-genres into a coherent sound. The Decay will probably appeal most to those who enjoy a bit more progressive twists against their normal groove/melodic death/metalcore-oriented tracks.” – Dead Rhetoric

““Dead Idols” has another rousing and energetic sound. The music and vocals are absolutely punishing,” – Metal-Temple

“This has a nice catchy kind of thrashy sound, but more leaning into prog metal musically and a nice catchy gritty sound too” – Mosh Pit Radio – WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)

“Orchid’s Curse  got me hooked from the first riff .” – New Music Plug

“Canadian band Orchid’s Curse are out with the mini-album “The Decay”, and metal is the style explored on this production. It is a powerful and vibrant variety of the form we get here, and most of the songs appears to revolve around a more vibrant display of thrash metal, executed with occasional dips into extreme metal pace and intensity levels…. A production to seek out by those with a taste for a more dynamic and varied approach to energetic metal that can be described inside of or in relation to a more contemporary thrash metal oriented tradition.” – The Viking in the Wilderness

===========================================

“Orchid’s Curse is one of those bands that plays around with melodeath, groove, thrash, and occasionally prog with enough fluidity to rid themselves of any sort of pesky sub genre tags and earn the simple, yet elegant classification of ‘metal’.” – Metal Sucks

“Orchid’s Curse employ their familiar tactic of borrowing the techniques of multiple genres, from filthy death metal riffs to hardcore barks, progressive guitar explorations and dirge-like, doom-influenced song structures.” – Exclaim!

“Thick, brutal, aggressive and borderline cacophonous, at times, Voices is relentlessly engaging and explosive while maintaining a decisively melodic essence.” – Exclaim!

“heavy riffs built for headbanging” – Metal Storm

“Cynics & Liars, is very much an EP which epitomizes everything good about metal in 2016” – PureGrainAudio / V13

“Orchid’s Curse are versatile, able to play everything from menacing thrash to accessible melodeath to punishing metal” – HeavyMetal.About.com

“Every song punches you right between the eyes” – Mettalworx

“This album is just laced with hook after hook. Whether it be a classic metal riff, a psyched out interval or just a standard heavy rock n’ roll beat; the album is catchier than an STD on 2-for-1 night at a brothel.” – Echoes and Dust

Cynics & Liars (2016) – Canadian College Radio Loud Charts
#3 on the !earshot-online weekly Top 10 National Loud Chart
#7 on the !earshot-online monthly Top 20 National Loud Chart

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: Orchid’s Curse
EP Title: The Decay
Label: Self-Release
Release Date: June 16, 2023

Track Listing:
1. Better Men – 5:42
2. Dead Idols – 4:24
3. The Divergence of Man – 4:45
4. Divided by Everything – 2:31
5. Pay to Prey – 6:24
EP Length: 23:47

EP Credits:
All songs performed by Orchid’s Curse
All songs written by Orchid’s Curse
Produced by Brian Jones
Mixed and Mastered by Mike Bowers
Recorded by Brian Jones except Drums Recorded by Palmer Jamieson
EP art by Keith MacLeod
SOCAN member
Canadian Content MAPL

EP and Live lineup:
Josh Hogan – Vocals
Brian Jones – Guitar/Vocals
Keith MacLeod – Guitar
Jason Szeto – Bass
Alex Wrathell – Drums

==================================================================

The EP as a whole:

Musically this EP is our most mature work yet. 5 songs with a variety of different musical influences but also still having the Orchid’s Curse sound.Songs range from a 2:30 thrash banger to a 6::30 epic melodic metal song.

Lyrically the EP looks at the continued to decline and decay of our modern society.

Track By Track:

1. Better Men
The first song to open the EP starts with a lo-fi build before opening up with a thunderous rhythm. Midway through the song it alternates between spacial atmosphere and the unrelenting rhythm which opens the track. Before closing with an epic, hardcore-inspired breakdown. Lyrically this song looks at men’s complacency in what is often deep-rooted and historical misogyny.

