Category: EPKs

0 EPK – Squidhammer – (Single) Drown In Flames – ft. Kyle Fawley of Digital Remains (2023)

February 8, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Squidhammer

EPK – Squidhammer – (Single) Drown In Flames – ft. Kyle Fawley of Digital Remains (2023)

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

Booking Agent – Keith Wampler – keithatthelegendagency[@]gmail[.]com

For fans of Pantera, Lamb Of God, Arch Enemy, Black Label Society, DevilDriver

Band: Squidhammer
Single Title: ‘Drowning In Flames’ ft. Kyle Fawley of Digital Remains
Release Date: 1/27/23
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CDBaby

“‘Drowning in Flames’ is a mental roller coaster. A twisted riddle full of metaphors. It’s the outside voice we all wish we could hear over our own noise. It’s everything you hope you’re not. It’s the shackles you watched your own possessed hands put around your very ankles. It’s the only way out.

It’s a long trip, musically speaking. A labyrinth. Hooks left and grooves right. A push/pull of thrash, chugs, and sway. It’s a bit of an arpeggio of a song structure, with an exit hidden in the middle. Will you burn your way out, or will you wind up right back where you started?” – Jake Schultz – Squidhammer

Squidhedz.com | Facebook.com/squidhammermetal | Twitter.com/getchasquidon | Youtube.com/@squidhammermetal9966 | Instagram.com/squidhammermetal

Squidhammer.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music | All Digital Platforms – Withkoji.com/@Squidhammer

“The introductory growl that Marq brings in is like an atomic bomb going off – unleashing chaos and dismay as this track kicks off with unrivaled energy. Ericka’s performance rips through like shrapnel, with a chaotic presence that carries an aura of fury and insanity in its wake. Both vocalists mesh seamlessly in their pieces, allowing this track to blast through with mind-blowing drum beats, demonic bass, and furious riff work to share in the spotlight, rather than be shadowed by it.” – Valkyrjia @ VALKYRJIAN Metal Blog (2022 ‘Hamrammr’ Single)

“The mixture of chaotic, guttural growls, and shrill screams that unite these two vocal powerhouses is baffling, leaving for a track that’s not only complex and intense in its delivery but, strangely catchy as well” – Valkyrjia @ VALKYRJIAN Metal Blog (2022 ‘Hamrammr’ Single)

“The song mixes elements of Groove and Thrash Metal, with aggressive vocals, in a great vocal dynamic between vocalist Ericka and Marq Pointer, heavy riffs and a destructive rhythmic part” – Leandro Vianna @ ROADIEMETAL of Brazil
(2022 ‘Hamrammr’ Single)

“This is no nonsense metal, which is out to ensure that there are no prisoners whatsoever as they have all been blasted through a wall by the sheer volume and attack of what is taking place” – Kev Rowland @ House of Prog Radio (2018 ‘Power Removal Service’ LP)

[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]

Band: Squidhammer
Single Title: ‘Drowning In Flames’ ft. Kyle Fawley of Digital Remains
Release Date: 1/27/23
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CDBaby

1. ‘Drowning In Flames’ ft. Kyle Fawley of Digital Remains (5:54)

Single Credits:
• Performed by: Squidhammer
• Written by: Jake Schultz & Ericka Schultz Niemann
• Produced by: Squidhammer & Evan Yoakum
• Mixed by: Russell Hollar
• Mastered by: Russell Hollar
• Album Artwork by: Jake Schultz
• P.R.O. Affiliation: ASCAP

Single Recording Lineup – Drowning In Flames’:
Kyle Fawley – Featured Main Vocals
Ericka Schultz Niemann – Layering Vocals
Jake Schultz – Guitar
Joe Dunn – Bass Guitar
Skeebo – Drums

Live Band Line Up:
Ericka Schultz Niemann – Vocals
Jake Schultz – Guitar
Joe Dunn – Bass Guitar
Skeebo – Drums

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

Story Angles / Fun Facts:

1. All the new Squidhammer material since our lineup change in late 2021 has been tracked “free-time” in the studio, meaning we do not use a metronome / click track to record. The drums are tracked to a live rhythm guitar and everything is built on top of that. This is a studio approach that was once standard but has nearly died off in the heavy metal world and we feel like too much soul has been removed from modern heavy metal because of it. – Jake Schultz

2. Squidhammer got its name in 2010 from a guy on a bar stool who was allowed to name us for the night at a living room jam party. It went on as a joke for the night, but stuck like glue. – Jake Schultz

3. Squidhammer once showed up at a “Kentucky Derby Days” festival in central Wisconsin because we were in the area killing time before a show that night and we saw they were frying brats and burgers. We had just grabbed some food quickly when a member of the staff approached us assuming we were “the band”. They had booked a country cover band which was apparently running late. We had all of our gear with us, so we had no choice but to play into it and record the whole experience. We went as far as to set everything up and blast out one of our songs, ‘Rock the Fuck On’ to all of these drunk rednecks in the bar. I mean, there were tons of people at this festival. They all looked like they were seeing a ghost and many of them were starting to leave, so after one song, we decided to tell everyone what we had done. I’ll never forget the old man at the bar who was pounding his fist in the air and wanting more. – Jake Schultz

4. All of Squidhammer’s releases to date have been mixed and mastered by Russell Hollar of Russell Hollar Music/Nomad Recording Studio in Argyle, TX. He’s always been super easygoing and personable, while also having inhuman workflow capabilities. The dude knows how to make metal slam. – Jake Schultz

5. We got the ‘Hail The Squid’ title from guitarist Marc Rizzo of Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy, etc… He has been a friend of the band since he jammed on stage with us back in 2016 at Axemetal Fest II. Since then, we have been a support act on nearly every solo show he has booked in Wisconsin. He can always be heard shouting, “HAIL THE SQUID!!!!!” from the back of the venue when we’re on stage. Marc has always joined us on stage to jam one of his tunes or a random Pantera cover whenever we’re on a bill together. – Jake Schultz

L-R: Jake Schultz (Guitar) | Eric “Skeebo” Kjelland (Drums) | Ericka Schultz-Niemann (Vocals) | Joe Dunn (Bass)
Photo Credit: Ericka Schultz-Niemann

Squidhammer proudly calls Watertown, Wisconsin home. The band carved out its place in the midwest metal scene in 2018 with their debut album, ‘Power Removal Service’. In early 2018, the band took a road trip to Fort Worth, Texas and recorded the album with producer Russell Hollar in five days and headed straight back home. The album was released independently and has been lovingly accepted into the “favorites” category of many midwest headbangers who have shown so much support. Its tracks have been featured on local radio stations as well as several worldwide internet radio stations. One track has even been played on Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal channel several times.

To ensure the band’s availability, Squidhammer’s founding member, Jake Schultz, has since adopted an open-door approach to the band lineup, meaning that members are free to come and go as they please, and contribute to studio recordings and live performances/tours at whichever level they feel comfortable. This has proven to ensure that only the most passionate, humble, and dedicated people are involved.

‘Hail The Squid’, the band’s second studio project is currently being rolled out to the world via a series of single releases. Squidhammer is extremely excited to announce that the open-ended and ongoing collection is a Wisconsin collaborative effort. So far, under this series title, 12 planned tracks will feature 20+ vocalists from Wisconsin’s top metal bands. This project is meant to help show everyone just what Wisconsin has to offer to the U.S. metal scene, as Squidhammer continues to tour the country. Squidhammer aims to attract more national and international acts to the great Wisconsin metal scene, benefiting everyone involved!

Squidhammer is:
Ericka Schultz – Vocals
Jake Schultz – Guitars
Eric “Skeebo” Kjelland – Drums
Joe Dunn – Bass

Discography:
2023 – Drowning In Flames ft. Kyle Fawley of Digital Remains – Single
2022 – Hamrammr (ft. Marq Pointer of H1Z1) – Single
2022 – Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit (Pantera Cover) – Single
2020 – Firing Order:18436572 – Single
2018 – Power Removal Service – LP
2017 – Rock The Fuck On – Single

Shared Stage with:
Goatwhore, Crowbar, Exhorder, Battlecross, Abigail Williams, Ghostbath, Wolf King, Raven, Mobile Deathcamp, Act Of Defiance, Psychostick, Crobot, Jungle Rot, Marc Rizzo, Necronomicon, Sarah Longfield, Scars of Atrophy, Malevolent, The Convalescence, Casket Robbery and many more…

Tours and Festivals:
2022 – Squidhammer Headline Tour (WI, IL, IA, OK, TX, KS)
2022 – WoR U.S. Tour (Direct Support) (WI, IA, IL, IN, OH, PA, VA)
2022 – Northern WI Metalfest XVIII – Lake Nebagamon, WI
2022 – Dimestock Metalfest XI – Watertown, WI
2022 – Toledo Deathfest – Toledo, OH
2022 – Squidhammer/INFLUENCE co-headline tour (MI, OH, PA, KY, IN, WI)
2020 – Dimestock Metalfest IX – Watertown, WI
2019 – Dimestock Metalfest VIII – Watertown, WI
2018 – Dimestock Metalfest VII – Watertown, WI
2018 – Project Mayhem VIII – Rhinelander, WI
2017 – Dimestock Metalfest VI – Watertown, WI
2017 – Project Mayhem VII – Rhinelander, WI
2016 – Dimestock Metalfest V – Madison, WI
2016 – Project Mayhem VI – Rhinelander, WI
2016 – Axemetal Fest II – Theresa, WI
2015 – Dimestock Metalfest IV – Madison, WI
2015 – Project Mayhem V – Rhinelander, WI
2014 – Dimestock Metalfest III – Madison, WI

0 EPK – Milanku – À l’aube (2023) (Folivora)

February 8, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Milanku (Folivora)

EPK – Milanku – À l’aube (2023) (Folivora)

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

For fans of Cult of Luna, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Isis, Neurosis, Yoo Doo Right

“After a long hiatus, we are excited to perform this new album live. We have maintained our core sound but we have grown immensely musically, I mean we had lots of time on our hands…and this album basically represents an offering to our fans who have been waiting for new music from us.” – Milanku

Album Title: À l’aube
Release Date: March 31, 2023
Label: FOLIVORA (Canada), D7i (Canada/USA), Moment of Collapse (EU)
Distribution: Believe Digital

Folivora.ca (Label) | Doze.mu/artistes/milanku (Management)

