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Category: EPKs

0 EPK – Diner Drugs – This War (single) (2023) BatSkull Records

  • May 4, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Diner Drugs · EPKs

EPK – Diner Drugs – This War (single) (2023) BatSkull Records

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

“This War” is the first single off of Diner Drugs’ latest EP titled “42”. Diner Drugs are proud of this loud and driving track, complete with catchy choruses and an epic, heavy ending. This song features powerful vocals, with lyrics of warning about the dangers of assuming things will work out for the best, without cautiously preparing for the worst.” – Diner Drugs

Management / Booking: Manager, Kate Butler, She Said Feck Records – shesaidfeckrecords[@]gmail.com

Single Title: This War
Release Date: May 4, 2023
Label: BatSkull Records

For fans Red Fang, Cancer Bats, Alexisonfire, The Bronx, Heart Attack Kids

SheSaidFeckRecords.com/diner-drugs-epk | Facebook.com/DinerDrugs | Twitter.com/DinerDrugs | Youtube | Instagram.com/DinerDrugs

DinerDrugs.Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon| Spotify 

Tour Dates: ​
May 12 – St. John’s, NL – The Deck
May 13 – St. John’s, NL – The Abbey (All Ages)
May 13 – St. John’s, NL – The Deck
May 24 – Charlottetown, PEI – Trailside w/ Cancer Bats, Thousand Knives
May 25 – Moncton, NB – Xeroz w/ Cancer Bats, Thousand Knives
May 26 – Halifax, NS – The Seahorse w/ Cancer Bats, Thousand Knives
May 27 – Sydney, NS – Curling Club w/ Cancer Bats, Thousand Knives

[Download Single Artwork | Download Single Lyrics]

Band: Diner Drugs
Single: This War
Release Date: May 4, 2023
Label: Batskull Records

Single Credits:
Written By: Landry/Lee/Briggs/Fournier
Performed by: Landry/Lee/Briggs/Fournier
Singe/Album Artwork: Jonah Landry
Members of SOCAN
Canadian Content – MAPL

Diner Drugs is
Jesse Briggs – Drums
Chris Lee – Bass/Vocals
Jordan Fournier – Guitar/Vocals
Jackson Landry – Guitar/Vocals

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts

A) Jordan was the last member to join the band. When he learned the songs from some recordings the other guys had made, he accidentally learned them in the wrong guitar tuning. To this day, Jordan still plays in a different tuning than Chris and Jackson.

B) While in the van on tour, Diner Drugs mainly listens to comedy specials and podcasts.

C) Chris and Jesse were once in a band called “Bong Jovi” with Jackson’s brother. Jordan and Jesse were in a band together called “The Human Comedy” with the singer of Bong Jovi, who is Jordan’s cousin. Jesse and Chris were in a band called “Savage Young”, whose singer also played guitar in Bong Jovi. Through these three bands, Diner Drugs has sort of been in the making since we were all in high school.

D) In our old jam room we had many, many rats. One time in the hottest week of summer, a huge rat died in our room and was left in there for a full 7 days in +30-40C heat. What we found the next room was as bad, and probably worse than you would expect. That was right around the time we decided to move out.

E) On Diner Drugs’ first tour to Ontario and Quebec, Jordan did not respect the importance of not eating too much sodium. He lived off instant ramen and dollar store cheese sticks the entire time, and got cartoonishly swollen ankles for the remainder of the tour as a consequence for his gluttony. Months later on another tour, his bandmates were making fun of him and asked him: “How are the ankles, bud?”. When Jordan insisted that he had learned his lesson about the sodium, he lifted up his pant legs only to discover that they were once again, freshly swollen. He just could not resist the gas station nacho pumped cheese and $1.99 taquitos.

Back – Jesse Briggs (Drums), Middle (L to R) – Jackson Landry (Guitar), Jordan Fournier (Guitar), Front – Chris Lee (Bass)

Photo Credit: Bryan Otter

Diner Drugs is a four-piece stoner metal punk crew, born out of a desire to defeat the boredom of east coast living. Diner Drugs is fast, loud and are always keen to turn up the heat with catchy choruses and deep vocal harmonies while sticking to their deep stoner metal roots. They are ready to hit the road this spring and have a flashy new single “This War” coming out to get fans excited. The single is the first look at a new EP that will be coming out this year. The band explains in detail:

“This is the first single off of our latest EP titled “42”. We are proud of this loud and driving track, complete with catchy choruses and an epic, heavy ending. This song features powerful vocals, with lyrics warning about the dangers of assuming things will work out for the best, without cautiously preparing for the worst. So much hard work from so many people went into this, it’s loud and fast and we hope everyone digs it.”

The tour this spring will take Diner Drugs all over the east coast of Canada. With relaxed attitudes and groovy riffs, they enjoy bringing fun metal to people and enticing them to headbang. Loud and energetic is their goal, and their lyrics come from both personal experience and witnessing the experiences of others. They live in a have-not town, so they are more than familiar with hard times. They draw from these troubles for inspiration and hope to maybe help anyone stuck in these situations feel a little less alone in their battles.

It’s loud, fast, meaningful metal, and according to the band the song means a lot more to them this time around and they feel it reflects in the upcoming record. They are recommended for fans of Cancer Bats, Dead Quiet, and Mokomakai.

Discography:
TBD – 43 (EP)
2019 – As Is (LP)
2017 – Self Titled (EP)

Shared Stage with:
Cancer Bats, Mokomakai, Red Fang, Dead Quiet, Heart Attack Kids, Iron Giant, Zaum, Hard Charger Motherhood, Greber, Cell Press

Tours and Festivals:
2023 – Ontario/ Quebec Tour w/ Greber, Cell Press
2019 – Cancer Bats East Coast Tour w Dead Quiet
2019 – Mud City Meltdown Festival w Red Fang – Moncton, NB
2019 – Heart Attack Kids East Coast/ON/QC Tour
2018 – Heart Attack Kids East Coast Tour
2018 – She Said Feck Records East Coast Tour
2017 – Mokomaki – East Coast Support

0 EPK – Orchid’s Curse – The Decay (2023)

  • May 4, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Orchid's Curse

EPK – Orchid’s Curse – The Decay (2023)

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

“We are elated to finally be releasing THE DECAY to the masses. Writing for this EP started before the pandemic and we are glad the time to release it is finally here.  One positive is that with the shutdowns we had a lot of extra time to spend refining these songs to ensure it was most mature and competent release to date. 

We really wanted to ensure THE DECAY picked up where our last few releases left off.  With each new record we always try to continue to progress and up the ante musically and artistically.  We all feel really confident in these songs and this release as a whole.  Although the release was delayed longer than we had hoped, we are happy that the time is finally here.” – Orchid’s Curse

For fans of At the Gates, The Black Dahlia Murder, Burnt By The Sun, Darkest Hour

Band: Orchid’s Curse
EP Title: The Decay
Label: Self-Release
Release Date: June 16, 2023

Orchidscurse.com | Facebook.com/orchidscurse | Instagram.com/orchidscurse

Orchidscurse.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify

“Orchid’s Curse’s The Decay Waves a Flag For Eastern Canadian Metal… The Decay sees the band taking steps to consciously be as stylistically diverse as possible with each of the six songs on offer, from slow and low to fast and furious, from melodic death metal and thrash to late ’90s/early ’00s Hydra Head/Relapse metallic hardcore and epic bright-eyed sludge.” – Decibel Magazine

“there’s something refreshingly different about their sound… High on energy, full of passion, you can’t fault any part of this release. It’s been five years since their last release, Graveyard of the Gulf. With The Decay, Orchid’s Curse have fired a flare in the sky. It says, “we are back, and you’d better believe it”.” – Moshville Times

“Beat my senses into a pulp like this EP is doing. So top marks to guitarist Brian Jones for giving the music such a huge sound. So no messing around. You get 5 tracks in about 24 minutes and if it doesn’t rip you a new one, I’ll be very surprised. Love It” – Smorg Mag

“Everyone above a certain age is well aware of the scene in Pulp Fiction where Vincent viciously stabs a spike loaded with adrenaline right into Mia’s heart to bring her back from a heroin overdose. Immediately, the adrenaline makes her explode back to life. That scene popped to mind in listening to the Orchid’s Curse song “Dead Idols” that we’re about to premiere — specifically, the way the song begins. There’s no warning, no introductory pause, just a sudden furious injection of scorching screams, hammering drums, and maniacally pulsating riffage. And then the song becomes even more explosively unhinged, thanks to a turbocharged percussive eruption and a blizzard of tremolo’d chords. If you’re not bolt-upright and pop-eyed awake after that, it’s probably too late to call emergency services.” – No Clean Singing

“After a few spins of this five-song effort, prepare to suffer some mental/physical bruising at the ferocious tones, attacking nature, and stunning comfort of shifts between melodic death, metalcore, groove/thrash, and hardcore elements thrown into the arrangements.” – Dead Rhetoric

