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Category: EPKs

0 EPK – Rockin’ Engine – Altered By Evil (2023)

  • May 25, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Rockin' Engine

EPK – Rockin’ Engine – Altered By Evil (2023)

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

For fans of Gojira, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Lamb Of God

EP Title: Altered By Evil
Release Date: July 7, 2023
Label: Self-Release

“People who already follow us will notice a huge musical growth since our last EP in 2020. Our sound has evolved quite a bit, technical and more refined, but still punchy and heavy as Hell! After “The Wretched And The Damned”, we knew exactly where we were heading with our next record, and we can proudly say that we achieved our goal. It’s horror, it’s creepy, it’s dark, yet it’s also creative, fun and theatrical at times. Anyone who listens to this album will be brought into a psycho-horror fantasy, where Wes Craven meets Stanley Kubrick, where Ramirez meets Bundy, where “Tubular Bells” meets “Dies Irae”. The various subtle influences and nuances gathered in this work will please any hardcore horror movie fanatic, but also anyone who can plunge themselves into an imaginary world of monsters and evil spirits. We are certain that our new EP ‘Altered By Evil’ will define the future of Rockin’ Engine and that fans will receive this as our best work yet!” – Rockin’ Engine

Facebook.com/rockinengineofficial | Instagram.com/rockinengine | Twitter.com/Rockin_Engine | Youtube.com/c/RockinEngine

Rockinengine.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

“It’s a six-song, high-energy EP that’s just as succinct in purpose and impact as it is intricately composed.” – Metal Underground

“There’s a scathing, contemporary thrash quality throughout the song “Libre Ex-Mortis” that brings to mind Lamb Of God musically while juxtaposed against melodic vocals that are almost pop-like in the vein of Night Demon. This contrast is interesting and most notable on “Monsters Under Your Bed” because of the interplay between the beaming vocals and the slick, pseudo-death metal barrage. Considering the accessible sounds, it’s obvious that the Canucks seek commercial success should that path become available to them. However the cookie may crumble in time, “Altered By Evil” is an enjoyable release for those who don’t mind aspects of the popular side of modern metal.” – Metal Underground

“Altered by Evil is a powerful and adrenaline-fueled ride through the realms of Heavy Metal. With their impressive musicianship, strong songwriting, and commanding vocals, Rockin’ Engine delivers an album that will leave fans of the genre craving more.” – Metal Express Radio

“The fusion of hard rock, thrash, and modern groove metal gives Rockin’ Engine potential to appeal to numerous audiences based on the material present with Altered by Evil. Standing on the precipice of glory, this quartet could be valuable to most label rosters based on the talent and quality songwriting delivered here. 8/10” – Dead Rhetoric

“The Shining inspired “Room 185” finds the band joined by Steph Jomphe of Insurrection fame for a cut that brings the blood stained curtain down in style. The riffs hit like tidal waves, the percussion from Joel Bilodeau absolutely huge and the mix from Dark Moon Productions absolutely nailed to perfection [8.5/10]” – Metal Noise

“Unlike others who choose to combine their love of horror and metal, what makes Rockin’ Engine stand out is they’re not winking at us here. These are tracks inspired by horror, both fiction and non-fiction, and moulded around Rockin’ Engine’s thrash sound. They’ve not adapted their music to fit the horror, it’s the other way around. 8/10” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“Vocalist/guitarist Steve O Leff is the ceremonial leader to this dramatic mayhem, whether from the perspective of a murderer on “Psycho Path” or the literal ringleader to a psychopathic band of killers on “Carnival Of Evil.” For those with knowledge of all things horror, half of the enjoyment to Altered By Evil is figuring out what each song is about.” – Heavy Music Headquarters

““Altered By Evil” has an enormously powerful and balanced sound for a disc that was created entirely on its own. Respect gentlemen! Mandatory listening!” – My Revelations

“Heavy, powerful and charismatic, “Altered By Evil” is by far their best work. Look forward to the hell Rockin’ Engine will ignite wherever they perform. If Gojira, Lamb Of God and Rob Zombie had a child, Rockin’ Engine would be their bastard son. Their fusion of hard rock and thrash metal will set any stage ablaze and leave everyone with bad whiplash.” – Amplified Mag

