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Category: EPKs

0 EPK – AxMinister – vir fortis (EP) (2023)

  • April 13, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · axminister · EPKs

EPK – AxMinister – vir fortis (EP) (2023)

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

For fans of Megadeth, Manowar, Rush, Iron Maiden, Slayer

“A journey through history, we examine the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and the story (along with the myth) of Vlad the Impaler. The songs are historically accurate, and the lyrics for the 17 minute Napoleon song, are academic; this EP is a history lesson.” – AxMinister 

Axminister.ca | Facebook.com/AxMinister | Twitter.com/axministertrio | Instagram.com/axminister_band | Youtube.com/@AxMinisterTV

Axminister.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify

“From the drop of the first note, AxMinister pull their ax from stone, brandishing it mightily and powerfully as they dish out shredding sharpened riff after sharpened riff. Thrown in to the mix are face melting solos as well as ever present charging drumming as well as very solid very infectious vocals. Each of the five tracks present within this release are woven together well to provide you with a cohesive and well rounded sound that you will have a hard time getting out of your head. With The Crucible Of Sin, AxMinister gift you with five highly addictive and highly entertaining tracks that you keep coming back to.” – Cadaver Garden

“this EP (The Crucible of Sin) is just some good ol’ fashioned beer and pretzels Heavy Metal in the vein of bands like Manowar” – Metalcrypt

“The Crucible of Sin is a great thrash/traditional metal album, showing strong influences from Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica to full effect.” – Hellbound

“an exciting piece of Thrash Metal. It has a unique touch to it that allows the EP to be memorable, whilst the guitars make it very enjoyable.” – Noizze UK

“The stair-step cultural guitar to snare combinations for “The Trials of Hercules” brings out the Manowar fan in us all – while the speedy double kick locomotive aspects to closer “Sanctus Equitus Mortis” surely keep the ears pinned for a closer…It’s clear that you have a solid set of musicians and keen songwriting abilities – so if you want something a bit more dramatic and adventurous in your thrash airings, AxMinister could be that difference maker for you.” – Dead Rhetoric

“”The Crucible of Sin” is a lyrically-strong (hard & heavy) power metal recording with strong lead vocals, great guitar solos, a slick rhythm section, and inspired songs that will make you want to wave the banner of true heavy metal for all to see!! This is honest to goodness heavy metal that has been made possible thanks to hard work & dedication of true heavy metal maniacs.” – Heavy Metal Time Machine

“AxMinister are having fun with these five high octane songs, and if you enjoy NWOBHM then so will you.” – Firebrand’s Rock And Metal Express

“You can tell that AxMinister is a band that is all about fun, especially since one of their songs is titled “Arnold Schwarzenegger” – Metal Master Kingdom

“I don’t know how I’ve never come across these guys before; they played some great traditional Heavy Metal about history and had a killer stage show to boot, with frontman Nicholas Klaus looking like an executioner and their drummer constantly changing hats/helmets/masks throughout the set.” – Five Magics Music

“[AxMinister’s] gritty pounding thrash originals should also make lots of fans on the Fourth of July, so keep them in mind!” – Sault Metal Scene

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

EP Title: vir fortis
Release Date: May 11th, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Digital – CD Baby

Track Listing:
1. The Age of Napoleon… The Rise – 17:06
2. Vlad The Impaler… Son Of The Dragon – 7:02
3. Vlad The Impaler… Forests of Impalement – 4:45
EP Length: 28:53

EP Credits:
All songs written and performed by AxMinister
Produced/Mixed/Mastered at Monolithic Productions by Tyler Williams
Member of SOCAN – yes
MAPL – Canadian Content
All album artwork by Bas Majzoub

EP and Live Band lineup:
Nicholas Klaus – Vocals/Bass
Steve MacLeod – Guitar
Bas Von Bismark – Drums

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

EP as a whole:
A journey through history, we examine the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the story (along with the myth) of Vlad the Impaler.

Track By Track:

The Age of Napoleon…The Rise, is act one of a 3 part saga, inspired by the rise and fall of the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. It is just over 17 minutes long, starts at his birth in Corsica, and ends with the French revolution, and young Napoleon as Captain.

The following two songs are about Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula); two historic looks, through a supernatural lens.

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

Func Facts – Story Angles:

1. The artwork for the album are oil paintings by our drummer Bas. Bas is sort of obsessed with Napoleon Bonaparte, and there at least 2 more songs about the French Emperor to be released in the coming years. The Napoleon song has been in the works for over 5 years.

2. Nicholas Klaus had to learn the accordion for ‘The Age of Napoleon…the Rise’; fortunately, being of Eastern European heritage, it came naturally to him! The melody that appears at the end of the Napoleon song, on the accordion, as well as the guitar outro, are one of the melodies for part 2 of AxMinister’s Napoleon saga, to be released in the coming years.

3. The two Vlad songs were always meant as two parts, and the band still refers to them as Vlad 1&2. The original Vlad 1 got scrapped, with only the main melody carrying over to Vlad the Impaler…Son of the Dragon.    

L – R – Bas – Drums, Nick – Vocals/Bass, Steve – Guitar
Photo Credit – Maribeth Chabot – Shootingstarr Rock & Roll Photography

Hailing from the frozen tundra of Ontario, AxMinister are the heroes of metal the world needs!

Initially formed back in the forgotten mists of metallic history (1999); the power-trio AxMinister looked upon how po-faced metal had become; and yay, and verily, did they pull their mighty Ax from its anvil where it had rested, Excalibur-like, until it was needed; and set out to put the metal world to rights…that is as it should be! They are here to minister the metal, and they have their mighty Ax; their symbol of salvation to guide them.

In magic and metal myth, names have power, and none more so than AxMinister, as splendidly-named drummer Bas Von Bismark explains. “We play warriors of metal on a holy quest. Our preferred weapon is the Ax. It’s also a street name where we partook in libations as teenagers.”

Inspired by Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, and Manowar, Bas describes AxMinister’s sound as “sped up Type O Negative.”

Bas is stoked for fans to hear AxMinister’s new music, their fifth studio release, the 2023 EP “vir fortis” follows 2018’s “The Crucible of Sin”.

“This new EP is a journey through history, we examine the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and the story (along with the myth) of Vlad the Impaler. The songs are historically accurate, and the lyrics for the 17-minute Napoleon song, are academic; this EP is a history lesson.” 

Live, AxMinister really wields their weapons of choice to great effect. “We put on a show, as we play medieval characters on stage. Sometimes we make a human sacrifice as our guitarist solos, other times we chant and pour blood on ourselves. We try to be theatrical and our stage show is constantly evolving.”

“vir fortis” is due out May 11, 2023 and available for pre-order on Bandcamp here.

Discography:
2023 – Vis Fortis (EP)
2018 – The Crucible of Sin (EP)
2017 – Visceral Speed  (Single)
2015 – AXistential Christmas (single)
2015 – Unborn Warriors: The Cries of Tomorrow (single)
2015 – Betray Everything (LP)
2013 – Ora Pro Nobis (EP)
2010 – Stripped of False Pride (EP)
Shared Stage with:
King Parrot, The Agonist, Varga, Psychostick, Cauldron, Crimson Shadows, Vesperia, Wrechedpain, Profaner, Lutharo, Protokult, PHEAR, Decatur
Tours and Festivals:
2016 – Dime Fest – Windsor, ON
2014 – Niagara Metal Fest – Niagara Falls, ON
2016 – Hope For Paws fest – Toronto, ON

0 EPK – Ethereal Void – Gods of a Dead World (2023) (Abstrakted Records)

  • April 12, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Ethereal Void

EPK – Ethereal Void – Gods of a Dead World (2023 (Abstrakted Records)

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

“This album is definitely our most consistent offering to date. We refined the sound both in writing and production while maintaining a unique angle for every song. The biggest stand-out is the introduction of orchestral elements to the sound. It feels like a long time coming, at least from my perspective. 

The album is much more refined musically as well. While we generally keep to the traditional EV themes, There is a constant-running sub-theme of the futility and violence of warfare.” – Ethereal Void

For fans of Gojira, Septicflesh, The Design Abstract

Band: Ethereal Void
Album Title: Gods of a Dead World
Release Date: May 26, 2023
Label: Abstrakted Records

Facebook.com/EtherealVoid | Design.bandcamp.com | Spotify

““The Voiceless” is a rushing charge. It gets the listener’s pulse pumping because the song itself has such a mad pulse. Many of them actually, from the fast jolts in the fuzzed-out riffage to the die-stamp hammering of the snare and the jackhammer impact of the bass. And it does sound like a mad pulse, thanks to the swarms of frantic tremelo’ed fretwork, the relentless double-bass strafing, and the ugly ravenous growls. While the head-hooking energy of those assaulting ingredients never really lets go, the music does also move sideways. Eerie spectral tones ring out, creating an overlay of melancholy. The music even seems to elevate in wailing splendor, as a prelude to a sorcerous guitar solo that sounds both inviting and yearning, both enticing in its glimmering tones and downcast in its mood. Even the unhinged screams of the vocalist almost sound like singing (almost).” – No Clean Singing

“A compact and concise release, Gods of a Dead World comes in at around 26-minutes long and features a number of sharp and savage pieces of music. Kicking off with a frantic showcase of guitar screams and squeals, with the chunky familiarity of death metal heaviness, Overture to Annihilation gets in, smashes stuff up, and gets out.” – Games Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“Gods of a Dead World has everything you could want out of a straight up death metal offering. The riffs are tight, but the guitar sound is absolutely filthy, which only delights me more. There are plenty of melody and solos to be had as well. The bass and the drums have a natural and hammering sound that will keep you strapped in for the entirety of the album. There are some more orchestral elements added in that only contribute to overall vibe of the album. And the vocals are extremely reminiscent of some of the masters of death metal. So. Much. Gravel.” – Metal Purgatory

“The music pounds through your skull, marching forward with groove in every song. Each song has some kind of hook that draws you in. It’s never the same, though, and never the coming from just one aspect of the song. Ethereal Void really knows how to craft a song to grab your attention and keep it. Overall, Gods of a Dead World is a cohesive album with plenty to offer fans of almost any genre touching death metal. If you are looking a new album to please the old gods, give this one a spin for sure.” – Metal Purgatory

“or a Death Metal cut “Overture to Annihilation” is a real eye opener, blood soaked in cinematic orchestration and virtuoso lead guitars, the barked vocals having that story telling quality to them. That flows nicely into “The Voiceless“, which introduces the lyrical themes and creatures with Voiicide playing both victim and killer as vocals come from alternate angles with a vocal tweak. It works incredibly well, the riffs flowing freely with chugging aggression, the leads bright and vibrant against the darkness. The way the cuts have been put together has been well thought through, the segway into “Seeds of Hatred” barely noticeable as the flow continues like an orchestral piece but there is also enough of shift to identify the track as being separate.” – Metal Noise