Facebook.com/milankuband | Instagram.com/milankuband | Youtube.com/@milankuband

Apple Music | Spotify | Milanku.bandcamp.com

“Milanku’s third full-length is a thing of beauty and terror. Its dichotomy of clean and harsh is endlessly intriguing, allowing exploration through a garbled shimmer that chokes and sputters across its thirty-nine minutes. While the ubiquitous Isis and Neurosis comparisons are partially fair, you’ll be more apt to recall Holy Fawn or Novarupta of yesteryear; its emphasis on organicity lends itself to minimalist sprawl rather than mammoth brutality. Somehow, though, the unbearable lightness of Milanku’s sound feels more punishing than any riff can provide. While certainly not for everyone and the nuanced post-rock influence takes many listens to unpack, this ascent through the roaring thunderclouds in the pinkish glow of dawn is worth every wound or scar that brought you here – it is an invitation to just be.” 4/ 5 – Angry Metal Guy

“Le groupe montréalais Milanku propose un album qui plaira aux amateurs de rock lourd, à ceux qui recherchent le travail sérieux derrière une démarche sincère.” – La Presse

“The Montreal group Milanku offers an album that will appeal to heavy rock fans, to those looking for serious work behind a sincere approach” – La Presse

“The five-member Montréal band conjures an ethereal sound that takes advantage of ambient soundscapes to drop a robust blend of post-everything.” – Doomed and Stoned

“By and large this is a production that should have a solid appeal among post-rock fans and those with a taste for atmospheric laden progressive rock where instrumental sections is a dominating aspect of the album experience.” – Progressor

“Some records are much more deeply emotional than others. They may hide pain, loneliness, hopelessness and other various positive or negative emotions. These first are some of the feelings that immediately came to my mind and soul listening to Milanku ‘s new record À l’aube. ” – Greek Rebels

“Cette fois-ci, le groupe nous présente un nouvel opus titré simplement À l’aube; une création évoquant un réveil aussi brutal que mélancolique après une nuit apocalyptique. En fait, ce disque pourrait très bien devenir la trame sonore d’un monde dévasté à jamais dont l’existence tient à quelques survivants…” – Le Canal Auditif

“This time, the group presents us with a new opus titled simply À l’aube; a creation evoking a sudden and melancholy awakening after an apocalyptic night. In fact, this disc could very well become the soundtrack of a world devastated forever whose existence depends on a few survivors…” – Le Canal Auditif

“Milanku manages to distinguish themselves from the patterns already seen in post-rock, betting their point essentially on the feelings of the listener by multiplying the textures: vaporous layers, crystalline notes, mysterious atmospheres, subtle experiments up to the crash of hardcore used sparingly but intensifying the many reliefs of this superb new album.” – Eklektik Rock

“À l’aube grants you the luxury of unimpeded time, where no clock can dictate the order of the day. It could stretch to an hour with no diminution of quality, yet five tracks spread over thirty-eight minutes are just as effective. Milanku’s music grows on you and reveals latent pleasures with each listen. You can see snowflakes outside, but you can also envisage a clear blue sky waiting in succession before the evening turns to dusk.” – Scream Blast Repeat

“it always has been, and continues to be about the music, and this album’s visceral power cannot be denied.” – A Closer Listen

““À L’aube; nous sommes disparus” slowly turns into a cyclone, as pop-jazz singer Erika Angell’s voice sounds like a high priestess in the wake of a storm that everyone is trying to escape.” – Pan M 360

“There is something about Milanku and their latest record Á l’aube that causes me to think, there is only one possible comparison and that might be the biggest one to draw in this little niche of ours: Envy. Yes, the one and only Envy. The masters from Japan and their unique sound. Milanku must have listened carefully and then transferred their newly gained insights perfectly into their own realms. Hard to beat in 2023.” – Veil of Sound

“The slowness of the post-hardcore of Milanku or the erasure of the world.” – Weird Sound

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: À l’aube
Release Date: March 31, 2023
Label: FOLIVORA (Canada), D7i (Canada/USA), Moment of Collapse (EU)
Distribution: Believe Digital

Track Listing:
1. À l’aube; de leurs silences – 10:54
2. À l’aube; il sera déjà trop tard – 8:04
3. À l’aube; prêchant la mauvaise nouvelle – 5:43
4. À l’aube; de la grande tristesse – 4:55
5. À l’aube; nous serons disparu – 8:41
Album Length: 38:16

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: MILANKU
• All songs written by: MILANKU
• Produced by: GUILLAUME CHIASSON ET MILANKU
• Mixed by: GUILLAUME CHIASSON
• Mastered by:
• Album Artwork by: FRANÇOIS LEMIEUX
• Member of SOCAN
• Music is Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album Recording and Live Lineup:
François Lemieux (Guitare, Synthétiseur)
Carl Ruest (Guitare, Voix)
Guillaume Chamberland (Basse, Voix)
Guillaume Boudreau-Monty (Drum)
Jean-François Bourbonnais (Guitare)

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

One whole, poignant, intense. Heavily influenced by the emotions of despair and loneliness brought on by the pandemic.

The lyrics of Milanku are written in the form of text per album. Once the music is composed, the lyrics are composed. The lyrics and the flow are inspired by the music and the feeling it gives us inside. We are inspired by Milan Kundera and more precisely on his works of ”La lenteur” and ”La plaisanterie”. Once the text of the album is composed, the sentences are divided from one song to the other of the album. The music, the lyrics as well as the live performances of the group are very much influenced by the daily life of each one where we are plunged in a reality where everything goes very fast.

Most of the skeleton of the album was built before the pandemic. After a few months of downtime, we refined and modified the songs and recorded the songs in two studio sessions. The pandemic had an impact on the sound of all the songs on the album. Without the pandemic, the result of the album would not be the same at all. The album sounds like a whole, a maturity of the band and a story that is told from the first note to the last.

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

If you take the songs titles, they form a poem that describes the process of the story:
-Track 1 – first single as well
À l’aube; de leurs silences = In the dawn; of their silences
A slow post rock piece full of angst.

-Track 2
À l’aube; il sera déjà trop tard = At dawn, it will already be too late
A heavier track that tries to convey the feeling of loss of control.

-Track 3
À l’aube; prêchant la mauvaise nouvelle = At dawn; preaching the bad news
The idea behind this track was about the bombardment of information during the pandemic.

-Track 4

À l’aube; de la grande tristesse = At the dawn; of great sadness
This songs portrays the loneliness, the suicides, the violence against women that our isolation created.

-Track 5 – second single- featuring Erika Angell from Thus Owls
À l’aube; nous serons disparus = At dawn, we will be gone
The most musically emotional track of the album, this song starts of as a sweet guitar melody and slowly turns into a storm featuring Erika’s voice as the grand priestess of this storm that everyone is trying to escape. The lyrics in Swedish and French make it even more mystical.

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. The band is very influenced by writer Milan Kundera

2. All the visuals and graphics concepts are created by the band, that includes videos, posters, album graphics, etc.

3. Although their music is a little on the sad side, the band is actually very funny and charming.

Photo Credit – Nick Shaw

If Milanku draws its origins from the work of Milan Kundera, the soundtrack is definitely more on the side of the thundering density of the being than of its “unbearable lightness”, galvanized by the Czech author.

From the start, Milanku hammers out its brutal character, infused with melancholy, even dystopia, and standing straight upright on the wire: defiant, shouting, and inspired.

Mesmerized by the warrior’s rage, flayed by its own doldrums, the quartet relies on pared-down arrangements and an oft-staged vocal presence, harmonizing like an instrument, and howling at the big time, but plastered with a disquieting sense of dilettante.

At the heart of the enterprise, tearing off the peels of flapping skins, we explore the state of affairs of the contemporary genre, tragic, desolate, where any notion of common sense seems diffuse in the amalgam of trompe-l’oeil. The texts are meditative, inquisitive and the observations that emanate from them, weep and persist in trying to make sense of it, through its ever-growing losses of illusion.

With four full-length releases behind them, both in Canada (D7I Records, Désordre Ordonné, L’oeil du Tigre), and abroad (Tokyo Jupiter Records (Japan), Moments of Collapse (Germany), Replenish Records (USA), GS production records (Russia), We are Grain of Sand (Russia) Alerta-Antifascista, Milanku presents today À l’aube (Folivora, 2023), a five-track burn that breathes new life into a caste of disenfranchised people, imbued with a disarming lucidity, and gives itself a framework and a voice to pull its head out of the swamp.

International recognition

The band has been affiliated with several; indie labels and distributors over the years, namely: in Canada (D7I Records, Désordre Ordonné, L’oeil du Tigre), Jupiter Records (Japan), Moments of Collapse (Germany), Replenish Records (USA), GS production records (Russia), We are Grain of Sand (Russia) as well as Alerta-Antifascista (Germany).

In 2016, the band will continue to tour Europe, visiting the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria.

The band’s albums have been consistently recognized at the GAMIQ since 2013 in addition to jumping on a plethora of specialized year-end lists around the globe.

Milanku is:
François Lemieux (Guitare, Synthétiseur)
Carl Ruest (Guitare, Voix)
Guillaume Chamberland (Basse, Voix)
Guillaume Boudreau-Monty (Drum)
Jean-François Bourbonnais (Guitare)

Discography:
2023 – À l’Aube (Label – Folivora, Distrbuted by Believe Digital)
2018 – Monument du non-être et Mouvement du non-vivant (Distributed by D7i, Replenish Records, L’Oeil du Tigre, Moment of Collapse)
2015 – Des Fragments (Distributed by D7i, Replenish Records, L’oeil du Tigre, Moment of Collapse, Tokyo Jupiter, Grans of Sand Records)
2012 – Pris à la gorge (Distributed by Tokyo Jupiter, L’œil du Tigre, D7i, Moment of Collapse, GSP Records, Replenish Records)
2008 – Convalescence (Distributed by
Tokyo Jupiter, L’œil du Tigre, D7i, Moment of Collapse, GSP Records, Replenish Records)

Shared Stage with:
If These Trees Could Talk, Féroce, Alcest, The Caution Children, Atsuko Chiba, Zéro Absolu, Oktoplut

Tour and Festivals:
2018 – Nuits Psychédéliques In MTL
2019 – Franco de Montréal
2020 – Coup de Cœur Francophone in MTL
2021 – Metaverse show during the Phoque OFF festival in Québec City

0 EPK – Red Cain – Blight (single) (2023)

February 6, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Red Cain

EPK – Red Cain – Blight (single) (2023)

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

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

Single Title: Blight
Release Date: Jan 17, 2023
Label: Independent
Distribution: Digital

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

Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon

Calgary, Canada’s fantasy prog power metal Red Cain is kicking off the beginning of 2023 with their next The Wheel of Time (novel/TV series) inspired single entitled “Blight” that continues the storyline from their previous single “The Fisher King” released this past November.