“Another skull battering of technical riffs with a killer guitar tone “Monsters Under Your Bed” is a huge arena filling sing-a-long anthem with a *ahem* monstrous chorus but doesn’t lose any of the bands trademark guitar punch in its creation. The balance they have found on this one is on a knife edge and if it didn’t happen to be the bands tribute to Wes Craven and the Nightmare on Elm Street saga then Steve O Leff has actually done a fantastic job at giving us something lyrically to which we can all relate. Who hasn’t had a sleepless night running from the demons of their past mistakes?” – Metal Noise

“This is obviously a band that knows how to play to their strengths. As the subject matter changes for each song, The Exorcist, The Evil Dead, The Shining, etc.. so does the music. Not drastically, you can still tell it’s the same band, but it keeps everything nice and fresh through the release. Six tracks over a 30-minute period is about right… other bands take note… Quality over quantity wins it for me every time. This is as good as anything I hear from mid-sized labels over here in Europe. The fact that this is a self-release tells you how fucked our industry is as this really deserves a bigger and more widespread audience that’ll probably get. Puck this up on July 7th.” – Smorg Mag

“Although the band is often labeled a Heavy Metal band on the album’s opening notes, we clearly feel more violent influences than heavy, we could almost put them on the border of Thrash. So the band proposes an album having an identity that is its own while trying to renew the style, the prod while being modern does not fall into the cliché of the over-auction and the crossing of different styles gives an excellent result so you can be tight be surprised to hear a riff or beat that could very well have been in the middle of a death album to which the band add a brilliant voice for a very convincing result. We’ll wait to see the sequel to know if the group will want to lead, even if we don’t really know where the group wants to go, it’s a refreshing approach to them.” – Metal In Veins

“If you like it a bit spooky and love rock at the same time, this is the place for you. Let’s go” – Metal-Heads.de

“This is a seriously interesting half hour of entertainment, both music and story wise.” – Wings of Death

“Speed, brutal, so good !!” FRÉQUENCE METAL

“this ENGINE is runnin’ and rockin’ on all cylinders with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.” – KNAC

“Anyone who likes groovy and modern Heavy Metal should definitely risk an ear here and get an idea of the morbid goings-on.” – PowerMetalde

“Followers of PANTERA, MEGADETH, FIFE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD and PRONG should feel addressed by this motley horror metal cocktail mix. Interested people should risk an ear and listen to be on the safe side.” – FFM-Rock

“I have the feeling that as the EP progresses the music gets darker and darker, and I like that. Of course horror is an interesting source of inspiration for dark (metal) music, I think Rockin’ Engine has handled that very well here. This is a seriously interesting half hour of entertainment, both music and story wise.” – Wings of Death

“Midnight Road Rage” has great instrumental ideas. It’s an album that makes us proud. Love at first sound. It’s such a pity that it is only of eight tracks. Believe me. You won’t regret.” – Metal Addicts (2019 – Midnight Road Rage)

“a bombastic and heavy hitting forty minutes of metal and rock, full of swagger and sass.” – Metal Gods TV (2019 – Midnight Road Rage)

Matzes Gitarrenbude Radio Station: Album Of The Year – 2019 – Midnight Road Rage

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

EP Title: Altered By Evil
Release Date: July 7, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Carnival Of Evil – 5:45
2. Day Of Wrath – 4:22
3. Liber Ex-Mortis – 4:59
4. Monsters Under Your Bed – 5:11
5. Psycho Path – 5:23
6. Room 185 – 4:13 ft. guest vocals Steph Jomphe (Insurrection)
EP Length: 29:55

EP Credits:
All songs performed by: Rockin’ Engine (Guest feature of Steph Jomphe “INSURRECTION” in Room 185)
• All songs written by: Rockin’ Engine
Produced by: Dark Moon Productions
Mixed by: Dark Moon Productions
Mastered by: Dark Moon Productions
Album Artwork by: Steve O Leff (Image reference from Adobe Stock and Shutterstock)
Member of SOCAN

EP Recording and Live Band Lineup:
Steve O Leff – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Ste Vy Leff – Lead Guitar
JP Buzzard – Bass
Joel Bilodeau – Drums/Vocals

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

The EP as a whole

“Altered By Evil” is a tribute to everything we love about horror movies and serial killer documentaries. There’s a fascination behind the love of the macabre and the grotesque that we wanted to explore with our lyrics and expose different nuances of some classic works of art. With this album, we’re bringing the audience into a fantasy world of monsters and evil spirits, with a dash of historical elements that makes the listening experience even more interesting. 