“…the group’s sound is as mysterious as the black hole vortex that occupies the minds of modern physicists. They pride themselves on their rhythmic prowess and their abstract melodies, yet their music remains impenetrable and enchanting at the same time. Gods of a Dead World is what Blut Aus Nord would sound like if they composed a death metal record.” – Scream Blast Repeat

“Death metal with a little progressive brutality” – The Moshpit – WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)

“How this band manages to use guitars far beyond catchy groove riffs to create complex atmospheres it’s as impressive as it is entertaining. A quite creative Death Metal proposal.” – Rock Attack

“A production to seek out of a hard, intense and tight and occasionally also heavy variety of extreme metal tends to fascinate you, and in particular when explored in arrangements that also adds a distinct and eerie otherworldly feel to the landscapes explored.” – The Viking in the Wilderness

Band: Ethereal Void
Album Title: Gods of a Dead World
Release Date: May 26, 2023
Label: Abstrakted Records

Track Listing:
1. Overture to Annihilation (1:35)
2. The Voiceless (2:59)
3. Seeds of Hatred (3:44)
4. The Art of Ruination (2:48)
5. Psychosomatic Suicide (2:59)
6. Decay (Interlude) (0:46)
7. Return to the Void (3:34)
8. The Brown Stone Spire (2:32)
9. Gods of a Dead World (5:49)
Album Length: 26:50

Album Credits:
All songs written and performed by Ethereal Void
Produced, Mixed, and Mastered by Voiicide at Abstrakted Records
Voiicide – Vocals, Bass
Terci Ruina – Rhythm Guitar, Songwriting
Nemesis – Lead Guitar

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Gods of a Dead World is a dark and heavy exploration of war, suffering, and demise.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

1. Overture to Annhiliation – We’ve never done an abbreviated album intro for Ethereal Void, so I wanted to experiment with how it would work in the flow of the album. It works great for building tension and setting up the context of the album.

2. The Voiceless – Conceptually, this song is about a mass exodus of people from another realm, silently venturing onward to an unfathomable destination.

3. Seeds of Hatred – This song is about a geographic area that’s cursed to be forever torn by war. Era after era, it sees bloodshed and turbulence.

4. The Art of Ruination – Similarly, this track is about the futility of war, and how there’s always someone else ready to cut you down after you’ve fought your populace to death.

5. Psychosomatic Suicide – This song departs from the theme, and offers a more traditional death metal vision of a mind betraying the body and causing a suicide.

6. Decay – This is a clean instrumental interlude pushing into the real of post-tonal. it offers a break from the relentlessness of the album, and allowed us to explore a style of melodic writing rarely glimpsed.

7. Return to the Void – This is a classic EV theme; worship of entropy, and embracing the end of all things.

8. The Brown Stone Spire – This song is unabashedly about a minor gag from a show called Welcome to Night Vale.

9. Gods of a Dead World – The planet is dead, life is forsaken, and the ones responsible for the downfall of humanity are left alone in the barren wasteland that is the world.

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

Story Angle – Fun Fact:

The band was originally designed to be an outlet for dissonant, chromatic, and more brutal riffs. Things that would not fit in with our other band The Design Abstract. Ironically as the years went on, TDA became more suited to traditional death metal riffs, AND Ethereal Void added in more diverse musical elements. They are still two distinct sounds, but the original vision of the band was to allow what was not allowed in The Design Abstract.

Ethereal Void is a 3-piece death metal band from Ontario. Incorporating grooves and progressive elements, the band creates dark, rhythmic sounds of worship to the void. 

Discography:
Gods of a Dead World – 2023
Acolytes of Entropy – 2021
Disciples of the Void – 2020

0 EPK – Pyrexia – System of The Animal 25 (2023) (Gravitas Entertainment)

  • April 7, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Pyrexia

EPK – Pyrexia – System of The Animal 25 (2023) (Gravitas Entertainment)

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

“This album was ahead of its time in 1997. I don’t think a lot of people were ready for such a mix of Brutal Death Metal VS. Beatdown Hardcore. When people hear this material with the production we put together with Demigod Studio, combined with the fact that the music was written in the mid-90s. I think it puts Pyrexia in a whole new light for a lot of people. I think the songwriting is really going to stand out for listeners bored with bands that put out the same album over and over.” says Pyrexia Guitarist Chris Basile.

Album Title: System of The Animal 25
Release Date: June 6, 2023
Label: Gravitas Entertainment

For fans of Dying Fetus, Hatebreed, Aborted, Suffocation, Morbid Angel

Pyrexia.world | Facebook.com/PYREXIADEATHMETAL | Youtube | Instagram.com/pyrexiaofficial

Album pre-order – Pyrexiaofficialmerchandise.bigcartel.com | Pyrexia.bandcamp.com

“Close out the week in this post-apocalyptic hellscape with a fittingly on-point lyric video from U.S. death metal legends Pyrexia for the track “Unscathed.”” – Decibel Magazine

“Pyrexia sound brutal like never before with the reimagined release of System Of The Animal 25. This album will reignite your love for Brutal Death Metal.” – Metal Talk

“Brutal death metal with a little bit of a hard/deathcore sound. Cool stuff” – The Mosh Pit – WORT 89.9 FM – Madison, WI

“this re-recording is absolutely monstrous” – The Razor’s Edge

“the album is very punishing and pummels from all directions. This is certainly a nice modernization of an older work. It brings the sound into a pulverizing new mix. The newfound sound is powerful, but the album was already very solid to begin with and simply gets a nice revamp. This is a solid look at some of the foundations of death metal. The album has all the right grooves to impress, even in the present day.” – Heavy Music Headquarters

“If you’ve never heard the original SYSTEM OF THE ANIMAL, you’re fine and in good company (see previous statements), SOTA 25 is the definitive version and will knock you on your arse in ways the original never quite could. Thanks to beefier production values, there’s a density to tunes like “Downsized” and “Purging the Nemesis” that are painfully absent from the original. And then there’s vocalist Jim Beach; the man’s voice sounds like Cookie Monster made love to a garbage disposal, it’s otherworldly. No disrespect to journeyman vocalist Keith DeVito’s original performance, but his delivery has always been snarly and much less guttural. In the right context he’s great (see Internal Bleeding’s IMPERIUM), but hearing Beach snarling his filth across “Unpurged” makes it a night and day listening experience.” – Metal-Rules

 

[Download Album Artwork | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: System of The Animal 25
Release Date: June 6, 2023
Label: Gravitas Entertainment
Digital: All platforms

Track Listing:
1. Confrontation
2. Downsized
3. System of the Animal
4. Closure
5. Purging the Nemesis
6. Day One
7. Unscathed
8. G.F.Y.S. (Go Fuck Your Self)

Song performed by: Pyrexia
Written by: Chris Basile
Produced by: Chris Basile
Mixed/Mastered: Miguel Tereso
ASCAP member
Album Cover Artwork by Francoise Duvvier
Lyric Video Artwork by: Aarmada Art

Band Lineup:
Chris Basile – Guitar
Shaun Kennedy – Bass
Jim Beach – Vocals
John Glassbrenner – Drums

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts:
1. Guitarist Chris Basile originally wrote this track in 1989 for the first band he was in Mortuary. The first people to play and perform this song were Terrence Hobbs, Mike Smith, and Doug Cerrito of the original Suffocation lineup while they were all in Mortuary together. It would later appear on the first recording of the album System of the Animal in 1997.

2. Lyric Video artwork was done by the same artist who did the “Gravitas Maximus”  album cover Aarmada Art.

3. In 2018 Pyrexia pulled off the impossible. The band had a European tour and a US tour scheduled so close together that the tours overlapped for 5 shows. Rather than cancel any shows from either tour. Pyrexia Split itself in 2. Using past members and sessions musicians, Pyrexia played on 2 separate Continents simultaneously for 5 straight nights.

4. The “System of the Animal 25” layout for the CD and Vinyl was done by none other than Danny Nelson, singer of the New York band Malignancy.

5. 25-year anniversary of the original release.

Photo Credit – Jim Wertman

Band formation: 1990 – present
Location: Long Island, New York
1987-1989: Chris Basile joins the band Mortuary along with Terrence Hobbs, Doug Cerrito, and Mike Smith, all of Suffocation. Together over 30 songs were written by the band and many of the songs and riffs written during this time appear on both Pyrexia and Suffocation’s early releases leading to many comparisons.
1990: Basile meets up with the four other original members Guy Marchais, Rob Shimonski, Daryl Wagner and Mike Andrejko, and Pyrexia is formed. They go on to release their 1991 demo Liturgy of Impurity and later the classic 1993 Full-length Sermon of Mockery, cementing their place in the anoles of Death Metal history……
Pyrexia continued to release one seminal release after another including their 1997 “System of the Animal”, and even teaming up with Trevor Peres of Obituary in 1999 to form the band “Catastrophic” which went on to release their debut album on Metal Blade records.
In 2007 the band signed with Unique Leader Records and began an extensive campaign of touring and performing both in America and overseas in support of the next three albums released under the UL moniker that continues today.
With the addition of Gravitas Entertainment and Management as full-time management for the band, the schedule and team in place for 2023 have the band set for new heights…..
Band Lineup:
Chris Basile – Guitar
Shaun Kennedy – Bass
Jim Beach – Vocals
John Glassbrenner – Drums
Discography
2023 – System of The Animal 25 (Gravitas Entertainment)
2021 – Gravitas Maximus – LP (Unique Leader Records)
2018 – Unholy Requiem – LP  (Unique Leader Records)
2015 – Sermon of Mockery Reissue – LP (Century Media)
2013 – Feast of Iniquity – LP  (Unique Leader Records)
2007 – Age of the Wicked – LP  (Unique Leader Records)
2004 – Cruelty Beyond Submission – Compilation (Rex Records)
1999 – Catastrophic-The Cleansing (featuring members of Obituary)
1997 – System of the Animal – LP (Serious Entertainment)
1995 – Hatred Anger And Disgust – EP (Self-Release)
1993 – Sermon of Mockery – LP (Drowned Productions)
1991 – Liturgy of Impurity – EP (Self-Release)

0 EPK – Signs of Chaos – Blindsided (2023)

  • April 7, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Signs of Chaos

EPK – Signs of Chaos – Blindsided (2023)

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

For fans of Machine Head, The Haunted, Pantera, Gojira, Nevermore

Album Title: Blindsided
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Label: Self-Release