“The forceful, militant delivery vocalist Josh Hogan employs pushes the band into that raw, crossover territory – it’s an aspect that won’t be soon forgotten from the first song to last. These musicians understand the need to pump out killer hooks right from the get go – which is what you’ll get in the stunted, staccato-like shifts surrounding the melodeath mainframe “Better Men”, bridging aspects of At the Gates, Machine Head, and The Black Dahlia Murder. Orchid’s Curse contains solid players plus dynamic abilities to synthesize numerous sub-genres into a coherent sound. The Decay will probably appeal most to those who enjoy a bit more progressive twists against their normal groove/melodic death/metalcore-oriented tracks.” – Dead Rhetoric

““Dead Idols” has another rousing and energetic sound. The music and vocals are absolutely punishing,” – Metal-Temple

“This has a nice catchy kind of thrashy sound, but more leaning into prog metal musically and a nice catchy gritty sound too” – Mosh Pit Radio – WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)

“Orchid’s Curse  got me hooked from the first riff .” – New Music Plug

“Canadian band Orchid’s Curse are out with the mini-album “The Decay”, and metal is the style explored on this production. It is a powerful and vibrant variety of the form we get here, and most of the songs appears to revolve around a more vibrant display of thrash metal, executed with occasional dips into extreme metal pace and intensity levels…. A production to seek out by those with a taste for a more dynamic and varied approach to energetic metal that can be described inside of or in relation to a more contemporary thrash metal oriented tradition.” – The Viking in the Wilderness

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

“Orchid’s Curse is one of those bands that plays around with melodeath, groove, thrash, and occasionally prog with enough fluidity to rid themselves of any sort of pesky sub genre tags and earn the simple, yet elegant classification of ‘metal’.” – Metal Sucks

“Orchid’s Curse employ their familiar tactic of borrowing the techniques of multiple genres, from filthy death metal riffs to hardcore barks, progressive guitar explorations and dirge-like, doom-influenced song structures.” – Exclaim!

“Thick, brutal, aggressive and borderline cacophonous, at times, Voices is relentlessly engaging and explosive while maintaining a decisively melodic essence.” – Exclaim!

“heavy riffs built for headbanging” – Metal Storm

“Cynics & Liars, is very much an EP which epitomizes everything good about metal in 2016” – PureGrainAudio / V13

“Orchid’s Curse are versatile, able to play everything from menacing thrash to accessible melodeath to punishing metal” – HeavyMetal.About.com

“Every song punches you right between the eyes” – Mettalworx

“This album is just laced with hook after hook. Whether it be a classic metal riff, a psyched out interval or just a standard heavy rock n’ roll beat; the album is catchier than an STD on 2-for-1 night at a brothel.” – Echoes and Dust

Cynics & Liars (2016) – Canadian College Radio Loud Charts
#3 on the !earshot-online weekly Top 10 National Loud Chart
#7 on the !earshot-online monthly Top 20 National Loud Chart

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: Orchid’s Curse
EP Title: The Decay
Label: Self-Release
Release Date: June 16, 2023

Track Listing:
1. Better Men – 5:42
2. Dead Idols – 4:24
3. The Divergence of Man – 4:45
4. Divided by Everything – 2:31
5. Pay to Prey – 6:24
EP Length: 23:47

EP Credits:
All songs performed by Orchid’s Curse
All songs written by Orchid’s Curse
Produced by Brian Jones
Mixed and Mastered by Mike Bowers
Recorded by Brian Jones except Drums Recorded by Palmer Jamieson
EP art by Keith MacLeod
SOCAN member
Canadian Content MAPL

EP and Live lineup:
Josh Hogan – Vocals
Brian Jones – Guitar/Vocals
Keith MacLeod – Guitar
Jason Szeto – Bass
Alex Wrathell – Drums

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

The EP as a whole:

Musically this EP is our most mature work yet. 5 songs with a variety of different musical influences but also still having the Orchid’s Curse sound.Songs range from a 2:30 thrash banger to a 6::30 epic melodic metal song.

Lyrically the EP looks at the continued to decline and decay of our modern society.

Track By Track:

1. Better Men
The first song to open the EP starts with a lo-fi build before opening up with a thunderous rhythm. Midway through the song it alternates between spacial atmosphere and the unrelenting rhythm which opens the track. Before closing with an epic, hardcore-inspired breakdown. Lyrically this song looks at men’s complacency in what is often deep-rooted and historical misogyny.

2. Dead Idols
Unlike the opening track, this song gets right into it from the opening note. Dead Idols is 4-minute melodic death and thrash-inspired banger.  Lyrically this song explores society’s idolization of people who may not deserve the adoration.

3. The Divergence of Man
Track 3 is our homage to sludge and vintage melodic hardcore bands like Burnt by the Sun.  This song is not only more patient in scope than the others on this EP but also more experimental. Lyrically this song looks inward at our willingness to sit back apathetically watching the collapse of our society.

4. Divided by Everything
This song is short and to the point. A 2:30 ripper that serves its purpose and gets the mosh pit moving.  Lyrically this song dives into the political farce that is left versus right divide occurring in most western cultures with the chorus stating simply “Divided by Everything, Bonded by Division”.

5. Pay to Prey
There was no doubt this song would close the EP. At just over 6 minutes this song takes all elements of Orchid’s Curse sound and wraps it up into one tightly wound package. Lyrically this song revisits a theme from past albums and is a scathing look at the commercialism behind religious institutions.

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts:

1. Orchid’s Curse formed way back in 2005 with our first release in 2006. 18 years have passed and we have withstood the test of time. Whether persevering through member changes or a pandemic, the band continues to push forward and release new music.  The Decay is our 6th release and will highlight that the band has no plans to stop creating music any time soon.

2. For this EP we did all pre-production at Brian Jones home studio “The Lab” with Jones producing and engineering. After being confident the songs were where we wanted them to be, we recorded drums at Golden Palm Studios and finished Guitars, Bass and Vocals in The Lab.  

3. Over the course of our career Orchid’s Curse has gotten to perform and tour with some of our favourite bands. Getting to tour Atlantic Canada with 3 Inches of Blood and Goatwhore a few years back was definitely one of our biggest highlights. Getting to see metal legends perform each night was absolutely incredible.

4. We’ve played a lot of stages (and floors) over our career.  From big stages at the Forum opening for Children of Bodom, the Maritime Tattoo Festival over the sound of buzzing tattoo guns, on National TV for ‘The Candy Show’, but we’ve also had our fair share of tiny stages, dive bars and dirty floors.  Regardless of the venue, one thing is certain, every single show the band brings 100% energy and entertainment.

L-R = Alex Wrathell (Drums), Brian Jones (Guitar), Keith MacLeod (Guitar), Jason Szeto (Bass), Josh Hogan (Vocals)

With over a decade of musical output, Orchid’s Curse continues to create a beautiful amalgamation of brutal metal, progressive melody, and intelligent thought-provoking lyrics. Whether in a live setting or on an album, Orchid’s Curse refuses stagnation and orders your full attention.

Since forming in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in late 2005, Orchid’s Curse has positioned itself at the forefront of the highly underrated East Coast metal scene in Canada. Ensuring that every show left the band drained of all they had and every album was created with the most care and the best team they could find. Now with their sixth release “The Decay” ready to release, the band continues to position itself at the forefront of maritime metal.

Metalsucks.net captured the band’s goal of blending various genres of metal, declaring “Orchid’s Curse is one of those bands that play around with melodeath, groove, thrash, and occasionally prog with enough fluidity to rid themselves of any sort of pesky sub-genre tags and earn the simple, yet elegant classification of ‘metal’.” while Canada’s Hellbound.ca recognized the bands continued progression and growth over the years stating, “Few bands demand that each album be a progression, a growth, in the way that Orchid’s Curse does. No musical influence is turned away, but everything is twisted, melded into an intense metal experience that makes your head bang one moment and your toes tap the next”

Since 2006 Orchid’s Curse has shared the stage with an incredibly diverse lineup of bands including, The Black Dahlia Murder, Children of Bodom, Every Time I Die, Cancer Bats, 3 Inches of Blood, Goatwhore, Exhumed, Fuck the Facts, KEN Mode, Misery Index, Counterparts, Baptized in Blood, Martyr, Beneath the Massacre, Vilipend, Ion Dissonance, Neuraxis, L’Espirit du Clan, Unexpect, Trigger Effect, Ninjaspy, Unbreakable Hatred, Misguided Aggression, Greber and many more.