Track by Track explained:

Carnival Of Evil:

Inspired by the works of Rob Zombie, more specifically Sid Haig’s fictional character Captain Spaulding, the Carnival Of Evil is a group of creepy gypsy-looking psychopathic killers moving from town to town, not only to amuse the audiences but also to terrorize them as their spectacles take place. They are ruthless yet charismatic, and they will stop at nothing to deliver a performance to die for!

Day Of Wrath:

This dramatic piece was originally inspired by one of my favourite horror movies, The Exorcist. However, it was only when I did some research on the origins of its musical score that I discovered the amazing historical value behind this masterpiece. Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, is probably one of the best horror movie songs ever written, but there were certain parts in the movie where I had the feeling I’ve heard similar music before and it got me curious. In fact, Dies Irae (Day Of Wrath) was originally a poem written by Christian monks in the thirteenth century describing the day that God would descend on earth and unleash his final judgment on us all. This poem was later compiled amongst other literature pieces in a manuscript named Carmina Burana. The manuscript, which is thought to have been written in the fifteenth century, was only found in 1803 in the Benedictine monastery of Benediktbeuern, in Bavaria. This collection later inspired many orchestral virtuosos, including Verdi and Carl Orff, to compose what I think are the best classical works of all time.

Liber Ex-Mortis:

Inspired by the amazing Evil Dead saga, more specifically Army Of Darkness, Liber Ex-Mortis (Book Of The Dead) is the story of a man who was sent into the Middle Ages through an evil spirit wormhole and is forced to battle the undead in his quest to return to the present. He forms an alliance with two rival armies, and together, they vanquish the forces of evil to send them back into the Book Of The Dead, the spirit world.

Monsters Under Your Bed:

This is the story of a young woman haunted by her past, her imaginary monster. Being sleep deprived for a long time, she fears falling asleep as she constantly feels her monster’s presence around her. The monster, however, can only harm her in her dreams, her nightmares… or so she thinks! Inspired by the genius work of Wes Craven, Monsters Under Your Bed is our version of the infamous Nightmare On Elm Street. This piece is heavy, punchy, and catchy, and will satisfy the eyes and ears of any horror movie fanatic!

Psycho Path:

I’ve always been fascinated and intrigued by human behaviour, especially the deviant nature of humans. I’m a huge fan of serial killer documentaries, not because I support their actions, but mostly to try to understand the origin and the nature of Evil. Actor Christian Bale in his role in American Psycho is actually the main reason why I started learning more about actual historical psychopathic characters such as Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez. During the writing process of this song, I wanted to take a different approach to their stories and tell them according to their point of view, like an actual psychopath. It’s the most evil and disturbing song we’ve ever written!

Room 185:

Jack Torrance, the character played by Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, has to be my favourite horror movie character of all time. That performance is what made me addicted to horror movies. I wanted to write a song about this movie as an homage to this masterpiece. When we started to work together on this song, we soon realized that this would be our heaviest composition to date, and we needed someone to help us express this emotion in order to be satisfied with our work. After doing some research, we approached Insurrection’s lead vocalist Stef Jomphe in an attempt to have his voice on the track, just to make it that much better! We were absolutely honoured and excited when he accepted the project and headed straight to the studio. This song hits you in a way that you have no choice but to headbang!

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS

1. Being huge fans of the 80’s rock era, Joel and Ste Vy once decided to kidnap me (Steve O Leff) to go see Steel Panther live in Quebec City, which was a 5-hour drive from where we live. We unfortunately missed the show since the place was sold out and we couldn’t get in. We ended up in a bar to see our friends from The Agonist perform and spend the night. Surprisingly, the guys from Steel Panther end up in the same bar and we told them about our little misfortune. We ended up partying with them all night, singing karaoke, and drinking tequila shots. One thing’s for sure, they certainly live up to their image!

2. All our music videos have references to popular movies. We also do all our special effects, costumes, and makeup for the video shoots. I also like to write a script beforehand to help everyone grasp the ideas behind every scene, that way we can really capture the emotions we’re trying to expose in the videos. 