SignsofChaos.ca | Facebook.com/signsofchaosmetal | Instagram.com/signsofchaosmetal | Twitter.com/socmetalwitter | Youtube

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

“Signs of Chaos are an amazingly talented and hard working band that have been staples in Ottawa’s metal scene for many years. This album is an excellent demonstration of what this band does best: KICK FUCKING ASS !” – The Ottawa Epitaph – Album Reviews

“I often wonder just how it is that a band that is this good remains unsigned? … ‘Rise’ is like getting a blast of fire as you go about sticking your head into a furnace! … like ‘Holy cat in the hat Batman!’ if this metal doesn’t come off as the the very definition of the word ‘heavy’ then I don’t know what would!” – Heavy Metal Time Machine: Signs of Chaos

“They’re one of those unique bands that you could show your kvlt friend, and girlfriend to all at the same time without the fear of either being cast out as a poser, or not getting laid.” – Shy Guy Assassin – Guest Column: Three Bands You May Not Know But Should

Album Title: Blindsided
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Faceless – 4:20
2. Bastard Son – 4:09
3. Through Your Eyes – 5:53
4. Blindsided – 4:16
5. Anonymous – 5:02
6. Dead to You – 3:54
7. No One Gets Out Alive – 5:06
8. Curveball – 4:52
Total runtime: 37:32

Album Credits:
All songs performed by Signs of Chaos
All songs written by Signs of Chaos
Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Stephane Desilets
Album Artwork by: Jeremy Dumouchel
Album Band Lineup:
Nick Bedard – Vocals
Matt MacIvor – Guitar
Dave McCann – Guitar
“Handsome” Tom Hansen – Bass
Stephane Desilets – Drums

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

Track by Track:

Lyrically:

Faceless
Being in a toxic relationship where you can’t get out, having zero emotions to the point you become faceless

Bastard son
Growing up alone, struggling with drugs to cope with not having a father, and trying your best not to become him

The world through your eyes
No one seems to have an original opinion,  everything is recycled from the last person and made to sound like their own

Blindsided
Being rejected and shunned because the people you once cared about no longer share the views they once did

Anonymous
Inspired by silence of the lambs buffalo bill

Dead to you
One day people just stopped talking to me and I felt dead to them. We were very close and they knew I struggled with substance abuse and they also did, or supplied it. They turned their back on me and for a few years it was like I didn’t exist

No one gets out alive
Where someone is bullied to the point where he takes the lives of others and people only care or pay attention after the fact. How quickly it’s forgotten until it repeats again

Curveball
Instrumental

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

Album Fun Fact:
Every time our bassist Tom’s name is mentioned on the liner notes for an album he has a different nickname. On Blindsided he has three credits, so three different nicknames. When we run out of nicknames for Tom then we’ll have to disband. We’ve still got enough in the backlog for a couple more albums though.

L-R Dave McCann – Guitar, “Handsome” Tom Hansen – Bass, Nick Bedard – Vocals, Matt MacIvor – Guitar, Stephane Desilets – Drums
Photo Credit: GNGP Photography

Formed in 2008, Ottawa, ON based SIGNS OF CHAOS’ assaulting and aggressive sound has made ripples on their local scene having opened for such bands as Alestorm, Eluveitie, Insomnium, Firewind, Dark Tranquility, Beyond Creation, Exciter, Death Angel to name a few. The band features the insane riffage of Matt MacIvor and Dave McCann along with the ear-stabbing vocals of Nick Bedard followed by the blasting drums of Stephane Desilets and the trademark tombstone slab of bass playing by Tom Hansen. The band’s ready to unleash their second full-length “Blindsided” this coming April 2023 to follow their 2016 EP ‘Watch It Burn’ and 2012’s debut album ‘Rise’. 

Discography:
2023 – Blindsided – LP
2016 – Watch It Burn – EP
2012 – Rise – Album
2009 – Untitled Promo CD – Demo

Shared stage with: Hatebreed, Act of Defiance, Alestorm, Eluveitie, Insomnium, Firewind, Arsis, Nightrage, Dark Tranquility, Malignant Tumour, Beyond Creation, Exciter, Death Angel, Jungle Rot, Reanimator, Dissentient

0 EPK – Juliet Ruin – Give Me The Crown (2023) (single)

  • March 31, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Juliet Ruin

EPK – Juliet Ruin – Give Me The Crown (2023) (single)

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

“Give Me The Crown is a seething, yet amusing track about enduring revilement while maintaining a great sense of humor. An upbeat, sanguine song that implores the listener to be apathetic to judgment from people they’d never take advice from.” – Juliet Ruin

For fans of Jinjer, Infected Rain, The Agonist, Butcher Babies, Once Human, Killswitch Engage

Single Title: Give Me The Crown
Release Date: March 31, 2023
Distribution: Distrokid

JulietRuin.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

Spotify | Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/julietruin1/give-me-the-crown

“If you are a fan of the likes of JINJER, INFECTED RAIN, THE AGONIST and BUTCHER BABIES then the “Dark Water” E.P is one for you to check out. The E.P opens with the title track “Dark Water” as a ferocious riff creeps in as the rhythm section sounds away. From then the band are now in full swing as the very haunting sounding vocals coming in. The song leads to a sing along chorus with a cool lead line afterwards. When the breakdown hits the vocals add a sort of dreamy feel to it until the guitar solo sections kick in. Great way to start things off.” 8/10 – Metal Temple

““Dark Water” by JULIET RUIN is a great listen and one I really enjoyed. From listening the vocals have a lot of range as Jess goes from hauntingly clean to aggressive death growls. The band has a very modern sound that is filled with great riffing and killer grooves. The songs here are great and you can hear their influences at times too. This is a band that, from listening to this, sounds like they need to be experienced in a live setting and I would love to hear more from them in the future.” – Metal Temple

“As mentioned, Juliet Ruin is not a stranger to attention and praise and can expect a lot more with Dark Water. It is their most striking offering yet and with the new evolution in the band’s already potent sound, surely the first step to greater things.” – The RingMaster Review

“Bang your heads to the new EP by this amazing Canadian Modern Metal crew, reflecting a turn to darker sounds and grittier vocals while still preserving the spirit of what makes the band who they are.” – The Headbanging Moose

“Bloody love it! One of the best EPs I’ve heard this year so far. ” – Ever Metal


[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]

Single – Give Me The Crown – 3:29

Single Credits:
• Performed and written by: Juliet Ruin
• Produced by : Diego Fernandez and Juliet Ruin
• Mixed/Mastered : Diego Fernandez at Oracle Recording Studios
• Artwork by : Brandy Black
• SOCAN Member
• Canadian Content: MAPL


L-R – Kent Geislinger – Guitar and Vocals, Jess Ruin – Lead Vocals, Wesley Rands – Guitar, Jesse Bauman – Drums, Cody Reid – Bass and Backing Vocals

Photo Credit – Brandy Black

Juliet Ruin was formed in 2015 from the ashes of a previous project Fiction of Fate with the desire to fuse metal sound with clean technical vocal stylings in a way that is both beautiful and beastly. 

Clean and spirited, Juliet Ruin is comprised of Jess Ruin (lead vocals), Kent Geislinger – (guitar/backing vocals), Wesley Rands (guitar), Cody Reid (bass/backing vocals) and Jesse Bauman (drums); creating an original sound chock full of catchy hooks that convey a fresh and emotive feel to their heavy music.

Juliet Ruin took the obligatory first step with their debut self-titled EP in 2017 and quickly made their way through the local scene, captivating audiences with high-energy interactions that evoke emotion, vulnerability and power over various local gigs and appearing at several festivals over their flourishing career.

The next exciting step for Juliet Ruin was the release of their first full-length album ‘Old Stardust, Love and Chaos’ in 2019 which showcased more technical and heavy instrumentation, including some dabbling in low-tuned 7-string guitars. The lead vocals also on that release increased in volume of screams and clean techniques with complimented pop-esque power vocals.

In 2020, the age of Covid, things were tough, no touring, no fans to perform in front of, but not seeing it as a lost cause, Juliet Ruin came together to do what they do best, uniting their love for the music and writing new bangers for current fans and new ones to come. Juliet Ruin was very excited to kick off 2021 with a new EP “Dark Water”.

Now the band returns with more music for 2023, with their first single of the year “Give Me The Crown”, a seething, yet amusing track about enduring revilement, while maintaining a great sense of humour. It’s an upbeat, sanguine song that implores the listener to be apathetic to judgment from people they’d never take advice from.

Discography:
2021 – Dark Water – EP
2019 – Old Stardust, Love, and Chaos – LP
2017 – Self-Titled – EP

Shared Stage with:
Jinjer, The Browning, Sumo Cyco, Royal Tusk, The Agonist, Wednesday 13, The Veer Union, Into Eternity, Sovereign Council, Ninjaspy, Shark Infested Daughters, Tessitura, Tides of Kharon, Black Friday, Solborn, Protosequence, Process, Bastian, WMD, New Jacobin Club, Forsaken Rite, Van Halst, Anarcheon, Kosm, The Myopia Condition, Tartar Control

Tour and Festivals:
2019 – Loud As Hell – Drumheller, AB
2018 – Days of the Dead – Red Deer, AB
2018 – Screamfest – Saskatoon, SK
2018 – Loud as Hell Festival – Drumheller, AB
2018 – Metalocalypstick Fest – Lone Butte, BC
2017 – Days of the Dead – Red Deer, AB
2017 – Metalocalypstick Fest – Lone Butte, BC
2017 – CEMR Fest – Calgary, AB
2016 – Metalocalypstick Fest – Valemount, BC

Awards:
2018 – Edmonton Music Awards – Nominated for Metal Recording of The Year – Ugly Side

Quick Facts:
EP – Old Stardust, Love, and Chaos debut #11 on the iTunes metal chart.
Bassist Cody Reid endorsed by Nordstrand Audio

Drummer Jesse Bauman endorsed by Attack Drum Heads and Los Cabos drumsticks.  

Album and Live Line-Up:
Jess Fleming – Vocals
Kent Geislinger – Guitar
Wesley Rands – Guitar
Cody Reid – Bass
Jesse Bauman – Drums

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

  • March 30, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Talia

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

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

“When I wrote this song last year, it was not particularly intended to be something I would release, it was just a moment of vulnerability I had at my piano one day where this song unfolded into existence as I was going through something and had a moment of being emotionally overwhelmed and just started playing the keys and saying the words. It became a beautiful poem about letting go of something that had been really important to me but was dying in my life. I’m really grateful to all the amazing people who have helped me bring this music to life to be able to express my art both musically and visually, and to be able to share it with the world.” – Talia 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

“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

Single Info:
Title: Abandon
Release Date: March 30, 2023
Label: Iberis Entertainment, LLC (self-released)
Distribution: Distrokid

Track Listing:  Abandon (4:03) (single)

Credits:
Written by: Talia Hoit
Performed by: Talia Hoit (vocals, piano) and Mane Cabrales (all instruments, backing vocals)
Produced, mixed and mastered by Mane Cabrales
Artwork by Gogo Melone
Talia is a member of ASCAP

Discography
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 on all digital platforms in a few months)
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

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

Story Angles / Fun Facts:

1. This was a new song I had written last summer and was unplanned as far as a recording.  I was looking for mix engineers for my band Beyond Forgiveness’s album, and I was talking to Diana Shade, who is the lead singer of the band Thy Shade, which is one of my favorite bands.  I asked her who does their production because I love it so much, and she asked Mane to produce for me.  And he is currently mixing my band’s album as well.

