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Category: EPKs

0 EPK – Motor Junkie – The Shadow In I (2021) (Exitus Stratagem Records)

  • July 4, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Motor Junkie (EXSR)

EPK – Motor Junkie – The Shadow In I (2021) (Exitus Stratagem Records)

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

“An alternative to the overly processed and almost “fake” music that has taken over modern rock and metal. We want to get back to the basics and deliver heavy, musically competent, and thought-provoking music that remains on our fans’ “playlist”. – Motor Junkie

For fans of Alice in Chains, Corrosion of Conformity, Tool, Pantera, Pride and Glory

EP Title: The Shadow In I
Release Date: November 26, 2021
Label: Exitus Stratagem Records

Motorjunkie.com | Facebook.com/BadassRockMusic | Spotify

Exsrmusic.com | Facebook.com/ExSRecords | Instagram.com/exsrmusic | Twitter.com/exsrm

“Motorjunkie has just released their third CD, Full Circle. It is an EP and contains five songs. Every song is powerful and draws the listener in. Strong vocals, aggressive guitar riffs, solid bass lines, and thunderous drums have created a masterpiece.” – Array Magazine

“Motorjunkie will be around for a long time, making us believe that rock and roll is not dead. It lives in people and breathes through bands like this. I guess you can say “I am a Motorjunkie”.” – Friction Magazine

 

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

EP Title: The Shadow In I
Release Date: November 26, 2021
Label: Exitus Stratagem Records

Track Listing:
1. Dark Woods – 3:53
2. My Rig – 4:01
3. Cold Barrel – 3:14
4. Walking On A Thin Line – 4:59

EP Credits:
– All songs performed by Motorjunkie
– Cold Barrel written by Billy Varga and Chris Cox
– Produced by ExSR, Billy Varga
– Mixed by ExSR
– Mastered by Dave Harris
– Artwork by Motorjunkie
– Billy Varga member of ASCAP; DBA De Opresso Liber music

Lineup
Vocals: Chris Cox
Guitar: Billy Varga
Bass: Michael Cooper
Drums: Marvin Rogers

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

Fun Facts – Story Angles:

1. The name “Motorjunkie” came from a friend of the band, since all of us, including him, rode American-made motorcycles.

2. All lyrics are derived from true-to-life events that have happened to the band members or those close to the band.

3. Guitarist Billy Varga served as a career Soldier in Special Forces and spent many years away from the band and family during combat and other deployments overseas.

4. Marvin Rogers is also an Army and combat veteran with multiple deployments overseas.

5. Motorjunkie is known to use a hybrid method of recording; using traditional studios and recording in Billy’s “Bunker”, a fully functional home studio.

6. Billy has several gear endorsements including Knaggs Guitars, KSR Amplification, and Lava Cable.

L-R – Billy Varga – Guitar, Chris Cox – Vocals, Marvin Rogers – Drums, Michael Cooper – Bass

Motorjunkie leads the charge in the North Carolina hard rock music scene after nearly a decade and a half of creating and performing some of the best-known and received heavy music in the region. Stout, resolute, and determined, this band strives to give its fans and listeners an exciting alternative to the status quo.

Born out of the southern biker scene, Motorjunkie was well received by fellow motorcycle enthusiasts and military members as a fresh and new alternative to the dated blues environs.  Drawing on influences ranging from Metallica to Alice in Chains and Led Zeppelin, their music style was bold, exciting, and provocative.  They quickly established themselves as a force majeure after winning a local rock radio station battle of the bands and subsequently released their self-titled debut album.  In 2002, Singles “Stumble” and “10 Years” received regular airplay on local radio while tracks such as “The Wagon” and “My Rig” became anthems and favorites during the band’s live set.

Following an 18-month hiatus due to military deployments, Motorjunkie experienced a shift in rhythm section members which altered the band’s dynamic and music direction. In 2006, they recorded and released their second offering “The Plan” which contained an even heavier and personally introspective set of songs to include the fan favorites “Dyin’Slow” and “Volatile”. The single “Man Down” received regular airplay and is a tribute to our fallen military heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice; a subject that this band has intimate familiarity.

In 2009, a devastating motorcycle accident forever changed the life of singer Chris Cox. Suffering a severe stroke and multiple broken bones, he was hospitalized for several months and was forced to re-learn how to speak, walk, talk, and play music again. A long and painful road to recovery lay ahead.  In addition, more military deployments forced a break until 2012 when the band would re-constitute with its original drummer.

Rising in the face of adversity and turning tragedy into strength, Motorjunkie released “Full Circle” in May of 2014 and has enjoyed success from the single “Draw a Line”; voted runner-up for the 2014 Go Live Raleigh competition as best original song. 

In July of 2017, they released the first video for the single “Dark” from the upcoming EP 3 SEASONS, followed by EPs 3 Seasons in 2017 and The Shadow in I in 2021. 

“We do not have a gimmick” state its band members. “There is no theme, costume, or flowery object to stand in the way or take your eye off our music. There is purity that exists and a genuine story that pours out from our songs. What you see is what you get”. Many challenges have stood in the way of this legendary band, but like a bad-ass American muscle car, this group only gets better year after year.

Lineup
Vocals: Chris Cox
Guitar: Billy Varga
Bass: Michael Cooper
Drums: Marvin Rogers

Discography:
2021 – The Shadow in I – EP
2017 – 3 Seasons – EP
2014 – Full Circle – EP
2007 – The Plan – LP
2003 – Self Titled – LP

Shared Stage with:
Buck Cherry, Jackyl, Bad Company, Tom Keifer (Cinderella), Great White, Corrosion of Conformity, Megadeth, Five Finger Death Punch

Toura and Festivals:
2021 – Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Danville, VA
2017 – NC State Fair, Raleigh, NC
2015 – Fayetteville Dogwood Festival

Artist Endorsements:
Billy Varga – Knaggs Guitars, KSR Amplification, Lava Cable

0 EPK – King Ov Wyrms – The Womb Ov Borealis (2023)

  • July 2, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · King Ov Wyrms

EPK – King Ov Wyrms – The Womb Ov Borealis (2023)

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

“I believe the new album will be a bit of a step away from the first album Lord Ov Thornes where we tried to emulate what inspired us, this time we tried to go totally blind into our own musical talents with little to no inspiration but rather just delivering something more of our own. This album will really solidify us as a contending act in modern death and black metal by giving us an identity all our own. We want to introduce the listener to a “new” King Ov Wyrms, we want to show what we can create when we aren’t trying to stick to typical genre ideas and explore what we can create with our different backgrounds. Overall, we feel this album is a massive step forward, we have taken on a more diverse writing style and approach to the material. We almost have taken a more progressive approach to the material while trying to stay near our Death and Black metal roots.” – Michael Oneirous Sanchez – King Ov Wyrms

For fans of Belphegor, Vader, Morbid Angel, Dark Funeral, Goatwhore

Album Title: The Womb Ov Borealis
Release Date: October 6, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release

Facebook.com/KingOvWyrms | Instagram.com/oneirous_oss | YouTube.com/@kingovwyrmsofficial9733

Kingovwyrms.bandcamp.com | Spotify

“Lyrically, the song (To March From Darkness) narrates a hellish war on heaven, with a satanic horde bent on bringing fire and slaughter to the angelic host. Not surprisingly, there’s abundant fire and fury in the music as well. As the drums hammer the listener’s head the riffing blares and blazes in livid pulsating tones, and roils and drills in displays of cruel violence, while the vocals utter the enraged words in monstrous guttural tones and strangled snarls and screams, and wild quivering leads channel derangement. The music also brings in filaments of eerie melody that add a supernatural atmosphere, jolting body-blows, electrifying drum progressions, and a guitar solo that’s maniacally spectacular but also transforms into an expression of agony. Moreover, all the song’s changing motifs have the capacity to get stuck in the head.” – No Clean Singing

“an interesting evolution in their sound. Fans of experimental black metal should definitely give it a listen.” – Amplified Magazin

“Fury does indeed radiate from the music in violent waves. The song (Thorne Bearer) takes flight through rapid-fire drum battery and deep, dismal, heaving tremolo’d riffing that climbs and flares in manifestations of madness and misery, and squalls in blasts of vicious, mauling cruelty. Sanchez contributes his own vocals to the melee, venting horrid growls and scorching screams, which add to the music’s enraged and ferocious striking power. The song’s urgent pace never relents, but the drum patterns morph, as do the riffs, which feverishly squirm and flail as well as jolt and jar in savage, pulsing fashion. The jet-fueled energy and barbarous intensity of the music are both intense and captivating, and they’re joined in the red zone by sensations of rage and maniacal menace.” – No Clean Singing

“some beautiful, new extremity from King Ov Wyrms! Be on the lookout for their forthcoming album “Lord Ov Thornes”” – The Circle Pit

“King Ov Wyrms provide an unrelenting onslaught of classic death/black metal that should appeal to fans of Morbid Angel, Bloodbath, and Vader.” – Lambgoat

“Some pretty savage blackened death metal here. Lord ov Thornes is one of those albums that starts at full speed and doesn’t slow down much, if at all. Take 51 minutes of that and call me in the morning… If you’re at all a fan of very fast and heavy black and death metal and have been looking for a new band that does it well, King of Wyrms just delivered the goods for you.” – The Metal Crypt

“Lord Ov Thornes is a sickening effort that blazes with satanic and ritualistic power. Marvel in horror at what is crafted here, beginning with the unforgiving Threnody and the sheer brutality of The Great Sleeper. Within the first two tracks, it’s abundantly clear what we have here is something dredged from a well situated in hell.” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“Lord Ov Thornes”, the debut album by KING OV WYRMS, a worthy contender in the late year heralding the cold and darkness that is coming for us. The man has left nothing to chance, electing to fill every position himself on both sides of the studio glass, and the end result is a consistent and thought-out fifty-one minutes of solid metal.” – Metal Temple

“it deserves a place on your playlist if you like your music heavy, malevolent and underpinned by Lovecraftian themes.” – Scream Blast Repeat

“Nothing short of an aural assault of pure mayhem……” – Permafrost Today

“King Ov Wyrms is blasting brutal death loaded with lots of black metal riffs and dual growl/shriek vocals, with a death/brutal production. Press “play” and watch this thing launch into linear relentless attacks of brutality over and over for the duration. It is almost totally nonstop blasting, energetic, superfast extremity only for the true love-it-all fanatics.” – Metal Bulletin

“King Ov Wyrms sees Sanchez present a straightforward, ruthless, rampaging festival of hard hitting, heavy riffs encased in a thick, apocalyptic atmosphere. Embodying the spirit of the classic late eighties and early nineties acts with a new, modern aggression… From the album’s cataclysmic opening with ‘Threnody’ to its closing dissonant chord found in  ‘Ascendance Of A Continual One’ which echoes into the back void, this is a straightforward blackened death metal album that is out to take the scene by the throat.” – Noizze UK

 

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: The Womb Ov Borealis
Release Date: Octoebr 6, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. In Aeons We Spoke – 08:21
2. Grave Ov Birth – 04:08
3. Sulphur – 06:56
4. Desolation Fog – 08:32
5. To March From Darkness – 06:01
6. Illusory Veil – 08:52
7. Sightless Vision – 05:30
8. What Time Has Wrought – 13:43
Album Length: 1:02:20

Album Credits:
All Songs Performed by King Ov Wyrms
All Songs Written by Michael Oneirous Sanchez
Produced By Michael Oneirous Sanchez
Mixed By Michael Oneirous Sanchez
Mastered By Michael Oneirous Sanchez
ASCAP

King Ov Wyrms – The Womb Ov Borealis – Recording Line Up:
Michael Oneirous Sanchez – Vocals, Guitars, Bass (Studio)
Ricky Williams – Drums
Derrek Page – Session Bassist on tracks 3. 4, and 5

Discography:
2023 – The Womb Ov Borealis
2020 – Lord Ov Thornes – Studio Album

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

The Album as a Whole:
This album is almost like the first “real” King album, Lord Ov Thornes was really just me finding an outlet to worship the metal I grew up with which led to a lot of people wanting the songs to be more “original”. Ultimately this is the culmination of that drive to fill that want, this is the first “real” King album delivering a new approach to how we present ourselves and our music. This album will definitely open us up to a whole new fan base and I feel our original fans will be even happier to hear what we have developed over the years and what they will surely see more of in the future. – Michael Oneirous Sanchez
 
Lyrically as a whole the album is definitely a new approach for me, this material felt like it was mostly taken from Oneirous’s knowledge of the occult which was a new experience for me personally working with a band. Musically this has to be the best I’ve felt working in a band which should reflect to the listener, the material was definitely more technical and what I’ve been searching for amongst previous projects. – Ricky Williams – Drums

Track By Track Explained:

In Aeons We Spoke – In Aeons is definitely the “attention grabber” of the album, it really sets the mood for the whole album with its lyrics setting a haunting mood and the instruments going in full force letting you know what this album is gonna give you straight from the beginning.