3. When we shot the video with Dark Moon Productions for our song “The State Of Nature”, we rented a Victorian-style reception space, located in a church basement in Ottawa. Everyone was dressed in Victorian gothic fashion, with vampire fangs, pale skin, and some blood. Joel built a super nice table for the human sacrifice scene, which was very bloody of course. Little did we know, a mass was taking place in the church above us and two priests came downstairs to ask us to lower the music. Let’s just say that when they came on set and saw all the blood and vampires everywhere, their faces were priceless!!!

4. As we did in our previous music videos, we always build our own props and video sets ourselves. Only, with the videos for this album, we decided to go big and build our own mechanical effects as well. After posting a few of our projects on social media, we started receiving demands to build props and special effects for other bands, which made us realize that we had something special to offer. We are now working on commercializing our creations to help out music video and even movie producers, while creating amazing professional relationships and perhaps making a living out of it.

5. JP Buzzard is quite the animal on stage! He really brings the spirit with his wicked long hair, leather pants, and signature moves. One of his moves is to throw his bass toward the crowd at the very end of our show but quickly grabs it back with his bass strap before it hits someone. But since not all stages are made for this beast, he once threw his bass right on a sprinkler head and everyone was going nuts… until we realized the sprinklers were deactivated. Talk about being lucky!

L-R – Ste Vy Leff (Lead Guitar), Steve O Leff (Vocals, Guitar), Joel Bilodeau (Drums), Jean-Pierre Proulx (Bass).

Photo Credits: Lisa Thompson of Dark Moon Productions

PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, MOTOR RUNNING HIGH

That’s how Rockin’ Engine rolls, full throttle, no compromise. Officially formed in 2018, they released their first self-produced album “Midnight Road Rage” which caught the attention of many hard rock and heavy metal enthusiasts throughout Europe and America. After joining forces with Dark Moon Productions to produce their first professional music videos, it was clear that this quartet’s path toward heavy metal eminence was only beginning. They later released a post-apocalypse concept EP, “The Wretched And The Damned”, that truly reflected the direction in which the band was heading. Their creativity, high-octane energy, and will to succeed, granted them a few honourable opening performing spots with Tony MacAlpine, Ross The Boss, Death Angel, and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Switching things into high gear for 2023, Rockin’ Engine produced their very anticipated new EP “Altered By Evil” inspired by 80’s psycho horror, ready to be released this summer. They claim it is by far their best work yet and look forward to raising Hell wherever they set foot. If Gojira, Lamb Of God, and Rob Zombie made a baby, Rockin’ Engine would be their bastard son. Their fusion of Hard Rock and Thrash Metal will set fire to any stage and leave everyone with a bad case of whiplash.

Rockin’ Engine is:
Steve O Leff – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Ste Vy Leff – Lead Guitar
JP Buzzard – Bass
Joel Bilodeau – Drums/Vocals

Discography:
2023 – Altered By Evil
2020 – The Wretched And The Damned
2019 – Midnight Road Rage

Shared Stage with: Angelus Apatrida, Yngwie Malmsteen, Anvil, Death Angel, Exmortus, Hell Fire, Ross The Boss, Tony MacAlpine, Warrior Soul, Ghoulunatics, Fractures & Outlines, Cevilain, Colorsfade, Scepter, Lycanthro, Cynical Sons.

Tours and Festivals:
2019 – Canadian Army Run, Ottawa.
2018 – Canadian Army Run, Ottawa.
2017 – Canadian Army Run, Ottawa.
2016 – Canadian Army Run, Ottawa.

0 EPK – All Else Fails – The Incident at Black Lake (2022)

  • May 24, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · All Else Fails · EPKs

EPK – All Else Fails – The Incident at Black Lake (2022)

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

“This EP is an evolution of All Else Fails in every aspect of its musicality, its songs are heavier, more complex, and deeper than ever. Employing elements of other genres like industrial noise, moody electronics, or ambient sampling has always been a hallmark of the band, but “The Incident at Black Lake” takes a new approach. It is a fusion of these core elements with a new level of technical metal prowess and a dramatically more dynamic vocal style. The three original songs and one cover explore themes of devastating mental illness, dystopic mass existential nihilism, and ideological fascism. “It took over 2 full years to write and produce this EP, we took our time with every part, every note, every modulated warble. Every musical element has a place and purpose. We are telling a horrifically personal, furiously aggressive, and unnervingly beautiful musical story of mental terror and surviving despair. With a dark heart, we present The Incident at Black Lake”.” – Barrett Kelsko – All Else Fails