2. The video was produced by Digital Myle, which is a well-known videography company in the Denver area.  Kyle and his crew have made hundreds of videos for bands, including several bands that I follow locally such as Purge the Heretics, Signs of Tranquility, and Sharone, among many others.  In October, I reached out to him to do a video for my previous single, Until It’s Forgotten and loved working with them so much that I returned to them for the video for this single.  The song is very metaphorical, and I have trouble sometimes with how to best convey the song visually.  I feel like Kyle’s ideas and vision for both my videos have been brilliant for capturing the mood and concept of my music in a visual way.  

3. The cover artwork is a piece created by the amazing digital artist Gogo Melone from Finland, who has done artwork for a large number of well-known bands over the years, including one of the fantastic singles from Xandria that were just released last year.  I had originally planned something different for the cover art, however, when I saw this particular piece that she had created (which wasn’t specifically for my project but was available for sale from the artist), it really resonated with me, and my song and the imagery in my video, and is really beautiful artwork, so I happily selected this piece instead of what I had previously created.

4. This is only my second “official” single release as a solo artist, although I have released several albums with my band, and had done some of my music at a local level before.  My first single is Until It’s Forgotten, which can be found on YouTube and all the sites.  However, even though I’m just starting to release music, I have been writing for many years, just didn’t pursue the professional production of it until more recently, so there is much more music in the works, and hope to be released in the future!

5. In a few months, we are also planning to re-release officially the song, Angel, which was produced for me by Jarek Musil a few years ago but was never widely distributed.  I am so happy that we will be able to make that song more publicly available.

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 2020, she worked with producer Jarek Musil to record a single, Angel, for personal purposes, which had a soft release in early 2021 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.

0 EPK – Sovereign Council – World On Fire (2023)

  • March 29, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Sovereign Council

EPK – Sovereign Council – World On Fire (2023)

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

“This is the first release for us since we decided to alter our lineup and adjust our musical trajectory. We feel that the sound we have created here is still at its core very “Sovereign  Council” but has matured and developed into something greater. We are extremely proud of this new sound and cannot wait to see how people respond to it. We have another set of songs nearly completed as well; these new songs continue our new direction and add another new edge as well as a heavier feel. You’ll have to stick around for the next release to find out what that edge is.” – Sovereign Council

For fans of Delain, Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil, Evergrey, Evanescence

EP: World On Fire
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Label: Independent

Facebook.com/SovereignCouncilpage | Twitter.com/sovcouncil | Youtube.com/@SovereignCouncil | Instagram.com/sovereigncouncil

Sovereigncouncil.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

“To me it’s shocking that most prominent labels into a powerful style of symphonic, progressive metal have not reached out to sign Sovereign Council. World on Fire contains all the ideal components in sound, songwriting, tones, and natural talent to be a great addition to any roster. 9/10” – Dead Rhetoric

““World On Fire” is simply an excellent EP all around. Every track has something unique to offer and it is easy to imagine any of the five songs becoming a favourite depending on the listener. The melodies are catchy, the production is clean and the talent is immense. In particular, I would recommend this release to fans of bands with a more modern take on symphonic metal, such as recent Within Temptation, Beyond The Black, Dark Horse | White Horse and Phantom Elite to name a few. I’m excited to see what comes next for SOVEREIGN COUNCIL. They have certainly made a fan out of me.” – Female Fronted Power

“you should definitely take a listen at the new album by Sovereign Council, a band that proudly carries the flag of heavy music wherever they go and that’s moving towards a very interesting direction with their new release.” – The Headbanging Moose

“World on Fire marks a welcome return for Sovereign Council, showing a band with a will to break genre boundaries” – Metal Observer

“Comeback has succeeded. Now Sovereign Council should follow up with a full-length album. 8/10” – Metalheads Forever Mag

“Female fronted metal, a little goth, a bit of a Lacuna Coil vibe” – The Mosh Pit – WORT FM 89.9 (Madison, WI)

“Dynamic solos and incredible vocal range come together in the impressive display of melodic metal that is “World On Fire” ” – Darkzen Dragon Metal Angles

“Sovereign Council can do it with atmosphere and especially with melodies… “World On Fire” is a very pleasant melodic metal record that feels honest. The EP is very good” – Metal Forever

“A new opus is born” – Soil Chronicles

“you should keep an eye on the band for the future, because the opener and the closing ‘Of The Ashes’ in particular clearly show that there is a lot of potential here” – PowerMetal.de

“Comeback succeeded. Now, however, Sovereign Council should follow up with a full-length album.” – Keep On Rocking

“Upon first listening to World On Fire, the title of this mini, one can appreciate affinity with world-class bands such as Delain. The mood is halfway in an ideal point of contact between power prog, gothic metal and symphonic manner. Heavy guitars, dreamy keyboards and sophisticated drumming. We note a more than discreet production and the voice of Lisa Thompson who stands out for her good technique and beautiful timbre” – MetalShock.it

“Here’s living proof that shows that Female-Fronted Symphonic Rock/Metal isn’t an exclusive domain and does reach beyond the boundaries of the Netherlands and mainland Europe…The  Euro Symphonic Rock connection is strengthened with Delain’s Timo Somers pitching in with a  trademark solo on the single ‘The Human Condition’, while the album also features Brazilian-based violinist Marina Andrade…An album with a title which offers up the suggestion that, like the galaxy it describes, is vast and with limitless boundaries, ‘Laniakea’ is a collection which is  more epic and melodic rather than Symphonic and orchestral. It’s going to be a record which has  fans of Nightwish and Delain pricking up their ears as this is something along the same lines yet  a little bit different.” – Mike Ainscoe – Rocktopia (Laniakea – 2015)

“There are not many Symphonic Metal bands coming out of Canada at the moment, but  Sovereign Council is certainly one band from that country to watch out for! This is a grower and  well recommended..8.5/10” – Ravenheart Music  (Laniakea – 2015)

“Here is another great work of this great band that will surely please the most demanding heavy  metal fans as well as fans of good music in general.” – Cássio Pagliarini – Heavy Metal Brasil  (Laniakea – 2015)

“Progressive Symphonic Metal (new Canadian symphonic metal band that has a strong  orchestral sound with some wonderful violin and piano along with the beautiful, theatrical vocals  of Lisa Thompson contrasted against very harsh male vocals.” – Prog Metal Zone – Prog Metal Zone (Laniakea – 2015)

“There is something hidden within Canada…I think this band will be hot in 2015.” – Odie – Rock Fanatic Rockcast  (Laniakea – 2015)

“The CD is well-presented with a simple, but elegant album cover reminiscent of something  House Of Lords might do, with a regal-looking logo that visually matches the image of the bands name. The back cover photo and layout messed up my brain. The band put a bit of time and energy into the 10-page booklet with nice photos, (the band look slightly gothic), lyrics and liner notes. It was self-produced and sounds quite good for a homemade recording…. This is a pretty impressive debut. The band has it together with good songwriting, production, performances and presentation. I could see a European label like Napalm or Massacre showing some interest in  Sovereign Council, based on the strength of NEW REIGN.” – JP – Metal-Rules.com (New Reign 2013)  

“You may not necessarily think of symphonic metal bands when you think of Canada, but that’s about to change… Sovereign Council that’s on a mission to bring their musical dream to the masses. Their debut album New Reign fuses together elements of rock, heavy metal and classical music while blending in a compelling mix of male and female vocals. All of these ingredients combine  together to elevate what you think symphonic metal is supposed to sound like to a whole new  level.” – Rock Revolt Magazine (New Reign 2013)

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

EP: World On Fire
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Label: Independent  

Track Listing:
1. World On Fire – 4:43
2. The Wait – 4:24
3. Aberration – 4:00
4. Breathe You In – 3:34
5. Of The Ashes – 4:13
EP Length: 20:52

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Sovereign Council
• All songs written by: Sovereign Council
• Produced by: Joe Moon  
• Mixed by: Silver Wings Studios
• Mastered by: Silver Wings Studios
• EP Artwork by: Martin Trottier
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

EP and Live Band Lineup:
Lisa Thompson – Lead Vocalist
Joe Moon – Lead Guitarist & Backup vocalist
Chris Thompson – Rhythm Guitarist
Shaun Vanhooser – Bassist
Brandon Schneider – Drummer

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

“World On Fire” was written and composed from a place of love and vulnerability. We don’t want to tell people how to interpret the songs however, we would rather you listen and make your own judgments and derive your own meaning. The beauty of music is in its ability to mean so many different things to so many different people.  

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)
1. World On Fire: The lyrics are about making tough life-altering decisions and having to leave everything behind. Musically, it hits hard with heavy dynamics but is also very melodic.  

2. The Wait: These lyrics are about recovering from heartbreak and waiting to be saved by a  knight in shining armor.  

Musically there are hints of power metal with driving guitars and drums.

3. Aberration: This is a song about dealing with inner demons and feeling as if you are lost in a dark world of your own. Musically it has dark synth throughout and heavy-hitting guitars and drums.  

4. Breathe: This is a sexy song about being consumed by the longing for someone. Musically it is a slower-paced melodic song but still delivers heavy elements.

5. Of The Ashes: This song is a lyrical analogy for fighting for yourself, talking yourself through an internal war, and having the courage to fight for what you deserve. Musically it is one of our more technical songs. Utilizing double kick and down-picked guitars.

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. Chris and Lisa are cousins. Chris invited Lisa to record some guest vocals on SC’s first album  “New Reign” which she did from her home studio. The band then invited her to the album photoshoot and the rest is history. If we had told her in 2013 that she would be at the front of a  metal band and absolutely in love with it in 2023, she would have laughed us out of the room.  

2. In 2015 we went on our first tour through western Canada in a cramped 10 passenger van and  no trailer. Sleeping in the van with 5 members and all our gear was a challenge so our drummer  Brandon slept one night in a TD bank entrance, and another night on a parking lot sidewalk  beside our van in a sleeping bag. He’s a trooper.  