An epic and progressive track, “Blight” shreds fans into another voyage of storytelling, vocalist Evgeniy Zayarny explains further:

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

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

“Blight” was mastered by Alan Sascha Laskow (Every Hour Kills, ex-Divinity) and mixed by Tyler Corbett, (Sole Audio).

Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Red Cain
• All songs written by: Red Cain
• Produced by: Red Cain
• Mixed by: Tyler Corbett
• Mastered by: Alan Sacha Laskow
• Album Artwork by: Red Cain
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

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

Sing

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

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

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

“Fisher King”, was written in its original form over 10 years ago, long before Red Cain’s existence as a band – so it was an extremely cool experience to go back to this old track, rewrite, and revitalize it to fit our sound. Much like our upcoming album, “Fisher King” keeps the quintessential Red Cain “melancholy and rage” but takes the death metal influences from “Kindred: Act II” even further, featuring a huge growl-centric chorus, a variety of down tuned, sludgy riffs, and gripping, raw vocal hooks and melodies.” – Red Cain

[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]

Single Title: Fisher King
Release Date: Nov. 9, 2022
Label: Independent
Distribution: Digital

Track Listing:
1. Fisher King – (5:37)

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

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

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

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

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

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

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

L to R: Samuel Ridout (guitar), Tyler Corbett (guitar), Evgeniy Zayarny (vocals), Kalie Yan (bass, vocals), Taylor Gibson (drums)

Melancholy and Rage

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

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

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

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

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

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

What the press is saying:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

======

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

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

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

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

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

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

0 EPK – Necronomicon Ex Mortis – Self-Titled (2023)

February 6, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Necronomicon Ex Mortis

EPK – Necronomicon Ex Mortis – Self-Titled (2023)

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

For fans of Black Dahlia Murder, Obscura, Arsis, Racer X, Megadeth

“The music and lyrics are 90s death metal riffs and 80s guitar solos. We want the listener to feel like they’re trapped in an 80s B horror movie. On VHS, obviously.” – Necronomicon Ex Mortis

Band: Necronomicon Ex Mortis
Title: Necronomicon Ex Mortis
Release Date: March 31, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Necronomiconexmortisband.com | Facebook | Instagram.com/necronomiconexmortisband | Spotify | Necronomiconexmortis.bandcamp.com

“You might suspect we’re exaggerating, but we’re really not. The four songs on the EP are undeniably sinister and ferocious, but the dominant impression of the music is that it’s exhilarating and exultant, the work of people who decided to put their formidable talents to the test, while having a shitload of fun doing that. When you listen it will make sense to hear that the EP comes recommended for fans of Black Dahlia Murder, Obscura, Arsis, Racer X, and Megadeth.” – No Clean Singing

“Inspired by Swedish Death Metal “Celestial Tomb” lays down the blast beats while having an interesting melodic lead that flies into a monstrous extended face melting solo of the highest order, confirming if there was any doubt that these musicians have the capability to step on stages with World Superpower level bands and hold their own. If it wasn’t for their love of old school works, you could easily see them going down the more technical road of an Archspire or Inferi, the clues to that murder mystery are all wrapped up within this whirlwind of an opener for all to witness.” – Metal Noise

“the EP feels solid. It has remarkable melodies, a good sound and a cool cover.” – Metal Bite

“Epic/symphonic black metal, good technical and proggy stuff too.” – WORT FM 89.9FM (Madison, WI)

“They are young, their desire is noticeable and they are also capable of entertaining… “Earth Cancer” radically changes the record and becomes something more classic, sounding more like things like CANNIBAL CORPSE or CANCER, but maintaining the technique of the former. I am very surprised by the work of both guitarists, since they are capable of combining good riffs with a certain dose of brutality without leaving an unintelligible hodgepodge.” – Necromance Magazine

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: Necronomicon Ex Mortis
Title: Necronomicon Ex Mortis
Release Date: March 31, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Track Listing:
1. Celestial Tomb (4:35)
2. Earth Cancer (4:22)
3. Nocturnal (4:00)
4. The Burning (4:59)
EP Length: 17:58

EP Recording Credits:
All songs performed by: Michael Nystrom Bala (Guitar), Manuel Barbará (Guitar), Yusuf Rashid (Bass), Joey Ferretti (Drums), Craig Schmul (Vocals)
All songs written by: Michael Nystrom Bala
Produced/Mixed by: Charlie Waymire at Ultimate Studios
Album artwork by: Lucas Korte
ASCAP Member

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

The music and lyrics are 90s death metal riffs and 80s guitar solos wrapped in a B horror movie.

Ttrack by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

1. Celestial Tomb
This is a Swedish-style rager with an interesting melodic twist. Lyrically, it was inspired by the chalice dungeons in Bloodborne.

2. Earth Cancer
A song about angering God so he curses the human race with overpopulation. Musically, this is more meat-and-potatoes old-school death metal to contrast with the previous song.

3. Nocturnal
A combination of Michael’s favorite thrash riffs. It’s about murdering teenagers at a summer camp.

4. The Burning
The final track on this EP as well as future releases will always be named after a horror movie. This song is about The Burning, the acclaimed 80s horror movie. Musically, it is the most complex to play, it involves a key change, it’s the fastest song on the EP, and the most interesting.

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

FUN FACTS – STORY ANGLES

1. The members of this band are good friends from Berklee

2. While in LA recording this EP, Mike, and Manuel listened to Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia at least 5 times

3. Yusuf learned and recorded the bass parts the same day he joined the band (saving us the trouble)

4. An extreme love for the Evil Dead franchise is what ultimately willed this band into existence.

5. While recording, we spent several days complaining about how difficult the rental truck was to drive until our engineer pointed out you can disable the 4-wheel drive.

Top – Michael Bala – Guitar, Manuel Barbarà – Guitar

Bottom – Yusuf Rashid – Bass, Craig Schmul – Vocals, Joey Ferretti – Drums

Chicago, USA’s Necronomicon Ex Mortis is a bubbling cauldron of 80’s horror movies, the 80s shred goods, modern production, and tight thrash metal. They are gearing up to release their debut self-titled album which is intended to transport listeners into a VHS tape of campy horror and aggressive riffs.

Encapsulating all the best that horrors have to offer, from old school horror movies, horror games and H.P. Lovecraft, Necronomicon Ex Mortis introduce their bloody music with gusto in hope that it will worm its way into the brains of metal fans around the world.

Necronomicon Ex Mortis was formed out of extreme love for 90s death metal and 80s shred. The idea came to be when Bala called some of his best friends from Berklee and used a combination of pestering, begging, and trickery to get them to play metal with him.

This EP acts as a trailer for their music, a taste of the feature-length that is on the horizon, and a small sampling of what is the gory good time that awaits in the future. It is recommended for fans of Black Dahlia Murder, Obscura, and Arsis.

The self-titled debut EP is due out March 31st, 2023.

0 EPK – Surface of The Sun – Dragon (EP) (2020)

February 3, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Surface of The Sun

EPK – Surface of The Sun – Dragon (EP) (2020)

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

For fans of Tool, A Perfect Circle, Chevelle

“Musically the two songs were meant to contrast. Dragon was written to be on the fringe of what I would normally classify as a Surface of the Sun song. I had radio in mind when I wrote this, and tried to keep the song within boundaries that one typically needs for radio, but still make sure it has the Surface of the Sun feel. Vanguard was meant to be more progressive, and contrasting, and a current example of the roots of Surface of the Sun.

Lyrically, Dragon and Vanguard are essentially part 2 and 3, after the lyrics of Oblivion. Oblivion is basically about overcoming the voice inside that might tell one they are not good enough; it’s about overcoming self doubt. Dragon is about, now having beaten that voice, finding that inner strength, the Dragon, to become what one is meant to or wants to be. Vanguard is about, now having become that thing, the dragon, becoming a leader who can inspire others to do the same. So, its cyclical. It’s a process of growth that repeats itself, spreading from one person to the next.” – Devon Egger – Surface The Sun

Band: Surface The Sun
Album Title: Dragon
Release Date: Aug 17, 2020
1. Dragon (3:47)
2. Vanguard (6:19)
EP Length: 10:06

Surfaceofthesunmusic.com | Instagram.com/surface_of_the_sun_music | Facebook.com/surfaceofthesun | Youtube.com/@surfaceofthesun

Surfaceofthesun.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

“Panacea is a very well put together release and really showcases Eggers’ production and musical skills” – Powerplay Magazine UK (2019 – Panacea EP)

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: Surface The Sun
Album Title: Dragon
Release Date: Aug 17, 2020
1. Dragon (3:47)
2. Vanguard (6:19)
EP Length: 10:06

EP Credits:
Music: All music and lyrics written and performed by Devon Eggers, except the drums, which were performed by Chris Warunki.
Produced, recorded, edited, and mixed by Devon Eggers at Surface of the Sun Studios.
Mastered by Andrew Downton at Railtown Mastering.
EP Artwork: By Vohrart
Member of SOCAN
Content is Canadian Music (MAPL)

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

The EP as a whole and track by track:

Musically the two songs were meant to contrast.

Dragon was written to be on the fringe of what I would normally classify as a Surface of the Sun song. I had the radio in mind when I wrote this and tried to keep the song within boundaries that one typically needs for radio, but still make sure it has the Surface of the Sun feel. Vanguard was meant to be more progressive and contrasting, and a current example of the roots of Surface of the Sun.

Lyrically, Dragon and Vanguard are essentially parts 2 and 3, after the lyrics of Oblivion. Oblivion is basically about overcoming the voice inside that might tell one they are not good enough; it’s about overcoming self-doubt. Dragon is about, now having beaten that voice, finding that inner strength, the Dragon, to become what one is meant to or wants to be. Vanguard is about, now having become that thing, the dragon, becoming a leader who can inspire others to do the same. So, it’s cyclical. It’s a process of growth that repeats itself, spreading from one person to the next.

Musically:

Dragon: Dragon is a catchy, yet heavy track, that is driven by a kick drum like a dance (EDM) song would be. It even has, after the bridge, an EDM-like “drop” into the final chorus. It blends a dance-like feel into a prog-rock track.

Vanguard: Vanguard is a longer, progressive soundscape that follows a unique arrangement that allows for interesting builds and dynamics between sections. The vocal arrangement is kept simpler to allow for more complexities within the Asian instruments that complement the heavy guitar tracks.