 

For fans of Chimaira, Killswitch Engage, Revocation, Soilwork, Fleshgod Apocalypse

Band: All Else Fails
EP Title: The Incident at Black Lake
Release Date: Sept 30, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CD Baby

Facebook.com/AllElseFailsCanada | Instagram.com/allelsefailscanada | YouTube.com/user/allelsefailscanada

Allelsefails.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

“The Incident at Black Lake might be “just” a four-track EP by All Else Fails, but its 25 minutes of music are absolutely intense and electrifying, proving why they’re undoubtedly one of the most important names of the Canadian Metalcore scene.” – The Headbanging Moose

“The third theme is my favorite without a doubt. “Flesh/Excess/Wealth” has one of the most vibrant riffs starting at minute 2`40« and they make up for it with a percussion chorus that had previously been heard on the vocals. Finally, when I couldn’t like it more, ALL ELSE FAILS decides to end with a tribute to my beloved DEATH. The cover that they do with “Crystal Mountain”, uniting the trail that Chuck Schuldiner left us while leaving his personal mark, to take off his hat. I love these Canadians and look forward to their next album.” – 9.5/10 – Necromance Magazine

“The EP itself is a cyclone of melodic metalcore fire, death metal toxicity and progressive imagination revealing ALL ELSE FAILS at their most open, intense and thrilling.” – The Ringmaster Review

“Being dark in nature, it tells the suffering that Klesko was facing and what he was seeing in his head. While very dark at times, it’s mind-bendingly beautiful to see it from this perspective. And I can’t wait to hear what else the band has to offer.” 4/5 – Metal Epidemic

““Flesh/Excess/Wealth” is a close second for my favorite song, however. Klesko says he wrote it about losing his sense of humanity. It’s a really aggressive song, but also contains some really beautiful clean singing and a wicked guitar solo. The final song on the EP is a cover of “Crystal Mountain” by the band DEATH, a song much loved by the band. Lyrically, the song fits the dark tone the band set for the previous songs on the EP. I think the band did a good job with the cover and putting their own sound to it. Overall, I thought this was a great EP where I could really feel the emotions that went into writing it.” – Metal-Temple

“”The Incident At Black Lake” is a solid EP” – Powermetal.de

“Canadian band All Else Fails are out with the EP “The Incident at Black Lake”, and this is a production that probably will be of interest to some fans of progressive metal. While a variety of a core based style of metal is at the heart of the proceedings here, the different vocal tones, the changes and alterations over to atmospheric laden and melodic metal, what might be described as thrash metal as well as some quirky instrument movements and expressive arrangement choices does add what I’d describe as a progressive spirit to the proceedings here… If metalcore with an expressive orientation and progressive aspirations sounds interesting to you, this is an EP you might consider becoming a bit more familiar with.” – Progressor

“A Monster of a Metal Opus” – The Edmonton Journal (The False Sanctuary 2018)

“All Else Fails has a striking level of detail, constant melodic bloodshed and unremitting rhythms that push through your throat leaving you with no choice but to bang your head.” – Boston Rock Radio (The False Sanctuary 2018)

“They are by turns pissed and melodic, speedy and anthemic – but always organic sounding….their song “The Sons Of Plenty”, a tune that encompasses all those things and demonstrates what the band is capable of.” – Gear Gods (The Forever Lie 2017)

“Guttural heaviness + impacting music = You’ll like it!” – CFMU 93.3 FM – Master Radio (Hamilton, ON) ( The Forever Lie 2017)

“From song to song you are greeted by pummeling riffs, heavy blasting drums, thick bass lines and vocals that transition between menacing and deadly growls to soaring and highly intoxicating cleans. Before you know it All Else Fails has you headbanging and singing along to each of their songs.” – Cadaver Garden  (The Forever Lie 2017)

“this six track EP sees this quartet expand their mutant thrash blueprint with doses of melodic crooning and bursts of dizzying orchestral strings on Obedience At The Altar Of Sacrifice.” – Metal Hammer Mag UK (Fucktropolis – 2013)
““Fucktropolis”. What an awesome name for an EP. And what an awesome EP it is.” – Metal Temple (Fucktropolis – 2013)