3. Lisa and Joe are spouses. While writing material for our “World On Fire” EP, they didn’t  realize they were writing about each other in some of the songs. You can get a sense of their  journey by listening to the lyrics.

4. Our band is so much more than a band. We are a family. We have been through so much  together and always came out stronger and closer. When we get together we work of course, but  we also spend personal time together. The laughter when we’re all in the same room is  contagious and I think we all appreciate the value of our friendship.

5. We have some of the most supportive close friends and family who have followed this project  and believed 100% in its success from day one. These people all know who they are. We thank  each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts. This project would not be the same  without you.

L-R – Joe Moon – Lead Guitarist & Backup Vocals, Brandon Schneider – Drummer, Lisa Thompson – Lead Vocals, Shaun Vanhooser – Bassist, Chris Thompson – Rhythm Guitarist
Photo Credit: Dark Moon Productions

From headlining performances as well as supporting slots for some of the biggest bands in metal, Ottawa, Canada’s Sovereign Council have hit the ground running and haven’t stopped since they formed in 2012 originally in Kingston, ON. They have released two full-length albums to date “New Reign” (2013) and “Laniakea” (2015) and now they have a fresh new EP “World On Fire”. The majority of the EP comes from vocalist Lisa Thompson’s personal experiences and this five-song progressive, symphonic, and power metal-influenced record will take listeners through a range of emotions and imagery ranging from inspiring,

Sovereign Council is comprised of five members: Alexander MacWilliam (vocals), Lisa  Thompson (vocals), Chris Thompson (guitar), Shaun Vanhooser (bass guitar), and Brandon  Schneider (drums). This band lineup lends a noteworthy blend of male and female vocals, which is particularly unique to the metal scene.

The group’s blend of vocals has earned them comparisons to Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, Delain,  Nightwish, and Kamelot. Like these bands, Sovereign Council embraces metal head-on, with all of its throttling guitar riffs, intense bass lines, driving drums, and fluctuating vocals that are at times guttural and at others more mellow and introspective.

Their new EP “World On Fire” is due out on May 5, 2023.  

Sovereign Council is:
Lisa Thompson – Lead Vocalist
Joe Moon – Lead Guitarist & Backup vocalist
Chris Thompson – Rhythm Guitarist
Shaun Vanhooser – Bassist
Brandon Schneider – Drummer

Discography:
2023 – World On Fire EP
2015 – Laniakea LP
2013 – New Reign LP

Shared Stage with:
Powerglove, Immortal Guardian, Unleash The Archers, Stryker, Alestorm, Aephanemer, Amorphis, Anneke Van Giesbergen, The Agonist, Sevenspires, Red Handed Denial, Sonata Arctica, Primal Fear

Tours and Festivals:
2017 – The Exchange (Regina, SK)
2017 – Rendezvous Pub ( Edmonton, AB)
2017 – Distortion (Calgary, AB)
2017 – Metalocalypstic Fest (Lone Boote, BC)
2018 – Music Fest 4 Vets (Low, QC)

0 EPK – Vvon Dogma I – The Kvlt of Glitch (2023)

  • March 29, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Vvon Dogma I

EPK – Vvon Dogma I – The Kvlt of Glitch (2023)

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

“Musically I come from a world where you have to dare do something different so.. hopefully take the listener a bit out of his or her comfort zone. If it can reach and touch just one person I’ll be happy. Again coming from my former band Unexpect that reached tens of thousands of people worldwide, it’s quite humbling to start it all over on my own with Vvon Dgoma I, so I’ll just be happy to put it out there really.

As for the album itself, it’s basically me paying tribute to every period of different influences that I had in my life, from 90’s alternative and nu-metal to modern electronic and ambient music and everything in between. It’s very freeing in a way to be the main songwriter because you don’t really have to fight for your ideas, whatever goes so, it’s a glimpse of my psyche. Lyrically it’s very much fueled by dark feelings that have been following me my whole life. Very personal yet vague as fuck.” – ChaotH (Frederick F)

For fans of Deftones, Sleep Token, Unprocessed, Meshuggah, Igorrr

Album Title: The Kvlt of Glitch
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Facebook.com/VvonDogmaI | Instagram.com/vvondogmai | Twitter.com/vvondogmai | Youtube.com/@vvondogmai8596

Vvondogmai.bandcamp.com

“The invigorating glitched out bliss they have on display here is as dense as it is rewarding, with nothing falling out of place, yet with everything shifting all the time. If “The Void” is any indication of what’s to come, I seriously cannot wait to hear the rest of The Kvlt of Glitch, when it lands on May 5th independently.” – Everything Is Noise

“Vvon Dogma I are an act I praised many, many moons ago and I’m stoked to do so again. The band lead by ex-uneXpect bassist Frédérick Filiatrault is mixing electronics, progressive metal, vocoder, grooves and more. This one is for prog nerds and bass geeks alike. Also, there’s a wild cover of Radiohead’s “2 + 2 =5″ and you won’t hear anything like it anywhere else.” – Metal Injection

“Vvon Dogma are back with a new video for their new record, The Kvlt of Glitch, in the form of the track “One Eye.” It features some seriously insane nine-string bass playing… Chaoth, their nine-string bassist, is a big driver behind their experimental sound and their popularity.” – Metal Sucks

“The album promises to push boundaries with its unconventional approach to music.” – Metal Insider

“The path has been challenging for this new Canadian juggernaut, but now awakened in their futuristic glory Vvon Dogma I has positioned themselves to emerge victorious in a way past efforts did not. Worship noise, don leather straps and desert goggles, turn down the lights—the Kvlt will consume you.” – Angry Metal Guy

“if you’re in the market for something a bit different and potentially challenging, then check this out. If you’re a fan of bands such as Scale the Summit, Synaptic Glitch, Cynic, Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, Sleep Token, Unprocessed, and OU, then put this on your radar.” – Wonderbox Metal

“If you have a taste for more of a quirky and off kilter  variety of djent-flavored contemporary progressive metal, this album is probably one that merits a check.” – Progressor

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: The Kvlt of Glitch
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. The Void – 4:45
2. Tabula Rasa – 4:25
3. Triangles and Crosses – 4:33
4. Day of The Dead – 4:36
5. One Eye – 4:34
6. Hivemind – 2:47
7. Lithium Blue – 4:51
8. 2 + 2 = 5 – 3:11
9. Hurt – 3:58
10. The Great Maze – 6:54
Album Length: 44:40

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: VVON DOGMA I
• All songs written by: CHAOTH and VVON DOGMA  I (except 2+2=5 written by Radiohead)
• Produced by: Blaise Borboën-Léonard, Chris Donaldson, Dave Evangelista, Chaoth
• Mixed by: Max Lacroix at House of Gain studio
• Mastered by: Max Lacroix at House of Gain studio
• Album Artwork by: Patrick Filteau and MidJourney
• Canadian Content (MAPL) (for Canadian

Album and Live Band Lineup:
ChaotH (Frederick F) – 9 String bass
Kevin Alexander – Drums
Yoan MP – Guitar
Blaise Borboën – Synth, Strings, Production

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

It’s basically me paying tribute to every period of different influences that I had in my life, from 90’s alternative and nu-metal to modern electronic and ambient music and everything in between. It’s very freeing in a way to be the main songwriter because you don’t really have to fight for your ideas, whatever goes so, it’s a glimpse of my psyche. Lyrically it’s very much fueled by dark feelings that have been following me my whole life. Very personal yet vague as fuck.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

1. The Void needed to be the first track of the record as it is the oldest material by far. Most of that song was written over a decade ago and I really love the sound design and glitchy introduction that gives a feel of what you’re walking into musically. I think a lot of people can relate to that feeling of emptiness inside, or maybe I’m just hopeless bluesy melancholic. I actually wrote the first half of that song thinking it could be for my former band Unexpect’s material back in the day so, that tells you how old some of these parts are.

2. Tabula Rasa would then be the 2nd oldest song.. Not that I placed them chronologically or anything but it was fitting to have that epic ass intro somewhere at the beginning of the record. Tabula Rasa which really means ‘Starting from scratch’ was a working title forever and it just ended up staying like that. Very melodic and influenced by all the early 00’s melodic hardcore waves.

3. Triangles and crosses is one of my favorite tracks I think… I guess that changes with time. It was fun to experiment with polyrhythms on the bass and build a song from these patterns. This a good example of how the music can affect the lyrics actually. I love easter eggs in music… I stole some of Radiohead’s conceptual way of writing there I guess… Pyramid song has some cool secrets…

4. Day of the Dead is in the same vein but is definitely electronic-heavy. Crazy tapping and riffing in there. This song too had its name as a working title forever simply because I found that main tapping riff on November 1st, which in certain cultures is the Dia the Muertos (day of the dead). Then it turns into a tale of lust and suicide… I think.

5. One Eye is the first single even though it doesn’t necessarily represent the whole album. Sometimes you have to go with something different. It sounds more playful and not as serious than the rest of this dark-ass album. I got to collaborate with my old friend Pierre-Olivier Forest for the video… Really just an excuse to reconnect with an old friend.

6. Hivemind is basically a horror soundscape. In the last decade or so I think Ambient is the genre of music that I listened to the most. Artists like Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, William Basinski, Lorn, and others have had a big impact and I wanted to incorporate some of that to give the album a breather.. as horrifying as that breather is…

7. I just love that track, Lithium Blue. It was on the Communion EP but I felt like it needed a better production so I gave it a second chance and brought it to the studio and I love the result. From intricate high tapping patterns to the most caveman djenty riff.. so satisfying.

8. 2+2=5 is an unlikely Radiohead cover. I love when artists really revamp a song and make it something different so I twisted this one in my own way. I guess Hail to the Thief is somewhat of a lesser-known Radiohead record but the first few songs on this are just pure bliss so I had to do it.

9. Hurt is what would happen if Mars Volta and Dillinger Escape Plan had a baby with Horse the band I guess… weird thoughts like that.

10. The Great Maze is the epic of the record. Weird to say but I was influenced by my previous band Unexpect’s record format for this album I guess with the ‘interlude’ song and the epic long finale. Definitely a crazier song in riffing and structure. It needed a grand finale so, there.

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

“Most music featuring extended range instruments is all about technique. I wanted to bring the 9 string bass forward, but focus on songwriting more than fretboard theatrics.” says Frederick Filiatrault aka ChaotH.

Inspired by artists as diverse as Radiohead, Meshuggah, Deftones, James Blake, Jean Baudin, Die Antwoord, Clint Mansell, Igorrr, Arvo Part and Hans Zimmer,  VVON DOGMA I was created by lynchpin Frederick Filiatrault aka ChaotH whom was driven to form the group when his previous band Unexpect parted ways.