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

Fun Facts – Story Angles

1. Surface of the Sun is a solo project by Devon Eggers, with almost 100% of all things being created and done by Devon Eggers. Each album is a massive undertaking that requires him to wear multiple hats, use multiple skillsets, have crazy patience, utilize thorough planning, and manage a project that normally requires several skilled people. He also does this while being 100% independent, with no finanical support or other support of any kind. Surfuce of the Sun is likely to be one of the most “independent” and “solo” projects anyone will encounter.

2. Oblivion, Surface of the Sun’s first hit single, was not written to or intended in any way to be a radio single. Yet, through an interesting combination of events, ended up reaching 26 on the Canadian Rock Radio TOP 40 chart.

3. Oblivion, released in 2019, captured the attention of Billboard, giving Devon Eggers and Surface of the Sun an artist spotlight.

4. Devon received a 4-page interview spread in Long & McQuades 2019 fall cataloge.

5. Devon Eggers also writes, performs, and releases music from multiple genres under his own name. These are entirely solo endeavours, just like Surface of the Sun. He is also a novelist, having written two books in a series that has received 5-star reviews on Amazon. Book 3 is in the works.

Photo Credit – Charmaine Schmaltz

After moving to Vancouver, Canada, in 2002 to obtain an education in audio engineering, Devon Eggers worked as an in-house and freelance engineer in many of the major studios around the city. During this time, he focused on developing his skills as an engineer and producer, learning from studio regulars such as Garth Richardson (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chevelle, Rage Against the Machine), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend Project), and Dave Genn (Matthew Good Band, 54-40).

During that time Devon also wrote original material with other musicians. Nothing serious ever developed, but he continued to write, finding his sound and voice as an artist. It wasn’t until around 2005, intrigued by the challenge, that he decided to pursue his music as a solo endeavour, which required moving beyond being just a guitar player. Devon focused on developing his skills with other instruments and singing and then wrote his debut album, A Dying Star. He performed all music and lyrics (except for drums), and after some significant life changes, completed recording and mixing the album in a very small town in northern British Columbia. In 2011 Devon chose the project name, Surface of the Sun, and A Dying Star was released.

Since then Devon released the EP, Panacea(2019), which had it’s single, Oblivion, peak at 26 on the Canadian radio Rock TOP 40 charts, and the single, Dragon (2020). From Oblivion’s success, Devon received an Artist Spotlight by Billboard in 2019, and a feature article by Long & McQuade in the Fall 2020 magazine.

Devon experimented with other genres releasing two EPs under a secondary solo project that will be re-released under his name in 2021. He also self-published his first novel, an action-packed thriller with a sci-fi twist called, Sky View (available as an e-book on Amazon and Kobo). He continues to develop his expertise as a safety professional specializing in improving workplace safety and culture and started acting in short films in 2020.

Devon also offers multiple music services including mixing, training, and production. Please feel free to send him a message on Facebook if you’re interested to learn more about these services.

Discography:
2011 – A Dying Star
2019 – Panacea
2020 – Dragon

0 EPK – Maudiir – Soliloque (2023)

January 31, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Maudiir

EPK – Maudiir – Soliloque (2023)

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

For fans of Skeletonwitch, Darkthrone, Voivod, Ihsahn, Carcass

Band: Maudiir
EP Title: Soliloque
Release Date: April 7, 2023
Label: Self-Release

“‘Soliloque’ is a riff-driven EP with big bass grooves and corrosive vocals raging on environmental issues, mixing thrash metal, black metal and progressive elements, giving it a unique sound and feel.

‘Soliloque’ is a different EP than ‘La Part du Diable’, which was also different than ‘Le Temps Peste’. I like to think that the overall production is getting better with every release. I don’t want to repeat myself or focus on some kind of recipe. The overall sound of ‘Soliloque’ is very different from ‘La Part du Diable’; different guitar, bass, and drum sounds. I also used less effect on the vocals, a more in-your-face approach. One song was recorded with a 7-string guitar, and I dabbled with some slide guitar on another… Trying new stuff. I particularly like the bass sound that cuts through really well. Being primarily a guitar player, I‘ve really come to enjoy giving a lot of space to the bass guitar in my music. It’s the instrument that I have the most pleasure recording.” – Maudiir

Facebook.com/people/Maudiir/100063607593649 | Twitter.com/maudiir1 | Youtube.com/@maudiir356 | Instagram.com/maudiirofficial

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

Canadian College Radio Loud Charts: #1 – The National Loud Chart – For the Week Ending: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 (Earshot)

“As “The Slumber” begins, a jittery, dissonant bass riff, underlaid by droning guitar and soon joined by F.‘s rabid snarl, creates an immediate feeling of incipient and dangerous derangement as it quivers above a neck-popping back-beat and a febrile bass line.” – No Clean Singing

“Feel free to imagine Maudiir as a mix of early Metallica and Enslaved, Darkthrone, Diamond Head, Skeletonwitch, Martyrdöd, Skitsystem and fellow French Canadian technology users/abusers, Voivod. Sitting at home with no shows to attend or play for a year has provided F. the opportunity to work in isolation and create the next chapter in the Maudiir story, La Part du Diable. The five songs within continue stirring the influence pot with the result being simultaneous sweet and sourness, light and darkness, uplift and despondency.” – Decibel Magazine

“If you’re tired of all those black/thrash bands that sound too much like each other, this is a little different. Just solid blackened thrash with a strong footing in traditional heavy metal that calls for repeat plays.” – The Metal Crypt

“If this is what Maudiir can achieve in only 24 minutes and 24 seconds, bring on a full-length. If you’re into Skeletonwitch, Voivod, or Ihsahn, give release this a listen!” – 4/5 Metal-Rules.com

“It’s The Crowning Hour that closes out a banger of an EP. Where the guitars blur reality and the drums hammer so hard, the brain begins to ache. The tempo is fiery, and the passionate delivery is joyfully received again.” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“The first thing you notice about Maudiir‘s new EP, La Part du Diable, is just how good the record sounds. Crystal clear production on a blackened thrash release might not be at the top of every listener’s shopping list, but here the production absolutely works for F.” – Sentinel Daily

“What’s so refreshing with this E.P. is the flourishing evolution of styles and the sheer confidence in which the music is played. Aided by the crisp and professional production, this is a genuinely exciting release.” – The Razor’s Edge

“Maudiir entertain those who like black metal but also are open to prog and old school heavy metal. The mix is pleasing and the whole thing works very well.” – CGCM Podcast

“Touches of punk add attitude to these five angry and aggressive pieces of blackened thrash metal and make it an impressive debut EP” – Loud Enough? Magazine

“Some really great tracks and precise playing makes this debut EP a note worthy event” – Absolute Underground Magazine

““Le Temps Peste” is overall an engaging listen that, as it progresses, gets even better and more complex, gradually easing you into the building mood and feel of the EP, the first couple of tracks “Product” and “Abuse The Used” build on bleak Blackened driving riffs alongside a vitriolic rasping vocal delivery, the latter also benefiting from more of a haunting melody developing, a galloping Thrashy second half and soaring lead work which really adds to the sound.” 4/5 – The Metal Wanderlust

“Métal de bord en bord, ce projet fait partie de ceux dont les sonorités sont parfaitement heavy, mais ô combien inclassables, où se mêlent habilement les influences et saveurs auditives les plus diverses. Avec Maudiir, on fusionne avec brio black, thrash et death mélodique, avec une touche de métal classique et de NWOBHM dans les acérés riffs. Le temps peste inclut tout plein de riffs aussi corrosifs que galopants, qui rendraient très fiers autant un prêtre traître qu’une vierge de fer, risquant très bien de vous donner un sale mal de cou.” – BoulevardBrutal.com

“En tous les cas, F. ne s’enfonce pas dans l’erreur des artistes qui bossent en solo, à savoir, s’enfermer dans leur monde et devenir hermétique à l’oreille lambda. Sa musique est bien orchestrée ; même si elle fait appel à du déjà connu, elle tient la route et on y aime y retourner plusieurs fois. Il y a, à la fois de l’agressivité, de la noirceur, mais aussi de la fluidité dans ce metal un peu vieille école, mais bien vivant!” – Metal France

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: Maudiir
EP Title: Soliloque
Release Date: April 7, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Toxic Cloud (5 :24)
2. L’Éloge du Cuivre (5 :02)
3. Residue (4 :30)
4. Regarde au Ciel (4:41)
5. CH4 (5:44)
EP Length: 25:24

EP Credits:
• All songs performed by: F.
• All songs written by: F.
• Produced by: F.
• Mixed by: F.
• Mastered by: F.
• Album Artwork by: cover artwork by bergZ, band logo by Dopesmoker
• Member of SOCAN
• Music is Canadian Content (MAPL)

EP Recording Lineup:
F. – Everything

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

The EP as a whole explained:
‘Soliloque’ is a riff-driven EP with big bass grooves and corrosive vocals raging on environmental issues, mixing thrash metal, black metal, and progressive elements, giving it a unique sound and feel.

Track by Track explanation:

1. ‘Toxic Cloud’ starts off with a classic metal/almost hard rock feel, then goes into a black metal frenzy with a very epic ending. The song is about the Bhopal disaster.

2. ‘L’Éloge du Cuivre’ is a very different song for Maudiir. I would describe it as Helmet/Prong meets ‘Spirit of Sulfur’ from the previous EP ‘La Part du Diable’. A result of experimenting with a 7-string guitar, I think it’s a very catchy song and I really love the instrumental thrash metal section. The song is mostly about the Fonderie Horne in northern Quebec, but also touches on any non-repenting polluting company.

3. ‘Residue’ starts off with a 90’s death metal feel, then goes into a Killing Joke-type chorus. It’s about the additives/pollutants we are forced to consume, be it through food, water, or air, and their effects on our health.

4. ‘Regarde au Ciel’ is my first try at composing a song in French Québécois, my native tongue. A fast number that starts off with an odd time signature riff then goes into a very melodic bass-driven passage and has a black metal bridge section. The lyrics are about the general state of the environment, and how we are pretty much powerless and somewhat disinterested in really doing anything about it.

5. ‘CH4’ is a black/thrash metal hybrid with a very catchy chorus and an instrumental section where I experimented with slide guitar. It’s about the landfill fires in India, and the people living around these landfills.

Maudiir – Band Photo Credit: bergZ

Maudiir, coming from the underbelly of Montreal, Quebec, Canada is an outlet for observations on obedience and industrialization riddled with man-made waste. With 80s heavy metal influences alongside black metal and punk, Maudiir is unique in sound; hauntingly dark while being corrosive and galloping.