2. Dead Idols
Unlike the opening track, this song gets right into it from the opening note. Dead Idols is 4-minute melodic death and thrash-inspired banger.  Lyrically this song explores society’s idolization of people who may not deserve the adoration.

3. The Divergence of Man
Track 3 is our homage to sludge and vintage melodic hardcore bands like Burnt by the Sun.  This song is not only more patient in scope than the others on this EP but also more experimental. Lyrically this song looks inward at our willingness to sit back apathetically watching the collapse of our society.

4. Divided by Everything
This song is short and to the point. A 2:30 ripper that serves its purpose and gets the mosh pit moving.  Lyrically this song dives into the political farce that is left versus right divide occurring in most western cultures with the chorus stating simply “Divided by Everything, Bonded by Division”.

5. Pay to Prey
There was no doubt this song would close the EP. At just over 6 minutes this song takes all elements of Orchid’s Curse sound and wraps it up into one tightly wound package. Lyrically this song revisits a theme from past albums and is a scathing look at the commercialism behind religious institutions.

==================================================================

Story Angles – Fun Facts:

1. Orchid’s Curse formed way back in 2005 with our first release in 2006. 18 years have passed and we have withstood the test of time. Whether persevering through member changes or a pandemic, the band continues to push forward and release new music.  The Decay is our 6th release and will highlight that the band has no plans to stop creating music any time soon.

2. For this EP we did all pre-production at Brian Jones home studio “The Lab” with Jones producing and engineering. After being confident the songs were where we wanted them to be, we recorded drums at Golden Palm Studios and finished Guitars, Bass and Vocals in The Lab.  

3. Over the course of our career Orchid’s Curse has gotten to perform and tour with some of our favourite bands. Getting to tour Atlantic Canada with 3 Inches of Blood and Goatwhore a few years back was definitely one of our biggest highlights. Getting to see metal legends perform each night was absolutely incredible.

4. We’ve played a lot of stages (and floors) over our career.  From big stages at the Forum opening for Children of Bodom, the Maritime Tattoo Festival over the sound of buzzing tattoo guns, on National TV for ‘The Candy Show’, but we’ve also had our fair share of tiny stages, dive bars and dirty floors.  Regardless of the venue, one thing is certain, every single show the band brings 100% energy and entertainment.

L-R = Alex Wrathell (Drums), Brian Jones (Guitar), Keith MacLeod (Guitar), Jason Szeto (Bass), Josh Hogan (Vocals)

With over a decade of musical output, Orchid’s Curse continues to create a beautiful amalgamation of brutal metal, progressive melody, and intelligent thought-provoking lyrics. Whether in a live setting or on an album, Orchid’s Curse refuses stagnation and orders your full attention.

Since forming in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in late 2005, Orchid’s Curse has positioned itself at the forefront of the highly underrated East Coast metal scene in Canada. Ensuring that every show left the band drained of all they had and every album was created with the most care and the best team they could find. Now with their sixth release “The Decay” ready to release, the band continues to position itself at the forefront of maritime metal.

Metalsucks.net captured the band’s goal of blending various genres of metal, declaring “Orchid’s Curse is one of those bands that play around with melodeath, groove, thrash, and occasionally prog with enough fluidity to rid themselves of any sort of pesky sub-genre tags and earn the simple, yet elegant classification of ‘metal’.” while Canada’s Hellbound.ca recognized the bands continued progression and growth over the years stating, “Few bands demand that each album be a progression, a growth, in the way that Orchid’s Curse does. No musical influence is turned away, but everything is twisted, melded into an intense metal experience that makes your head bang one moment and your toes tap the next”

Since 2006 Orchid’s Curse has shared the stage with an incredibly diverse lineup of bands including, The Black Dahlia Murder, Children of Bodom, Every Time I Die, Cancer Bats, 3 Inches of Blood, Goatwhore, Exhumed, Fuck the Facts, KEN Mode, Misery Index, Counterparts, Baptized in Blood, Martyr, Beneath the Massacre, Vilipend, Ion Dissonance, Neuraxis, L’Espirit du Clan, Unexpect, Trigger Effect, Ninjaspy, Unbreakable Hatred, Misguided Aggression, Greber and many more.