Orchid’s Curse is:
Josh Hogan – Vocals
Brian Jones – Guitar/Vocals
Keith MacLeod – Guitar
Jason Szeto – Bass
Alex Wrathell – Drums

Discography:
2023 – The Decay (Independent)
2018 – Graveyard of the Gulf (Independent)
2018 – Split with Deadgaard
2016 – Cynics & Liars EP (Independent)
2013 – Words (Diminished Fifth Records)
2010 – Voices The Tales of Broken Men (Diminished Fifth Records)
2006 – Goodbye is when the Casket Closes (Diminished Fifth Records)

Music Placements:
The Candy Show (2013 – S3 E3)
Todd & The Book of Pure Evil (2010 – S1, E3)

Awards / Album of The Year:

Graveyard of the Gulf
“Loud Recording of the Year” – Nova Scotia Music Week 2019 (WINNER)

Cynics & Liars
“Loud Recording of the Year” – Nova Scotia Music Week 2016 (WINNER)
“Loud Recording of the Year” – East Coast Music Awards 2017 (Nominee)

Words
The Coast, Halifax’s Weekly Best of Music 2014
Gold Winner – Best Music Video( “If We’re Divine”)
Gold Winner – Best Merch By An Artist
Bronze Winner – Best Metal Band
Bronze Winner – Best Album (“Words”)

Voices: The Tales of Broken Men
The Coast 2010 Critic’s Pick
Noisography.com Top 10 Records of 2010
2011 Nova Scotia Music Week +  ECMA ‘Loud Recording of the Year’ Nominee
Hellbound.ca writer ‘Jason Wellwood’  Individual Top 10 Metal Albums of 2010 [#8]
PureGrainAudio.com writer ‘Chee Kam’ Individual Top 20 Metal Albums of 2010 [#18]

0 EPK – Asymmetric Universe – The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars (2023)

  • April 28, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Asymmetric Universe · EPKs

EPK – Asymmetric Universe – The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars (2023)

Publicist – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“We think this new music could be appreciated by both metal and fusion fans. We thought of this EP as an emotional journey through music trying not to fall into any genre-related clichés. We really hope that these intentions will be felt by our listeners, regardless of their musical background.” – Asymmetric Universe

For fans of Animals As Leaders,  Plini, Owane, Dirty Loops, Intervals

Album Title: “The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars”
Release Date: 28/04/23
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release

Asymmetricuniverse.com | Facebook.com/asymmetricuniverse | Youtube.com/@AsymmetricUniverse | Instagram.com/asymmetricuniverse

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

“Their debut EP is a triumph of creativity, technical musicianship, and magic colors, both sonically and visually”- Music Off

“They can easily be compared and contrasted with some contemporary greats from the movement.” – Circle Pit

Album Title: “The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars”
Release Date: 28/04/23
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Extrospection (05:55)
2. As Within, So Without (07:05)
3. Kaleidoscope (05:52)  
4. (re):emerge (11:42)
EP Length: 33:17

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Federico Vese, Nicolò Vese, Gabriele Bullita
• All songs written by: Federico Vese & Nicolò Vese
• Produced by: Federico Vese & Nicolò Vese
• Mixed by: Forrester Savell
• Mastered by: Ermin Hamidovic
• Album Artwork by: Picture by Jeannette Bonezzi and Graphics by Isabella Giannone Rendo @RKH

Album Band Lineup:
Federico Vese – Guitar, Vocals
Nicolò Vese – Bass, Double Bass
Gabriele Bullita – Drums
Cesare Mecca – Trumpets
Simone Garino – Saxophones
Claudio Vignali – Guest piano solo on Kaleidoscope.
Federico Braga – Violin I  
Matteo Marzaro – Violin II  
Andrea Maini – Viola  
Vittorio Piombo – Cello

Live Band Lineup:
Federico Vese – Guitar, Vocals
Nicolò Vese – Bass, Double Bass
Gabriele Bullita – Drums

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

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

Extrospection: (Nicolò) I wrote the piano intro on a tough night during the pandemic, I remember I was studying Bill Evans and Giacomo Puccini in that period, so this part took inspiration from them, Then with my brother, I adapted that section to a more proggy vibe for the chorus. Anyway, the jazzy and fusion shades remain strong in the midsection. We’re actually going to improvise that part in our live shows! But then I knew that something was missing, so I added a live-string quartet to give more elegance to the song. It was really hard to rhythmically fit in the strings in a prog song, but I think the final result is really satisfying.

As Within, So Without: (Federico) I wrote the different sections of this song in different sessions. The challenge was to compose a catchy and heavy chorus while keeping the verses more sophisticated using smooth modulations. I studied expressly a particular harmonic approach based on Coltrane and Dirty Loops for the intro and the central solo sections, in fact, they were the last part added to the song. It took me a lot of time to write the solo and to record it as I was hearing it in my head but I’m quite satisfied with the final result! Nicolò managed to add the strings to the song, giving a new dimension to the arrangement.

Kaleidoscope: (Nicolò) I took care mainly of the chorus and the mid-section (from slap solo to piano solo), while my brother wrote all the verses. I also arranged the winds section with live trumpets and saxophones. We wanted to give a sort of “drunk” vibes by dividing the beat in quintuplets and using weird and unique filters on bass and guitar. The guest jazz piano solo by Claudio Vignali and the final chorus is my favorite parts!

(re):emerge: (Federico) As for “As Within, So Without” I came up with the different sections of this song in different moments. The arpeggio of the intro was a sort of lullaby that sounded in my head and helped me fall asleep for some time so I decided to propose it as the intro of a new song. Then with Nico, we worked on that intro adding winds and ambient synths. The song was hugely inspired by Pat Metheny as can be noticed in the verses and in the jazz solo chordal melody, while the choruses are inspired by modern prog/djent like Periphery. The arrangement is quite peculiar since it presents Congas, the string quartet arranged by Nico, and a double bass (also played by Nico).

(Nicolò): I took care of the ambient ending of the song, and so of the EP. It’s a very touching section all based on the material of the previous parts of the song but modulated and granulated with some inspirations from the Icelandic school of ambient (Jonsi, Olafur Arnalds). For me was an occasion to experiment with sound design, for example adding a “ghost” sidechain that gives a rhythm where usually you won’t expect to find it, the idea is to mimic the heartbeat of the new identity created in the last part of the journey.

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

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1. Nicolò has a philosophy degree which uses as an instrument to create stories and concepts behind the songs

2. Federico has a degree in foreign languages, and he’s truly passionate about English and French literature.

L-R – Nicolò Vese (Bass) – Federico Vese (Guitar) – Gabriele Bullita (Drums)

Photo Credit Arianna Pellini

Asymmetric Universe is an instrumental project founded in 2018 by the brothers Federico Vese and Nicolò Vese, with the goal of pushing the limit of the modern prog, blending coherently different genres. Their goal is to create complex music but still accessible to the listener, ranging from modern prog metal to fusion, from avant-garde jazz to emotional ambient, along with chamber orchestration. Lately that year Gabriele Bullita joined the band as a permanent studio and live drummer. 

In 2019 the two brothers released their completely DIY debut EP “When Reality Disarticulates”, their singles have been aired on different independent radios in Italy, the USA and Australia. They played live shows in different parts of Italy and headlined the Farewell to Fall Fest in Milan organized by Ralph Salati of Destrage. In 2022 they finished their second EP “The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars”, with the brothers handling again the whole production and composition process. 

This new EP features a live recorded strings quartet and a winds quartet. It has been mixed by Forrester Savell and mastered by Ermin Hamidovic. The EP release is scheduled for 28th April 2023, just before touring EU and UK as the opening act for Ne Obliviscaris and Persefone in the Exul EU/UK tour in May.

Discography:
2023 – The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars – EP
2019 – When Reality Disarticulates – EP

Shared Stage with:
Persefone, Ne Obliviscaris, Ralph Salati, Benthos

Tour and Festivals:
2023 – Exul Eu/Uk Tour With Ne Obliviscaris and Persefone – Europe/Uk
2019 – Farewell to Fall Fest – Milan, Italy

Artist Endorsements:
Federico Vese (guitar) is a Bare Knuckle Pickups Artist

0 EPK – Super Monster Party – This Is Doom (single)

  • April 25, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Super Monster Party

EPK – Super Monster Party – This Is Doom (single)

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

“Super Monster Party provides an immersive experience where you are taken into the world of “Permadeath” where video games are real and you “The Hero” must battle your way to different worlds to become its champion and save this reality from extinction. We want to create a link between our songs and the nostalgia of our favorite video games growing up.” – Super Monster Party

For fans of Slipknot, Powerwolf, Dragonforce, Powerglove

Band: Super Monster Party
Single Title: This is Doom!
Release Date: April 9th, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid

Supermonsterparty.com | Facebook.com/supermonsterparty | Instagram.com/super_monster_party | Youtube.com/channel/UCMA3cvn7SaZ-Cmv_CyEY9ew

Supermonsterparty.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud

Band: Super Monster Party
Single Title: This is Doom!
Release Date: April 9th, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid

Track Listing:
This Is Doom! – 3:09

Single Credits:
• All songs performed by: Super Monster Party
• All songs written by: Super Monster Party
• Produced by: Rei Sega
• Mixed by: Matt Laplant
• Mastered by: Matt Laplant
• Album Artwork by: David Venegas
• Member of ASCAP

Band Lineup:
Rei Sega  – Vocals
Emilio – Bass
Fern – Drums
Andy – Guitar
Denver – Lead Guitar

Discography:
Game Genie (Album) – 2022
SideQuest (Album) – 2021
Permadeath (Album)  2020

Super Monster Party is a video game-inspired Metal band from South Florida. Their albums consist of original songs based on classic games such as Altered Beast, Zelda, and many other retro titles with immersive storytelling in-between that places you, the listener, in the role of the “Champion” who must battle through video game worlds to save the realm of Permadeath from an unprecedented evil who is hell-bent on utter destruction. If that’s not enough, the band also has their own playable video game titled “Permadeath” where you can play the story in real-time. 