“They have a very ominous sound, if you will, with quick, intricate and skillful instrumentals – especially the drumming. Their talent really shows through in their final product.” – Spill Magazine (Fucktropolis – 2013)

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: All Else Fails
EP Title: The Incident at Black Lake
Release Date: Sept 30, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CD Baby

Track Listing:
1. I, Defiler (5:48)
2. Devour the Sun (8:24)
3. Flesh /Excess /Wealth (5:36)
4. Crystal Mountain (5:19)
EP Length: 25:09

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: All Else Fails (Barrett Klesko, John Saturley, Coco Lee, Nelson Collins-Lee)
• All songs written by: All Else Fails (Barrett Klesko, John Saturley, Coco Lee, Nelson Collins-Lee)
• Produced by: All Else Fails (Barrett Klesko, John Saturley, Coco Lee, Nelson Collins-Lee)
• Mixed by: Bevin Booth
• Mastered by: Bevin Booth
• Album Artwork by: Zulmi_m (https://www.fiverr.com/zulmi_m)
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
EP Recording and Live Band Line Up:
Barrett Klesko – Vocals, Guitar
John Saturley – Guitar
Coco Lee – Bass, Vocals
Nelson Collins-Lee – Drums

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

This EP is fucking dark, musically and lyrically. I wrote my parts in the darkest, most distressed headspace I have ever been in. Most of the time during the writing of this EP, I was convinced that I had been unglued from time, I was barely functioning. Through the fog and sensation of reality warping around me, I somehow found clarity in my writing. Weirdly, at first, I didn’t know that I was writing about myself, I was just kind of writing. I remember there was a day when we got our first mix back, and I hadn’t heard the songs in a few weeks, 30 seconds into the first verse, I collapsed in this park I was walking in, and I realized that the songs were me, describing the suffering I had been experiencing so that I could understand what was happening in my own head, it was completely overwhelming. I had created something so direct, with zero awareness that I was doing so. It was a mind-bending experience as if a past version of myself had reached out through time to help me understand what was happening to me, an absolute headfuck. For my contributions musically I created tones and sounds that conveyed how distorted the world around me felt, I was attempting to use the music to level out the turmoil I was experiencing internally. I was experiencing reality in waves of vertigo, time-loss, and visual blackouts, I was trying to push back on these sensations with music. I think this EP is beautiful, there is elegance in darkness. I think it’s sad because I know the turmoil and pain it took to write it, and I think it’s powerful because it’s the first time I have truly been honest in my music.

Track by Track explained (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

I, Defiler: The first song I wrote lyrically for the EP. In the early days of my spiral, when confusion about my own state was at its highest. I was doing everything I could to understand the suffering I was experiencing. I tried using Acid in an attempt to explore my own mind. Informally guided trips allowed me to see aspects of myself that I hadn’t considered, and I was desperately searching for clarity I couldn’t find in the real world. Primarily this song is about those explorations of self, both the positives and the futility. The song opens with the line “We are the Watcher” which is the experience of standing outside my own body and judging myself as lacking. During one of these trips my mind disconnected from the flow of time for the first time, I describe it as being able to “slide the scale” into different times in my own life, often which had points anchored in trauma, but occasionally were sitting in places of peace and beauty. The lyrics attempt to put to music these sensations, and the following experiences of both déjà vu and Jamais vu, sometimes simultaneously. Musically the song is erratic, kinetic, and industrial. It is heavy, both in guitars but in electronics and noise as well, and carries a time change into its bridge that furthers the disconnect between perception and reality.