Orchid’s Curse is:
Josh Hogan – Vocals
Brian Jones – Guitar/Vocals
Keith MacLeod – Guitar
Jason Szeto – Bass
Alex Wrathell – Drums

Discography:
2023 – The Decay (Independent)
2018 – Graveyard of the Gulf (Independent)
2018 – Split with Deadgaard
2016 – Cynics & Liars EP (Independent)
2013 – Words (Diminished Fifth Records)
2010 – Voices The Tales of Broken Men (Diminished Fifth Records)
2006 – Goodbye is when the Casket Closes (Diminished Fifth Records)

Music Placements:
The Candy Show (2013 – S3 E3)
Todd & The Book of Pure Evil (2010 – S1, E3)

Awards / Album of The Year:

Graveyard of the Gulf
“Loud Recording of the Year” – Nova Scotia Music Week 2019 (WINNER)

Cynics & Liars
“Loud Recording of the Year” – Nova Scotia Music Week 2016 (WINNER)
“Loud Recording of the Year” – East Coast Music Awards 2017 (Nominee)

Words
The Coast, Halifax’s Weekly Best of Music 2014
Gold Winner – Best Music Video( “If We’re Divine”)
Gold Winner – Best Merch By An Artist
Bronze Winner – Best Metal Band
Bronze Winner – Best Album (“Words”)

Voices: The Tales of Broken Men
The Coast 2010 Critic’s Pick
Noisography.com Top 10 Records of 2010
2011 Nova Scotia Music Week +  ECMA ‘Loud Recording of the Year’ Nominee
Hellbound.ca writer ‘Jason Wellwood’  Individual Top 10 Metal Albums of 2010 [#8]
PureGrainAudio.com writer ‘Chee Kam’ Individual Top 20 Metal Albums of 2010 [#18]

0 EPK – Asymmetric Universe – The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars (2023)

  • April 28, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Asymmetric Universe · EPKs

EPK – Asymmetric Universe – The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars (2023)

Publicist – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“We think this new music could be appreciated by both metal and fusion fans. We thought of this EP as an emotional journey through music trying not to fall into any genre-related clichés. We really hope that these intentions will be felt by our listeners, regardless of their musical background.” – Asymmetric Universe

For fans of Animals As Leaders,  Plini, Owane, Dirty Loops, Intervals

Album Title: “The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars”
Release Date: 28/04/23
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release

Asymmetricuniverse.com | Facebook.com/asymmetricuniverse | Youtube.com/@AsymmetricUniverse | Instagram.com/asymmetricuniverse

Asymmetricuniverse.bandcamp.com | Amazon | Spotify | Apple Music

“Their debut EP is a triumph of creativity, technical musicianship, and magic colors, both sonically and visually”- Music Off

“They can easily be compared and contrasted with some contemporary greats from the movement.” – Circle Pit

Album Title: “The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars”
Release Date: 28/04/23
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Extrospection (05:55)
2. As Within, So Without (07:05)
3. Kaleidoscope (05:52)  
4. (re):emerge (11:42)
EP Length: 33:17

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Federico Vese, Nicolò Vese, Gabriele Bullita
• All songs written by: Federico Vese & Nicolò Vese
• Produced by: Federico Vese & Nicolò Vese
• Mixed by: Forrester Savell
• Mastered by: Ermin Hamidovic
• Album Artwork by: Picture by Jeannette Bonezzi and Graphics by Isabella Giannone Rendo @RKH