Grave Ov Birth – Grave is a straight-to-the-point aural assault. The riff hits first and upfront while being pushed even harder by Ricky’s relentless blast beats. Lyrically the concept is just a small tie-in to the ever-looming concept of death and rebirth brought up throughout the album and of course the title.

Sulphur – Sulphur has to be potentially the closest we get to our “old” sound but it still contains our own spin on things. The furiousity of the instrumentation is supposed to give more weight to the satanic-charged lyrics opening up to a provoking chorus line of devotion to the left-hand path.

Desolation Fog – Noticeably this track is a heavy trudge through grim dark waters, The dragging guitars and swinging drums take you through a walk through an ever-looming fog of decay which all gives way to.

To March From Darkness – March was one of the first songs written for this album which is why it features our session bassist Derrek Page who really brought something intense to the performance. This track was potentially the first song that featured more than just myself on guitars which really shows how much of an improvement the songs underwent with the addition of Ricky and Derrek (temporarily).

Illusory Veil – Most of the lyrical content of this album derives heavily from my interest in occult magick and other “World” studies, To much detail I won’t go into but those who are familiar might appreciate the themes and imagery brought forth across this work. Musically we tried to give ourselves a push-and-pull vibe to retain our extreme approach to music while keeping some sense of uncharted territory.

Sightless Vision – For anyone that hasn’t already figured out by now we are pretty big fans of Lovecraft and the whole concept of cosmic horror. Lyrically I’ve taken on much more of a “storyteller” role this time around almost taking point to narrate a horror story in numerous ways across this entire album. Musically this features one of my favorite guitar lines which is almost entirely arpeggiated chords but slurred giving it a very unique feeling to the lyrics being displayed over Ricky’s ferocious drum display.

What Time Has Wrought – There is almost an ever-growing concept I’ve had where I feel the last track on any album should really be the big magnum opus or longest, most diverse example of the album to really push the whole project out on a bang. Needless to say this idea has led to this track being the longest song I’ve ever recorded and living up to be a spiritual sequel to Ascendance Of A Continual One off of our first album. Most notably this song features a lot more acoustic work mixed in compared to the rest of the album but the development of the overall song is really pushed forward by Ricky’s ability to mix in his different styles and complement even the more subtle parts with creative movement.

In Aeons We Spoke –
In Aeons We Spoke is essentially the Title track for us, it’s by far the biggest embodiment of the album and a great entryway into what’s about to come. The track starts out with the haunting bellowing sounds of otherwordly entities while we creep in with our instruments to set the stage for the horror we are trying to bring forth. We decided to take a chance this time around and make a music video actually featuring us performing the song even though we are primarily a studio project without a performing lineup which is why there isn’t a bassist present or any other guitarist accompanying me. Regardless of the fact I think the physical presence of myself and Ricky ushering in this new form of King Ov Wyrms is very much needed. We have rebirthed ourselves in the fires of chaos and come out even stronger than before with new drive and fervor.

Desolation Fog –
Desolation Fog is a track we just knew we had to present before the full album comes out, it features some of my favorite lyrics off of the album, and accompanied by the imagery presented in the Lyric video it was a perfect match. Sonically this song is unrelenting and just so damn heavy, it catches you with the swinging groove and really locks you in before Ricky amps it up with savage blast beats and his intense footwork.

To March From Darkness –
To March From Darkness is a prime example of what we have done to evolve from our previous approach and sound which was found on Lord Ov Thornes. This had to be the first song recorded that featured as close to a full lineup as we have ever had with myself on vocals and guitars, Ricky on drums, and Derrek Page who filled in on Bass for us for 3 tracks before we ultimately had to finish without him. The contributions from both Ricky and Derrek really made this track a dominant force off of the album featuring some insane bass work and of course Ricky’s signature “no holds barred” drumming which really let me open up more as a guitarist and vocalist compared to previous efforts. Needless to say, the evolution leading to new members involved with this project really shows in the songwriting and how far we have come for this project.

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

Fun Facts – Story Angles:
1. Once again the development of the album was entirely managed within the band from the writing, recording, mixing, mastering and overall engineering work being taken care of by Michael Oneirous Sanchez in his personal studio.

2. King Ov Wyrms was featured in the Tucson, Az Army Man Project put together by Rudy Flores which features numerous artists and artisans representing Tucson in arts and culture brought to life as an army man figurine.

3. This album is the first time the band has ever been presented as a full lineup. Michael Oneirous Sanchez performed all vocals and guitars along with the majority of the studio Bass tracks, Ricky Williams performed all of the drums and percussion, Derrek Page was brought into the band temporarily to help write and take some of the bass work which he did under session work on three tracks.

4. Oneirous and Ricky Williams have a long history of about 10 years before they ever got around to working together. They started out as two separate bands sharing a studio, ultimately Oneirous assisted them with pre-production on several albums. Now 10 years later they are producing albums together under the banner of King Ov Wyrms.

5. Ricky was initially offered a spot to record drums and join the band for the debut album Lord Ov Thornes but unfortunately, due to time constraints and lack of availability, it didn’t happen.

L-R – Michael Oneirous Sanchez – Vocals, Guitars, Bass (Studio) – Ricky Williams – Drums

 

King Ov Wyrms first began as an homage to classic death and black metal acts of the late ’80s/early ’90s with a touch of modern aggression.

Formed in Tucson, AZ. King came from the want of a more aggressive act when the main band of Michael Sanchez, Pain Patterns, started taking its roots in early 2015. He loved the music he was creating but felt that the band couldn’t fulfill his desire for a purely aggressive musical venture.

The project went through many different lineup changes only to be consistently held together by Sanchez. Having studied classical music and jazz to a degree while growing up, it gave him the tools to write comfortably on his own even in the concept of metal music. He starts out with a basic riff or a small melody line off of a piano and just adds on and on until it manifests into some sort of abomination of sound.

In early 2020 upon Sanchez’s departure from the power metal act Judicator, he decided to pull King of Wyrms out of hiatus but only as a solo effort to produce a full-length album. Over the span of several months, Sanchez was able to completely record all of the songs previously written for King as a full lineup, this time all the music was performed and written solely by him.

On November 20th of that same year, King Ov Wyrms unleashed the debut album “Lord Ov Thornes” which featured lyrical themes encompassing the occult, and a deep love for Lovecraftian horror.

Now returning in 2023 Sanchez has joined forces with Ricky Williams for an updated version of King Ov Wyrms. They have turned away from the Old School worship to try making more original style compositions and exploring their musical diversity, which will be showcased on the sophomore album “The Womb Ov Borealis”.

King Ov Wyrms is
Michael Oneirous Sanchez – Vocals, Guitars, Bass (Studio)
Ricky Williams – Drums

0 EPK – Talia Hoit – Angel (single) (2023)

  • June 27, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Talia

EPK – Talia Hoit – Angel (single) (2023)

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

“I am very happy to be officially releasing this song, Angel.  It is a very special song to me personally and I hope it will resonate with everyone.  I wrote it just as an attempt to process my own feelings after I had experienced a loss, and then over time and after experiencing more losses in my life, the song has become a really emotional expression of my heart and soul, and I hope that it will be moving to a lot of other people too.” – Tali Hoit

For fans of Nightwish, Within Temptation, Evanescence, Delain, Thy Shade

Taliahoit.com | Facebook.com/taliahoitmusic | Twitter.com/taliahoit

Instagram.com/talia_hoit | YouTube.com/@taliahoit | Tiktok.com/@taliahoitofficial

Linktr.ee/taliahoit | Apple Music | Spotify

“listening to these early numbers from Talia, she very clearly has the musical chops to create a very significant solo career” – Benny Benson and Mark Chambers, Rock the Joint Magazine

“É-o em consonância com a atmosfera mágica e etérea que, tanto o vocal de Talia, como a música sinfónica e o vídeo invocam, numa combinação que nos oferece uma impressão de nostalgia – apesar de ser uma peça artística bem recente.”  Ethereal Symphonies Blog April 8, 2023. (Translation: It is in consonance with the magical and ethereal atmosphere that both Talia’s vocals, the symphonic music and the video invoke, in a combination that gives us an impression of nostalgia – despite being a very recent piece of art. )
 
“Talia is a really talented singer; she can hit those notes and transmit the emotion” – Lorraine Foley, Rock the Joint Magazine

“Will especially appeal to you if you are a fan of female fronted metal in the vein of Epica, Sandra and early Within Temptation … This lady has a beautiful operatic voice …. As well as ability on keyboards and arranging skills…” – Rick Tilley, Metal Gods TV

“The soprano vocals are delicate and angelic and the vocal lines are catchy and easily to sing along to… would recommend for fans of: Nightwish, Within Temptation, Epica, After Forever, Unsun, Leaves’ Eyes, Sirenia, Ancient Bards, The Gentle Storm” – Sasha Bannister, Noizze UK

“Angelical voice” – Victor Augusto, Ever Metal

“From the start, Talia’s powerful vocals pull you in…I would recommend..to fans of early Tristania and Enter/TheDance-era Within Temptation … Talia is a phenomenal operatic vocalist that is probably more influenced by Simone Simons and less by Vibeke Stene” – Sonic Cathedral

“Haunting vocals” – John Bear, Westword

“são os vocais de Talia Hoit (também responsável pelas orquestrações) que brilham nas dez faixas de “Live to Tell the Story”, com destaque a “Forever Dream”, onde ela desfila todo o seu talento de forma quase mística.” – Marcelo Lopes Vieira, Metal Na Lata

“wondrous vocals from Talia that ooze feeling” – Black Phoenix Rising Metal Forum

[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]

Single Title: Angel
Release Date: June 9, 2023
Label: Iberis Entertainment
Distribution: Earache Digital Distribution

Track Listing:  
1. Angel – 4:32

Single Credits:
Written by: Talia Hoit
Performed by: Talia Hoit (vocals, piano) and Jarek Musil (all instruments)
Produced, mixed and mastered by Jarek Musil
Artwork by Giannis Nakos, Remedy Art Design
Video by J.T. Ibanez
Cast: Rachael Murphy, Scott Fogelbach
Talia is a member of ASCAP

Talia Hoit is an American singer-songwriter from Colorado. Classically trained, she begin playing the piano at the age of 5. Now she writes original songs, performs on vocals and keyboards, and composes orchestra scores for symphonic metal.