Maudiir is a one-man black/prog/thrash metal project that formed to be musically independent. Starting with guitar, F. works his way through each sullen track, adding drums, recording all the colorations and textures of the guitars, adding bass, and finally writing the words, very often at the same time they are being recorded.

The pessimistic aura of the music combines with lyrics about consumer society, religion, science going awry, addiction to technology, and environmental decay.

Maudiir released the debut EP “Le Temps Peste” in February 2020 and a year later unleashed the follow-up “La Part du Diable” in 2021.

Now in 2023, two years after the sophomore record, Maudiir returns with the third offering “Soliloque”, an intense and aggressive five-track record built on thrash metal foundations, flirting with prog and melodic tendencies.

“It’s not a linear EP; certainly not the same song repeated again and again. Open-minded people, step in. Those who have heard my past EPs will notice ‘Soliloque’ is different than ‘La Part du Diable’, which was also different than ‘Le Temps Peste’. I like to think that the overall production is getting better with every release. I don’t want to repeat myself or focus on some kind of recipe. The overall sound of ‘Soliloque’ is very different from ‘La Part du Diable’; different guitar, bass, and drum sounds. I also used less effect on the vocals, a more in-your-face approach. One song was recorded with a 7-string guitar, I dabbled with some slide guitar on another… Trying new stuff. I particularly like the bass sound that cuts through really well. Being primarily a guitar player, I‘ve really come to enjoy giving a lot of space to the bass guitar in my music. It’s the instrument that I have the most pleasure recording.” adds Maudiir.

“Soliloque” is due out April 7, 2023.

F. (ex-Deeply Confused, Tears for the Dead Gods) is also currently leading prog/thrash metal outfit Trinity Blast.

Maudiir is F.

Discography:
2023 – Soliloque (EP)
2021 – La Part du Diable (EP)
2020 – Le Temps Peste (EP)

0 EPK – Asylence – Endanger Us All (2023)

January 30, 2023
by Asher
· Asylence · EPKs

EPK – Asylence – Endanger Us All (2023)

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

“We hope that everyone is ready for our greatest effort which is Endanger Us All. We couldn’t be more proud of how this album came together. Listeners who are familiar with us will hear some material they are used to and a lot of new attitudes that they have never heard before. Our first EP was merely an introduction to what we can do compared to the range this record has achieved.

We were faced with a decision on whether or not to include some of our oldest songs on this record which we never had properly recorded. After we realized how well our new and old material blended for a well-balanced experience from start to finish we really started to understand the raw energy this album radiates.

It’s heavy, it’s deadly,” – Ayslence

For fans of Arch Enemy, Devildriver, In Flames, Amon Amarth

Album Title: Endanger Us All
Release Date: February 24, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CDBaby

Asylence.com/merch | Spotify | Apple Music

“There’s some truly fierce deathcore emerging from the Midwest. One of the most promising acts from the region is Asylence. Not only do they lean into the tropes of the genre (Gotta love that quick little bass fill before the vocals kick in!) but their brand new video, ‘Arrows For Christ’ is absolutely killer!” – Metal Injection

“Eulogy of Man features top musicianship and is a heavy, melodic, groove-laden group of songs sure to excite old-school heads as well as forward-thinking fans of modern bands.” – Ghost Cult Magazine

“Michigan metal outfit Asylence have teamed up with Metal Insider to premiere a video for their emotionally-driven new song, “Endanger Us All.” – Metal Insider

“Melodic death metal powerhouse” – Decibel Magazine

“Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with going with a classic formula and hitting it out of the park.” – Dead Rhetoric

“Nasty, angry, aggressive, and heavy. What’s not to like? Ranging from old-school death metal, black metal, and deathcore, it’s all here plus a shed load of real technical ability and attitude. The future’s bright for Asylence.” – Myglobalmind Online Magazine

“Where Asylence expand beyond normal parameters is in a song like “In Solidarity We Die” – the placement of lower register alternative / clean vocals against the heavier screams / growls allows the music to be equally twisted at a doom to mid-paced crawl, adding tension plus darker textures over the course of the arrangement. Smartly keeping the run time for Endanger Us All just under 30 minutes, Asylence approach their music from a mix of influences that include acts like Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Devildriver, and Jungle Rot.” – Dead Rhetoric

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: Endanger Us All
Release Date: February 24, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CDBaby

Track Listing:
1. A Call To Arms – 0:55
2. Endanger Us All – 3:53
3. The Garden of Disrespect – 3:34
4. Eternity, Please – 3:37
5. In Solidarity, We Die – 3:32
6. Arrows For Christ – 3:25
7. In This Hell – 3:47
8. Soulless – 3:32
9. A War Waging Within – 3:16
Album Length: 29:35

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Asylence
• All songs written by: Asylence
• Produced by: Aaron Lumsden
• Mixed by: Aaron Lumsden
• Mastered by: Aaron Lumsden
• Album Artwork by: Diyaco Paymazd

Album and Live Band Lineup:
Ryan Lang – Vocals
Aaron Lumsden – Guitar
Alex Aubuchon – Drums
Richard Olrich – Bass Guitar

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

Track By Track Explanation:

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY) Lyrically this album is mixed because of the timeline in which songs were written, but overall I feel like it hits the way it was meant to. I try to convey a message to our audience more than I try to shock with vulgarity, and my message is usually that of self awareness and the horrors that can occur under the guise of salvation. Musically these songs weave the emotion and intensity of our message.

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY).

2. Endanger Us All – This song is the perfect representation of the direction we want to continue for our music. Each of our songs is personal to me Lyrically but this one really just spilled out of me. How we all felt during the pandemic like we were dirty or some kind of contagion to be careful around others and to isolate ourselves despite how the loneliness can affect you.

3. The Garden of Disrespect – This is one of my favorite of our newer material, it just goes so hard. This song was fun to write, super morbid, and to the point. You can’t take it with you, we’re all gonna die, be humble.

4. Eternity, Please – About as dark and brooding as it gets on the album is this song. We really show some black metal roots at the start and then right into our own sound with a splash of something experimental for us, this is a bit of a ride. The lyrics tell a tale of a king who wanders his halls with no question to his reign but still he suffers. Heavy and lonely is the crown, and the years can feel like an eternity alone.

5. In Solidarity We Die – This song is Aaron’s favorite, and for good reason. The guys really put their heads together on this one, musically this song just rips with a melodic twist on the chorus. The song to me sounds like it was written by the last person on Earth, writing the final texts about the tragic failing of humankind that brought us to our doom.

6. Arrows for Christ – Arrows for Christ was inspired by the tale of an American Christian Missionary who in 2018 illegally traveled to the North Sentinel Island in an attempt to preach Christianity to the isolated Sentinelese tribe. On the third day he was killed by the tribe, and as he requested in his journal, his remains were never recovered

7. We Are The Devils – This was actually the first song we ever wrote as a band. It really shows the progression we have taken since we all started it’s all started, we still love this song and play it often. This song basically says if we are all doomed we might as well have a good time

8. Soulless – This is another oldie but a goodie. One of the heaviest songs we’ve ever written especially early on in the band. This is screaming in an addict’s face. This is how hard it is to see a loved one fade away into the depths of addiction.

9. A War Waging Within – This song goes way back but still holds its own on the album. This is an old-school angry metal song straight forward in-your-face “sick of this shit” attitude.

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. The ending to Soulless was actually first written off the cuff live. We screwed up how it was supposed to end and just ran with it and the crowd loved it. We did too, so we made sure to add it to the final song.

2. We found our bassist and friend Richard Olrich on Craigslist, which we are told rarely works out. We are certainly glad it did for us!

3. Ryan named the band after the now Haunted attraction and former actual insane asylum from his hometown, Eloise.

4. The A War Waging Within lyrics about a “world of shit” was inspired by the movie Full Metal Jacket and the original title for the song was Full Metal Jackass.

5. Aaron has his own production company Akuro Productions and has become the band’s main source for promo pictures and video content. Truly a jack of all trades!

L-R – Alex Aubuchon – Drums, Aaron Lumsden – Guitar, Ryan Lang – Vocals, Richard Olrich – Bass

Asylence (uh-sigh-lence): A hybrid of the words Asylum and Silence, when joined together, present a universal idea and timeless message: The constant suffering and failures of mankind. After the dissolution of drummer Alex Aubuchon’s highly active, long-standing thrash band, he began to focus his efforts on recruiting for his new project. He discovered the talent of guitarist Aaron Lumsden, an avid scene supporter who frequented many local and regional shows.

A dedicated relationship quickly formed between the pair, and Asylence was born. Frontman Ryan Lang, having been a mainstay in the Detroit metal scene but group-less at the time, was Asylence’s first choice to handle vocal duties. Ryan accepted, excited at the idea of hitting the stage once again. Shortly after, bassist Richard Olrich joined the group to complete the sound. A new era of heavy metal ensued.

Forged from the melting pot of Detroit’s underground metal scene, Asylence is a well-oiled metal machine built with passion, intent, and ferocity like no other. Since their formation in 2016, Asylence has been on a path of sonic destruction as they crush their audiences with fierce live performances throughout Michigan and surrounding states, opening for national acts such as Archspire, Belphegor, and Sea of Treachery, among others. Taking no prisoners and amassing a loyal, respecting fan base in the Midwest and beyond, behold the rise of Asylence.