Devour the Sun: This song is an allegory. A child from a beautiful nameless place travels across existence. It was born in warmth and life, from an engine of creation, and its only need is to share who it is with whatever it comes in contact with. As it travels, it leaves a piece of its radiance behind as a gift, a tiny slice of its essence that it shares with exuberance. It travels for years, shining it’s light on whatever it encounters, however, over the long years, it eventually forgets who it is, and with that, where it came from. The child drifts, older now, and comfortable at first to be pulled along by the forces around it, buffeted across the ether, fulfilled by the simple act of experience. Over time, however, discontent begins to grow. Who was it? There must be a purpose beyond drifting endlessly in the black. Its questions turn to screams and cries in the heavens, but the black has no answers. Eventually, devoid of solace, its voice becomes quiet and its mind despondent. It slowly diminishes, becoming a faded husk, lost inside its own ruminations, until one day it enters the atmosphere of a nameless biome. For the first time in years, it sees its own reflection. Cast back unto itself by the starry eyes of a young girl, undistorted by expectation, its fragmented and damaged memories return. It knows once again that long ago it was a star, a sun, burning bright in the deepest reaches of the universe. In this child’s eye, the light that was once a star becomes an experience; bright, beautiful, and warm, and then a memory; comforting and soft. For a moment, the light knows peace in the surety of itself, but the child sleeps, the memory fades, and the light from the long-dead star is lost forever in nothingness. Musically this song follows an unconventional narrative. It ebbs and flows, thrash riffs turn to piano-esq clean parts. Soaring melodies devolve into full-bodied guttural torment before becoming aethereal whispers.

Flesh /Excess /Wealth: This song explores the horror of having the sense of my own humanity removed from my conscious existence. I live in a time where I am taught to ignore my strongest human instincts, to follow systems put in place to hurt me, and to ignore what I perceive with my senses. I put progress and individualism over kindness and community, I have forgotten that I am part of a greater universe to which humanity has barely opened our eyes to. I hurt myself in the name of our god; currency, I humiliate myself at the altar of ego. I place the needs of the unknown few above the wanting many and am often not aware of doing so. This song is about disconnection. Musically it is oppressive, militant, violent, and aggressive.

Crystal Mountain: This is a song we love, and felt that we could cover faithfully at its core, while adding our own twists to its soundscape, to justify its existence. Lyrically it speaks to religious oppression on a personal and community level.

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. During a festival performance in India, Barrett was stage diving in the crowd. When he tried to return over the barricade, he was mistaken for a fan rushing the stage, and beaten with what he describes as “whapping sticks”.  Post-show, the security team asked for selfies which Barrett agreed to on the condition that he got to hold one of the sticks.

2. During the recording of this album the band founded a “Bourbon Club”, in which they sampled (consumed) and reviewed over 60 bottles of Bourbon. The group favorite for both quality and price point: Four Roses.

3. The band initially intended to release this album as one 25-minute song due to the flow between songs and old-school story telling vibe that it evoked, but scrapped the idea in favour of a more fan friendly, standardized experience. The album is still recommended by the band to be consumed as a whole.

4. John and Barrett miscalculated the strength of some weed edibles once on tour, leading to an incident called “The Brain-Lasering”.

5. The programming / keyboards / noise were originally started as an afterthought to a very guitar forward album, but as the band began work on writing these parts, the songs took on a whole new dimension, fundamentally changing their sound. The intensity of the work and the level that these layers affected the songs have led us to described the process as “scoring the soundtrack to our own album”.

About:

Over the last 15 years, Edmonton, Alberta based award-winning metal band All Else Fails has become a cornerstone of the melodic heavy metal community in Canada. Combining intense riffs, intricate rhythm sections, brutal guttural screams, and melodic yet unusual vocal lines paired with relevant and relatable lyrics, All Else Fails’ message resonates with us all.

Formed in 2006 with the release of their self-titled EP, All Else Fails has gone on to release 9 studio albums, many of which have garnered awards and nominations from across the Canadian music industry and have propelled the band into live performances all over the world, including their massively successful tour of India in 2017.

For the past two years, the band has been hard at work writing their new album “The Incident at Black Lake.” A deeply personal, brutally honest, and staggeringly complex take on the reality-bending mental struggles of vocalist and founder, Barrett Klesko (The Misfires, The Order of Chaos). The band is filled out by guitarist John Saturley (The Order of Chaos, Skepsis), bassist and vocalist Coco Lee (Eternal Prophecy), and drummer Nelson Collins-Lee (The 21st Agenda, Skepsis). The album is produced by Bevin Booth of In the Booth Recordings and engineered at The Electric Treehouse in Edmonton, Alberta.