She was the keyboardist and a co-songwriter for the hard rock band Anadies for 5 years, releasing an album, Formamentum (2004), and an EP, Catalyst (2006), before branching out to write her own solo songs and sing classical music. She performed as a Soprano with the Colorado Springs Chorale for 10 years, and as the Chamber Singers of the Colorado Springs Chorale for 5 years. As a solo artist, she wrote and independently recorded two original albums of songs, Fate’s Too Small (2007) and A Little Longer (2012) which had a limited physical cd release only.

In 2014, she recorded ambient vocal backing tracks as a guest musician for a symphonic power metal band, Psycodrama. After this studio experience, she decided to pursue her passion for singing symphonic metal. That same year, she joined the band Beyond Forgiveness and is currently the lead singer, orchestral composer, co-lyricist, and co-songwriter for the band. They have released an EP: The Ferryman’s Shore (2015), two albums: The Great Wall (2017) and Live to Tell the Story (2019), and are currently in the studio working on their third full-length album, Cold as Winter’s Ice.

In the fall of 2019, she worked with producer Jarek Musil to record a single, Angel, for personal purposes, which had a soft release in early 2020 on Soundcloud only. Since the Covid pandemic, she has been working remotely with a talented group of producers and musicians to bring more of her most personal and intimate solo songs to life.

In November, 2022, she released a single and music video for the song, Until It’s Forgotten, recorded at the Colorado Sound Studios with producer Steve Avedis.  In March 2023, she released a single, Abandon, with producer Mane Cabrales, along with another music video.  Her next single and music video is a newly mastered version and new music video for the song Angel, which never had a proper public release until now!

Dicography:Solo:
•   Upcoming album, not yet announced (currently in production)
•   Abandon, single, 2023
•   Until It’s Forgotten, single, 2022
•   Angel, single, 2020 (was a soundcloud release only, will be officially released June 9, 2023 on all platforms)

With Beyond Forgiveness (vocals, orchestration, co-songwriter):
•   Cold As Winter’s Ice, Album (currently in production)
•   Live to Tell the Story, Album, 2019
•   The Great Wall, Album, 2017
•   The Ferryman’s Shore, EP, 2015

Solo:
•   A Little Longer, Album, 2012 (short run cd release only)
•   Fate’s Too Small, Album, 2007 (short run cd release only)

With AnaDies (keyboardist, co-songwriter):
•   Catalyst, EP, 2006
•   Formamentum, Album, 2004

Shard Stage with:
Conspiria
Düsterlust
Synmetallium
Evenmore
Sechem
Dawn of Destiny
Cathubodua
September Mourning
Thy Shade
New Year’s Day
Powerglove
Jag Panzer
Fabio Carraffa
Dreadnought
Blindryve
Pitch Black
Thy Despair
Everlust
Helion Prime
Novareign
Ross the Boss
Mankind is Obsolete
Shiragirl
Within Temptation
Evans Blue
Chloë Agnew (of Celtic Woman)
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra
Air Force Academy Band
Chamber Orchestra of the Springs

Tours and Festivals:

Talia performed more than 100 shows as keyboardist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter with the band AnaDies between 2003 and 2007, including local and regional support shows, 3 domestic headlining tours in 2006 and 2007, the Denver stop of the Warped tour in 2005, and the Denver Dark Arts Festival in both 2005 and 2006.

Talia performed 10 concert seasons as a classical soprano with the Colorado Springs Chorale (classical symphonic chorus) 2006-2016 and 5 seasons with the Chamber Singers of the Colorado Springs Chorale 2012-2017, including a special appearance with the Distinguished Concerts International New York at the Lincoln Center in 2013, and annual features with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra, Air Force Band, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, and other community ensembles.

Talia has performed more than 50 shows as lead singer, orchestrator and co-songwriter with the band Beyond Forgiveness including local and regional support shows and 2 headliner tours Europe and Russia (2017, 2019), Sounds Like Summer Festival (Denver, 2017), Six Hours of Synphonia Festival (Switzerland, 2017), Antimateria Rock and Metal Festival (Russia, 2019), Colorado and New Mexico Metal United Fest (2018), Anthem Music Metal Fest (2019, 2021), Down to Clown Festival (2022)

0 EPK – Sinnery – Below the Summit (2023) – Exitus Stratgem Records

  • June 27, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Sinnery (EXSR)

EPK – Sinnery – Below the Summit (2023) – Exitus Stratgem Records

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

Management – Joel Spielman – emg.joel.spielman[@]gmail[.]com

“We are thrilled to get our new EP “Below the Summit”. This record marks another important milestone in our lives and careers as we continue to explore further and expand the horizons of what Sinnery’s music can be.

We put a lot of thought and effort into Below The Summit to try and get everything we can into it. We sat for hours producing it and sharpening every riff or word in it to make it an experience like we never did before. BTS is a moment in time when we didn’t know exactly how things will turn out for us, we were isolated in our homes when we began writing this, sharing ideas from afar. It was a special experience for us to write this record like this and we feel like we really put that into it.” – Sinnery

For fans of Metallica, Gojira, Testament, The Haunted, Sylosis, Trivium, Power Trip

EP Title: Below The Summit
Release Date: September 29, 2023
Label: Exitus Stratagem Records (EXSR)
Distribution: Sony/The Orchard

Tour Dates:​
September 18 – The Cobbletones – Bridgewater, UK w/ Sworn Amongst
September 19 – The Black Heart – Camden, UK w/ Sworn Amongst
September 20 – Percy Picklebackers – Nottingham, UK w/ Sworn Amongst
September 21 – Fuel Rock Club – Cardiff, UK w/ Sworn Amongst
September 22 – The Gryphon – Bristol, UK w/ Sworn Amongst
September 23 – The Cavern – Exeter, UK w/ Sworn Amongst
September 28 – Quantic Club – Bucharest, RO – Metal Gates Festival w/ Katatonia, Rotting Christ

Facebook.com/SinneryBand | Instagram.com/sinnerybandofficial | YouTube

Spotify | Apple Music | Deezer

Exsrmusic.com | Facebook.com/ExSRecords | Instagram.com/exsrmusic | Twitter.com/exsrm

Music Video – Share This – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf5of0iJ_mw

Single pre-save – ​https://hypeddit.com/sinnery/sharethis

“I’ve said this many times in the past, but one of the many things I love about this business is following the progress of bands as they come of age, mature and get better at their craft. What’s not to love about paying early witness to a bunch of folks gelling and heading on an upward trajectory as they make the move towards proverbial world domination? Israeli thrashers Sinnery are one such band. Gathering their Exodus, Testament, Gojira, The Haunted and post-St. Anger Metallica influences, the quartet from Herzliya, Tel Aviv will soon be releasing their second full length, Black Bile via Exitus Stratagem Records. This new tasty little rager pops the clutch and pumps the gas on modern thrash with a grizzled edge that improves upon the roots planted with their 2016 debut A Feast of Fools and their 2013 demo, Showing Teeth.” – Decibel Magazine

“Sinnery [Israel] Proves Thrash is NOT Dead in Groove-Oozing Cesspit of ‘Black Bile’” – Metal Has No Borders

““Death thrash” is the simplified genre description for what Sinnery do, but it’s the strong melodies and the variations among and within the songs that make the album such an adventure to experience from start to finish. Compared to the debut all those years ago, which was entirely written by vocalist/guitarist Alon Karnieli back when he was about 16-17 years of age, these tracks are more elaborate, more sophisticated, more reflective of different moods, while at the same time being more brutally extreme.” – No Clean Singing

“You just gotta love a band that knows exactly what the hell they wanna be. Sinnery bow to no one, instead turning heel to scissor kick you in the temple with battering ram riffs, suplexing drums, and neck-twisting vocals. You know the opening of Back to the Future where Marty McFly plays a single guitar chord on Doc Brown’s hyper amplifier and goes flying across the room from the resulting sound? “The Burning” provides the same effect regardless of the size of your chosen sound output device – you will be ragdolled and tossed around like a frisbee in a college quad by the quartet’s supreme rippage.” – Everything Is Noise

“I am old enough to have seen the likes of Metallica, Anthrax and others perform live at small venues in London. I’m also a huge fan of the new wave of thrash like Dust Bolt, Lost Society, etc. Sinnery is welcome inclusion with their aggression, energy, and obvious hunger. They might verge on Death Metal a tad with the vocals but that’s ok. With Matt Hyde (Machine Head, Trivium, Slipknot) having mixed and mastered this beast you know the sounds are gonna be right in your face. An excellent sophomore effort – please just keep thrashing!” – My Global Mind

“Sinnery straddle those lines between conventional thrash and modern/groove metal with enough solid musicianship and heaviness to align well with a multitude of touring possibilities.” – Dead Rhetoric

“So, what do Sinnery bring to the table? For starters, the album ripples with energy. You can feel the vibes pulsing through opening track ‘The Burning’ which leads straight into the title track. Alon Karnieli’s delivery is savage, a gritty, raging roar that combines the bruising aggression of Krysthla’s Ade Mayes with the power of ex-Onslaught frontman Sy Keeler.” – Ever Metal

“Black Bile is a thrash metal record that departs from many conventionally established thrash tropes and performs all the better because of it. This is a record whereby the band went into the writing process with a clear head and had a strong idea of what they wanted to accomplish; their first album in six years it’s evident they want Black Bile to the thrash album they can be proud of and I hope they are, because it really is an excellent ride. By departing from so many expected thrash tropes, relaxing the pace and aggression at which many of their songs play at, they enable their songwriting to bleed through with all the more memorability. Sinnery understand coherently that speed doesn’t necessarily equate quality, their songwriting for many of their tracks is testament to that axiom. The resulting, steadier pace of this record gives us time to absorb and appreciate all this album can offer and we only want the album to go on for longer as their songwriting is given the time to flesh itself out. On the whole I thoroughly enjoyed Black Bile, rendering Sinnery as a thrash band Israel can be deeply proud of sporting.” – The Razor’s Edge

“For those that just want to bang heads and go nuts, there are songs like “The Burning,” “Who Will Be Eaten First,” and “Anti Tribe.” “Hanged From The Sun” and “Holes” flesh out their thrash by either toning down the speed or putting an emphasis on melody.” – Heavy Music Headquarters

“Those of you who are hungry for some taut, frenzied Thrash metal with its nose pressed up against an actual battlefield should look no further than the Israeli four piece’s debut” – Edwin Mcfee – Metal Hammer July 2016

“…must be heard by anyone who is looking for any good aspiring thrash bands, you will absolutely find plenty of enjoyment out of this piece, and that I can promise you.” – Vintered – Metal Addicts

“It’s like we could fuse the dirty and raw aggressiveness from bands as NUCLEAR ASSAULT with the melodies presented on old works from METALLICA, and with some bits of raw power from bands as M.O.D., and a personal touch the makes “A Feast of Fools” tasteful.” – Metal Temple (2016)

“Sinnery is not about the usual metal but more about interesting and original combinations that infuse the clean with the rough while keeping it all high energy” – (Translated from Hebrew) Yoni Oren on a Sinnery live show for Metalist July 2021

“straightforward, old school, thrash worship… From its opening moments, A Fest Of Fools is utterly brimming with palpable enthusiasm for all things thrash—and that isn’t just a turn of phrase. Sinnery consistently manage to hit an impressive amount of recognizable benchmarks of the traditional thrash sound throughout their debut record.” – Metal Observer (2016)

“A Feast of Fools is a good album that shows a band full of youthful energy.” – Angry Metal Guy (2016)

“the band’s first full-length album shows off a band full of hunger and energy. The music, at its best, thrashes hard and shows off a commitment to making music that is hard and intense. Check out the way the band struts its stuff on “Built to Kill.” Other highlights include “Holy Grounds” and “Mad Dog.”” – Sea of Tranquility

EP Title: Below The Summit
Release Date: September 29, 2023
Label: Exitus Stratagem Records (EXSR)
Distribution: Sony/The Orchard

Track Listing:
1. Somber
2. An Ode (Knife Of Erato)
3. We Just Want You To
4. Share This
5. Serene

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Sinnery
• All songs written by: SInnery
• Produced by: Sinnery
• Mixed by: Arie Aranovich
• Mastered by: Arie Aranovich
• EP Artwork by: Xul1349

EP Band Lineup:
Alon Karnieli – Vocals & Guitars
Idan Kringel – Guitars
Saar Tuvi – Bass
Liam Fine – Drums

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

The EP as a whole:

Below The Summit is a very fast-paced piece of music where a lot is happening all at once. It’s a journey further into our minds. The music and lyrics are about puking out exactly what we feel in the most authentic and exaggerated way we can so the listener will really feel the intensity. These are strange times to be alive in and there’s a lot going on inside each and every one of us, and such is the record, a very human experience.