Album and Live Band Lineup:
Ryan Lang – Vocals
Aaron Lumsden – Guitar
Alex Aubuchon – Drums
Richard Olrich – Bass Guitar

Discography:
2023 – (Upcoming) Endanger Us All – LP
2020 – Eulogy Of Man – EP
2016 – Forge The Void – Demo

Shared Stage with:
Destruction, Belphegor, Archspire, Cryptopsy, Warbringer, Traitors, Origin, Signs of the Swarm, Sea of Treachery, Jungle Rot, Defeated Sanity, Widowmaker, Bury Your Dead, The Convalescence, VCTMS, Filth, Dyscarnate, Kissing Candice, Falsifier, Obliterate, The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Panzerfaust

Tours and Festivals:
2019 – Pizza Show – Warren, MI
2018 – Detroit Metal Festival – Detroit, MI
2018 – My Home Your Hell Tour – Warren, MI
2017 – North American Totenritual – Detroit, MI
2017 – Bloodletting North America XI – Westland, MI
2017 – North America Under Attack – Detroit, MI

Music Placements if any (Movies, Commercials)
Fuzz & Malloy S02E02 “The Spooky Houseguest” – https://youtu.be/gzp4AuYTcHI

0 EPK – Category VI – Firecry (2023) (Moribund Records)

January 30, 2023
by Asher
· Category VI (Moribund Records) · EPKs

EPK – Category VI – Firecry (2023) (Moribund Records)

For fans of Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, Dio, Mercyful Fate

Band: Category VI
Album Title: Firecry
Release Date: March 24, 2023
Label: Moribund Records
Distribution: Moribund Records

Facebook.com/CategoryVI | Instagram.com/categoryviofficial | Youtube.com/CategoryVImetal

Spotify | Categoryvi.bandcamp.com/

Follow Moribund Records: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Spotify

“a promising band worth watching.” – Rock Hard (DE)

“the band, with their sound rooted firmly in the early 80s, play with real charisma.” – The Independent Voice

“a really nice slab of metal that should please fans of the old and new heavy and power metal genres.” – Metal Crypt –

“If you dig acts like Seven Kingdoms, Mindmaze, or Helion Prime, then I’d call this a no brainer although Category VI do separate themselves from their contemporaries with a more pugilistic edge, and a lethal injection of classic metal attitude which would call to mind Judas Priest or Mercyful Fate. Overall a solid record. You could do far worse than check this out. “ – The MetalCrypt

“So if you like your metal aggressive yet smooth, soulful while never failing to thrash, and resonating without sacrificing in that certain visceral punch, War is Hell is a must – an album that will appeal to the diehard fans of a forgotten generation of thrashers and headbangers, while bringing sufficient juice and sizzle to lure wayward fringe fans of the millennium and beyond. “ – Metalheads Forever

“This album, their second full length, is a power metal tour de force. Although I don’t think they sound like either band per say, they do give off a classic metal vibe like JUDAS PRIEST or MERCYFUL FATE. “ – Metal Temple

“Musically, Category VI are a storming True Metal band with no pretentions and no excuses made….Unlike the trend-driven sub-genres, the sound of Category VI is timeless and WAR IS HELL has already shown that they are ready to take it to the international stage.“ – Metal-Rules

Band: Category VI
Album Title: Firecry
Release Date: March 24, 2023
Label: Moribund Records
Distribution: Moribund Records

Track Listing:
1. Firecry – 6:10
2. Valkyrie – 6:05
3. The Vultures Never Came – 4:10
4. She Runs With Wolves – 4:12
5. Heavy is the Crown – 3:47
6. Coven – 4:52
7. The Cradle Will Fall – 4:53
8. Burning Bridges – 3:49
9. Barracuda (Heart) – 4:21
Album Length: 42:18

Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: Category VI
• All songs written by: Category VI
• Produced by: Category VI
• Mixed by: Category VI / Keith Jackman
• Mastered by: Keith Jackman
• Album Artwork by: Cover art by Ivan Radnic
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album Band Line Up:
Amanda Marie Jackman: vocals
Geoff Waye: guitar
Keith Jackman: bass
Brian Downton: Additional drums
Jason Williams: session drums

Live Band Line Up:
Amanda Marie Jackman: vocals
Geoff Waye: guitar
Keith Jackman: bass
Brian Downton: drums

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

Describe the album as a whole:

Amanda: at its core, unapologetic. The concept of this album is about the burning of witches historically, but also, how we are still being “burned” after all of these years.

Describe each song track by track:

Amanda:
Firecry- The title track of the album, a fucking battle hymn. This song is about witch burnings, but conceptually, it’s about how being “different” is still causing us to be “burned” all of these years later.

Valkyrie- Is about sexism and misogyny and my own personal experiences with this. Being told to shut up my whole life backfired. LOL 🙂 It’s about sisterhood and banding together like a bunch of powerful Valkyries against the assholes in the world!

The Vultures never came- This song was written in memory of my friend, Jill Janus from the powerhouse band, Huntress. Jill sadly passed on a few years back, and I was lucky enough to get to know her before she died. I just really looked up to her, and was honoured that she was thinking about collabing with us on a track, but sadly this did not come into fruition. This song is an homage to her strength, mental illness is no joke and has taken so many bright souls. She deserved a good send off, and I think we delivered.

She Runs With Wolves- This song is about a woman who was beaten down so badly by society, she fled into the deep woods. One night she gets abducted by aliens and they befriend her by giving her shapeshifting powers: by turning into a man eating wolf!

Heavy Is the Crown: Persistence and resilience in the face of adversity to emerge as a leader. “Heavy is the crown but she wears it like a feather.”

Coven- Bassist Keith Jackman wrote this song, and is his first lyrical contribution 🙂 This song is about our band seducing people into our witch lair and all of a sudden it turns into an oven, we essentially want to eat you up!

Cradle Will Fall- This song is about a child witnessing their mother being abused and sadly their mother turns into their abuser. It’s also about the sad realization that this child is on their own, to fend for themselves, and having to grow up at a young age.

Burning Bridges- The term, “Burning Bridges” often has a negative connotation, however, sometimes we actually NEED to burn them the fuck down. Some friends don’t deserve access to us anymore, so I wrote this song about how I unapologetically stopped talking to certain female friends that turned out to be bullies.

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts:

1. The band name explained…. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane’s sustained wind speed. There is (currently) no 6 in the scale, so we named it “Category VI” and envisioned that next level would be a huge firecane destroying everything in its path.

2. Bassist Kieth Jackman plays in an AC/DC tribute band in the role of Malcolm Young.

3. Guitarist Geoff Waye has two side projects: Triskelyon (melodic thrash) and Artach (epic black metal).

4. Vocalist Amanda Marie runs her own business – a Spa!

5. Geoff created “Metal Rules”…’nuff said!

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

Hailing from the misty shores of the northeast Avalon, Category VI formed in early 2010. The band brings something new to the local Newfoundland metal scene as they are the only female-fronted melodic metal band in the province! Category VI has performed live in St. John’s actively since 2010 with other local hard rock and metal bands as well as with touring bands Including NAIL and ANVIL and to date has released two full-length albums.

The band self-released their first full album “Fireborn“ in January 2014. The album received plenty of praise and great reviews on both the local and international levels. Two music videos (“Reborn“ and “Silence befalls the crowd“) were produced for the album. “Silence befalls the crowd“ has been released 4/28/2017 on the DVD “Kill For Metal Vol. I“, a compilation of videos of label-mates on the KILLER METAL RECORDS label. The band has performed regularly for over 7 years at many venues.

Not long after the release of “Fireborn“, CATEGORY VI signed to Killer Metal Records. The band spent most of 2015 writing and perfecting material for their second album “War is Hell”. Recordings for the album took place throughout 2016 and wrapped up in June 2016 at Redhouse Recording in St. John’s, NL. Album mixing was done in the summer/fall of 2016 and mastering was completed in early January 2017 by Lacquer Channel Mastering in Toronto, Ontario. “War is hell” has been released globally as of June 9, 2017. The album was nominated for hard album of the year for Music NL and was favourably reviewed by several press outlets.

The band played several shows in 2017-2018 until pausing to write the 3rd album. Then, without a permanent drummer, and with the pandemic, the band was in hibernation. The band has now emerged from the shadows with a new drummer and with the third album FIRECRY ready to be released in 2023 via Moribund Records.

Discography:
2014 – Fireborn
2017 – War is Hell
2023 – Firecry

Shared Stage with:
Anvil, Nail, Manacle, Emblem, Devastator, Winterhearth

0 EPK – Feed After Midnite – The Hunger (2023) (Feed On This Records)

January 28, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Feed After Midnite

EPK – Feed After Midnite – The Hunger (2023)

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

For fans of Deftones, Avenged Sevenfold, In Flames, KillSwitch Engage, Metallica

“We hope that listeners will appreciate our attention to groove and melody while still maintaining a level of heaviness. We create music that we enjoy so it’s validating when other people can relate to what we are doing musically. Each song stands on its own but leaves you with a hunger for more.” – Feed After Midnite

Feedaftermidnite.com | Facebook.com/FeedAfterMidnite | Instagram.com/feedaftermidniteband | Youtube.com/@feedaftermidnite/

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

Band: Feed After Midnite
EP Title: “The Hunger”
Release Date: November 25, 2022
Label: Feed On This Records
Distribution: DistroKid

Track Listing:
1. Shadows of the Night – 1:13
2. False Awakening – 4:02
3. Red Dead – 4:20
4. Ascending the Flames – 5:00
5. Book of the Fallen – 5:28
EP Length: 20:04

EP Credits:
• All songs performed by: Feed After Midnite
• All songs written by: Feed After Midnite
• Produced by: Feed After Midnite and Joe Lyko
• Mixed by: Joe Lyko
• Mastered by: Joe Lyko (Dark Moon Productions)
• EP Artwork by: Marc Bastien
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

EP Band Line Up:
Marc Bastien – Guitar/keys
Denis Bastien – Guitar
Sean Bolster – Drums
Dylan DeRepentigny – Bass
Yvon Gauthier – Vocals/keys

Live Band Line Up:
Marc Bastien – Guitar/keys
Denis Bastien – Guitar
Sean Bolster – Drums
Yvon Gauthier – Vocals/keys

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

The EP as a whole:

Lyrically the songs on the EP don’t really connect to each other. “The Hunger” is a collection of different stories. Each song from tracks 2-5 can stand on its own as a single. Musically, we knew that we wanted an acoustic type intro thing to lead it in, like a horror or sci-fi movie then we move on to the business of groovy metal. Book of the Fallen was chosen to be the last track because of the fade out at the end of it. Overall the EP has a nice flow to it.

Track By Track:

Shadows of the Night:
This is an instrumental intro. This track features an eerie almost haunting acoustic guitar line which slowly builds into an epic almost cinematic sounding theme. The track finishes with a cymbal swell that leads nicely into the second track for a cool effect.

False Awakening:
Is based on the films The Matrix and John Carpenter’s They Live. It’s how life and society is ruled by the media and government and their narrative and we the people are tired of being controlled and lied to.

Musically “False Awakening” is the fastest most aggressive song on the EP. It starts off sounding old school Slayeresque but quickly shifts into a headbang inducing double bass groove.Just when you think you have heard the heaviest the song can get the breakdown kicks in mid song and takes it to another level. The song finishes off with the breakdown commanding us all to “disobey, it’s time to f*ck the system!”