In 2022, the band is returning to their DIY roots by mindfully abandoning their social media and redirecting their energy to contributing to their local metal scene by building a direct personal connection to their fans and followers, living in line with a humanist philosophy and encouraging a culture of support between artists. All Else Fails’ new single “Flesh /Excess /Wealth” drops in early September with the full EP “The Incident at Black Lake” releasing September 30th. Fans can experience their explosive new live show this fall in Western Canada.

All Else Fails is:
Barrett Klesko – Vocals, Guitar
John Saturley – Guitar
Coco Lee – Bass, Vocals
Nelson Collins-Lee – Drums

Discography:
2022 – The Incident at Black Lake (EP)
2018 – The False Sanctuary (EP)
2017 – The Forever Lie (EP)
2013 – Fucktropolis (EP)
2012 – Ruins Punk for Everyone – LP
2011 – The Oracle: What Was, Is, and Could Have Been Special Edition Re – Release (full length)
2010 – The Oracle: What Was, Is, and Could Have Been EP
2008 – Against the Darkening Sky – LP
2007 – Of Ashes and Accusations Live DVD / CD
2006 – Self-Titled EP

0 EPK – Dorea

  • May 23, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Dorea · EPKs

EPK – Dorea

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

Band: Dorea
Single Title: Hypnotic:
Release Date: May 22, 2023
Label: Self-Release

“We hope the fans perceive the sound as something fresh & unique. We continue to write music because it is our passion and we want to leave behind a legacy and repertoire of timeless music. We are really devoted to making the songs as groovy, heavy, melodic, and catchy as possible while at the same time adding elements of virtuosity. In other words, the goal is for the listeners to sing along to the hooks but at the same time appreciate the musicianship and technical aspects of each member’s individual performance.” – Dorea

Doreaband.com | Facebook.com/Doreaband | Instagram.com/doreaband

Digital – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dorea/hypnotic

 

L-R – Manuel Iradian – All Guitars/ Bass/ Vsts, Hugo McSween – Vocals, Kevin Alexander – Drums

Montreal, Canada’s Dorea is a fresh metal band on the scene that features high energy, tightness, and precision, a clear, modern sound with both clean and harsh vocals, insane guitar solos, and crushing drums. They are eager to introduce themselves to the world with their debut single along with many others they have recorded since their inception. They have carefully chosen their forthcoming music to show listeners what they’re capable of and they deliver nothing less than catchy hooks, moving lyrics, and melodies that give way to bone-shaking riffs. The band’s first introduction “Hypnotic” is presented with a dark and gloomy music video, which complements the dark theme of the lyrics. The band shares their thoughts:

“This song speaks about a man that loses everything he has, reminiscing about his past life and searching for truth in answers he never found. The song has everything from ballads to ripping guitar solos and complex riffing. It’s a melting pot of styles. We hope the fans perceive the sound as something fresh & unique. We continue to write music because it is our passion and we want to leave behind a legacy and repertoire of timeless music.”

Devoted to making the songs as groovy, heavy, melodic, and catchy as possible while at the same time adding elements of virtuosity, Dorea’s goal is to entice listeners to sing along to the hooks and at the same time, appreciate the musicianship and technical aspects of each member’s individual performance.

Their music is colorful, rich in its diversity of styles, with even some pop elements that can be heard from time to time. “Hypnotic” was chosen as the debut single as it is the most accessible in terms of its diversity of listening ability. It takes the audience on a journey by creating complex structures with fluid transitions, but unexpected heaviness hits you right in the face.

There is no fluff with Dorea, and they are devoid of any theatricals, they are simply three metal dudes writing and performing some of the best material they can. Edgy, and familiar, Dorea is recommended for fans of Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, Symphony X, and Opeth.


Band: Dorea
Single Title: Hypnotic:
Release Date: May 22, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Single Credits:
• All songs performed by: Manuel Iradian, Kevin Alexander, Hugo McSween
• All songs written by: Manuel Iradian, Kevin Alexander & Vocals/Lyrics by: Hugo McSween
• Produced by: Manuel Iradian & Kevin Alexander
• Mixed by: Chris Donaldson
• Mastered by: Chris Donaldson
• Single Artwork by: AI
​
​Dorea is:
Hugo McSween – Vocals
Manuel Iradian – All Guitars/ Bass/ Vsts
Kevin Alexander – Drums

0 EPK – Hooker Spit – Krötch Splitter (2023)

  • 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

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

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.

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

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

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

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]

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