The Band is the concept of Singer / Songwriter, Rei Sega and features notable members Emilio Martinez (Ynwgie Maulsteem), Fernando Lemus (Lions at the Gate), Jsin Lee Gomez. And are co-produced by Matt Laplant (Non-Point, Ellefson, Saliva). 

0 EPK – Vantablack Warship – Last of the Hardmouthed Poets (2023) (BAM & Co. Heavy)

  • April 21, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Vantablack Warship

EPK – Vantablack Warship – Last of the Hardmouthed Poets (2023) (BAM & Co. Heavy)

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

“Fans can expect more new music soon…in terms of the tracks on Last of the Hardmouthed Poets, it all came together organically but was mainly inspired by the writings of Beat Generation authors, and various life themes such as loss, perseverance, anti-racism and cherishing the important things in life.” – Vantablack Warship

For fans of Pantera, Cro-Mags, Exodus, Cancer Bats, Slayer

Band: Vantablack Warship
Album Title: Last of the Hardmouthed Poets
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Label: BAM & Co. Heavy
Distribution: BAM & Co. Heavy

Bamand.co | Facebook.com/VantablackWarship | Twitter.com/VANTABLACKWRSHP | Youtube.com/@vantablackwarship7199

Spotify | Vantablackwarship.bandcamp.com 

Vinyl – https://boutique.boiteamusique.ca/qc/vantablack-warship/33280-vantablack-warship-last-of-the-hardmouthed-poets-lp-vinyle.html​

CD – https://boutique.boiteamusique.ca/qc/vantablack-warship/33279-vantablack-warship-last-of-the-hardmouthed-poets-cd.html​

Digital – https://bfan.link/last-of-the-hardmouthed-poets

 

Canadian Campus Radio Charts:
#12 Top 20 Loud – !earshot – May 2023 https://earshot-online.com/charts/2023/May/loud.cfm 
#131 Top 200 – !earshot – May 2023 https://earshot-online.com/charts/2023/May/top200.cfm

“I need an album like this to come along every now and again. An album to fire you up, get the blood pumping and a nice reminder that you’re not as old as your body feels.” – Smorg Magazine

“If you have never listened to VANTABLACK WARSHIP, I advise you to start with “Unplug The Drug”, which is really excellent. Don’t miss them on show, because with a release like this, it’s going to be brewing in a medium time!” – Metal Universe 

“From the fiery crucible of Quebec’s metal scene, Vantablack Warship rises once more with their latest opus, “Last of the Hardmouthed Poets“. The ensemble, made up of stalwarts from an array of legendary bands including Les Ekorchés, Leprocy, Buffalo Theory Mtl, Arseniq33, and Ghoulunatics, have been fanning the flames of thrash, hardcore, and groove with unyielding tenacity.” – IDIOTEQ

““Last of the Hardmouthed Poets” is a record of condensed tracks and furious energy. Each title is a muscular cocktail” – Music Waves

“Last of the Hardmouthed Poets demonstrates a clear progress at all levels for the Montreal quintet and the starting spots in the leading squad of the most important bands in the current Quebec metal scene. Already a candidate for the metal album of the year in Quebec!” – Famille Rock

“It’s a menacing mix of explosive thrash and you can let it pummel your senses by hitting play” – Exclaim!

“Altogether, it’s a worthy successor to the metal records of the past and is worth checking out for fans of “dirty” metal. If you’re into dark metal and give this a listen, you’ll no doubt have a good time – and that’s most of what life’s about anyway, right?” – New Noise Magazine

“thrash, groove and gnarly vocals…it’s metal from start to finish and yet the overwhelming sense throughout is that this band’s attitude is punk to the core.” – Five Albums

“You won’t get many underground albums that are as heavy as this one! Great scores for great albums are well deserved. Go get this one ASAP!” – Grimm Gent

“Assurément un groupe québécois à suivre et à ne pas manquer lorsqu’ils se produiront en spectacle dans votre région. Croyez-moi sur parole, Vantablack Warship – le mini-album et le groupe – fera date dans l’histoire de notre métal. ” – Muzik Injection

“Vantablack Warship est à surveiller en 2018 et avec la sortie de ce premier album, il pourrait être l’une des grosses surprises au Québec cette année.” – Metal Universe

“Eight tracks of titanic metal that spans sub-genres. From the opening hardcore groove of Another Dead Rockstar to the fierce riffing & desperate screaming vocals of Black Tongue Bertha to the moshpit anthem of Blood on the Mat, Vantablack Warship spit corruptible venom with their in your face efforts.” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“If you want a hard-hitting album with more than one theme, lots of variety and even more headbanging, don’t forget to pick up Abrasive Pulmonic Speak.” – Canadian Beats

“The six songs are exactly what you would expect from a band in this genre, hard, ruthless, aggressive and this with a healthy dose of “f*ck the world and all in it” attitude…With this short record, Vantablack Warship shows they fit right into the current crossover scene and fans of bands like Municipal Waste or Suicidal Tendencies can surely appreciate this little piece of work.” – Lords of Metal

“It’s a hard hitting good time from start to end, no weak spots. It’s a mind bending cluster fuck to the tenth power. The vocals through out the album, so rich, yet so creative and they are their own thing. The melodies and mixing, everything has been extraordinary. It was more than a pleasure to listen to this!” – Taste of Khaos

“play a remarkably catchy brand of rocking deaththrash” – The Killchain Blog

“I’m very much digging it and hopefully there will be more coming from Vantablack Warship because I’ll be spinning this one over and over again.” – Thy Demons Be Scribblin

” Vantablack Warship wear their influences for all to see, there is, thankfully, no doubt that they have a sound that is all their own, or at least a sound made their own. Opening track You’ll Burn brings to mind Entombed’s 1993 classic Wolverine Blues, – as do all six tracks, in fact – but never to the point of plagiarism, and although Cancer Bats, Pantera and Slayer are all obvious influences too, there is no sense that you’re hearing a poor imitation, just a kick ass band with great taste in music.” – Morat 666

Band: Vantablack Warship
Album Title: Last of the Hardmouthed Poets
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Label: BAM & Co. Heavy
Distribution: BAM & Co. Heavy

Track Listing:
1 – Blacklisters Lament – 0:36
2 – We Shall Not Sleep – 3:14
3 – Hunting the Recruiter – 3:09
4 – 40 Acres – 3:19
5 – Choose Your Ride – 1:55
6 – Unplug the Drug – 2:11
7 – Laughing In Anger – 3:47
8 – Gone – 2:39
9 – Inside His Mind – 3:12
10 – Fameless – 2:19
11 – Above it All – 2:12
Album Length: 28:38

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Vantablack Warship
• All songs written by: Vantablack Warship
• Produced by: Vantablack Warship
• Mixed by: Pat Knup
• Mastered by: Alberto De Icaza
• Member of SOCAN
• Music is Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album Band and Live Lineup:
Patrick Gordon – Guitar
Yannick “Pil” Pilon – Vocals
Thierry Hivon – Guitar
Kurt Clifford – Bass
Pierre Pitre – Drums

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

Track by Track explained by Vantablack Warship singer Yannick “Pil” Pilon’s perspective.

WE SHALL NOT SLEEP
The 1st song of the album (after the intro!). Big catchy riff that along with the drums pound solid! The 2nd part of the song is a big heavy breakdown which I repeat until the end ”Find what you love and let it kill you…” I love it! It opens the album nicely. Basically, we say that nothing will stop us from doing what we want. No matter the obstacles, we found what we love until we die…! It’s our choice as the 1st video… to do with… you!

HUNTING THE RECRUITER
It’s the slowest song on the album with a heavy screeching riff. Worse, I took my voice out of Tom Araya! Crisse that she returns to the station. In this song, we put the listener in the shoes of a sexual predator tracker who decides to take action to finish the activities of the latter… We played it 3 times in show and it’s the song that has the best reactions to date.

40 ACRES
Our tribute to Slayer! From the first notes, put on your tuque, it’s pure trash! Pierre bludgeons his drum à la Lombardo and the guitars are surgical. The song refers to the promise made by the Union government during the Civil War to give freed African-American slaves 40 acres of farmland and a mule. A promise that ended badly… one of the many injustices suffered by African-Americans.