Album Band Lineup:
Federico Vese – Guitar, Vocals
Nicolò Vese – Bass, Double Bass
Gabriele Bullita – Drums
Cesare Mecca – Trumpets
Simone Garino – Saxophones
Claudio Vignali – Guest piano solo on Kaleidoscope.
Federico Braga – Violin I  
Matteo Marzaro – Violin II  
Andrea Maini – Viola  
Vittorio Piombo – Cello

Live Band Lineup:
Federico Vese – Guitar, Vocals
Nicolò Vese – Bass, Double Bass
Gabriele Bullita – Drums

================================================================

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

Extrospection: (Nicolò) I wrote the piano intro on a tough night during the pandemic, I remember I was studying Bill Evans and Giacomo Puccini in that period, so this part took inspiration from them, Then with my brother, I adapted that section to a more proggy vibe for the chorus. Anyway, the jazzy and fusion shades remain strong in the midsection. We’re actually going to improvise that part in our live shows! But then I knew that something was missing, so I added a live-string quartet to give more elegance to the song. It was really hard to rhythmically fit in the strings in a prog song, but I think the final result is really satisfying.

As Within, So Without: (Federico) I wrote the different sections of this song in different sessions. The challenge was to compose a catchy and heavy chorus while keeping the verses more sophisticated using smooth modulations. I studied expressly a particular harmonic approach based on Coltrane and Dirty Loops for the intro and the central solo sections, in fact, they were the last part added to the song. It took me a lot of time to write the solo and to record it as I was hearing it in my head but I’m quite satisfied with the final result! Nicolò managed to add the strings to the song, giving a new dimension to the arrangement.

Kaleidoscope: (Nicolò) I took care mainly of the chorus and the mid-section (from slap solo to piano solo), while my brother wrote all the verses. I also arranged the winds section with live trumpets and saxophones. We wanted to give a sort of “drunk” vibes by dividing the beat in quintuplets and using weird and unique filters on bass and guitar. The guest jazz piano solo by Claudio Vignali and the final chorus is my favorite parts!

(re):emerge: (Federico) As for “As Within, So Without” I came up with the different sections of this song in different moments. The arpeggio of the intro was a sort of lullaby that sounded in my head and helped me fall asleep for some time so I decided to propose it as the intro of a new song. Then with Nico, we worked on that intro adding winds and ambient synths. The song was hugely inspired by Pat Metheny as can be noticed in the verses and in the jazz solo chordal melody, while the choruses are inspired by modern prog/djent like Periphery. The arrangement is quite peculiar since it presents Congas, the string quartet arranged by Nico, and a double bass (also played by Nico).

(Nicolò): I took care of the ambient ending of the song, and so of the EP. It’s a very touching section all based on the material of the previous parts of the song but modulated and granulated with some inspirations from the Icelandic school of ambient (Jonsi, Olafur Arnalds). For me was an occasion to experiment with sound design, for example adding a “ghost” sidechain that gives a rhythm where usually you won’t expect to find it, the idea is to mimic the heartbeat of the new identity created in the last part of the journey.

=============================================================

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1. Nicolò has a philosophy degree which uses as an instrument to create stories and concepts behind the songs

2. Federico has a degree in foreign languages, and he’s truly passionate about English and French literature.

L-R – Nicolò Vese (Bass) – Federico Vese (Guitar) – Gabriele Bullita (Drums)

Photo Credit Arianna Pellini

Asymmetric Universe is an instrumental project founded in 2018 by the brothers Federico Vese and Nicolò Vese, with the goal of pushing the limit of the modern prog, blending coherently different genres. Their goal is to create complex music but still accessible to the listener, ranging from modern prog metal to fusion, from avant-garde jazz to emotional ambient, along with chamber orchestration. Lately that year Gabriele Bullita joined the band as a permanent studio and live drummer. 

In 2019 the two brothers released their completely DIY debut EP “When Reality Disarticulates”, their singles have been aired on different independent radios in Italy, the USA and Australia. They played live shows in different parts of Italy and headlined the Farewell to Fall Fest in Milan organized by Ralph Salati of Destrage. In 2022 they finished their second EP “The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars”, with the brothers handling again the whole production and composition process. 