Track by Track:

1. Somber – Somber was the first song we wrote for the EP we wanted a ferocious song combining everything we knew how to play until that point in time.

Musically it’s probably one of the fastest, heaviest tracks we ever did.

Lyrically it’s about growing out of the dirt that is life. Prioritizing ourselves and dealing with our toughest issues. we knew our next record will begin with the words “ It feels like burying your mother” cuz we knew that we wanted people to feel the intensity of the subject from the get-go.

2. An Ode – The melodic An Ode was a cool song to write we tried to grow out of our usual patterns and boxes and find some things that we didn’t do on our last record Black Bile.

Musically it’s a thrashy song with a very cool chorus.

Lyrically it’s about not being worthy of a romantic relationship because of choosing your own best interest. A true story we had.

4. Share This – We started writing the EP when Covid started so we’re all left with just Social media to keep us connected with everyone outside our home.
It’s a song about losing touch with what matters about reality for the sake of technological progress and how we numb ourselves to those things we are fed through social media.

Musically we tried to get heavier than ever with some new school thrashy
Verses and intense courses lead to a very heavy breakdown mid-song.
This song always gets some extra energy in the room when we play it live.

5. Serene – Somber and Serene both share a message looked upon from two points of view. Somber we deliver our problems in a very chaotic and gruesome way only to find the power in it to solve it.

Serene is more about dwelling in those problems. These two songs together are an example of how one day we can go full throttle on our problems trying to solve and grow out of them and some days we are just stuck in our own heads.

Musically this song is very melodic and different from anything we ever did.
It has those verses where we felt like we explode rhythmically with the music following the vocal lines. The chorus we felt was very catchy because of the melodic classical line and the vocal parts on top of it. We are super excited to release that song and expose a different side of Sinnery to our fans.

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts:
1. The initial concept behind Somber was taken from the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck” By Mark Manson.

In the book, Mark says “Learn to sustain the pain you’ve chosen. When you choose a new value, you are choosing to introduce a new form of pain into your life. Relish it. Savor it. Welcome it with open arms. Then act despite it”
This resonated with Alon when he was writing up ideas for the lyrics.
“When we choose to make Sinnery happen we choose to fight every day for it, we choose to be obsessed over it and to sacrifice everything we have to make it happen day after day.

Sometimes this endless climb on top of the mountain can seem endless and too absorbing to sustain for long.

That concept introduced by Mark helped spark the whole Somber concept, although in the song it is represented on a larger scale as Alon is talking about humanity itself that cowers behind pain instead of using it as fuel.

2. The main art for Below The Summit was inspired by a famous Japanese painting called “Thunderstorm Beneath The Summit” by legendary artist Katsushika Hokusai.

The main composition is referencing the painting while taking it to a more grim hellish vibe that resonates with Sinnery and the Below the Summit concept.
In the painting, you might find the band themselves and artist Xul1349 tortured by demons.

3. In this EP, Sinnery introduces new drummer Liam Fine.
Liam has written and recorded the whole EP all while learning the band’s former material for his first show behind the Sinnery drums at their biggest local show to date the “Black Bile” release show.

In just 4 months Liam learned 19 songs and wrote 4 more.
Doing so much all at once is probably the most “Sinnery” thing that could have happened to anyone joining in.

4. The 3rd track on the EP called “We Just Want You To” is a sketch that was made as a joke.

We came up with the idea for it after a band meeting where we had to gather a lot of content for our social media pages.

Although we much rather play music, we take pride in the digital content that we make, and we strive to produce even more.

Although it’s mentioned in the sketch itself Sinnery does not operate a Only Fans page. Yet.

5. Below The Summit marks the final time Sinnery will play the E Standard guitar tuning at least for a while.

Since day one Sinnery has been playing the standard tuning aiming to be the heaviest band to play it.

But while producing the EP the band came to the realization that they need to explore more sounds in order to stay on their toes and come up with fresh new ideas.

L to R – Idan Kringle Lead Guitar, Liam Fine – Drums, Alon Karnieli – Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar, Saar Tuvi – Bass

Photo Credit – Or Shenkerman

Forged by the love for metal and hatred for anything else, Sinnery formed in late 2012 in Herzliya, Israel. The four-piece toured Israel nonstop while entering the studio with Israeli producer Eli Pikover to record their first album “A Feast of Fools”.

In 2016, the band signed with Pitch Black Records and together released Sinnery’s debut LP “A Feast of Fools”, getting the band to play in Cyprus’s biggest metal festival “Power of The Night Fest 2017”. AFOF gained the band many new listeners receiving great praise worldwide.

In 2019, the band toured with legendary German thrashers, Tankard.

Fast forward to 2022, The band completed production on their highly anticipated album “Black Bile”, mixed and mastered by Matt Hyde (Machine Head, Trivium, Slipknot, Bullet For My Valentine). The album was released on Sept 16th via the label Exitus Stratagem Records (EXSR).

Now in 2023, thrash metal fans can brace themselves for an onslaught of unrelenting aggression as Sinnery returns with their latest EP “Below the Summit”. Across five tracks, they harness the essence of true thrash, delivering a sonic storm that will leave fans and critics alike gasping for breath.

According to the band, writing “Below The Summit” was a very productive and consistent process, they really bled these songs out.

Sinnery believes that all of their existing fans will find that these five tracks implement what they are all about in the most concise way yet. From catchy choruses to parts heavier than ever before they feel this is their most complete work yet. “Below The Summit” is recommended for fans of Metallica, Power Trip, and Trivium.

“Below The Summit” is due out on September 29, 2023, via Exitus Stratagem Records.

Discography:
2023 – Below The Summit – EP (Exitus Strategem Records)
2022 – Black Bile – LP (Exitus Strategem Records)
2016 – A Feast of Fools – LP

Shared Stage with: Lamb Of God, Behemoth, Decapitated, Kreator, Tankard

Tours and Festivals:
2023 – Metal Gates Festival – Bucharest, Romania
2023 – UK Tour w/ Sworn Amongst
2023 – Psychoward – Tel Aviv, Israel
2022 – Bronzefest – Tel Aviv, Israel
2022 – Rockstadt Festival – Romania
2021 – IMF – Tel Aviv, Israel
2018 – United Under Hate Tour – St. Petersburg, Moscow, Tver, Ivanovo, Yaroslavl, Rybinsk – Russia
2017 – Power of the Night fest – Nicosia, Cyprus

0 EPK – Dead Fields of Woolwich – Self-Titled (2023)

  • June 26, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Dead Fields of Woolwich · EPKs

EPK – Dead Fields of Woolwich – Self-Titled (2023)

Publicist – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

For fans Paradise Lost, Type O Negative, Woods Of Ypres, A Pale Horse Named Death, Katatonia

Album Title – Self Titled
Release – July 28th, 2023
Label – Self-Release

“I always try to keep to love of gothic culture interweaved within all my songs giving the listener a feeling of something haunting and heavy. Hopefully, this record will be received with praise and excitement! It’s been very fulfilling to create an album that is truly my own and I hope people will like the gothic elements fused with the heavy doom. As a whole, the album deals with a lot of darker topics like acceptance of death and personal struggles from within but also touches on dark romanticism  and twisted love all while trudging along with heaviness and memorable hooks.” – Kye Bell – Dead Fields of Woolwich

Facebook.com/DeadFieldsOfWoolwich | Instagram.com/deadfieldsofwoolwich | Youtube.com/@deadfieldsofwoolwich6370

Deadfieldsofwoolwich.bandcamp.com | Spotify

“Jolting chugs and booming drums will get heads moving as the vocals crackle with passion way up in the stratosphere, and near the end the music receives a surge of energy, through a rapid riff-pulse and bombastic percussion, as a prelude to a blazing finale in which all the song’s ingredients, including Alyssa‘s intense, spine-tingling voice, unite in a display of tragic magnificence. (You’ll probably find by then that the song has also gotten well and truly stuck in your head.)” – No Clean Singing (single – I’ve Made It To Hell)

Dead Fields Of Woolwich has its beginnings going back to the Autumn of 2020 in North Bay, Ontario when multi-instrumentalist Kye Bell created a project inspired by a love of bands like Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, and Wood Of Ypres along with their gothic-laden sound and gloom ridden lyrics. Dead Fields Of Woolwich, though still considered a solo project at heart, would grow from an individual entity to a dark twosome with the addition of Alyssa Broere for session vocals and the upcoming release of the self-titled debut album.

Dead Fields of Woolwich is:
Kye Bell (All Instruments and songwriting)
Alyssa Boere (Vocals)

Discography:
2023 – Self-Titled – LP
2023 – I’ve Made It To Hell – Single
2022 – To Those Who Flower In Darkness – Single
2022 – Casualties Of Circumstance – Single

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title – Self Titled
Release – July 28th, 2023
Label – Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. To Those Who Flower in Darkness – 4:43
2. Midnight In The Garden Of Earthly Delights – 6:42
3. Winters For Poets – 5:04
4. Casualties of Circumstance – 8:23
5. 31 Days For 31 Curses – 8:24
6. I’ve Made It To Hell – 6:28
Album Length: 39:47

Album Credits:
Performed By – Kye Bell & Alyssa Broere
Written By – Kye Bell
Produced By – David Strba at Chainsaw Media
Mixed By – David Strba
Mastered By – David Strba
Artwork By – James Hutton

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

The album as a whole explained by Kye Bell:
As a whole the album deals with a lot of darker topics like acceptance of death and personal struggles from within but also touches on dark romanticism and twisted love all while trudging along with heaviness and memorable hooks.

Track by Track explained by Kye Bell:

1. To Those Who Flower In Darkness – The album opens with the first track which was released as a single back in late 2022. Starting off with mid-tempo guitars that chug along in the back while the clean overlapping riff builds to a climax and releases into a heavy hook. From there, things are taken down for the verse only to build back up into the chorus. As the bridge and solo come into play melody becomes a major player and then exits into one final chorus. Lyrically it deals with using your inner darkness to improve yourself and build yourself up instead of letting it pull you down.