CHOOSE YOUR RIDE
The shortest song on the album, 1m.55 A real punch in the face! The bass is monstrous and the drum beat is haunting right through to the chorus which is powerful and fuckin’ catchy. It stays in your head! The message of the song is that you have to choose your own path in this crazy changing world. Not always in the right direction… According to Knup (the one who recorded and mixed the album), it’s the ”Hit” of the album! One of my top…

UNPLUG THE DRUG
Ho my god Becky! (early sampling). Song with a sick Groove! It contains my favorite guitar solo from the album. ”It’s time to turn the channel off, unplug the drug” that’s what we should do more often…the song is about shit that we are bombarded on our screens and that at a certain point, we have to ‘unplug’ ourselves to remain sane.

LAUGHING IN ANGER
The song is divided into 2 parts. The 1st is rather metal with a twist of swing when I shout “Somewhere, sometime, you’ll be reborn” The 2nd part embarks on a Hardcore/Punk trip, a crossover song! Pat and Thierry exchange solos, typical of 80s trash bands, really cool. The song is inspired by the spontaneous prose technique used in Jack Kerouac’s Dr.Sax and is about breaking free from frustrating situations and having the last word and/or laughing… Huh!… We are able to play to the nerds!

INSIDE HIS MIND
Fuckin’ death riff! I really like my vocals on this song. When the choruses arrive it opens up so much! We added sharp and dissonant guitars to have a bit of a Black metal feeling! The song is in a way a reflection on a suicidal person, silence, and secrecy. We don’t provide answers, only questions…

GONE Moi pis Pat we think that if there is a song from the album that could go to CHOM, it’s her! It wasn’t our original intention, but it’s our radio-friendly song. The bridge is very eye-catching. It’s a look at the 1st strict confinement that we had. We pushed the reflection if this one had been extended forever! Looks like Vantablack trying to make a System of a Down tune…!

FAMELESS
I love the beginning of the tune, the guitar with a less loud ca-cane sound and when the band embarks it rocks! The chorus with the dissonant guitar is really cool (a nod to old Meshuggah!). The bridge (breakdown) is really too cool in the song. It makes you feel like headbanging until your head drops… It’s about the fact that there are so many bands who want to become ”rich n famous” who are ready to do anything whatever they forget the basics… write good songs!

ABOVE IT ALL
The song that ends the album, is N.Y. Hardcore style! We wanted to do something different by bringing a clean vocal during the verses. Circle pit, Mosh pit, trash zone, pit, etc… it’s the perfect tune for that! I love Thierry’s guitar solo, it’s captivating! We wanted to image Yin and Yang through the deadly sins and what could be the opposite. We end up saying that we are above all this shit… I’m above, all of your bullshit, I’m above it all

L-R – Pat Gordon – Guitars, Pierre Pitre – Drums, Yannick “Pil” Pilon – Vocals, Thierry Hivon – Guitars, Kurt Clifford – Bass
Photo Credit – Photo: Michel Beaudin

Following their 2018 sophomore album, “Abrasive Pulmonic Speak”, which was welcomed with rave reviews, Montreal, Canada’s Vantablack Warship is back with a hard-hitting, head-banging masterpiece. “Last of the Hardmouthed Poets” offers 10 tracks of titanic metal for fans of all genres. The album title is a homage to the blacklisted authors of yesteryear and reminds us not to take for granted freedom of speech and freedom of thought.

This highly anticipated return of Vantablack Warship will be released on vinyl and CD through BAM & Co. Heavy. Following this debut single, fans can expect a number of lyric videos to be released over the coming months to showcase the album, designed by artists from all around the world. A local listening party is slated on Saturday, April 22nd at Boite à Musique (2000 Rue Notre Dame E, bureau 201) at 11AM local time, fans who purchase the album will also receive a free beer! The band will also be performing shows across Québec and Ontario including April 22nd in Gatineau at the Minotaure with B.A.R.F., May 6th for the 40th anniversary of the Foufounes Electriques, and June 2nd with Demonstöne in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and more to be announced shortly in Alma and St-Casimir, Québec.

Vantablack Warship’s name is a nod to the mighty Black Sabbath and their riff-driven power chord assault is recommended for fans of Pantera, Cro-Mags, and Exodus.

“Last of the Hardmouthed Poets” is due out on April 28, 2023, via BAM & Co. Heavy.

Discography:
2023 – Last of the Hardmouthed Poets
2018 – Abrasive Pulmonic Speak
2015 – Self-Titled

0 EPK – Vortex – The Future Remains In Oblivion (2023)

  • April 19, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Vortex

EPK – Vortex – The Future Remains In Oblivion (2023)

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

For fans of Shadow of Intent, Septicflesh, Dimmu Borgir, Fleshgod Apocalypse

“‘The Future remain in oblivion’ is a conceptual album and there is a build up in intensity and emotion that goes along with the story line and the lyrics as you go from the first song to the last one. Lighthouse, our previous album, was our first orchestral work and it was more on the ambient/dramatic side. The new album’s songs are still melodic and orchestral, but they are much more aggressive and some of them have a black metal influence. When writing, our goal was to keep an important melodic aspect while elevating the energy level with our live show in mind. A friend from a well-known metal band heard some of the songs and said they sounded like Dimmu Borgir with Suffocation riffs, I suppose it was a compliment. We feel the album is a good combination of aggression/melody, ugliness/beauty and will appeals to fans of Shadow of Intent, Septic Flesh, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Lorna Shore, and I suppose… Dimmu Borgir.” – Vortex

Album Title: The Future Remains In Oblivion
Release Date: June 9, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Vortex.band | Facebook.com/vortex.band.ca | Instagram.com/vortex.band.ca | Twitter.com/vortexband | Youtube.com/@VortexBand

Vortexband.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

Linktree – https://linktr.ee/vortexband

Canadian College Radio Charts
– August 2023 – top 20 loud – #14 Vortex (earshot)

“#8 on Top 10 Quebec Band 2023 Albums – The Future Remains In Oblivion delivers a solid punch with their intense and well-felt symphonic death metal and, with a quality product like this, they have nothing to envy of the big names in the genre.” – Thorium Mag

“The Future Remains in Oblivion is the collision zone between powdered wig classical and battle jacketed death metal that should hold appeal for fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Septicflesh and those who like their Suffocation mixed with Dimmu Borgir.” – Decibel Magazine

“The song’s (The Walls) multi-faceted nature is further revealed in harrowing and haughty growls, jolting chords, and fiery sunbursts of sound, as well as through a swirling melodic guitar solo that spectacularly sends the song into the stratosphere. The song’s finale is itself a full-power spectacle that really gets the adrenaline surging.” – No Clean Singing

“If there’s anything that Vortex nails, it’s drama. Album highlight and banger track “First Blood” is simply massive” – Angry Metal Guy

“For some music is pure escapism but does that still hold true when bands like Canadian Melodic Death Metal monster Vortex whisk the would be listener into a bleak world that is recovering from a devastating cataclysm? Scenes of war and survival are punctuated with harrowing strings, technical riffs, and guttural and Black Metal inspired vocals as the band weave cinematic stories and orchestral touches into their third concept album “The Future Remains In Oblivion”” – Metal Noise

“the title-track The Future Remains In Oblivion, a song that will blow your mind with its insane wall of sounds, background orchestrations, epic passages, striking riffs and solos, and visceral yet intricate drums, resulting in one of the most breathtaking moments of the entire album.” – The Headbanging Moose

“An excellent group that you must discover because of the intensity they are able to show” – Ondes Chocs

“After hearing their new material live November 2022, I was really looking forward to hearing the sequel and it may be darker than ever.” – Thorium Mag

“a band that takes great pride in weaving together cinematic stories set to orchestral melodic death metal. Canada’s very own Vortex is prepared to whisk you away to a bleak world that is recovering from a devastating cataclysm in the latest album, The Future Remains In Oblivion.” – Canadian Beats

“The Future Remains In Oblivion est un disque coloré, aux mélodies chaleureuses et aux superbes guitares.
“The Future Remains In Oblivion is a colorful record, with warm melodies and superb guitars.” – Music Waves

“The breakdowns are huge in places. There are big moments where the influences pour through, but are blended with giant choral arrangements and symphonics. It’s absolutely like something out of a Lord of the Rings movie. I love the melodies, the harmonics, and the guitar solos. This is absolutely an album which ought to be part of your listening rotation this month. I was genuinely impressed with quite a bit of the entire album. I think that when you look at this album, the absolute banger of the title tack is 100% worth several spins with the blackened guitar riffs and tremendous choral arrangements.” – Metal Epidemic

“The songs you’ll find on this upcoming release are aggressive, but Vortex also has a strong melodic approach and lots of orchestrations combined with guttural, black metal vocals and diverse guitar playing that alternates between howling snippets and beautiful, emotional riffs. Recommended for fans of Shadow of Intent, Septicflesh, and Dimmu Borgir.”  – RTMB Music