This new EP features a live recorded strings quartet and a winds quartet. It has been mixed by Forrester Savell and mastered by Ermin Hamidovic. The EP release is scheduled for 28th April 2023, just before touring EU and UK as the opening act for Ne Obliviscaris and Persefone in the Exul EU/UK tour in May.

Discography:
2023 – The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars – EP
2019 – When Reality Disarticulates – EP

Shared Stage with:
Persefone, Ne Obliviscaris, Ralph Salati, Benthos

Tour and Festivals:
2023 – Exul Eu/Uk Tour With Ne Obliviscaris and Persefone – Europe/Uk
2019 – Farewell to Fall Fest – Milan, Italy

Artist Endorsements:
Federico Vese (guitar) is a Bare Knuckle Pickups Artist

0 EPK – Super Monster Party – This Is Doom (single)

  • April 25, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Super Monster Party

EPK – Super Monster Party – This Is Doom (single)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“Super Monster Party provides an immersive experience where you are taken into the world of “Permadeath” where video games are real and you “The Hero” must battle your way to different worlds to become its champion and save this reality from extinction. We want to create a link between our songs and the nostalgia of our favorite video games growing up.” – Super Monster Party

For fans of Slipknot, Powerwolf, Dragonforce, Powerglove

Band: Super Monster Party
Single Title: This is Doom!
Release Date: April 9th, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid

Supermonsterparty.com | Facebook.com/supermonsterparty | Instagram.com/super_monster_party | Youtube.com/channel/UCMA3cvn7SaZ-Cmv_CyEY9ew

Supermonsterparty.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud

Band: Super Monster Party
Single Title: This is Doom!
Release Date: April 9th, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid

Track Listing:
This Is Doom! – 3:09

Single Credits:
• All songs performed by: Super Monster Party
• All songs written by: Super Monster Party
• Produced by: Rei Sega
• Mixed by: Matt Laplant
• Mastered by: Matt Laplant
• Album Artwork by: David Venegas
• Member of ASCAP

Band Lineup:
Rei Sega  – Vocals
Emilio – Bass
Fern – Drums
Andy – Guitar
Denver – Lead Guitar

Discography:
Game Genie (Album) – 2022
SideQuest (Album) – 2021
Permadeath (Album)  2020

Super Monster Party is a video game-inspired Metal band from South Florida. Their albums consist of original songs based on classic games such as Altered Beast, Zelda, and many other retro titles with immersive storytelling in-between that places you, the listener, in the role of the “Champion” who must battle through video game worlds to save the realm of Permadeath from an unprecedented evil who is hell-bent on utter destruction. If that’s not enough, the band also has their own playable video game titled “Permadeath” where you can play the story in real-time. 

The Band is the concept of Singer / Songwriter, Rei Sega and features notable members Emilio Martinez (Ynwgie Maulsteem), Fernando Lemus (Lions at the Gate), Jsin Lee Gomez. And are co-produced by Matt Laplant (Non-Point, Ellefson, Saliva). 

0 EPK – Vantablack Warship – Last of the Hardmouthed Poets (2023) (BAM & Co. Heavy)

  • April 21, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Vantablack Warship

EPK – Vantablack Warship – Last of the Hardmouthed Poets (2023) (BAM & Co. Heavy)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“Fans can expect more new music soon…in terms of the tracks on Last of the Hardmouthed Poets, it all came together organically but was mainly inspired by the writings of Beat Generation authors, and various life themes such as loss, perseverance, anti-racism and cherishing the important things in life.” – Vantablack Warship

For fans of Pantera, Cro-Mags, Exodus, Cancer Bats, Slayer

Band: Vantablack Warship
Album Title: Last of the Hardmouthed Poets
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Label: BAM & Co. Heavy
Distribution: BAM & Co. Heavy