Discography:
2023 – The Kvlt of Glitch (LP)
2017 – Communion (EP)

0 EPK – Fall of Earth – From The Ashes (2023)

  • March 20, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Fall of Earth

EPK – Fall of Earth – From The Ashes (2023)

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

 “The album is a consistent ride full of ups and downs, with no breaks. We’ve taken our heavy sections and made them heavier, and taken our softer sections and made them more impactful.  We have carefully calculated all the dynamics and structures of each song so each second of every track serves a purpose. This record has pieces of us personally etched into the music, so we could share who we are and what our minds look like on an audio basis. As far as the listening experience goes, with all this being said, we hope for our fans to feel the love and importance that music has had on our lives, and pass that on to them through our own interpretation.

Both of our singles, “Shore of War” and “Block out The sun” deliver experiences from opposite sides of our sonic spectrum. Shore of War capitalizes on our heavy, dark side, while exploring intricate grooves and neck-breaking sequences. On the other hand, Block out The Sun brings heartwarming, uplifting energy which gives the listener a more emotional experience, and is an accessible track for newcomers of this genre.” – Fall of Earth

For fans of Trivium, Gojira, Dream Theater, Periphery, Mastadon

Album Title – From The Ashes
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Fallofearthband.com | Facebook.com/FallOfEarthBand | Twitter.com/FallofEarthBand | Instagram.com/fallofearthband | Youtube.com/@FallofEarth

Apple Music | Spotify

“Fresh Tracks: Fall of Earth offers a smorgasboard of metal on From the Ashes… What if a band took numerous metal genres and combined them to form a monstrous  kaiju ? This is the modus operandi of Edmonton’s Fall of Earth. Known more succinctly as “hybrid metal,” Fall of Earth’s sound encompasses death, thrash, progressive, metalcore; you name it, they have it cranked to 11” – Edmonton Journal

“From the Ashes is an impressive album that showcases Fall of Earth’s growth as musicians and their ability to create powerful, impactful music. The band’s unique sound and technical skill are on full display, and Rye’s vocals are a standout feature throughout the album. From the Ashes is a must-listen for any Metal fan, and Fall of Earth is a band to keep an eye on in the future. Look for them on tour in Canada and many other places.” – Metal Express Radio

“A young and rising Canadian Progressive Death Metal and Metalcore act will attack your senses mercilessly with their incendiary and very personal sophomore album.” – The Headbanging Moose

“A young and rising band from Edmonton kicked some ass armed with their Progressive Death Metal and Metalcore where rock will never die in Toronto last night…. if they’re playing in your city anytime soon don’t miss the chance to watch one of the most promising names from the Canadian Prairies.” – Headbanging Moose (Live Review – June 18, 2023 – Toronto – The Rockpile)

“I had the opportunity to see Fall of Earth for the first time recently during Indie Night In Canada and their live set blew me away, these are four guys that are so passionate about what they do that it’s almost impossible not to feel it coming off the stage. There’s a lot of metal bands out there who sound great live or sound great on recording, and when I watched From The Ashes I was excited to learn this band brings the best of both worlds. Whether you see them on stage on the screen, Fall of Earth is truly a force of nature and if you’re looking for one of Canada’s next big metal bands right before they blow up, look no further!” – Dropout Ent. (Live Review – Toronto – June 2023)

“It is an extreme variety of the form we get here, and one that at the core level is defined by seamless transitions between extreme metal, thrash metal and power metal. But in between we also get quirkier parts more aligned with progressive metal, and more interestingly from a progressive point of view we also get a liberal array of acoustic and semi-acoustic passages and interludes with a more delicate and atmospheric laden style, form and orientation. The vocals come with the same amount of versatility, with harsh and melodic lead vocals being the main forms used. A production to seek out by those with an interest in a powerful and vibrant variety of extreme progressive metal expanded with a liberal array of delicate and atmospheric laden interludes.” – Progressor

“Progressive metal, with a bit of a tech death thing going on. clean and harsh vox. cool stuff” – WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)

“The nine songs present some real diversity in the genre by embracing several different approaches” – Metal Temple

““Medusa,” hits hard and powerful a song that immediately grabs the listener by the throat and never lets go.” – The Median Man

“Fall of Earth are gradually gaining more and more of the city spotlight” – E-Know

“Fall of Earth, is bolting through the scene with their magnificent stage presence and performance. High energy and a sure crowd-pleaser that will leave you wanting more. I’ll admit, these guys blew my mind! I’m a big fan now for sure! Some awesome individuals as well that genuinely show a passion for their craft and a desire to deliver a live show you won’t forget!” – Heavy Metal A Way of Life

“What can I say in one or two sentences? Imagine a jackhammer with social issues assaulting your skull, or maybe a freight train screaming through a jungle and cutting down every tree it hits. When you go see this band, you can decide which one makes more sense. They are a highly organized machine of madness as they hit you with almost every genre of Heavy Metal out there. They can go from serious hard rocking into genres like, Thrash, Death, Progressive. Who knew such a well-oiled machine came from Edmonton, Alberta?… If you love metal, this is a great Canadian band flying the flag high, so go out and support them!” – Blast Toronto

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

Track By Track:

1. Medusa
Medusa breaks down the greek lore. Viewing the multiple perspectives of a heartless and jealous Athena, a wicked Poseidon, the oppressors of Medusa, and Medusa herself. To bestow an unjust punishment, and face the consequences of another’s actions. Enough to turn even the purest of hearts.

Our second longest song, and a pounding heavy track, Medusa explores some highly technical musical sections that sound both evil and chaotic while having some melody that wraps it all together. This track has an ambient intro and a beautiful acoustic section later on that keeps the listener on their toes.

2. The Dead And The Soon To Be
Some live life to the fullest, while some live life just to die. The clocks always ticking. How wisely do most use that finite time? Is it fulfilling? Did you do something meaningful? The walking dead roam the earth. Wasting your time means you might as well be dead already.

The instruments for this track are definitely centered around the chorus riff, which is a very simple yet powerful progression. Everything else bloomed from that part to cover many other angles and directions that were made possible. This song utilizes a soft verse and epic bridge which serves as the pinnacle of the track.

3. Block Out The Sun
Block out the sun was written during a seasonal depression with Covid 19. Sick and isolated, Alex did what he does best in a sour mood- Writing music. It started off sad, but slowly his core belief took over, and soon it transformed into an uplifting reminder that when you’re down you can always lean on others to rise up and shine together.

Block out the Sun is both the shortest and most accessible track off this record. It captures a positive uplifting mood, while still having some grit and intensity mixed in. The lyrics and vocal melody were written first, so all the instruments were written to emulate the message of the song, and deliver a similar emotion

4. Path to Self Destruction
This is definitely a dark and personal track, written about somebody very close to me who continues to suffer from a serious and crippling drug addiction. This song expresses how I felt watching somebody I love throw their life away and turn into somebody I couldn’t even recognize anymore. Drug addiction is a very serious disease, and I hope this song could speak volumes to people who are going through a similar situation. This song could also be seen from an inward perspective of someone’s own addiction

The opening section of this song was written for drums first, so the other instruments naturally orbited around it. This song contains constant key changes and mood shifts and harnesses anger and intensity while being eerie and fast-paced. Specifically inspired by Death with the motifs and style of riffs we use in this track.

5. Cross Roads
The events in our lives come with many decisions. Each is an intersection of many multiple roads, and there’s no going back. A leap of faith is all that’s needed, to take control of one’s own life, or succumb to its weight. Cross Roads are at every little decision, every commitment, and every resolution

This is our longest, most progressive track yet. Clocking in at nearly 10 minutes, we designed this song to be an entire experience. This song does ride the idea of being uplifting and positive, but unlike Block out the Sun, it holds a more serious and urgent connotation. This is the first track we have ever faded out, we decided on this ending because we found a closing section that was too epic to stop suddenly, so the song fades away with those feelings it gives you.

6. From the Ashes
From the ashes speaks about levels of childhood abuse, reclamation, and metamorphosis. Rising from the ashes like a Phoenix, All people are capable of rehabilitation and recovering from trauma. Neglected and beaten as a child and into early adulthood, the character of this song resists their oppressive parent and chooses to rise above the smoke (uncertainty) and evil of their past.

This track is practically death metal and is incredibly fast and heavy. It jumps into the evil riffs right off the bat without warning. You can’t put the brakes on this song, it just rips all the way through and also contains our first-ever breakdown to finish it off.

7. Shore of War
War is hell. Shore of War speaks on the historic events of D-Day during world war 2. None of us could imagine the trauma of fighting in a war and watching our brothers and comrades die before our own eyes. We do our best efforts to detail the experience of such a nightmarish circumstance, both from a soldier’s perspective, and a societal perspective.

Starting and ending with the use of chromatic music theory, and percussive riffs across all instruments, we feel as if this adds an element of chaos and uncertainty. The underlying tone of the music itself is to emulate impending doom and sheer panic. Yet there is an eb and flow of unique grooves that somewhat makes this feel cohesive.

8. Purgatory
A recently passed man observes how quickly he is forgotten in the world of the living. With his memory fading from existence and the ones he thought loved him continuing their lives effortlessly, he must wander in a state of limbo. Not being able to accept the harsh truth, the man is left to explore purgatory for eternity without passing on to a heavenly afterlife.

We start off this track with a melancholy bass intro, in a strange time signature of 13/8. The song builds off of this section piece by piece, becoming more full up until the verse where it takes off and comes together. There is an interesting mix of despair and realization within this composition, highlighted by the contrast between sections. I personally think the pinnacle of this song is the first bridge section, where we lay down a heart-pounding, groovy “Gojira” style riff, and eventually bring it back to an alternate chorus to tie all these dynamics together.

9. Into the Woods
Into the woods is album 2’s “Fall of Earth”. Touching again on topics of climate change, rising sea levels, increased natural disasters, and extreme weather. The signs of our dying mother. While we are hopeful that as a species we will pull together and fix the wrongs we’ve done on our precious and only home, This doesn’t mean we are in the clear. Although we have made great progress and humanity seems to be on a path where we will survive- Many issues need to be addressed. Actions need to be taken. We must move faster to protect mother earth and its children. “Through the trees, a wind of whispers lost connection to our ears.” We must reconnect to our bond with nature

With this track being the official ballad off of our sophomore record, we did take an entirely different approach to its song structure. With the exclusion of the intro and outro of this song, we laid out a few solid sections including a definitive chorus and repeated it a second time to reinforce these moments. There is a melodic, tasteful solo in the middle that acts as a clear separator. This is the same formula that Death would use in most of their discography. As far as the beginning and end of the song gooes, the intro embraces a soft, mysterious foreshadowing of the epic sequences to follow, using clean ambient guitars, acoustic guitars, and bass accents. The outro is very similar to the intro, but recaptures the section on a lonesome acoustic guitar instead. This ending alone is what made us decide on closing our album with this track.