“Melodic death, a bit technical and prog” – Mosh Pit Radio WORT 89.9FM (Madison, WI)

“Easy comparisons can be made to Cattle Decapitation and Lorna Shore, the riffs are crushing, the vocals are brutal and the guitar solos are insane. What’s really making me giggle are the little keyboard flourishes, which lightens the mood before it kicks your teeth in again. Skullcrushing.” – Sister Mary Metal

Album Title: The Future Remains In Oblivion
Release Date: June 9, 2023
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. From The Sun (5:24)
2. Downfall (4:11)
3. The Fool (3:13)
4. The Walls (4:32)
5. Our Possible End (4:23)
6. First Blood (4:29)
7. The Future Remains In Oblivion (4:50)
8. When No More Words Will Be Heard (5:22)
Album Length: 36:29

Album Credits:
– All songs performed by VORTEX
– All songs written by VORTEX
– Produced by Pierre Luc Demers and Dany Lévesque
– Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Pierre Luc Demers (Studio Ondechoc)
– Album artwork by Rudi Gorging Suicide
– MAPL – Canadian Content

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

The Album As A Whole:
‘The Future Remains In Oblivion’ is an orchestral death metal album with plenty of heavy riffing and melodies, technical vocals, and epic soloing. If you were to compare it with ‘Lighthouse’ it is more aggressive, and energetic, and the compositions have been crafted with live shows in mind.

Track by Track:

From the sun (5:24)
A natural cataclysm occurs, ‘‘death comes from the Sun’’. Important Solar Flares are scientifically possible, and we prefer writing about real possibilities instead of pure fiction. ‘From the Sun’ has an epic introduction and choruses. After the intro, when the vocals finally kick in for the verse, to us it sounds like something Fleshgod Apocalypse could have written.

Downfall (4:11)
After the cataclysm society collapses and we’ve read that there would be three stages in only three days if that was to happen for real, ‘’social order is a thing of the past, survival justifies the means’’. This number has some nice technical vocals, it’s going all over in many different styles. It’s one of the songs that are riff-oriented and thus less melodic with many fast blast beats.

The Fool (3:13)
Prior to the cataclysm, there is that guy who passes for crazy because he is hyper eco anxious. He is surely an important event related to ecology that will cause society to collapse ‘’Follow me, I designed a future to escape disaster’’. This one is the most deathcore of the album, heavy and brutal, with no place for melody.

The Walls (4:32)
Our Fool got all sorts of people to believe and follow him. Billionaires, soldiers, engineers, contractors, scientists, farmers, physicians, etc. They’ve put everything they’ve got into building a secret small city that is protected by reinforced walls and an arsenal. Inside these walls, they have everything they need to survive any cataclysm and its aftermath. ‘The Walls’ verses have a strong orchestral melody underlying black metal riffing and vocals to create a unique feel. The choruses have some of our best orchestral writing with its predominant violen melody supporting powerful layers of guttural vocals. ‘The Walls’ has one of the best solos of the album, technical with lots of feel and melody.

Our Possible End (4:23)
Outside survivors discover the city by chance. They are sick and deprived and they want in. ‘’ I can hear it coming from far again, the rumble of our possible end, a thud arising from the forest, the running of hundreds of men’’.

This song is straight old-school death metal with orchestrations.

First Blood (4:29)
This is war. They are coming again, but this time in greater numbers and much more prepared. ‘’This battle brought us our first suffering. In this battle, our first blood, our first deaths’’.  This one has aggressive black metal riffing and vocals in its verses, atmospheric orchestral melo-death in its choruses, huge choirs, and epic soloing, it has all that Vortex does at its best.

The Future Remains In Oblivion (4:50)
‘‘Others might know about us, but we have greater concern, we may be the last to stand. We have prevailed but while we had the past and now the present, the future remains in oblivion’’. This is one of our favorites, it is heavy, tasty, and beautiful. It has the most complex structure of the album, it may take a few listen to get into but it’s a song that will stick over time. It is based around the orchestra and some technical playing and vocals; it is challenging to play live, and we get a kick out of nailing it.

When No More Words Will Be Heard (5:22)
What is the place/importance of mankind in the grand schemes of the Universe? ‘’When no more words will be heard, what will happen to the world, to the Universe?’’.

This song is different from the rest of the album. Most of it is composed of three orchestral melodies that were inspired by movie scores. It perfectly fits its philosophical lyrics and it’s a perfect closer with its feel of despair and grandiose finale. We are going to use this slower song to create some dynamics in the pacing of our live set.

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

Story Angles – Fun Facts:

1. None of us fits the ‘regular’ death metal band member stereotype. Some of us have children and we all have jobs most people wouldn’t think were for a death metal musician. We count a business director, a paramedic, a wind farm manager, a big corporation team manager, and a music composer in our ranks. Two of the band members are schooled musicians.

2. We have played about 200 shows together until now.

3. We often drive for 6, 8, 10, and even sometimes 14 hours to play a live show, we are road warriors!!!

4. We are serious and professional, but occasionally some of us really like to party when the show is over. I would have great stories to tell but I’m not sure I should talk about them….

5. Over the years we had much bad luck and encountered many problems on the road and in our live shows, we could write a book on the subject. Some stories are just funny, and some others are not. Once we lost a trailer driving 110 kph on a highway, some people could have been killed, and all our equipment and merch was all over the ditch in the mud. Another time we had a soundman who thought he didn’t have to mic our guitar cabinets because we had wireless guitar systems, another one put the mikes on the drums and the cabs and left and never came back to the show, we had to do everything ourselves for us and the other bands. Once we got to a venue and the owner didn’t know that the promotor had booked a death metal lineup in his bar, you should have seen its face while we were sound checking…. The time a girl stripped while moshing in front of the stage was funny too, some guy had to take her out of the venue on his shoulder to stop her. And of course, we have tons of drunk guy stories but I’m not going to talk about that….

L-R – Justin L’Italien Dubé (Drums and Piano), Simon Desjardins (Bass), Alexandre Labrie (Vocals), Dany Lévesque (Guitars), Mathieu Duguay (Guitars and Orchestrations)
Photo Credit: Freeman

For Rimouski, Quebec, Canada’s Vortex, delivering a story is of utmost importance and unsurprisingly their last two albums “The Asylum” (2016) and “Lighthouse” (2018) released on PRC Music have been epic concept albums set to their signature orchestral blackened melodic death metal. The third installment in their discography is the self-released “The Future Remains In Oblivion”, which builds on their sound with added black metal influence, a heavy dose of aggressiveness, and a buildup of intensity and emotion as the storyline progresses.

When it comes to writing, Vortex starts with the story first, something worth talking about. Each song becomes a chapter and then the music can start to form based on the feeling of the tale. That process is diversified, sometimes the orchestra is the backbone of the song and sometimes it’s added once the drums and guitars are all written. All the band members participate in different degrees to the writing process, bringing their own influences into the mix.

The songs you will encounter on this upcoming release are aggressive, but Vortex also has a strong melodic approach and a lot of orchestrations combined with guttural and black metal vocals, and diverse guitars that alternate between howling shreds and beautiful, emotional riffs. It is recommended for fans of Shadow of Intent, Septicflesh and Dimmu Borgir.

“The Future Remains In Oblivion” is due out June 9, 2023.

Vortex is
Justin L’Italien Dubé – Piano and Drums
Simon Desjardins – Bass
Alexandre Labrie – Vocals
Dany Levesque – Guitar
Mathieu Duguay – Guitar and Orchestrations

Discography
2023 –  The Future Remains In Oblivion (Self-Release)
2018 – Lighthouse, PRC Music
2016 – The Asylum, PRC Music

Shared Stage with:
Aeternam, Obscura, Khalma, Vesperia, Obey the Brave, Anonymus, BARF, DBC, Mutank, E-Force, Boundaries, Insurrection, Feel like Home, The Flaying, Spirit of Rebellion, Reanimator, Chemicide, Replicant, Valfreya, Obsolete Mankind, Strigampire, Sufferize, Lycanthro, Nova Spei, Meet the mailman, Saccage, Dischord, Sanguine Glacialis, Windferer, Lancaster, Trollwar, Flesh Shrine, Death note silence, Blinded by Faith.