Bamand.co | Facebook.com/VantablackWarship | Twitter.com/VANTABLACKWRSHP | Youtube.com/@vantablackwarship7199

Spotify | Vantablackwarship.bandcamp.com 

Vinyl – https://boutique.boiteamusique.ca/qc/vantablack-warship/33280-vantablack-warship-last-of-the-hardmouthed-poets-lp-vinyle.html​

CD – https://boutique.boiteamusique.ca/qc/vantablack-warship/33279-vantablack-warship-last-of-the-hardmouthed-poets-cd.html​

Digital – https://bfan.link/last-of-the-hardmouthed-poets

 

Canadian Campus Radio Charts:
#12 Top 20 Loud – !earshot – May 2023 https://earshot-online.com/charts/2023/May/loud.cfm 
#131 Top 200 – !earshot – May 2023 https://earshot-online.com/charts/2023/May/top200.cfm

“I need an album like this to come along every now and again. An album to fire you up, get the blood pumping and a nice reminder that you’re not as old as your body feels.” – Smorg Magazine

“If you have never listened to VANTABLACK WARSHIP, I advise you to start with “Unplug The Drug”, which is really excellent. Don’t miss them on show, because with a release like this, it’s going to be brewing in a medium time!” – Metal Universe 

“From the fiery crucible of Quebec’s metal scene, Vantablack Warship rises once more with their latest opus, “Last of the Hardmouthed Poets“. The ensemble, made up of stalwarts from an array of legendary bands including Les Ekorchés, Leprocy, Buffalo Theory Mtl, Arseniq33, and Ghoulunatics, have been fanning the flames of thrash, hardcore, and groove with unyielding tenacity.” – IDIOTEQ

““Last of the Hardmouthed Poets” is a record of condensed tracks and furious energy. Each title is a muscular cocktail” – Music Waves

“Last of the Hardmouthed Poets demonstrates a clear progress at all levels for the Montreal quintet and the starting spots in the leading squad of the most important bands in the current Quebec metal scene. Already a candidate for the metal album of the year in Quebec!” – Famille Rock

“It’s a menacing mix of explosive thrash and you can let it pummel your senses by hitting play” – Exclaim!

“Altogether, it’s a worthy successor to the metal records of the past and is worth checking out for fans of “dirty” metal. If you’re into dark metal and give this a listen, you’ll no doubt have a good time – and that’s most of what life’s about anyway, right?” – New Noise Magazine

“thrash, groove and gnarly vocals…it’s metal from start to finish and yet the overwhelming sense throughout is that this band’s attitude is punk to the core.” – Five Albums

“You won’t get many underground albums that are as heavy as this one! Great scores for great albums are well deserved. Go get this one ASAP!” – Grimm Gent

“Assurément un groupe québécois à suivre et à ne pas manquer lorsqu’ils se produiront en spectacle dans votre région. Croyez-moi sur parole, Vantablack Warship – le mini-album et le groupe – fera date dans l’histoire de notre métal. ” – Muzik Injection

“Vantablack Warship est à surveiller en 2018 et avec la sortie de ce premier album, il pourrait être l’une des grosses surprises au Québec cette année.” – Metal Universe

“Eight tracks of titanic metal that spans sub-genres. From the opening hardcore groove of Another Dead Rockstar to the fierce riffing & desperate screaming vocals of Black Tongue Bertha to the moshpit anthem of Blood on the Mat, Vantablack Warship spit corruptible venom with their in your face efforts.” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“If you want a hard-hitting album with more than one theme, lots of variety and even more headbanging, don’t forget to pick up Abrasive Pulmonic Speak.” – Canadian Beats

“The six songs are exactly what you would expect from a band in this genre, hard, ruthless, aggressive and this with a healthy dose of “f*ck the world and all in it” attitude…With this short record, Vantablack Warship shows they fit right into the current crossover scene and fans of bands like Municipal Waste or Suicidal Tendencies can surely appreciate this little piece of work.” – Lords of Metal