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts:

1. How we found our bass player was in the most unexpected way. We encountered the wild Aaron in his natural habitat: the gym. After spending some time getting to know him as a good friend, he decided to join us in one of our band practices. With it being his first time ever holding a bass guitar, I showed him our song “Prison” on bass and he picked it up instantly. He technically joined the band before he even learned the instrument!

2. In our beginning stages of making music together, Brody was late for practice one day because he was at the gym for longer than expected. Alex and Brendan jokingly “kicked him out” of the band, but he took it seriously. He took his guitar outside and smashed it on the pavement. After realizing this was only a joke, Brody was very embarrassed and went to go by a new guitar shortly after. Ever since then, Brody has been on time for almost every practice.

3. In our early days as a basement band, we used to host our practice space in the house some of us were renting at the time. During one of our practices, Brendan’s drumstick went flying out of his hand which isn’t an unusual event. But after looking around trying to find it, we found it lodged straight into the TV. Which was our roommate’s Dad’s TV. Long story short, Brendan replaced that TV and gave our roommate’s Dad a big apology.

4. In September of 2021, we were set to headline a Festival out in the middle of nowhere. It was promised that there would be crazy high-end production and over a thousand people. Well… it was nothing like that. Maybe 50 people were there, plus the bands that also performed. We were still ready to tear up the stage anyways, so we went up and started our set. Halfway through our third song, our sound got completely cut off and one of the festival workers came up to let us know that somebody filed a noise complaint and the RCMP were on their way. Although the RCMP never came, they had to shut the festival down regardless. We made sure to reimburse all of our friends that came out to watch us by giving them free tickets to the next show we had the weekend after.

5. At one of our shows last year, Aaron’s arm unexpectedly started seizing up and he wasn’t able to move his fingers anymore. We still had a few songs left in our set, and we didn’t want to give up right away. Luckily, a good friend who had filled in for us before was in the crowd and still remembered how to play a few songs on bass. So we pulled him on stage and he absolutely killed it during “The Dead and the Soon to Be”. We still had to use up some stage time, and it was by total coincidence that the other band that played with us, “Misplaced Intentions”, learned one of the same covers we knew. So we called up their bassist Landon, and frontman Matt, and crushed out “Them Bones” by Alice in Chains. Even though we had a huge curveball thrown at us that night, we handled the situation the best we could and made sure that the show could go on.

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title – From The Ashes
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Medusa (8:25)
2. The Dead And Soon To Be (5:54)
3. Block Out The Sun (4:24)
4. Path To Self Destruction (6:40)
5. Crossroads (9:35)
6. From The Ashes (5:14)
7. Shores Of War (5:49)
8. Purgatory (6:00)
9. Into The Woods (6:33)
Album Length: 58:39

Album Recording Credits
• All songs performed by: Fall Of Earth
• All songs written by: Fall Of Earth
• Produced by: Diego Fernandez, Oracle Recording Studios
• Mixed by: Diego Fernandez
• Mastered by: Diego Fernandez
• Album Artwork by: Band
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album Band Lineup:
Alex Rye- Lead Vocals
Brodie Bauer- Guitar, Vocals
Brendan Meilleur- Drums, Vocals
Aaron Winklmeier- Bass, Vocals

Discography:
2022 – From The Ashes – LP
2020 – Fall Of Earth – LP

 

L-R – Brody Bauer – Lead Guitar, Vocals, Myles Packer – Bass, Vocals, Alex Rye – Lead Vocals, Brendan Meilleur – Drums, Vocals, Matthew Lindholm – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

Photo Credit: Darla Woodley, ​Red Socks Photography

Fall of Earth, based in Edmonton, Alberta, is a Hybrid Metal band. They are led by the growls, screams, and soaring clean vocals of Inuit frontman Alex Rye, who captivates every audience member with his energy and showmanship. The flying fingers of axe slinger Brody Bauer produce a dizzying array of sounds that regularly elicit screams of rapture from the audience. The progressive and primal low end is provided by bass wielder Myles Packer and Brendan Meilleur brings the elite combination of high-energy drum fills and expressive grooves, all while contributing vocal harmonies. Fall of Earth has recently added Rhythm guitar player, Matt Lindholm, who adds skill and dynamic to the band.  Collectively, the members of Fall Of Earth possess the highest levels of musicianship while never forgetting to put on the exceptional live show the band has become known for delivering. It’s more than a rock show, it’s an experience! 

Fall Of Earth is a play on words that reflects their core belief that the world is experiencing a multitude of issues including climate change, war, and mass extinctions that are leading us all to a darker place as a society. The band hopes to use the power of music to help the world recover. 

2023 has been a busy year so far with both a Western and Eastern Canada tour, the release of their sophomore album titled “From The Ashes” featuring 9 tracks that definitely hook the listeners, the release of their single “Block Out The Sun” to radio, supported by a lyric video, Lyric Video release for “Different Breed” and Full Video Release for “From The Ashes”. With a few festivals during the summer and back on the road for a 3-month Cross-Canada Tour in September, Fall of Earth is building its momentum and fans everywhere.

Album Lineup:
Alex Rye – Lead Vocals
Brodie Bauer – Guitar, Vocals
Brendan Meilleur – Drums, Vocals
Aaron Winklmeier – Bass, Vocals
​
​Fall of Earth is:
Live Lineup
Alex Rye – Lead Vocals
Brendan Meilleur – Drums, Vocals
Brody Bauer – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Matthew Lindholm – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Myles Packer – Bass, Vocals

Tours / Festivals:
2022- Alternative Waves Music Festival, Medicine Hat, AB
2023- Serenade Metal Fest, Edmonton, AB
2023- Loud As Hell – Drumheller, AB

0 EPK – Sunbeam Overdrive – Diama (2023) (Tentacles Industries / Season of Mist)

  • March 15, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Sunbeam Overdrive (Tentacles Industries/Season of Mist)

EPK – Sunbeam Overdrive – Diama (2023) (Tentacles Industries / Season of Mist)

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

“An adventure, solitary, a life journey, its trials and tribulations translated in the form of a wide sound surrounding the listener to try to confront them with themselves, their own experiences, their own emotions …. make them start their own journey.

This record is about elevation, travel, adventure, and energy. It’s meant to lift you up yet make you endure the storm both inside and outside of yourself. Although not designed as a concept album, Diama nevertheless turns out to be crossed implicitly by a coherent line, which appeared to us once the album was finished. This line is that of the crests of the summits, more precisely a notion of ascent, elevation, exterior as interior. It translates into the quasi-cinematic succession of pieces forming an initiatory journey throughout its 10 songs.” – Sunbeam Overdrive

For fans of Periphery, Architects, The Human Abstract, Born of Osiris, Cynic

Band Name: Sunbeam Overdrive
Album / Single Title: Diama
Release Date: May 12, 2023
Label: Tentacles Industries
Distribution: Season of Mist

Sunbeamoverdrive.bandzoogle.com/home | Facebook.com/Sunbeamoverdrive | Youtube | Instagram.com/sunbeamoverdrive

Sunbeamoverdrive.bandcamp.com | Spotify

Tentaclesindustries.bigcartel.com | Facebook.com/tentaclesindustries | Instagram.com/tentaclesindustries

Twitter.com/tentaclesindus | Youtube.com/@tentaclesindustries | Tentaclesindustries.bandcamp.com 

“Out Of Plato’s Cave – One of Six cool new prog tracks you need to hear this week (March 16, 2023)” – Prog Mag

“Bang this album into your vehicle’s sound system or blast it through your headphones, as you rock out to ‘Diama’ by Sunbeam Overdrive. It is THE soundtrack for your journey of solitary existence!” – Metal-Rules

“SUNBEAM OVERDRIVE gives us a very high-end album, talented musicians, in the service of an intelligent music which does not forget to arouse emotions, the perfect balance in my opinion, too often I find the proguous eager for technicality getting lost and forgetting to play with his heart, these guys have not taken this wrong. I should have gone to the Zenith.” – Profil Prog

“As a first work, Diama has been a great success and shows Sunbeam Overdrive as a playful and highly energetic newcomer who can definitely set accents in the scene. 9/10” – Sound Magnet Magazin

“DIAMA impressed me on first listen and continued to impress me with each subsequent listen; there’s something genuine and infectious and even somewhat joyous about it. Maybe it’s because hard rock doesn’t grip me much these days, but Sunbeam Overdrive have managed to. This is a surprisingly self-assured debut and a very satisfying listen from a young group with a bright future ahead of them. Recommended tracks: Slave to the Void, Diamond Shape, Shen” – The Progressive Subway

“This one is interesting, a bit prog, some groove metal, thrash stuff. clean and harsh vox. Cool!” – The Mosh Pit – WORT 89.9FM (Madison, WI)

“Whether you want to call it prog or not, Sunbeam Overdrive does their best to let Diama speak with riffs. At their catchiest Sunbeam Overdrive carves punchy numbers from djent-ish groove and Alice in Chains vocal harmonies that could have been easy targets to record from radio to flip phone ringtone (“Slave to the Void,” “Shen”). Taking cues from fellow Frenchmen Klone whose moody tunes similarly rest in a land of slippery assignment, a tilted sense of melancholy pervades other flowing numbers that feature slithering hooks and arena-sized refrains (“Diama,” “Diamond Shapes”). But in the face of the mild solemnity that accompanies that element of Diama, Sunbeam Overdrive make sure to pop in a bit of fun with mid-album shaker “Crimson Stains” featuring the bounce (but not the rap) of KROQ Weenie Roast2 artifact 311—tastefully nu if not dangerously inventive.” – Angry Metal Guy

“As far as the songs go, I love the whole album, but ‘Diama’ was amazing. ‘Slave To The Void’, ‘Crimson Stains’, ‘Deaf And Blind’, and ‘Out Of Plato’s Cave’ were all great. There’s a cover of ‘Hard Sun’ from Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Peterson as well. They’re doing a version closer to the Pearl Jam version, but either way they do a great job with it. Overall, I have to give this one a 9 out of 10 “Flaming Fists” due to its creativity, musicianship, production and overall song-writing. It’s one of the most diverse and heavy albums I’ve heard lately, it deserves a much bigger audience.” – Rock You Radio

“SUNBEAM OVERDRIVE is nevertheless the unexpected little discovery of the moment.” – Score A/V