Tours and Festivals:
2019 – PRC Metal Bash tour (Quebec and The Maritimes)
2018 – Chemicide tour (Quebec)
2017 – E-Force tour – Eric Forest ex-Voivod (Eastern Canada)
2017 – Reanimator tour (Quebec)

0 EPK – Stratuz – Osculum Pacis (2022)

  • April 18, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Stratuz

EPK – Stratuz – Osculum Pacis (2022)

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

For fans of Paradise Lost, Tiamat, Moonspell, Crematory, Tristania

Album Title: Osculum Pacis
Release Date: April 26, 2022
Label: Self-Release

“An immersion in our own universe of sound which will lead you to listen to each of the themes repeatedly and thus discover each sound layer and the sensations they awaken.” – Stratuz

Stratuz.info | Facebook.com/stratuzofficial | Twitter.com/stratuzofficial | Instagram.com/stratuz_official | YouTube

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

“the fathers of Venezuelan death/doom” – Femforgacs

“For me this material is the best of the Latin scene of 2022” (Osculum Pacis) – Metallerium

“Osculum Pacis is a brutally artistic journey with Stratuz, it loudly demonstrates their abilities and vision, which they stayed true to throughout all the changes and dynamic shifts that we’ve been through on this sonic trip. I loved how packed is it with pure emotions of anger, melancholy, and growing brutality.” – ROCK ERA MAGAZINE

“Fans of doom metal, death metal – even black metal, can find something to appreciate with “Osculum Pacis”. For metalheads who like their metal dark and more mature with its themes, this is a great release to sink your teeth into.” – Team Brutal

It is an album, a record that can captivate anyone who loves music, both for its lyrical content and for its musical enrichment within rock in different trends and trends, along with orchestral arrangements that surround you. Without a doubt, a musical production for export.” – Cresta Metalica

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: Osculum Pacis
Release Date: April 26, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Intro – 1:58
2. Morning Star – 3:50
3. Father Amorth (e) – 2:58
4. Holy Grail – 4:36
5. Caelibatus – 4:33
6. In the Name of God – 3:06
7. Back to the Sun – 3:09
8. Sodomized – 4:41
9. Dawn – 5:06
10. Left – 4:57
11. Condemned – 5:26
Album Length: 44:22

Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: Stratuz
• All songs written by: Gerónimo Egea / Franklin Berroterán
• Produced by: Gerónimo Egea / Franklin Berroterán
• Mixed by: Arturo Banús
• Mastered by: Arturo Banús
• Album Artwork by: Eugenia Bathoriya
• Member of ASCAP / BMI

Stratuz is:
Franklin Berroterán – Voices and Keyboards
Gerónimo Egea – Guitars
Leonardo Rangel – Bass
Diego Cabrujas – Drums

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

The album as a whole:
OSCULUM PACIS

Lyrically, it speaks of the abuses of the church and its deafening silence in the face of so many denunciations of abuse. It speaks of the manipulation of the masses, and injustice, but at the same time, it also speaks of the awakening of consciousness, of death as a process of transformation, and the need to change ourselves in order to rise up and banish our own miseries. It speaks of rising up aware of who we are.

About The Album Artwork:

The art of the album represents all the victims of the church, living or dead. The void of justice, the Kiss of Peace and Mea Culpa with each of their victims.

It is the indelible presence of their excesses, their sins, their demons, their double standards, their contradictions as an institution and of a deep reflection that should come someday.

Track By Track

MORNING STAR
Morning Star’ refers to the first light we see at dawn, that first star reminding us that the first light of the day reaches the spiritually higher men first, just like the last light of the day.

Morning Star’ represents Lucifer as the bringer of light. Light as knowledge. He is the bringer of light on our planet both in the material and spiritual way, and it’s in the hands of each to find their own light and understanding to wake up from so many layers of lies set through time.

FATHER AMORTH(e)

This song is dedicated to the late priest Gabriele Amorth or, as he was known in his lifetime, Father Amorth, who was the most respected and important exorcist in the Vatican. Within the song, there are Latin verses of the ritual used by the Vatican to perform exorcisms and it invites him to exorcise his brothers for all the outrages they have done against innocents, instead of hunting demons in vulnerable people.

HOLY GRAIL
It is arguably a darkly romantic theme, mixing the desire of a religious lady with someone very contrary to her faith, leading to the point of highlighting the weakness of the flesh and the energy that is released through desire, the value of blood and the chalice between her thighs.

CAELIBATUS
This song speaks of the fragility that can reach any religious person who practices celibacy, this tortuous measure to suppress the desires and the unnatural punishment to which his body is subjected.

The flesh is flesh and everything needs a balance, celibacy definitely does not have any attribute that allows that balance, who knows if this is part of the problem within this institution to commit so many abuses.

IN THE NAME OF GOD
It is a story of a priest who abused a child and takes his own life, he speaks of having committed these faults “In the Name of God” and blames the child for this attraction, however, the torment gives him no rest and he takes his own life as a way of escape, however, this is not enough to erase his atrocity.

BACK TO THE SUN
It could be said that it is a kind of ritual, where a living master who has left a deep mark among his followers through his teachings is bid farewell, and these, as a sign of respect, prepare his return home, the abode from which we all come. It is the closing of a cycle of transformation, transmutation, life and death or death and life.

SODOMIZED
It reflects the grotesque and disgusting nature of pedophiles within the Catholic Church, as well as the sarcasm with which they have handled the denunciations and the approving looks often given by the parents of some victims who believed more in the aggressors than in their own children.

DAWN
Dawn is a call for the awakening of consciousness, for progress and growth as individuals, to leave aside the manipulation of religions. It’s a call to demolish ignorance so that everyone can raise their voice with strength, but above all with solid foundations. Today we are burdened and saturated by the environment, we live for the sake of living and drifting.

LEFT
This song reflects that emptiness that many people feel internally, that feeling of abandonment, of loneliness, of neglect, that lack of sense for being on this plane, taking refuge in their own sorrow.

CONDEMNED
It is a rather crude and fulminating theme, as it goes against everything established, the political and religious power to manipulate the masses to their will and interests, a race destined to its own misfortune where mistrust, hatred and revenge reign, where competition is a mechanism to cancel the other, where the suffering or failures of others can be the satisfaction of many. It’s a misanthropic song to a certain extent.

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

Fun Facts – Story Angles:
1.    Stratuz was the first Venezuelan band to write songs against the Catholic Church and in the 80’s it was almost a crime to do so, this stirred up the country’s underground scene and the scandals began.

2.    In a major newspaper in the country, a whole column was devoted to discrediting Stratuz and the headline was, Stratuz worshippers of Satan. The effect was the opposite and the band became more popular.

3.    An interesting anecdote was a show that took place in a theatre under a Catholic church in 1989, the euphoria of the audience erupted during Stratuz’s performance and they started to set fire to the seats of the theatre, the priests were horrified by the event, but there was no serious damage, fortunately.

4.    During one of the band’s performances in the late ’80s, in the middle of the performance, a cross was taken from the stage and someone from the audience asked for it, this cross had been taken from a cemetery and weighed about 10 kilos, however, the fan thought it was made of styrofoam, he couldn’t get up from his seat during the show because he was too small and the cross was too heavy for him.

5.    In a concert in Barquisimeto in ’87, we threw a metal cross in the air, this cross was from the coffin of the bass player’s grandmother and we just wanted to use it as decoration, however, the adrenaline made us throw it, but we never imagined that it would fall on the head of one of the assistants producing a deep wound, the good thing about the story is that this boy bought a guitar and started to practice until he became part of a very well known band in the country (the accident was good for something).

6.    During the ’98 tour in Spain, in the city of Seville they were about to suspend the concert because there was a problem between the organizers and the sound engineer, however, some of us had some experience in operating equipment and decided to set up the event and fortunately it turned out to be a success, this even got reviewed in some local magazines.

L-R – Franklin Berroteran (Vocals, Keyboard), Geronimo Egea (Guitar), Leonardo Rangel (Baa), Diego Cabrujas (Drums)

Stratuz is a Venezuelan doom-death metal band formed in 1984. The group released their first demo in 1993 and their debut album “In Nomine…” in 1995, helping them to quickly become the most recognized metal band in Venezuela and cementing their place as one of the pioneer bands of extreme metal.
​
In 1999, Stratuz finished recording the album “The Last Angel” upon their return from a European tour. That same year, they signed with the Belgian label LSP-Company for a new album entitled “Spirit Seduction”.
​
The band decided to disband in 2006, but in 2019 they reform and start working on a new album titled “Osculum Pacis”, released on 26 April 2022.
​
Stratuz recently reached number one on the Jacquin Ravens Top 50 Metal on US radio station 99WNRR with their latest album “Osculum Pacis”.