2. Midnight In The Garden Of Earthly Delights – This particular song starts with a nice heavy doom riff into a guitar harmony over the verses. Once the chorus kicks in you can hear a Type O Negative influence in the style on the guitar. Reaching the bridge it dives back into a classic doom-style riff. This one showcases a more romantic side than other songs on the album, basically finding a person who truly feels like your other half.

3. 31 Days For 31 Curses – One of my favorites from this album for sure. A nice slow-dirgey intro that breaks into a pre-verse like a heavy cold rain coming down. Once again the music leaves room for things to breathe during the verse then climbs back up into the storm for the chorus. As things quiet down a single guitar comes in ushering in a heavy bridge and powerful solo. As far as lyrics go this track talks about feeling like the month of October is doomed to be cursed for you because so many bad things have happened then.

4. Casualties Of Circumstance – I’ve always felt this one had an Alice In Chains or A Pale Horse Named Death vibe to it. Starting with a solid rhythm and single winding note into going into a pretty straightforward palm muted verse the song then comes into a powerful chorus. Following that we hear more harmonizing guitars over a tom groove. When we reach the peak we are treated with what I would call a simple but epic solo followed by a gothic-sounding melodic lead to the outro. I wrote this one based on the acceptance of death and that sometimes bad things happen just because of a circumstance you’re in.

5. Winter’s For Poets – This one came out as probably the most unique song. Starting with a very “Rotting Christ” style riff into the verse it builds up and erupts into the chorus. As it approaches the end it goes into a nice yet mournful little outro. In terms of lyrics this talks about the isolation of winter and how it’s a great time to create music just because going outside is not really appealing.

6. I’ve Made It To Hell – I chose this one to showcase as the single for the album because it has a great dirgy riff until it hits a catchy chorus. Probably more simple than other songs but packs a great punch with its contrasting riffs of heavy and catchy especially as the last chorus comes around. This one deals with the idea of transitioning to the afterlife and being stuck there.

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

Fun Facts – Story Angles:

1. The name of the band comes from where I (Kye Bell) grew up in southern Ontario. I remember lots of old fields, scarecrows, and dense woods of twisted trees.

2. Recording initially started by using actual amps but was re-record using different amp simulators

3. Most of the songs are based on true life events that have happened to me. For example, Casualties Of Circumstance is actually about a pet rat that gave birth but ended up eating all her young, and 31 Days for 31 Curses was inspired by losing a pet cat who I tried to save with everything I had but in the end, was not enough among other bad things that all seem to have happened in October.

4. Much of the drums are a mix of programming and live drums played on an Ekit.

5. During the shooting of the first music video you can see a book being read. It’s actually an old book from the 60’s dealing with black magic and demon incantation.

0 EPK – Call of The Siren – Hollow (single)

  • June 12, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Call of The Siren · EPKs

EPK – Call of The Siren – Hollow (single)

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

“It was the first song we wrote with RJ and Chuck writing together. RJ wrote this song in memory of a friend that he lost to suicide, and the lyrics were written to fit the extremely sensitive topic, written from the perspective of someone who feels like they can’t go on. We’ve poured a lot of our time over the past few years to write and refine these releases. We are hoping it’s the best Call of the Siren has ever put out there.” – Call of The Siren

For fans of Lamb of God, After the Burial, Polaris, Killswitch Engage

Facebook.com/callofthesirenmusic | Instagram.com/callofthesiren.music | Youtube.com/@callofthesiren1544

Spotify | Apple Music| Callofthesiren.bandcamp.com

Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/hh5qPTHbYgY

Rising from the depths of Edmonton, Alberta, Call Of The Siren is a metalcore group featuring Brandy Black on vocals, RJ Bevis and Chuck Matthews on guitars, Francisco Martin on drums, and Dave St.Pierre on bass.

Assembled in late 2017, their sound comes from a unique forge of musical influences including Parkway Drive, Slayer, After The Burial, Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage… among many others.

Discography:
The Void – 2019 – LP
Hollow – 2021 – Single
War – 2022 – Single

Hollow (Single)
Release: December 2021
Label: Uprising
Distribution: All major streaming outlets
Length: 6:06

Credits:
• All songs performed by: Call of the Siren
• All songs written by: Call of the Siren
• Produced by: Chuck Matthews/Uprising(Music) & Diego Fernandez/Oracle Studios(Vocals)
• Mixed by: Chuck Matthews/Uprising
• Mastered by: Chuck Matthews/Uprising

Line-up/Live Line-up:
Vocals: Brandy Black
Guitar: RJ Bevis
Guitar: Chuck Matthews
Bass: Dave St.Pierre
Drums: Francisco Martin
Programming: Chuck Matthews

 

0 EPK – VORAATH (2023)

  • June 11, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Voraath

EPK – VORAATH (2023)

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

Management: Joel Spielman (EMG) – emg.joel.spielman[@]gmail[.]com

Booking: Continental – Michelle Messina – michelle[@]continentaltouring[.]us

Featuring members from Xael, Rapheumets Well, Implosive Disgorgence, Sweet Blood, and Visitant

“This was the first song we wrote as a band, it was a fun song inspired by our children who were fans of the horror creature “siren head,” which is a creature developed by Trevor Henderson. So for us, this was a bonding song for us and our kids. Our lore features interdimensional deities anyways so it was not out of our conceptual scope to write a song about Siren Head.  With our new vocalist bringing so much to the table and revitalizing the project, we wanted to remake the song to introduce her sound and stylistic approach to our music, setting the pace for what’s to come with the full album.” – Joshua Nassaru Ward – Drummer/ Band Founder

For fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Cattle Decapitation, Dimmu Borgir, Acid Bath, Septic Flesh, Gojira

Exsrmusic.com | Facebook.com/ExSRecords | Instagram.com/exsrmusic | Twitter.com/ExsrM

Voraath.com | Facebook.com/Voraath | Instagram.com/voraath | YouTube | Tiktok.com/@voraath

Voraath.bandcamp.com

Digital – https://hypeddit.com/voraath/sirenhead

“Crushing Sci-Fi Death Metal” – Metal Injection

“The music (The Barrens) reaches new heights of fire-storming intensity, burning with feverish desperation, and then suddenly shifts into a classically influenced acoustic guitar and bass instrumental that’s sublime. That proves to be a segue into yet another phase of the musical narrative, one that’s glorious. The drums continue their blistering assault, but the music soars on the wings of solos of riveting splendor, heroic singing that goes sky-high, and the vast sweep of cinematic synths, which collectively end the track in a panoramic finale of stunning magnificence.” – No Clean Singing

“they are a band who’ve combined their musical and visual sides into a silver screen-worthy, sci-fi based, death metal odyssey centered around alien contact, the devastation and degradation of the environment and humanity, rule by corporate overlords and henchmen, Primitivism vs. Futurism and, of course, lots of blood, guts and killing.”- Decibel Mag

Single Title: Siren Head (4:54)
Release Date: June 27, 2023
Label: Exitus Strategem Records

Single Credit
• All songs performed by: Voraath
• All songs written by: Voraath
• Produced by: Joshua Ward
• Mixed by: Joshua Ward
• Mastered by: Mike Low
• Album Artwork by: Joshua Ward

Band Lineup:
Chelsea Marrow – Vocals
Tylor Kohl – Guitar
Paul McBride – Bass
Joshua Ward – Drums, Keys, Vocals, studio Guitars

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

Into Perdition

The old roads of the Appalachian, barren and soulless lay ahead.  Each step reminding us of our failures and a foreshadowing of the unfavorable journey that lies ahead.  This song captures the native folk tones on the Appalachian mountains, reworked to resemble the feeling of being lost and broken.

The Road to Samm Hill

We have received coordinates to the location of the relay, an alien mechanism that can bend space-time. Employed by EOS Corp, our mission is to retrieve the relay at all cost. As we approach the area of operation, we are confronted by a creature frail and decaying stumbling along the old road.  As it approaches us it reaches out its hand, revealing a sort of otherworldly controller. The creature shortly after petrifies and dies. Resuming our journey we come across a barren village, with dead bodies scattered.  Further investigating we discover that Ostromek Corp had been conducting experiments on what seems to be an otherworldly entity.  The scientist and security officers of Ostromek had seemingly lost control of the creature which had led to the massacre of the local village.  This song outlines our battle with the otherworldly entity as well as discovering a traitor in our own ranks.    

Waypoint Orion

The mission to Samm Hill was a failure.  We resumed our pursuit of the relay (The Nexus key) deep into the Appalachian forest where we would discover a mound of bodies, the corpses of the lost villagers.  Creatures from beyond our dimension stood guard and at the apex of the mound was a vile creature with authority over the lesser sentinels.  The relay had been activated and was shimmering red particles when we noticed the screams of a little girl laying at the base of the corpses.To recover the little girl we would have to eliminate the corpse guardian.  After killing a few of the creatures the relay began to resonate louder and louder.  As we shot the third creature the very land around us changed.  The sky became red and the landscape was foreign.  We shot the fourth creature and reality itself transformed around us.  With each kill the relay activated, altering the world around us.  As we eliminated the final guardian and rescued the little girl, we found ourselves trapped in a different dimension.  

The Terminus Rift

Stuck in an alternate dimension, a dark world of obsidian spires and tattered geometric architectures, we had to find a way to return home.  We are confronted by otherworldly zealots. Our primary mission is to survive while we try to figure out how to operate the relay. While making our way through the chasms of this dark stone city, we awoke a nefarious entity, a vicious titan whom the zealots praised as a god. While attempting to repair the relay, the hunters must survive the onslaught on the titan and its servants.  

Dreadborn

This song is a flashback to how Marrow came to join the hunters. During a mission to retrieve a key component for the relay, a mechanism called the Navigators Key, the hunters had to infiltrate a military compound controlled by Ostromek Corp.  The hunters would arrive to a facility of dead soldiers and a rogue seer with telepathic abilities on a murder spree. While on a mission of vengeance, Marrow (seer) targeted the hunters not knowing that they were not affiliated with Ostromek Corp.  After a vicious battle, the hunters were able to subdue the seer, recruiting her into their ranks and acquiring the Navigators Key.    

The Barrens

This was our first song as a band, a song that encapsulated the brutal and melancholic nature of post traumatic stress (ptsd).  The video is a series of flashbacks for the point of view of two of the hunters.  One is experiencing loss and betrayal; meanwhile being pursued by a savage otherworldly entity (which shows the layers of coping with one tragedy while fighting to simply exist). The other is the feeling of hopelessness that turns to hate and that hate consumes those around her.  The music itself carries out like a metal movie soundtrack, with aggressive peaks and demented valleys, all culminating into the grand apex of the final segway, an epiphany of taking back control (live to fight another day).  We hope this brings awareness to the struggles and trauma we all are dealing with, awareness for those coping with PTSD.

Judas Blood and Vultures

Mission: 3116 The Red Village incident: The Valewalkers are contacted by an old friend, Tobias to investigate a series of strange disappearances in a neighboring village. It is believed that a vile creature from beyond the Nexus Rift, known by the locals as Lumia is responsible for the missing villagers, among them, Tobias’ new bride and infant child. As the hunters and their forlorn guide begin their pursuit of the creature and its cultist minions, they soon discover that not all is as it seems in the ruins of the red village.