Red Dead:
It’s about the choices we make in life and the outcome of choosing our paths. Not letting revenge take control sort a good and evil thing

Musically, this one starts off sounding like doom metal but quickly transforms into a catchy groove metal tune. The breakdown mid song goes back to the doom metal style then we get another dose of the catchy chorus before we are led out with a cool variation of the doomy riff.

Ascending the Flames:
Is all about your trip to hell and meeting the big red guy. There’s no escape from your life/crime/tyranny on the good people of earth

Musically, this one is all built on a catchy drum beat that persists throughout the tune. The chorus kicks in with a heavy lurching halftime feel that commands you to bob your head! The breakdown on this one mid song is pure metalcore gold, pounding double bass, tasty guitar work to match and it all climaxes in a beautifully executed drum fill to bring us back to the chorus one last time.

Book of the Fallen:
Influenced by the movies Dawn of the Dead/Evil Dead. Being fans of retro horror movies it was more of a fun song about controlling the undead/ But also that it’s not because something is written that it means its the truth

Musically, this one starts off with the sounds of the undead before a tasty halftime groove kicks in. This one takes you for a ride with unexpected stops, catchy verses and an even catchier chorus! The breakdown that comes mid-song is so tasty. Just as the song seems like it’s climaxing, it stops and you think it’s done but it comes back to the original groove but this time the deluxe version with zombies and piano and tasty stuff going on everywhere it is so damn satisfying you have to listen to it multiple times to soak it all in, we promise!

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts

1. We had our first show booked but didn’t have a band name yet and the promoter needed a name by the next day. During a break from practice, the band was trying to come up with a name with no luck, looking for inspiration, we looked through books on Marc’s bookshelf when we found a novel for the movie Gremlins, someone said “don’t feed them after midnight” and we all looked at each other, someone said what about the opposite, Feed after Midnight, we all agreed but decided to change it up a bit with the spelling of Midnite.

2. Marc, Denis and Yvon have been playing music together since 1998 and have played in different incarnations of the band until becoming Feed After Midnite.

3. In 2009, Marc, Denis and Yvon, produced an independent short horror film called Holyshit Zombies 2. The film was made on a shoestring budget and was filmed in the Ottawa/Gatineau area.

4. Guitarist Denis Bastien has a Gizmo figurine from his childhood that has always made its way on the top of his amp for every Feed After Midnite show.

L- R: Denis Bastien (Guitar), Sean Bolster (Drums), Yvon Gauthier (Vocals), Marc Bastien (Guitar)
Photo Credit – Feed After Midnite

Based in Ottawa, Ontario, Feed after Midnite was formed in March 2018. Longtime friends and band members Marc, Denis, and Yvon decided to submit a demo they did for a local Battle of the Bands contest and were chosen to play one of the shows. The problem was the guys didn’t really have a band, the song they submitted was only the 3 of them doing all the instruments and vocals. They recruited the singer from their previous band, Gunfighter Pedestrian, to be the vocalist and recruited Dylan DeRepentigny to be on Bass. The show was supposed to be a one-off, but the guys had such a blast doing it that they just said “let’s start a band”. Yvon(vocals) at the time was the band’s drummer and became the new vocalist as the other vocalist didn’t really fit the style and direction the band wanted to go. The band recruited Dominic Chaumont to be the new drummer.

They played their first show as Feed after Midnite in July 2018. From 2018 to late 2019, the band played a few shows in Ottawa and opened up for Buckcherry in July 2019. For a few months after, the band was mostly inactive, nothing was really going on. In late 2019, Marc, Denis, and Yvon began writing some new material when it was decided that it would be best to amicably part ways with Dominic. In January, the band placed an ad looking for a new drummer, and Sean Bolster answered the ad. Instantly the guys felt that Sean was a great fit and asked him to join the band that very first practice. Everything was going great, the band was set to enter the studio in April 2020, when the pandemic hit. The band decided to take the “time off” and really polish the new songs some more.

In the summer of 2020, the band entered the studio for the very first time, to record the songs Out of Time and Running Man. In the fall of 2020, both songs were released and received a positive reaction. Out of Time was picked up by Ottawa’s Rebel radio station and was on regular rotation for almost 2 years. The next single, Sweet Embrace, was released in late 2021. In March 2022, the band entered the studio to record their first EP. The recording was completed in late Summer of 2022 and was released on November 25 of that year. In August 2022, bassist Dylan decided to part ways with the band to go on to do some other project.

Feed After Midnite is:

EP Band Line Up:
Marc Bastien – Guitar/keys
Denis Bastien – Guitar
Sean Bolster – Drums
Dylan DeRepentigny – Bass
Yvon Gauthier – Vocals/keys

Live Band Line Up:
Marc Bastien – Guitar/keys
Denis Bastien – Guitar
Sean Bolster – Drums
Yvon Gauthier – Vocals/keys

Discography:
2022 – The Hunger – EP
2021 – Sweet Embrace – Single
2020 – Running Man – Single
2020 – Out of Time – Single

Shared Stage with:
Buckcherry, Beasto Blanco, Eve of Uprise, Sinful Ways, Black Absinthe, Danny Van Sceney, As We Suffer, Vortex, Aeternam, Infrared, Rockin’ Engine, Echos from Beyond, Boxcar Cadavers, Wasting Time, This Disaster, Hempress, Cynical Sons

0 EPK – Lunar – The Illusionist (2023) (Saibot Reigns Records)

January 28, 2023
by Asher
· EPKs · Lunar

EPK – Lunar – The Illusionist (2023)

ft. members from Witherfall, Helion Prime, Planeswalker, Novareign, Mokili Wa, Nordic Frost, Outloud, Double Vision

Album Guests Jørgen Munkeby (Shining), Christian Münzner (Obscura), Andy Gillion (Mors Principium Est),
Taylor Washington (Paladin), Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse), Ben Karas (Thank You Scientist), Gleb Kanasevich, Patrick Corona

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

For fans of Opeth, Katatonia, Haken, Caligula’s Horse, Devin Townsend

Album title: “The Illusionist”
Release Date: March 3, 2023
Label: Saibot Reigns Records

“We are so excited to finally be able to present our new album, “The Illusionist,” to the world! This album has taken so many twists and turns for us. We started the process of writing and recording everything for this album in 2020 during lockdowns. Now, 3 years later, after so many different issues, it’s finally finished and released! Despite how difficult it was for us to finish this album, we couldn’t be more proud of it! This album has the best songwriting and production of any Lunar album to date. There is such a wide variety of sounds and influences, but also the album flows seamlessly from one song to another. And, once again, there is a huge list of amazing guest appearances from members of Obscura, Caligula’s Horse, Paladin, Emperor, Thank You Scientist and more!” – Alex Bosson – Lunar

Facebook.com/lunarbandofficial | Instagram.com/lunarbandofficial | Twitter.com/LunarBandOffcl | YouTube.com/@lunarbandofficial

Lunarbandofficial.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

“It’s really well done technically by a band that clearly cares about their music and can play.” – Rock The Joint Mag (The Illusionist 2023)

“If I had one word to describe this album, it would be this one: whirlwind… “The Illusionist” is an album that is living. From its jazzy highs to its heavy metal lows, this album is constantly on its toes, never repeating itself and never, ever growing complacent. A wonderful whirlwind indeed. 9/10” – Ever Metal

“I feel like Lunar has captured the balance between accessibility and technicality very well. I hear many of the same elements in their sound that, when employed well, make bands like Dream Theater, King Crimson, Voïvod and even Sigh so engaging. I love when an album comes out of nowhere (for me, anyway) and makes this much of an impression.” – The Metal Crypt

“As I said at the start, when I heard this album I was immediately grabbed by it. The story works nicely, it is very character based and features plenty of emotions which as a listener I certainly could relate to. The music is terrific with all the players putting in excellent performances and the instrumentation used in a clever way to match all that is going on with the lead character. There are moments of heavy prog as well as metal, but melody runs through the heart of it. The fact that some of the people in the band have never met or even been in the same room together is remarkable as it sounds like everyone was on the same hymn sheet and it doesn’t sound pieced together. That is a great credit to the writing, arranging as well as all the musicians doing their parts to the benefit of the whole piece. An absolutely delightful as well as enjoyable album.” – CGCM Rock Radio

“The concept is that there are songs that are angry, songs that are confused, songs that are depressed, and everywhere in between. Styles on the album run the gambit from Progressive Metal with melodic vocals, to moments of Jazz, to cookie monster Thrash…. The musicianship is solid on all of the parts, with some excellent performances, notably vocalist Chandler Mogel… it does warrant checking out for Prog-Metal fans that like a mix of growler and melodic vocals.” – Metal Express Radio

“The Illusionist again is at the highest level of the progsphere, Bosson’s continuation of the Lunar name, honouring his co-founder and friend, through the medium of progressive metal, is an advantageous endeavour. 9/10” – Musipedia of Metal

“The disc is well produced and played very well, so anyone who wants to dive into tempo changes and virtuosity will find what they are looking for.” – Metal Shock

“It is a dynamic and inclusive variety of the form we get here, where gentle atmospheric laden sequences and vibrant, guitar driven passages with regular as well as a more alternative variety of progressive metal coexist quite nicely, with occasional flirts towards extreme metal as a part of the experience. The compositions are further fleshed out by the use of world music elements inside of a metal context, as a standalone feature, as elements of more dreamladen ambient tinged interludes as well as combined with passages with a bit more of a jazz orientation. The latter which is present also in a more standalone and elegant manner. Occasional use of orchestral textures is a part of the totality too, and the band aren’t afraid to hit a more energetic power metal run when needed either. The vocals are clean and melodic, with occasional use of growls but more for dramatic effect and less as a defining feature. A production to seek out, inclusive and dynamic progressive metal is a type of music you tend to enjoy.” – Progressor

“LUNAR present an impressive show with „The Illusionist“. In contrast to the album title, however, there are no illusions, but quite real musical art. Thereby LUNAR conjure all kinds of things out of the hat. Their magic consists of a collection of high-quality multi-faceted songs. Thereby they go mainly a hard way. But many fine passages, which are refined with classical instruments of all kinds, provide great experiences. Furthermore, exotic sounds additionally provide for an atmospherically deep and exciting work. Personally, I also noticed especially the excellent guitar work, which conjures up fantastic moments again and again. In its entirety, it is a work of art of all the musicians involved, who have created something magical here. I can’t see any weaknesses here.” – Metal-Heads.de

“This is a record that everyone must own. Every generation and every country should adore an album like this, as one like Theogony rarely makes itself known. If you like music and consider it art, this is a must.” – Prog-Sphere on “Theogony” #23 Best Albums of 2017