“It’s a hard hitting good time from start to end, no weak spots. It’s a mind bending cluster fuck to the tenth power. The vocals through out the album, so rich, yet so creative and they are their own thing. The melodies and mixing, everything has been extraordinary. It was more than a pleasure to listen to this!” – Taste of Khaos

“play a remarkably catchy brand of rocking deaththrash” – The Killchain Blog

“I’m very much digging it and hopefully there will be more coming from Vantablack Warship because I’ll be spinning this one over and over again.” – Thy Demons Be Scribblin

” Vantablack Warship wear their influences for all to see, there is, thankfully, no doubt that they have a sound that is all their own, or at least a sound made their own. Opening track You’ll Burn brings to mind Entombed’s 1993 classic Wolverine Blues, – as do all six tracks, in fact – but never to the point of plagiarism, and although Cancer Bats, Pantera and Slayer are all obvious influences too, there is no sense that you’re hearing a poor imitation, just a kick ass band with great taste in music.” – Morat 666

Band: Vantablack Warship
Album Title: Last of the Hardmouthed Poets
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Label: BAM & Co. Heavy
Distribution: BAM & Co. Heavy

Track Listing:
1 – Blacklisters Lament – 0:36
2 – We Shall Not Sleep – 3:14
3 – Hunting the Recruiter – 3:09
4 – 40 Acres – 3:19
5 – Choose Your Ride – 1:55
6 – Unplug the Drug – 2:11
7 – Laughing In Anger – 3:47
8 – Gone – 2:39
9 – Inside His Mind – 3:12
10 – Fameless – 2:19
11 – Above it All – 2:12
Album Length: 28:38

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Vantablack Warship
• All songs written by: Vantablack Warship
• Produced by: Vantablack Warship
• Mixed by: Pat Knup
• Mastered by: Alberto De Icaza
• Member of SOCAN
• Music is Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album Band and Live Lineup:
Patrick Gordon – Guitar
Yannick “Pil” Pilon – Vocals
Thierry Hivon – Guitar
Kurt Clifford – Bass
Pierre Pitre – Drums

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Track by Track explained by Vantablack Warship singer Yannick “Pil” Pilon’s perspective.

WE SHALL NOT SLEEP
The 1st song of the album (after the intro!). Big catchy riff that along with the drums pound solid! The 2nd part of the song is a big heavy breakdown which I repeat until the end ”Find what you love and let it kill you…” I love it! It opens the album nicely. Basically, we say that nothing will stop us from doing what we want. No matter the obstacles, we found what we love until we die…! It’s our choice as the 1st video… to do with… you!

HUNTING THE RECRUITER
It’s the slowest song on the album with a heavy screeching riff. Worse, I took my voice out of Tom Araya! Crisse that she returns to the station. In this song, we put the listener in the shoes of a sexual predator tracker who decides to take action to finish the activities of the latter… We played it 3 times in show and it’s the song that has the best reactions to date.

40 ACRES
Our tribute to Slayer! From the first notes, put on your tuque, it’s pure trash! Pierre bludgeons his drum à la Lombardo and the guitars are surgical. The song refers to the promise made by the Union government during the Civil War to give freed African-American slaves 40 acres of farmland and a mule. A promise that ended badly… one of the many injustices suffered by African-Americans.

CHOOSE YOUR RIDE
The shortest song on the album, 1m.55 A real punch in the face! The bass is monstrous and the drum beat is haunting right through to the chorus which is powerful and fuckin’ catchy. It stays in your head! The message of the song is that you have to choose your own path in this crazy changing world. Not always in the right direction… According to Knup (the one who recorded and mixed the album), it’s the ”Hit” of the album! One of my top…

UNPLUG THE DRUG
Ho my god Becky! (early sampling). Song with a sick Groove! It contains my favorite guitar solo from the album. ”It’s time to turn the channel off, unplug the drug” that’s what we should do more often…the song is about shit that we are bombarded on our screens and that at a certain point, we have to ‘unplug’ ourselves to remain sane.