The Leviathans Keep

This song is actually a prequel to our main story line. In our musical lore, we are mercenaries who take odd jobs in a dystopian society for resources for our village. We took a contract to escort a EOS Corporation scientist to a classified location in the mountains to recover data on a deceased entity.  Our mission is to activate the IC-B18 energy barrier that isolates the area of operation and protect the scientist at all cost.  Due to an intense GRS (Gamma Ray Storm), the relay drone used to communicate and initiate the barrier was destroyed which prompted an emergency evacuation, unfortunately the extraction point is occupied by savage mutant cannibals.  The song follows our failed mission as we fight to survive the treacheries of the mountain.  The end of the song has a unique twist. As our curiosity gets the better of us and we discover what EOS corp was researching; the corpse of a cosmic entity that will change our lives forever. The music is the culmination of primitive brutal rhythmic patterns and the epic soundscapes of survival.  We are excited to share what we feel is something very unique in the metal and music community.

Dirge Colony

We have been given our final orders, to hunt down and eliminate the vile entity own as UA -33, the ender. While en route, the hunters came across the scattered remains of their friends from a neighboring colony.  They dismally traversed the ravaged village.  The hunter known as Ward, came across an old house with sounds of men celebrating.  Ward began quietly investigating the dilapidated house, coming across a battered and wounded young woman.  Bloodied, she fearfully signaled Ward to keep quiet.  Realizing that she was a captive of soldiers, celebrating the pillaging of the colony, Ward along with the other hunters would murder the heartless mercenaries and mourn the loss of the young woman.  This song was actually a dream that we wove into the music, a song about mourning loss and coping with nefarious circumstances.  

The God-killer Saga

This song is the apex of our journey, from locating and retrieving the nexus key (relay) and the Navigators key, to grand standoffs with interdimensional entities, their mission would lead them to the very source of the apocalypse, to the entity UA-33 or the “ender.” deep in a gorge in the Appalachian mountains, the hunters approach a rift in the stone, a divot between dimensions.  After defeating the creatures guarding the rift, the hunters would finally confront the seemingly iniquitous god; but nothing is what it seems and a secret with unfathomable repercussions will be revealed. Here is where the hunter’s journey ends and the sentinels of Voraath begins.

Sirenhead

Though most of the concept of our debut album follows a group of  “survivors” who are tasked with hunting down an inter-dimensional deity who has ravaged the earth, for this song (Siren Head) we wanted to do something “less” otherworldly and a bit more of a horror. Our children love watching scary stories about this creature called “Siren Head.” Come to find out that so many kids his age are infatuated by the monster, so we wanted to write our interpretation of Siren Head based on the artist Trevor Henderson. This also allowed for us some family metal/horror time!”

Pyrrhic

After learning the truth of our journey,  we must cope with the traumas and loss of our endeavors.  This song is very bleak, capturing the sound of emptiness.  Feeling as if there is no hope, no end, and the endless pain of enduring existence.  

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts:
1 Our music is set on a dystopian earth about a hundred and thirty years in the future.  Eighty percent of the population has disappeared after the arrival of three interdimensional entities and the world is governed by corporations.  The music and lore are told from the standpoint of a group of contracted hunters who inadvertently becomes part of a much more insidious plot with cosmic implications.  

2 – Our outfits are handcrafted by the wife of our guitarist (Frank Kohl).  The armor and cuirass that our vocalist wears were handcrafted by leather crafter/armorer Joshua Niemeyer who is the owner of the crafting company “The Grim Ringer.” Our masks are altered mesh masks crafted by Tylor Kohl and Joshua Ward.

3 – Our drummer Joshua Ward also does drum tech work, working for renowned drummers such as George Kollias and Pete Sandoval.

4- The lore of the music is inspired by 80’s sci-fi movies, game lore, and folk tales of the Appalachian mountains.  

5- Both band rooms and studios exist on farmland in the mountains of N.C. and S.C. where members of Voraath go on group camping, kayaking, and tactical training adventures which inspire the vibe which the band portrays.

L-R – Paul McBride – Bass, Joshua Ward – Drums, Chelsea Marrow – Vocals, Tylor Kohl – Guitar

Photo Credit – Picture by Jamie Leblanc, Art by Joshua Ward

Voraath is a Sci-fi horror-inspired extreme metal band featuring members from Xael, Visitant, Rapheumets Well, Implosive Disgorgence, and Sweet Blood. Crafting their own musical, the music serves to take you on an auditory odyssey.

An otherworldly and experimental metal act based out of the Carolinas, Voraath unifies epic soundscapes with bone-crushing brutal riffs. In September 2021, Voraath began as an experimental project with Joshua Nassaru Ward (Xael, Rapheumets Well), Tylor Kohl, and Paul McBride.  In April of 2023, Chelsea Marrow joined the team as the lead vocalist. The word Voraath itself refers to an act of vengeance as well as the deity of wrath.

Shared Stage with Rings of Saturn, Extortionist, Volcandra

Tours and Festivals:
2022 -Cyber Shed U.S. tour with Rings of Saturn
2023 – Dimensional Destruction tour with Volcandra
2023 – Headling the Blast Beats and Brews festival in Atlanta GA.
August 2023 – Michigan Metal Fest (with Born of Osiris)

Artist Endorsements:
Ddrum, Saluda Cymbals, Los Cabos Drumsticks, Foot Blaster, Volta Innovations, Cad Audio, GHS Strings

0 EPK – HardBall – Self-Titled (2023)

  • June 6, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Hardball

EPK – HardBall – Self-Titled (2023)

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

“We are really excited to finally get this album in people’s hands. There have been terrible periods of development hell and sessions of re-tracking the same parts over and over trying to get the vibe just right. It’s been a long, and at times aggravating process to get it to where we’re truly happy with it. We’re all perfectionists, especially Jeremy, who acted like the in-band producer throughout most of the process.

I feel as though we created something innovative and contemporary while still honoring our heroes from the ‘90s alternative rock and ‘80s punk scenes. We’re having our cake and eating it too.” – Hardball

For fans of Nirvana, Wipers, Hüsker Dü, Flipper, The Melvins

Band Name: Hardball
Album Title: Self-Titled
Release Date: July 21, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Linktr.ee/hardballbc | Facebook.com/hardballmusic | Instagram.com/hardballbc | Hardball.bandcamp.com

“Hardball is a Vancouver-based trio who certainly studied up on grunge music in all of its grimy detail. But the band brings something more than template Seattle sound ditties to its full-length, self-titled debut. They’ve got a good sense of humour…. Songs such as the single Worried As S—t feature little lyrical jabs thrown in that turn the self-importance of bands such as Soundgarden, Nirvana and Pearl Jam inside-out. Like, seriously, what is up with the lead singer’s hats? The tune won’t tell you. But the band might offer an explanation from the stage that night.” – Vancouver Sun

“Punishingly heavy and powerful, the band members go absolutely musically berserk on this one, throwing everything they’ve got against the wall, with the song’s intensity matching the weight of its message. Gun control is an issue we hear about in the news virtually every day. HARDBALL have stepped up to the plate here with a representation of the anger many of us feel about these societal challenges.” – V13

“Vancouver’s Hardball are sharing their self-titled full-length, which will take you through the grunge journey of dirty riffs and speedy shredding.” – New Noise Magzine

“The more I listen to this album the more I fall in love with it. I was a huge Nirvana fan in my youth and this scratches that itch and then some. It has elements of all three of their albums whole also bringing plenty of their own sound and creativity to things. There isn’t a bad track on the album and I’d recommend it to anyone! 9.5/10” – Overtone Magazine

“You can’t accuse Hardball of not taking things seriously. Their self-titled debut album, as reckoned by lead singer Scott Budgie, is a testament to a labour of love, sweat, and tears. The journey to its creation involved scrapping and re-doing, and the results that emerge from this dedication are undeniably palpable… The hard work invested in Hardball’s self-titled debut album is evident in every track. This is not a mere grunge revival; it’s a reboot that captures the genre’s spirit while infusing it with their own artistic vision. This album marks the starting point of a new chapter in the grunge movement, and it’s clear that Hardball is here to make their own mark. 8/10” – Maximum Volume music

“if you do like Nirvana – then you might have a new CD to purchase!… the opener ”Just A Tree” in true grunge mode. If you on the other hand take ”Me And you” we’re in for more of a party hard rocker with a slight punk vibe. Still some grunge in it, maybe mainly for the lead vocal of Scott Budgie who sounds very much like Kurt Cobain at times. This band is furthermore more interesting to listen to, musically, compared to Nirvana. Hear the hard-working guitar playing in ”Worried As Shit” for example. Same in the quite grungy ”Talk To Me” with good variation between intense and softer parts, plus nice riffing guitars. All in all, yes: quite grunge oriented but still more than that. Well worth checking out if you’re into this type of music.” – Melodic.net

“HARDBALL is a trio from Vancouver that tries to revive this period through realistic, harsh songs and a thick and hard sound. Their first album is without doubt the most beautiful tribute to the nineties scene that we have been able to listen to for a very long time” – Metal News Fr

“HARDBALL brings to their music, a claw, a rather distressed and tortured atmosphere. And then around the compositions, something struck me: the emotion. It is palpable all the way, feels right away, because it feels like Scott is literally living this music. Any grunge or nostalgic fan of this era should have an ear, because this album is inspired.” – Olivier No Limit – Soil Chronicles

“The riffs are sharp, the bass pumps the blood to the most inaccessible parts of the body and the drumming is truly outstanding. Above all, Hardball brings a sound that sounds quite melancholic and – typically grunge – is an indictment for a lot of things in the world that are firmly out of whack. Whether there is still an audience waiting for a grunge band, we cannot say for sure, although we assume that good music always finds a way. And to be honest, we are pleasantly surprised by this debut album.” – Musika

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Band Name: Hardball
Album Title: Self-Titled
Release Date: July 21, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Track Listing:
1.  Just A Tree (3:55)
2.  Worried As Shit (2:21)
3. NRA (2:33)
4.  In The Mail (4:16)
5.  Me And You (2:47)
6. Chili (5:55)
7.  Talk To Me (5:25)
8.  Ian’s Song (2:36)
9. I/O (3:18)
10. Open Air (9:47)
Album Length: 42:57

Album Credits:
All songs performed by Hardball All songs written by Hardball
All songs produced by Hardball
Every Song was mixed by Felix Fung at Little Red Sounds, except for track 9 I/O, which was mixed by Jeff Black at Black Note Productions
Mastered by Greg Mindorff at Suite Sound Labs
Album Artwork by Scott Budgie and Sara Colliss
Canadian content MAPL

Album Recording and Live Bband Lineup:
Scott Budgie – Vocals, guitars
Jeremy Head – Drums, guitars, synth, backing vocals
Jamie Black – Bass, backing vocals

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

The Album as a whole is explained by Scott Budgie (Guitar/Vocals)

To us, the album is a huge deal, because it’s something we worked on for MANY years. It is not something we slapped together on a weekend. At one point the album was about 70% done and we made the tough decision to basically scrap it and re-track the drums for 8 of the 10 songs. It was worth it in the end. It finally sounds the way we wanted. Every line of vocals on the album was recorded dozens, if not hundreds of times over multiple sessions.

The seemingly endless periods of delays and problems that plagued the production of the album were beginning to cause me distress. Finally, seeing the release of this album on the horizon has been very therapeutic for me.

Artistically the album covers a lot of different, but related themes. In my mind, it’s a concept album, but it’s admittedly the most incoherent concept album of all time. It’s a deep dive into my own psyche, unturning all the different stones that maybe should have been left alone, all the while worrying about being too self-indulgent in the process.

I like unusual delivery of lines and run-on sentences in my lyrics, as well as a mixture of absurd and dead serious subject matter. It makes it feel chaotic and unpredictable.

