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
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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
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“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)
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
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STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. Evgeniy, the frontman, is of joint Russian/Ukrainian descent and was exposed to Slavic paganism from a young age, gaining insight into old ceremonies and spoken word myths, as well as the vast and strange body of Slavic folklore. A lot of these experiences and his love for myth and the exploration of the occult come through in the lyrics and concepts of Red Cain’s music.
2. Red Cain’s first two full albums, “Kindred: Act I” and “Kindred: Act II” conceptually told a sprawling story of how raw and primal ancient myth collides with modern society and human yearning toward the stars, toward perfection. The albums contained a ton of genre inspirations, from gothic rock to ambient electronica, power, black, and death metal, and were universally lauded for their inventiveness, variety, and strong conceptual content.
3. The band members feel strongly in favour of experimentation, whether with genres, resulting in much of the material sitting across multiple genres, not all related to metal; visual elements, with striking and inventive story-based music videos a particular focus; or art and concepts, many of which relate to the clash between the ancient and modern, with more recent material zeroing in on a futuristic design and musical style.
4. Red Cain’s story music videos for “ZERO” and “Juliet” have cumulatively earned the band 17+ international film festival awards, including wins at major festivals such as IndieX FilmFest, Global Shorts, LA Film & Script Festival, Cannes Indies Cinema Awards, and finalist with Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival, Tokyo International Short Film Festival, and New York Tri-State International Film Festival. The band is currently planning its next feature music video to follow these two successes.
L 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
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“What we have here is a two headed beast of sad and melancholy music on one side and angry and raging music on the other. The two combine somewhere in the middle with flair for the dramatic and impassioned vocals. This is definitely worth your time if you are looking for something off the beaten path.” – Metal Temple (Kindred Act I Review)
“Red Cain’s first full-length act is a more than solid release that I can warmly recommend if you enjoy the likes of Kamelot, TesseracT and Blind Guardian or just enjoy some good old thinking man’s metal music in general. With a charismatic frontman, well thought out and varied songwriting and a healthy dose of power and energy, Red Cain is a up and coming Canadian act that I’ll sure be keeping my eye on!” – Belgian Metal Shredder (Kindred Act I Review)
“Kindred: Act I is all about raw and unbridled metal power. A thoughtful brand of metal that – for once – does not base itself on mindless growling about the stage along normal lines of metal conduct. Instead they rip the established status quo to pieces and attack with a very unusual metal dish. One that comes with a distinct groove to boot… a very tasty fusion of Progressive and Power Metal that we have rarely seen to date. A metal dish best consumed red-hot. Have some, you will not regret it.” – Rock Music Raider (Kindred Act I Review)
“Symphonic progressive metal with alternative and gothic nuances – Red Cain are well on their way to establishing new territory in story telling and musical match-ups. Kindred: Act Irepresents a fine opening album for these Canadians, and should lend itself well to various multi-media opportunities for live show and film options. The best records connect on a mind, body, and spirit level – and this will be one that should be in the conversation for visionary, forward-thinking effort, proving the ink is not dry on what metal can bring to the table for innovation.” – Dead Rhetoric (Kindred Act I Review)
“I couldn’t be more impressed with this band and album from the opening track “Snake Bouquet” to the last track “Wing Of The Crow” which is an awesome closing track with guest vocals from Kobra Paige of Kobra and The Lotus. This album takes you on an epic and melodic journey, I feel fans of bands from Avatar to Kamelot to Marilyn Manson and anything in between will really love this album.” – Crannk (Kindred Act I Review)
“Red Cain have produced a very awesome album. It sounds and looks very professional, has great riffs and epic melodies. Keep an eye on these guys, they will come very far.” – Lyrical Spell Magazine (Kindred Act I Review)
“Droner is a peg in the sand for ITUS as a developing band. We’re psyched about what we accomplished with it. We pushed our limits musically into new lands so to speak. Droner is the second of 3 very different singles we wrote one after another; coming after Sturgeon we wanted to experiment more with Droner. We’re pleased at how it came to be, but even more pleased with what we learned and gained through it all. The next single will be even closer to what we think ITUS is supposed to sound like, but Droner caused that, and we plan to play it with a ton of new songs, as we come back to gigs in 2023. Injuries aren’t going to stop us.” – Reinier Viktor Vandenbosch 
(L-R) Brandon Aitchison (Bass), Vince Anastasi (Drums), Brandon Lucking (Guitars), Reinier Vandenbosch (Vocals)
Maudiir – Band Photo Credit: bergZ
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