LAUGHING IN ANGER
The song is divided into 2 parts. The 1st is rather metal with a twist of swing when I shout “Somewhere, sometime, you’ll be reborn” The 2nd part embarks on a Hardcore/Punk trip, a crossover song! Pat and Thierry exchange solos, typical of 80s trash bands, really cool. The song is inspired by the spontaneous prose technique used in Jack Kerouac’s Dr.Sax and is about breaking free from frustrating situations and having the last word and/or laughing… Huh!… We are able to play to the nerds!

INSIDE HIS MIND
Fuckin’ death riff! I really like my vocals on this song. When the choruses arrive it opens up so much! We added sharp and dissonant guitars to have a bit of a Black metal feeling! The song is in a way a reflection on a suicidal person, silence, and secrecy. We don’t provide answers, only questions…

GONE Moi pis Pat we think that if there is a song from the album that could go to CHOM, it’s her! It wasn’t our original intention, but it’s our radio-friendly song. The bridge is very eye-catching. It’s a look at the 1st strict confinement that we had. We pushed the reflection if this one had been extended forever! Looks like Vantablack trying to make a System of a Down tune…!

FAMELESS
I love the beginning of the tune, the guitar with a less loud ca-cane sound and when the band embarks it rocks! The chorus with the dissonant guitar is really cool (a nod to old Meshuggah!). The bridge (breakdown) is really too cool in the song. It makes you feel like headbanging until your head drops… It’s about the fact that there are so many bands who want to become ”rich n famous” who are ready to do anything whatever they forget the basics… write good songs!

ABOVE IT ALL
The song that ends the album, is N.Y. Hardcore style! We wanted to do something different by bringing a clean vocal during the verses. Circle pit, Mosh pit, trash zone, pit, etc… it’s the perfect tune for that! I love Thierry’s guitar solo, it’s captivating! We wanted to image Yin and Yang through the deadly sins and what could be the opposite. We end up saying that we are above all this shit… I’m above, all of your bullshit, I’m above it all

L-R – Pat Gordon – Guitars, Pierre Pitre – Drums, Yannick “Pil” Pilon – Vocals, Thierry Hivon – Guitars, Kurt Clifford – Bass
Photo Credit – Photo: Michel Beaudin

Following their 2018 sophomore album, “Abrasive Pulmonic Speak”, which was welcomed with rave reviews, Montreal, Canada’s Vantablack Warship is back with a hard-hitting, head-banging masterpiece. “Last of the Hardmouthed Poets” offers 10 tracks of titanic metal for fans of all genres. The album title is a homage to the blacklisted authors of yesteryear and reminds us not to take for granted freedom of speech and freedom of thought.

This highly anticipated return of Vantablack Warship will be released on vinyl and CD through BAM & Co. Heavy. Following this debut single, fans can expect a number of lyric videos to be released over the coming months to showcase the album, designed by artists from all around the world. A local listening party is slated on Saturday, April 22nd at Boite à Musique (2000 Rue Notre Dame E, bureau 201) at 11AM local time, fans who purchase the album will also receive a free beer! The band will also be performing shows across Québec and Ontario including April 22nd in Gatineau at the Minotaure with B.A.R.F., May 6th for the 40th anniversary of the Foufounes Electriques, and June 2nd with Demonstöne in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and more to be announced shortly in Alma and St-Casimir, Québec.

Vantablack Warship’s name is a nod to the mighty Black Sabbath and their riff-driven power chord assault is recommended for fans of Pantera, Cro-Mags, and Exodus.

“Last of the Hardmouthed Poets” is due out on April 28, 2023, via BAM & Co. Heavy.

Discography:
2023 – Last of the Hardmouthed Poets
2018 – Abrasive Pulmonic Speak
2015 – Self-Titled

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