In some ways the album is like a collection of ideas that we’re excited to finally document and move on from, that’s the main reason why there is a cross on the album cover. Not because it’s the end of HARDBALL, but because it’s the end of HARDBALL as we know it. We have a lot more to do in the future and we feel that this album is an awesome starting point. We’re really proud of it.

Track By Track:
1.) Just A Tree
I was reluctant to open the album with this song because of the jangly open chord parts that, to me sound almost Nashville-like. I didn’t want to give anyone the wrong impression right off the bat (no pun intended). But I also like the scope of the song: covering major and minor chord progressions, dissonant guitar parts, quiet to heavy dynamics (a grunge staple), the wild layered synthesizer breakdown during the bridge, and finally the lovelorn vocals at the ending.

Lyrically, the song describes unrequited love and uses being a tree as an allegory for remaining loyal, reliable, and unbothered. (it’s music for the incels, just kidding, but basically)

2.) Worried As Shit
This track’s self-disparaging lyrics are pretty par for the course with HARDBALL. Mainly focusing on my own flaws including socially awkward behavior, and an inability to maintain healthy relationships. Mostly tongue-in-cheek but also not.

3.) NRA
Musically this song is just supposed to sound completely bonkers. Drums going completely ape all over the place, obnoxious riffing and big low-tuned power chords, the heavily distorted bass guitar holds down the main riff. NRA is an anthem about gun control. Not really even with a coherent position on the matter. Calling it NRA despite not directly having anything to do with the NRA just seemed funny to us. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the US has major social problems that have led to regular shootings. I don’t like it, and I can’t do anything about it.

But, I’m going to shout about it the way a scared, confused child might.

4.) In The Mail
(My favorite track by far)
HARDBALL’s answer to dynamically epic songs like The Smashing Pumpkin’s “Soma”. I think we succeeded in creating a really vibey song that builds in tension and then just blasts off at the halfway point and goes hard until the end.

Using postal mail as an analogy, the lyrics describe a relationship beginning with the excitement and anticipation of meeting someone new, and slowly falling into complacency and boredom.

5.) Me And You
Me And You is a short burst of high-energy verses and riffs held together by a recurring harmony. Lyrically Me And You is basically a cynical version of Neil Young’s “Old Man”, making (sometimes nonsensical) comparisons to things I have in common with my old man.

6.) Chili lulls you in sounding like a simple
verse-chorus-verse structure before going full prog-stoner metal on you. The lyrics come from agonizing sleepless nights brought on by guilt and self-loathing.

7.) Talk To Me
Originally it seemed we didn’t have much for this piece other than the heavy floor tom hits combined with the palm muting which we thought was really cool. It took a couple of years for the overall direction to come together. Looking back, that palm mute/floor tom thing was a pretty boneheaded idea to pursue, but it ended up being worth it for the heavy riffs that came along.

8.) Ian’s Song
This song was the closest to being thrown out, but we all think it’s funny so it just made the cut. It’s definitely the oldest song on the album. It’s a true story about an old Scottish man who lived in our former bandmate’s basement. He would sometimes terrorize us while we were jamming in the garage. He frequently drank our beer and stole our food from the fridge upstairs. Eventually, he moved to a different city. I often wonder what became of that guy.

9.) I/O
Known internally as ‘Inside Out’, this is a classic HARDBALL song with sudden changes in dynamics. It begins with solo vocals and guitar before the entire band comes in dialed up to 10 for the hardcore-inspired verses and choruses. It ends with an abrupt change to a mellow arpeggio instrumental outro that serves as a fake-out ending to the album.

The lyrics are a satire of macho hardcore punk, which I love, but I don’t fully understand the tough guy culture behind it.

10.)  Open Air
HARDBALL’s 10-minute epic. Beginning with clean guitar, soft vocals, and a tom beat that carries the intensity up and down, eventually.

Open Air goes completely off the rails and ditches its verse/chorus structure in favor of 4 minutes of bone-crushing riffs to close out the album. Lyrically the song describes trying to hang in there in a relationship that’s not working for either side. It also includes an homage to Danzig’s ‘Until You Call on The Dark’ with the line ‘until you start to call on the dark/I’ll hold on, I’ll hold on’.

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

Fun Facts – Story Angles
1. Despite the name no members of HARDBALL have ever taken part in team sports, and in fact, despise them.

2. HARDBALL once opened for DOA when they were coming through Penticton. Here’s a quote from Joey Shithead (or Joey Keithley? I don’t know what he goes by these days) regarding HARDBALL’s set to the best of my memory “You guys said you were punk. I don’t know what that was, but it wasn’t punk.” Obviously, we’re punk and it’s the old guy who’s wrong. After the show, we tried to shake him down for a bigger cut of the door money.

3. Fun Fact: We make regular use of extended-range instruments, including baritone guitars and 7 strings, but keep it somewhat restrained so as not to seem forced.

4. We have a tendency to meticulously plan every aspect of our tours except where we’re going to sleep. We’ve definitely pitched the odd tent in the middle of the night at the end of a cul-de-sac in Red Deer.

5. Scott used to own the Mystery Machine from one of the live-action Scooby-Doo movies but crashed it and it was a total write-off and there are no pictures to prove it but it’s true.

L-R: Scott Budgie (Guitar/Vocals), Jamie Black (Bass), Jeremy Head (Drums)
Photo by Kaila Hald

Emerging Vancouver, BC, Canada punk/grunge trio HARDBALL is set to release its debut self-titled album on July 21, 2023 on all major streaming platforms via Distrokid, as a digital download through Bandcamp, and directly from the band on 12” LP, and compact disc.

In support of the album, HARDBALL are setting out on tour this August with appearances throughout Western Canada.

HARDBALL is comprised of former Poles frontman and Vancouver local Scott Budgie, as well as Okanagan residents, drummer Jeremy Head also of The Motion Picture, and bassist Jamie Black.HARDBALL’s self-titled album is a joint production between recording engineer Matt Roach of Rain City Recorders in Vancouver, BC (Baptists, Misery Signals, Comeback Kid) and mix engineer Felix Fung of Little Red Sounds in New Westminster, BC (Needles//Pins, Girlfriends and Boyfriends, Mode Moderne).

Shared Stage with: DOA, Pharm, Rad Dog, Hippiecritz, Carpenter, Molten Lava, Ninjaspy, We the Undersigned, Sparky
Tours and Festivals, 2023 – Ignite The Arts – Penticton, BC

0 EPK – Our Dying World – The Egregious Sins Of Humanity (single) (2023)

  • May 30, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Our Dying World

EPK – Our Dying World – The Egregious Sins Of Humanity (single) (2023)

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

“The Egregious Sins Of Humanity marks the next phase in the band’s development. It shows another level of musical maturity and has pushed us all into a level of figuring out how to play more sophisticated parts and make them work together. We all had to make huge strides on playing some of these parts and we’re looking forward to the next ones and how we’ll have improved individually as well as musically.” – Our Dying World

For fans of Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Lamb Of God, Abigail Williams

Facebook.com/ourdyingworldofficial | Instagram.com/ourdyingworld | Youtube | Twitter.com/ourdyingworld11

Spotify | Apple Music | Ourdyingworld.bandcamp.com

“We’ll make you a solemn promise: Whatever condition you happen to be in now (unless you’re in a coma), the song and video we’re about to present will make you feel orders of magnitude more alive, accelerating your heart-rate, igniting your fast-twitch muscles, and spinning your head like a glorious top. And for those of you who want your music to attack like a pack of rabid dogs, it fills that need, too. The song is “Veil of the Reaper“, and it comes from Hymns Of Blinding Darkness, the forthcoming album by the Los Angeles band Our Dying World. The new album marks a significant departure from the music on their debut, Expedition, moving in directions that may spawn memories of such bands as Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, and Dimmu Borgir, and you’ll get a vivid understanding of that when you hear “Veil of the Reaper“.” – No Clean Singing – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness (2022)

“Hymns of Blinding Darkness is an intricate album with lofty pursuits featuring a stunning band makeover.” – Decibel Mag – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness (2022)

“As with many great evolutions, Our Dying World took all their best parts and made it huge. This album paces brilliantly and delivers in spades. An overall epic release of their own brand of hard rocking hymns.”  – Heavy Mag – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness (2022)

“Closing with the excellent Melodic Death Metal-esque piece “Veil of the Reaper”, Our Dying World manages to keep the listener’s attention with soaring guitar melodies, engaging keyboards, and overall solid songs that are well crafted but need more of a personal identity. There are definitely plenty of excellent things about this release that fans of the genre will greatly appreciate, so don’t be afraid and check out this band.” – Infernal Masquerade – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness (2022)

“Fans who appreciate equal doses of orchestra and mosh pit will likely dig this passionate full-length debut.” – Angry Metal Guy – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness (2022)

“One thing is clear from the young band as they prepare for the release of their second release; they’ve come to stir the standards that hold the metal scene and redefine them.” – Metal Temple – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness (2022)

“this first effort is every heavy metal enthusiast’s lottery win and is assured to gain a growing fanbase for the band” – Powerplay Magazine – 2019 – Expedition 

“The band does a great job with mixing several different metal styles. Primarily, they channel Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, and Melodic Death Metal. They take all these approaches and blend them damn near seamlessly with enough intensity to level your ears.” – The Circle Pit – 2019 – Expedition 

“The last 9 months working with Our Dying World on their release EP has been a wonderful journey that has had about every twist and turn you could imagine while making a record. Some were typical to the actual recording process, and some were a part of the personal journey that one finds themself in when baring their soul to the world.” – Ultimate Studios Inc. – 2019 – Expedition 

“Some metal bands in this era just tackle the genre just for the sake of it. Because the “scene kids” are into it and screaming is all the hype. But then, you run into a band like Our Dying World, proving one record at a time that true metal is a genre that isn’t going to die anytime soon, thanks to bands like them and others of their caliber.” – Artist Reach Official

“this first effort is every heavy metal enthusiast’s lottery win and is assured to gain a growing fanbase for the band” – Powerplay Magazine

[Download Single Lyrics | Download Single Cover]

The Egregious Sins Of Humanity
Release Date: TBD
Label: Self-Release
 
– The Egregious Sins Of Humanity – 6:00
 
Single Recording Credits:
• Song performed by: Our Dying World
• Song written by: Thomas Tierney, Austin Mitrofanis, Graham Southern
• Produced by: Alex Nasla
• Mixed by: Alex Nasla
• Mastered by: Alex Nasla
• Single Artwork by: Paul Allender
• Tom Tierney Music and Publishing is registered with ASCAP
 
Band Line Up:
David Ainsworth – Vocals
Graham Southern – Keyboards, Orchestration, and Backing Vocals
Raymond Sanchez – Guitars
Austin Mitrofanis – Guitars
Nick Laux – Bass
Tom Tierney – Drums

– The Egregious Sins Of Humanity (Orchestral Version) 6:00

Single Recording Credits:
• Songs performed and written by: Graham Southern
• Produced by: Graham Southern
• Mixed by: Alex Nasla
• Mastered by: Alex Nasla
• Single Artwork by: Paul Allender

Discography:
2023 – The Egregious Sins Of Humanity – Single
2022 – Hymns Of Blinding Darkness – LP
2019 – Expedition – EP

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

About The Track: The song opens up on a flurry of strings and a descending scale from an orchestra that makes a brief appearance before blast beats and double bass erupt across the listener’s ears. Choirs sing in a chant across the chaos before it all dies down as quickly as it came. Austin’s guitars pave the way for the verse to come in. David starts in with the lyrics, “I hear a voice; a whisper from the pits of darkness”, almost relaying a message sent from beyond.  The drums slam the listener through the song as the orchestration becomes more and more apparent.