“Following a promising EP released in 2019, this first album by Sunbeam Overdrive immediately shows the full potential of an inventive group, without giving into gratuitous one-upmanship. Admittedly, their progressive metal is technically well above average and most of the titles damn convoluted, some sometimes flirting with djent, but the Marseille quartet masters their subject perfectly and knows how to write real songs, even allowing themselves to slip in a few discreet nods to Alice In Chains/Soundgarden grunge. A rich and dense first album for thrill seekers.” – Guitar Part.fr

“Soon, on •• Tentacles Industries •• , the release of the new album by French quartet Sunbeam Overdrive. It’s called Diama and Crimson Stains is the new single to entice you for the rest of the album soon to come. Scream, djent, progressive, alternative metal and all sorts of core elements come at you from all sides. Circling around you like a riff tornado, this single is but one of the many tracks that hurl you through space and time, and the storm both inside and out of you. It fits perfectly with the concept that seems to be surrounding the album…” – Stoner Hive

“Standing out from the progressive metal pack with their interesting touches of 90’s alt-rock, Sunbeam Overdrive tickle the senses with their wandering intro of Ascending and the choppy, raw, and animated title track. Before they really lean into the 90’s alt-rock soundscape with Slave to the Void. Where sections of heavy groove come crashing down on the head. Followed then by the anthemic and manic energy of Crimson Stains, one of the album’s more intense moments as Sunbeam Overdrive go quite hard and heavy here…. Though if you’re after something with a more serrated edge, Out of Plato’s Cave will cause some damage. Sunbeam sounding both furiously heavy and grandiose in equal measures. Another highlight of the record simply because of the hectic pacing.” – Games, Brrraaains & Head-Banging Life

“Welcoming us in an oriental atmosphere (which can also evoke the last Hypno5e for once), Diama really starts with the title track, pulsed and muscular, it takes us without hesitation into the rich universe of the Marseilles managing to stall us unstoppable Devin Townsend- inspired vocal melodies .” – Eklektik-Rock

“A production to seek out by those who enjoy vibrant and melodic heavy metal explored with a little bit of a progressive metal attitude and spirit.” – Progressor

“Sunbeam Overdrive nous délivre un premier album vraiment convaincant. Du grant art !” – United Rock Nations

“There are plenty of tracks that I love on this album but it is perhaps ‘Shen’ which is my favorite. The big sound is put in parentheses, favoring the alternative form to metal, the guitars play subtlety with beautiful djent figures and the vocals are almost an accompaniment to the rhythm section. D I A M A is a very nice discovery.” – NeoProg

““Diama” is a very good moment of powerful and racy metal, combining softness and emotion on this disc as icy as it is burning. Some will regret the obvious or smooth and unsurprising appearance, but it doesn’t matter because the intoxication is there. To discover urgently, because even if it is not a dazzling diamond, its qualities make it a precious stone which will reveal its shimmering colors over multiple listenings. 4/5” – Music Waves

““Diama” est un très bon moment de metal puissant et racé, alliant douceur et émotion sur ce disque aussi glacé que brûlant. Certains regretteront l’aspect évident ou lisse et sans surprise, mais peu importe car l’ivresse est au rendez-vous. A découvrir d’urgence, car même s’il n’est pas un diamant éblouissant, ses qualités en font une pierre précieuse qui révélera ses couleurs chatoyantes au fil de multiples écoutes. 4/5” – Music Waves

Band Name: Sunbeam Overdrive
Album / Single Title: Diama
Release Date: May 12, 2023
Label: Tentacles Industries
Distribution: Season of Mist

Track Listing:
1. Ascending (1:47)
2. Diama (6:14)
3. Slave To The Void (5:14)
4. Crimson Stains (4:49)
5. Diamond Shape (7:10)
6. Junction : Buhl’s Eye (1:20)
7. Deaf And Blind (4:47)
8. Shen (5:45)
9. Out Of Plato’s Cave (5:05)
10. Hard Sun (5:49)
11. Fainted Core (Bonus Track – Live Acoustic) (6:08)
Album Length: 54:08

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Sunbeam Overdrive
• All songs written by: Tom Abrigan (except lyrics for Diama, Slave To The Void, Crimson Stains and Out Of Plato’s Cave by Karim Arnaout, and Hard Sun by Indio’s Gordon Peterson, covered by Eddie Vedder)
• Produced by: Tom Abrigan
• Mixed by: Tom Abrigan
• Mastered by: Brett Caldas-Lima (Tower Studio: Devin Townsend, Cynic, Pain of Salvatio)
• Album Artwork by: Christophe Dessaigne (Midnight Digital)

Album and Live Band Line Up:
Tom Abrigan – Guitars & Vocals
Karim Arnaout – Vocals
Laurent Duclouet – Drums
Bruno Morgana – Bass

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

This record is about elevation, travel, adventure, and energy. It’s meant to lift you up yet make you endure the storm both inside and outside of yourself. Although not designed as a concept album, Diama nevertheless turns out to be crossed implicitly by a coherent line, which appeared to us once the album was finished. This line is that of the crests of the summits, more precisely a notion of ascent, elevation, exterior as interior. It translates into the quasi-cinematic succession of pieces forming an initiatory journey throughout the 10 songs:

“The Ascent… (1. Ascending) of an immense mountain, a power monster: You… Me… Us, the Nanga Parbat.
Doing it via a glacier that no one has yet crossed… (2. Diama)
Doing it without being a slave to anyone or anything, facing the void in front of you just like within yourself (3. Slave To The Void)
Ignoring having been treated like a puppet from whom you could take whatever you wanted then leave it in a corner. (4. Crimson Stains)
Seeing that diamond shape again, over there, through the mist. (5. Diamond Shape)
Reaching the junction, seeing the eye of the Bull. (6. Junction: Buhl’s Eye)
And continuing, even deaf and blind… (7. Deaf And Blind)
Invoking what is most ancestral in us. Without ever going astray. (8. Shen)
Coming out of our own Plato’s cave. (9. Out Of Plato’s Cave)
And reaching for the sun… The hard, high sun. (10. Hard Sun)
There, then… We’ll know a little bit who we are…” – SUNBEAM OVERDRIVE –

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

1. Ascending: An instrumental intro that places the listener at the beginning of their ascent of a Himalayan Mountain (Nanga Parbat). It’s airy, bewitching, and foreshadows significant events…

2. Diama: The first real track on the record, powerful, aggressive, and catchy but also airy and progressive. Lyrics were inspired by an extremely intense, burning, sudden, ephemeral, and ultimately volcanic adventure. Volcanism is the metaphor spun throughout the text, because it evokes fusion, lava flows, eruption, and therefore, in the background, carnal, erotic union; heat that burns, but that fertilizes afterward (there’s nothing like a volcanic rock for a fertile soil). And in the context of the whole album Diama, which turns out to be an initiatory journey in the form of the ascent of a mountain, with all that this represents in terms of trials, doubts, determination, dizziness, and vertigo, the figure of the volcano is inscribed in the field of heights, of mountains.

3. Slave To The Void: The band’s desire to lay the foundations for a more alternative, urban, and raw sound. It ends with a pronounced airy side that is redundant but pays homage to more alternative influences such as grunge or 90s metal. The lyrics evoke the paralyzing power of the void, whether an actual void like a precipice or an abyss, or inside ourselves, and the strength it takes to lift yourself from the entropy and apathy that life can bury you in. It’s an invitation to keep your head up and become the sign you are vainly waiting for to start living.

4. Crimson Stains: The band starts with a faster song, with a more punk spirit, reminiscent of early Soundgarden or Pearl Jam albums, but with more metal/progressive riffing. The lyrics are about the mental load and burden, and sometimes physical aggressions that women are faced with; based on the testimonies of many and only just trying to imagine how it feels like to live with such a disadvantage in a patriarchal world…

5. Diamond Shape: An autobiographical track, slow, and airy but heavy and sad. Reminiscent of Black Sabbath, Tool, and a sad period in the life of one of the musicians who take stock of what his life has been like in the form of various images, especially memories of a mountain in the Alps, which looks like a gigantic diamond from a distance, and how it feels when everything you have built for years collapses.

6. Junction: Buhl’s Eye: To talk about ascents again, and in particular that of Nanga Parbat (Diama being a glacier adjoining the mountain), the junction of 2 routes on one of the sides of this mountain owes its name to Hermann Buhl. This piece is an aerial instrumental featuring a guitar solo to define a milestone that is being crossed. Altitude, lack of oxygen, a brain on the verge of asphyxiation, mirages…

7. Deaf And Blind: This piece is intended to be heavy, dramatic, and catchy to translate the anger of a people against the elites, the system in which they are trapped, and the questioning of their existences.

8. Shen: A very ethereal piece whose text confronts today’s China with its spiritual ancestral past.

9. Out Of Plato’s Cave: A very energetic piece with djent and progressive accents to mention Plato’s allegory of the Cave, describing how difficult it is to look away from the illusions that easily feed our minds, to stand your ground when everyone around you thinks you’re a fool, to look for the light, for elevation, for the truth, and have the strength to keep your eyes and soul open when it hits you.

10. Hard Sun: Into The Wild was a milestone in our lives, and we felt that Eddie Vedder’s interpretation along with all the images, emotions, and impressions the film triggers, deserved a cover with the Sunbeam Overdrive sound. It goes well with the entire record topic, and makes for an amazing solar ending, after ascending, looking into the abyss, sadness, oppression, and memories, after finding the courage to escape from Plato’s cave: it’s a big hard sun that frees us all.

11. Fainted Core (bonus track): We wanted to pay tribute to the 90s MTV unplugged concerts, so we actually did half a dozen takes of that song recording sound and image, and picked the best version for a very simple yet aesthetically pleasant video already available on YouTube.

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

Hailing from Marseille, southern France, SUNBEAM OVERDRIVE is mixing progressive metal and ’90s alternative rock founded in 2019.

Hard at work since day one, the band quickly released its first 3-track EP and performed their very first show at famous German Euroblast Festival in October 2019.

Sunbeam Overdrive was about to hit the stages when the Covid-19 pandemic started… In turn, and after a few line-up movements, they started producing their first full length album “Diama”, to be released worldwide in 2023.

Sunbeam Overdrive:
Tom Abrigan – Guitars & Vocals
Karim Arnaout – Vocals
Laurent Duclouet – Drums
Bruno Morgana – Bass

Discography:
2023 – Diama – LP (Tentacles Industries / Season of Mist)
2019 – Sunbeam Overdrive – EP

Shared Stage with: Psykup, Ten56, Ze Gran Zeft, Kvark

Tours and Festivals:
2019 – Euroblast – Köln, DE

Sponsors / Artist Endorsements: Vola Guitar, SP Custom, Skull Strings, Hyraw, RocknFreeLife, Carl Thompson

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