“The sophomore album from this Cali band is showing the band expanding their horizons in sound. The heavy parts are heavier, the lighter parts are even lighter and the proggier parts are even more insanely proggy *plus on the song, Surrender, there is a very cool nod to the final lasting riff in Opeth’s Deliverance to close out the track…don’t think I didn’t catch that!* With all of the guest appearances, fantastic production and just masterful songwriting, this is one of the strongest prog albums you will hear all year. Trust me!” – Heavy Debriefings on “Eidolon” #39 Best Albums of 2019

“Inspired by a tragedy that befell the project in the way of losing guitarist Ryan Erwin, drummer and songwriter Alex Bosson has put his emotions towards honing a release that is as beautiful as angry. Helping him in his vision are guest contributions from members of Haken, Leprous, Thank You Scientist, Fallujah, etc.” – Prog-Sphere on “Eidolon” #19 Best Albums of 2019

“The word “classic” gets tossed around a lot, but I honestly can’t think of a better word for Eidolon. From front to back and top to bottom, this album is both firmly rooted in death metal with a progressive bend while standing alone atop the mountain. It’s equally headbanging heavy and enthralling, music to get in the mosh pit and simply sit in awe of. This is required listening because there’s nothing else quite like it.” – Progarchy on “Eidolon”

“Like Theogony, Eidolon is another very impressive showcase of modern progressive metal. It’s technical, emotional, melodic, and aggressive and is just very well put-together overall.” – wimpsandposers.com

Best of AOTY:
Prog-Sphere: “Theogony” #23 best of 2017
Prog-Sphere: “Eidolon” #19 best of 2019
Heavy Debriefings: “Eidolon” #39 best of 2019
Wimpsandposers: “Eidolon” #20 best of 2019
2019 SAMMIES (Sacramento Area Music Awards) Nominee “Best Metal Band”

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: “The Illusionist”
Release Date: March 3, 2023
Label: Saibot Reigns Records

Track Listing:
1. Prestidigitation – 6:16
2. The Illusionist – 10:04
3. Showtime – 3:45
4. Worship The Sun – 5:23
5. Turn Off The World – 7:14
6. Disassembled – 5:53
7. Juggling Chainsaws – 7:30
8. For My Next Trick – 3:57
9 . Now You See Me – 8:39
Album Length: 58:46

Album Credits:
– Album Produced by: Alex Bosson
– Album Mixed by: Linus Coreliusson
– Album Mastered by: Jens Bogren
– Album artwork by: Travis Smith
– Album layout / design by: Brian Lewis
– Member of ASCAP

Recording Lineup:
Drums & Percussion – Alex Bosson
(Music – Track 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,9) (Lyrics – Track 2, 3, 5, 6,9)
Guitars – Balmore Lemus
(Music – Track 4) (Lyrics – Track 4, 7
Bass – Ryan Price (Music – Track 8)
Keyboards & Synthesizers – Alex Nasla
Lead Vocals – Chandler Mogel
Growl Vocals – Brian Lewis
Clarinet – Gleb Kanasevich (Track 1)
Saxophone – Patrick Corona (Track 2)
Flute & Saxophone – Jørgen Munkeby (Track 6)
Violin & Viola – Ben Karas (Track 9)
Additional Guitar Solo – Andy Gillion (Track 2)
Additional Guitar Solo – Taylor Washington (Track 3)
Additional Guitar Solo – Sam Vallen (Track 5)
Additional Guitar Solo – Christian Münzner (Track 7)

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

The album as a whole:
Lyrically this album tells the story of a magician that questions his entire life’s work. He’s spent his entire life devoting himself to his craft and now he questions if it was worth it. I think this is a concept many people can relate to, especially those of us that have careers in some kind of artistic field. We often question what we’re doing in life to pursue our dreams. Musically the album goes through many stages as the character does on this journey of himself. There are songs that are angry, songs that are confused, songs that are depressed, and everywhere in between.

Track by Track:

1. “Prestidigitation” – this song is the most intense instrumental the band has ever done. It’s meant to set the stage for the variety of feelings you’re going to have throughout the show to come.

2. “The Illusionist” – the title track is meant to really introduce the character and tell us about who he is and what he does. Musically I think this helps us experience some of the constant changes of feelings about who he is and questioning himself.

3. “Showtime” – this song is the hype of him about to go out and perform, even when he doesn’t want to and what he has to do to make that happen. Musically I wanted something high-energy, so it’s a bit more power metal inspired.

4. “Worship The Sun” – this track has our title character questioning why people worship or look up to him, or any performer for what they do. Questioning not only himself but his fanbase. This song is very Egyptian sounding musically. This one was written by Balmore.

5. “Turn Off The World” – this song starts the character’s feelings of depression, just wanting the world to “turn off” and shut it all down. Musically I feel like this one is the most “accessible” to people as it has some more of the pop vibes throughout the progressive metal song. Definitely has a catchy chorus, in my opinion.

6. “Disassembled” – another song really diving into the depression feeling. Feeling life is falling apart, questioning every decision he’s ever made and why people have supported him in what he’s done. This song has some electronic kind of vibes. Very inspired by Lunatic Soul for this one.

7. “Juggling Chainsaws” – this song brings the character into feeling as if he’s completely lost control. Constantly trying to juggle the chainsaws of life and keep them all in the air without something terrible happening. It’s very chaotic, technical, and probably the proggiest and heaviest song of the album (maybe even the craziest song we’ve ever done). You can definitely hear the Dream Theater and Haken influence in this song.

8. “For My Next Trick” – another instrumental song. This one is very serene. Very centered around bass as a lot of this one was written by Ryan Price. A calm before and after the storm. After his mind has calmed down he has an idea for one last epic trick to pull and finally feels a sense of peace.

9. ”Now You See Me…” – the closing track to the album brings forward the idea of the previous track; our main character’s final trick. An epic show where he disappears forever. Did he perform this successfully or did he epically fail? Was he meant to disappear forever? Is he even still alive? Was he a master of his craft and this was his plan to disappear and know peace? Do we mourn him or celebrate him? The world may never know.

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts

1. The album “Eidolon” was written by Alex about the grieving process of losing his friend and Lunar co-founder, Ryan Erwin.

2. The album cover art for “Theogony” and “Eidolon” were both painted by Alex’s father, Ed Bosson, along with the art used for the “Turn Off The World” lyric video.

3. On top of all the drums, percussion, and much of the songwriting, Alex played synth on one track on “Eidolon” and also played bass on one song from the debut “Provenance” EP.

4. Despite the fact that many of the members of Lunar have been with the band for years and have released multiple albums together, the core members have never all been in the same room together at the same time and many of them have never even met each other in person!

5. Once, during the days when “Theogony” was still being written, Alex and Ryan met Mikael Akerfeldt (from Opeth) and told him that they had kind of ripped him off with something they had written and his response was “that’s cool.”

Top – L- R – Ryan Price – Bass, Alex Nasla – Keyboards & Synthesizers, Chandler Mogel – Lead Vocals
Bottom – L – R – Alex Bosson – Drums & Percussion, Brian Lewis – Growl Vocals, Balmore Lemus – Guitars

Based out of Sacramento, CA, LUNAR is a progressive metal band formed in 2013 when longtime friends Alex Bosson (drums/percussion) and Ryan Erwin (guitar/vocals) decided to get together and write the style of music that was always in their hearts: genre-defiant and free of restrictive influence. After securing Danny Stevenson on Keyboards, the search continued for a full lineup… but to no avail. Rather than delay their progress, the trio decided to record and self-release their debut EP, PROVENANCE, in the Winter of 2014.

Shortly after the release of PROVENANCE, Danny parted ways with the group, while Bosson and Erwin began work on LUNAR’s debut full-length, THEOGONY – a concept album based on the nine Muses of Greek mythology. While reading about Melpomene, the Greek Muse of tragedy, Alex realized that the concepts that these nine Muses represent – subjects such as history, tragedy, music, love, etc. – are the backbone for most creative output in this world. In keeping with the progressive element of the band, he had the idea to spread the musical and lyrical diversity of these themes across an entire album: each of the nine tracks named after one of the Muses, the music and lyrics based around the theme that each specific Muse represents.

Once more unable to flesh out a suitably complete lineup as the writing progressed, Alex and Ryan decided to enlist contributions from other professional musicians around the world – initially a handful of guests laying down additional guitar solos. With the eventual additions of Ryan Price on bass and Chandler Mogel on vocals, a proper lineup for THEOGONY was set: and by the end of the recording process, 17 different musicians had participated – including members of Hatriot, Angel Vivaldi, Helion Prime, Berried Alive, and many more.

In the Summer of 2017, LUNAR signed on with Divebomb Records and in November of 2017, THEOGONY was released on CD. A logical step forward from PROVENANCE, the dynamically atmospheric hour-long journey of THEOGONY is sure to please fans of Porcupine Tree, Opeth, and Tool – to name but a few – with its lushly textured contrasts of beauty and aggression.

THEOGONY received numerous raving reviews even being called a “masterpiece” and “A record everyone must own. Every generation and every country should adore an album like this.” And even made #23 on Prog-Sphere’s Top albums of 2017.

In the Spring of 2018, Ryan Erwin unexpectedly passed away, leaving Alex unsure of what to do. After some time passed, he decided to persevere through the tragedy and continue on with LUNAR. Using the tragedy as inspiration, he began writing the next album, EIDOLON – another concept album based around the cycle of life and death and the stages of grief that the ones left behind feel. After writing all the music for the album, Alex enlisted their friend Balmore Lemus (NOVAREIGN) to handle tracking guitars for this album. And with Ryan Price and Chandler Mogel both returning again, the lineup for EIDOLON was set.

In keeping with the diversity that the guests brought to THEOGONY, Alex decided to continue with that idea. By the end of the recording, a total of 18 musicians contributed to EIDOLON – this time including members of Haken, Thank You Scientist, Fallujah, Leprous & Caligula’s Horse, to name a few.

EIDOLON is another journey of progressive metal at its finest, spanning 7 tracks and nearly an hour of material. Once again being released through Divebomb Records, EIDOLON is available as of November of 2019.

LUNAR are currently working on the follow-up to EIDOLON entitled THE ILLUSIONIST which is due out in early 2023.

Discography:
2023 – “The Illusionist”
2019 – “Eidolon”
2017 – “Theogony”
2014 – “Provenance” – EP

Alex Bosson – Endorses: Scorpion Sticks, Groove Juice Cleaners
Balmore Lemus – Endorses: Engl Amps

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