A deeper voice, almost as if it’s the whisper mention before suddenly comes out “I am nothing, I am all” called back by “I am shadows on your wall” almost telling the listener I am everything and I am nothing. The song dives back into the verse and we hear the full impact of the strings lifting the brutal guitars and drums into a new place.

The song takes a twist as something out of a Danny Elfman or Tim Burton film swings around. Sounding almost like a creepy xylophone and chimes, it’s almost as if you’re walking around blindly waiting for a big reveal in the song, and reveal it does.

The chorus comes swinging in with double bass, heavy chords, and low strings that match the lyrics, “Lost to the blackness I find myself in great demise; all hope is lost, no chance to be at one with life”. The subject of the lyrics has given up and we hear his solemn vow, “This endless void will soon find me, a lifeless corpse, who found salvation on a rope”.

Everything cuts out except a guitar, and it builds. We hear the subject utter his last words: “ And so it ends; this artificial claim of a blessed life. Sewn with seeds of failure and desperation, I take my leave with this note of abandonment”. And we hear a huge 808 drop.

Austin and Graham come in with a harmonized lead on keyboards and guitar, sweeping arpeggios across their instruments. Ray takes his solo next, a slightly different vibe to the song, but echoing eerily through his part with squeals and taps across the fretboard.

The band dives into the massive chorus a final time before the clean and calm guitars float out of the song with the sound of the wind at the bands back…

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

Fun Facts – Story Angles:

The drums on this song are Tom’s fastest drums to date – previously he had topped out at 215 BPM and this song would end up coming in at 225. Tom had to completely change his style of playing and relearn his double bass technique to make the speeds in this song happen consistently. Needless to say, it ended up being a permanent way of playing after he figured it out.

Everything was recorded by Alex Nasla in his house or with Dave Valez for drums. We were able to do everything in extremely controlled environments that eliminated the need for a full production studio. It was a fun experience and definitely got experimental at some points.

Austin’s first writing with Our Dying World turned out to be his guitars for Egregious Sins. Needless to say, the guitars have gotten much faster and darker since Hymns Of Blinding Darkness; a change that everyone was incredibly enthusiastic about. He’s already written another single that’s coming soon…

The high-pitched bell noise in the creepy section of Sins is actually a typewriter sample. Graham has been known to sneak cool effects into sections to make them a bit more subtly dramatic.

L to R – Nick Laux – Bass, Graham Southern – Keyboards and Orchestration, Austin Mitrofanis – Guitar, Tom Tierney – Drums, David Ainsworth – Vocals, Ray Sanchez – Guitar
Credit – Jamie Kaufman Photography

Over the last few years, Los Angeles’s Our Dying World has gone through a tremendous evolution of sound from the thrashy death metal of their debut EP Expedition to the symphonic and melodic keyboard-oriented stylings of bands like Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, and Dimmu Borgir.

Formed in 2018 by drummer/guitarist Tom Tierney (ex-Whiplash), the group has played shows all over the USA in their short time together, bringing their sound from the fabled Sunset Strip in Hollywood to the New Jersey Metalfest where they opened for Metal Mike of Halford.

One thing is clear from the young band as they prepare for the release of their new 2023 single “The Egregious Sins Of Humanity” to follow their highly praised sophomore album “Hymns Of Blinding Darkness ” they’ve come to stir the standards that hold the metal scene and redefine them.

Shared Stage with: Abysmal Dawn, Abigail Williams, Swallow The Sun, Thrown Into Exile, Metal Mike of Halford

0 EPK – Gamerra – Tedium (2023)

  • May 26, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Gamerra

EPK – Gamerra – Tedium (2023)

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

Release Date – May 26, 2023

Label – Self Release

For fans of Exodus, Death, Revocation, Warbringer, Havok

​Facebook.com/GAMERRAThrash | ​Instagram.com/gamerra_thrash_metal

Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon

Digital- https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/gamerra/tedium​

CD – https://gamerra.bigcartel.com

“Born from friendship and a love of commenting on the world around them, thrash metal band Gamerra is making a name for itself around Acadiana”… “Detached from Reality- available on iTunes- relies on observation of sociopolitical happenings and even touches on past events such as the Vietnam War.” – Miranda Davis from 008 Magazine (In February/March issue on page 81).
​
“Where does one start when talking about the mighty Gamerra? These Lafayette, Louisiana thrash metal inspired gents are young and they are dead set on blowing-I mean killing the Lafayette Metal Scene. Jacob Broussard, Reece Benoit, and [Jake] Meche are three highly talented musicians who have created a sound all their own.” – Moe Solet of Tales From the Riff

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Track Listing:
1. Tedium (4:15)
2. Cryogenesis (6:34)
3. Vicariously Experienced (6:18)
4. Suspended Animation (3:23)
5. Obsessively Aware (10:29)
6. Nefarious Entities (6:58)
Album Length: (37:57)

Album Credits:
-All songs performed by Gamerra.
-All Rhythm Guitar recording by Broussard
-Drum Programming and bass tracking by Broussard
-1st guitar solo on the song Tedium, 2nd guitar solo on the song Cryogenesis, and 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, & 10th guitar solos on the song Nefarious Entities tracked by Benoit
-All other guitar solos by Broussard
-All main vocal parts tracked by Meche, with occasional lead vocal parts by Broussard.
-Backing vocals by Benoit, Broussard, & Meche.
-All songs written by Gamerra
-Lyrics mostly written by Broussard. Most lyrics on Vicariously Experienced by Meche with one line by Broussard
-All music written by Broussard except for the bulk of Nefarious Entities and solos performed by Benoit

Band Lineup:
Jake Meche- Lead Vocals
Jacob Broussard- Lead Guitar/Vocals,
Reece Benoit- Rhythm Guitar

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

The EP as a whole:

Tedium: The result of a very quick burst of inspiration. Dark moments in our own lives brought out the music and lyrics present in this EP.

Track By Track:
-Tedium: The Title track of the EP. A fast, short, easily consumable Thrash song with interesting twists. The lyrics reflect my mindset at the time that I wrote it. I hated my job, I felt lost, and I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere. The song is about the repetitive and grinding nature of everyday life. Life in itself felt tedious, hence the name “Tedium.”

-Cryogenesis: Home to some of the most dissonant and cold riffs I have ever written. Super fast and intense at most parts, but long and spacy at some parts. Varied sounds across the whole track. My favorite lyrics on the EP are on this song. The song is based on the concept that on this planet, there is ice that has remained frozen for eons. Some of it has remained frozen for a couple million years. Within that ice are microbes that haven’t been released since they were frozen. So basically, there are bacteria and various pathogens that no current living creature on this planet has immunity to. So, if these ices were to melt completely like the current melting rate would suggest, these pathogens would undoubtedly get out and do untold damage to Earth’s current ecology. So this song is kind of science fiction in that it slightly exaggerates the effects, but it is completely rooted in reality.

Scientists would go into the melt sights and accidentally release these pathogens into the world’s population, at least according to the song.

-Vicariously Experienced: Probably, objectively the best song on the EP. It came out better than we expected. A good mix of chunky groove, and the melodic, progressive elements we’ve folded into our sound over the years. I even added a little bit of Goatwhore influence a little before the solo. The song is about watching people you care about make bad decisions and ruin their lives in the process, then using those observations to craft yourself into a better individual as you grow up. This is a concept the three of us in the band are very familiar with.

-Suspended Animation: The only instrumental track on the EP. Very inspired by the melodic side of Revocation. Short and Sweet.

-Obsessively Aware: The long, epic song of this release. I wanted to really bring out my prog side with this one. Much of the beginning of the song is very much an ode to old-school Meshuggah. Think Contradictions Collapse, None, and Destroy Erase Improve. The majority of the rest of it is a serious nod to our love of Revocation and Death. A lot of dissonant, weird timing bits for all the Progressive Death Metal nerds to sink their teeth into. At 10 and a half minutes, this song is a wild ride. Lyrically the song is about my mind when I’m put into stressful situations like meeting band deadlines or being the only manager on duty on a Sunday with a crap load of people in the store and things are going wrong left and right. I’m a pretty high-strung person, so it kinda feels like I’m losing my mind when situations like that arise, despite my external demeanor seeming to not show it.

-Nefarious Entities: The only collaborative musical effort on the EP. Reece wrote the majority of this one and I brought in a handful of riffs to round out the structure. A lot of crazy stuff on this one. A true culmination of our influences. There are Exodus sounding parts, Revocation sounding parts, Death sounding parts. There’s even a Suffocation part Reece threw in at the end. Lyrically, most people would mistakenly label it as political. While there are political jabs thrown in, the song has more to do with the structure of rule in the world. What most people don’t understand is that most of what we’re told is a lie and the people we’ve been led to believe control the country are actually just puppets. Most people say it’s the politicians holding us down. A fewer, more accurate group say it’s the corporations. In reality, these sentiments are both simultaneously true and untrue. The people who really control the world as we know it use these two entities as attack pieces on a chess board. It’s the world’s royal families, the Vatican, and the dynasties left over from the monopoly holders back in the early 1900s that really pull the strings and put us in this position. They hold the corporations in their hands, the corporations hold the governments of the world in their hands, the governments hold the militaries and police, so on and so forth. Most bands would use this as a rallying cry for a government overthrow. Not us. We take a more realistic view. This will likely never change, so we might as well stop watching the news and keep to ourselves, writing music about it instead. That’s what the final track on Tedium is really about.

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

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1.  I had to play drums for a couple shows because our drummer quit after we booked the shows, and we don’t like to cancel. This included when we opened for Insomnium.

2.  Jake’s first show ever was when we opened for Goatwhore.

3.  Jake’s second show ever was when we opened for Warbringer.

4.  My dad once did a backflip in the mosh pit of one of our shows from the impact.

5.  Reece jumped off the stage on the last show of our Southeast Louisiana Mini Tour and messed his knee up pretty badly and he finished the set laying down on the stage. I was concerned, but he said keep going.

L-R – Reece Benoit (Rhythm Guitar), Jacob Broussard (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Jake Meche (Lead Vocals)
Photo Credit: Tyson Pate of CobraTai Photography

A good-time thrash band seeking the ultimate jam. Mixing in spicy doses of death metal and progressive metal, producing a sound akin to a fusion of Exodus and Death with the intense vocal patterns and delivery of Warbringer, the aggressive and experimental leanings of Revocation, the ferocious rhythm guitar tone of early Meshuggah, and the attitude and fun-loving vibes of Havok, all played in the spirit of old school Sepultura. Through many lineup changes, Gamerra survives in the new decade. Despite consistently not having a drummer, and still lacking a bassist, Jacob Broussard, Jake Meche, and Reece Benoit persist on and will continue to write, record, and release music in the hopes of catching the ears of musicians that might be interested in playing for them.

Band Lineup:
Jake Meche- Lead Vocals
Jacob Broussard- Lead Guitar/Vocals,
Reece Benoit- Rhythm Guitar

Discography:
May 26th, 2023- Tedium-EP
December 23rd, 2022- The Cover Up- Cover EP
October 28th, 2022- Couillon Death Squad- EP
May 20th, 2022- REDO- EP
June 20th, 2021- Demo 2021- Demo
December 13th, 2019- Detached from Reality- LP
September 18th, 2017- Gnarlymetalextreme- Demo
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