Stratuz is:
Franklin Berroterán – Voices and Keyboards
Gerónimo Egea – Guitars
Leonardo Rangel – Bass
Diego Cabrujas – Drums

Discography:
Stratuz 1993 KCT
In Nomine… 1995 CD
The Last Angel 1999 CD
Spirit Seduction 2000 CD
Without Original Sin 2006 EP(Digital)
Osculum Pacis 2022 CD /Digital

Shared Stage with:
AVULSED, CENTINEX, ANASARCA, ACHERON
Tours and Festivals:
2006 – Ariah Fest (Caracas-Venezuela)
2001- Acheron + Stratuz (Caracas-Venezuela)
1999 – Avulsed + Stratuz (Caracas-Barquisimeto-Venezuela)
1998 – Festival del Sol (Mula – Spain) with Stratovarius
1998 – Repulsive Tour ’98 (Spain – Portugal)
1998 – Komm ’98 Fest (Köln – Germany) Headliner

0 EPK – Endeavour – For The Time Being (2023)

  • April 14, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Endeavour · EPKs

EPK – Endeavour – For The Time Being (2023)

For fans of Bad Omens, Northlane, Sleep Token, Architects, Polaris

“The tracks don’t necessarily link to one another by telling one overarching story. However, some songs do have a connection to each other by delving a bit into personal matters. Others tell stories that are much broader and less personal. ‘For The Time Being’ captures the contrast between fleeting personal issues and the broader problems we face. They make up a big part of someone’s journey through life but are definitely not always insurmountable, though it does feel like that sometimes.

‘For The Time Being’ is all about that journey for us. It reminds us about the seemingly hopeless and overwhelming situations we find ourselves in that we’ve been able to get past. Some issues might still be there, but that’s okay for the time being. We’ve learned a lot during the process of making this record, and are happy we are finally able to show it to the world!” – Endeavour

Album Title: For The Time Being
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Facebook.com/NDVRBand | Instagram.com/endeavour.nl | Youtube.com/@endeavourNL

Spoitfy | Apple Music | Ndvrband.bandcamp.com | Endeavourmerch.bigcartel.com/

https://linktr.ee/EndeavourNL

”Already having picked up notable coverage from the likes of Insane Blog and even some early Spotify editorial playlist support, this bright young band is delivering some absolute fire with their newest single. While taking notable influence from bands like Architects and Northlane (to name a few), Endeavour are getting closer to finding their overall sound – and we’re here for it. Give the new track a spin below.” – New Fury Media

”BLUR showcases how a song can stand out from the crowded music world by not being afraid to focus on lush vocal melodies and heavier style that blends seamlessly with lighter elements in a natural, organic way.” – Toxic Metal Zine

”Sticking to their ‘single-word’ track-titles, Endeavour have launched into 2023 with ‘Blur‘ – a representation of what their latest studio run has cooked up. The new single is reminiscent of, and has influences from TesseracT and Sleep Token, which should tickle the fancies of prog-metalcore lovers out there. We reckon you should keep an eye on Endeavour this year as there might be a lot more to come…” – Wall Of Sound Australia

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: For The Time Being
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Track Listing:
1. Definite (3:28)
2. Blur (3:17)
3. Black Box (3:26)
4. Aimless (3:17)
5. Colourblind (3:01)
6. Sober (4:15)
7. Breathe (3:48)
8. 127 (3:12)
9. For The Time Being (3:43)
Album length: 31:27

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Endeavour
• All songs written by: Endeavour
• Produced by: Tommie Bonajo, Anthony Scheijen
• Mixed by: Tommie Bonajo
• Mastered by: Tommie Bonajo
• Album Artwork by: Anthony Scheijen

Album Band Lineup:
Gijs Smeets – Vocals
Anthony Scheijen – Rhythm Guitar
Rob Heyen (Blur, Colourblind, Sober, For The Time Being) – Lead Guitar
Vincent Kuijpers (127, Black Box, Definite, Aimless and Breathe) – Lead Guitar
Jan te Velde – Bass
Teun Wolfs – Drums

Live Band Lineup:
Gijs Smeets – Vocals
Anthony Scheijen – Rhythm Guitar
Rob Heyen – Lead Guitar
Jan te Velde – Bass
Teun Wolfs – Drums

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

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND:

1. Endeavour began working together with producer and audio engineer Tommie Bonajo around 2020. This is what marked the beginning of the writing process for the album ‘For The Time Being’.

2. Gijs Smeets is the host/presenter of the Dutch tech and gaming YouTube channel Redux Gaming. You can find all kinds of gaming and PC-related content here (in Dutch though).

3. Rob, Jan and Anthony have graduated from the Conservatory of Maastricht. Teun is almost done with his study at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Gijs studied at the Conservatory of Maastricht as well for almost three years but quit when he got a job offer as host/presenter and Product Manager at Redux Gaming.

4. Before Rob joined Endeavour, Vincent Kuijpers (who currently plays bass in Beachdog) played lead guitar in the band. He wrote the instrumentals for our single Breathe, the only song on the album that wasn’t written almost entirely by Anthony. It definitely adds a different vibe to the album because of this!

5. While writing for ‘For The Time Being’, we’ve been writing for our second album simultaneously. It’s already pretty far in its development!

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

MUSICALLY: Heavy yet melodic with a focus on harmony. A bit eclectic at times, but that makes the album varied and thus exciting. You never know what’s going to come next :).

LYRICALLY: The tracks don’t necessarily link to one another by telling one overarching story. However, some songs do have a connection to each other by delving a bit into personal matters. Others tell stories that are much broader and less personal. ‘For The Time Being’ captures the contrast between fleeting personal issues and the broader problems we face. They make up a big part of someone’s journey through life but are definitely not always insurmountable, though it does feel like that sometimes.

‘For The Time Being’ is all about that journey for us. It reminds us about the seemingly hopeless and overwhelming situations we find ourselves in that we’ve been able to get past. Some issues might still be there, but that’s okay for the time being. We’ve learned a lot during the process of making this record, and are happy we are finally able to show it to the world!

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

*Definite:
One of the heaviest songs on the album alongside Aimless. There are lots of screams. Musically very interesting and varied. Lots of synths and a huge breakdown.

“Lyrically it is about, very original I know, a breakup I went through :).” – Gijs

*Blur:
Blur is one of our newest songs. It’s melodic, big, and has exciting choir parts. The lyrics were inspired by the passing of Gijs’ grandmother.

*Black Box:
The lyrics were inspired by the MH-17 passenger plane being shot out of the sky, killing everyone. All were innocent passengers, mostly from The Netherlands so it’s kind of a big deal here. Probably the softest song on the album. It has a catchy chorus with an uplifting feel to it, which ties into the MH-17 passenger plane theme. Halfway through there’s a somewhat heavier section with an interesting harmonic approach.

*Aimless:
Huge chorus and breakdown. A lot of energy throughout. Lyrics are inspired by conspiracy theories.

*Colourblind:
Colourblind is a very good nudge into the direction we want to go in the future. Small and vulnerable first verse, contrasted by a big breakdown with a choir in the background.

“Lyrically it was inspired by some of my darker days. We all have them.” – Gijs

*Sober:
“This has to be my favourite song off the album and really shows us drawing inspiration from some of the fresher sounds from bands like Sleep Token and Bad Omens. Very atmospheric and melodic and building up to a huge climax.” – Gijs

*Breathe:
Breathe might be our most experimental song and really stands out. That’s because this is the only song written by our ex-member Vincent. Vocals again by Gijs and Anthony. This song got Drum and Bass influences, a kind of rapped verse and the nastiest breakdown and sound overall.

*127:
This was the first single we released. “It still is our catchiest riff and chorus if you ask me” – Gijs.
Lyrically inspired by the movie “127 hours”.

*For The Time Being:
Though it’s the last song that we finished and recorded, it was actually one of the oldest demos we had lying around. You’ll find less of our new sound and more of a “classic metalcore” sound.

“The lyrics are inspired by my fear of looking too far into the future. I don’t know why, it just overwhelms me.” – Gijs.

After gaining a lot of new listeners with the single releases for ‘127’, ‘Black Box’, ‘Definite’, and ’Breathe’, Endeavour continues to be fully committed to earning their spot in the contemporary metalcore scene. Consisting of five musicians from the South of The Netherlands. They are influenced by bands such as Northlane, Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Architects, and Loathe. Through hard-beating drums, memorable melodies, and captivating guitar parts Endeavour has made clear they’re a force to be reckoned with. Their music ranges from hard-hitting and energetic to melodically atmospheric and catchy. It shows they’re capable of even more promising releases in the future. As time goes on, the five metalheads won’t be discouraged to keep building on the foundation they’ve made for themselves. Being added to Spotify Editorial Playlist ‘Rauwe Kost’, and being given airtime on the Dutch radio station KINK helped them gain even more followers across the BeNeLux region. Praise and attention for their music can be found outside of the BeNeLux as well. Media outlets such as  Wall Of Sound Australia, Toxic Metal Zine, New Fury Media, Core Community, Core Radio, Ghost Killer Entertainment, lan Scene and Insane Blog have featured Endeavour’s music on their platforms in the past. The band has also received positive feedback on their music through reaction videos from YouTubers like Richard Janvrin, GazMASH and more.

While attracting a lot of new fans with each single release, Endeavour is readying themselves for the release of their upcoming debut album ’For The Time Being’. They’ve already successfully showcased their music to new fans as support act for bands from all over Europe, the UK and Japan such as Immerse (UK), Behind Blue Eyes (UK), Elyne (Italy), Tide Has Turned (Germany), For I Am King (The  Netherlands), Fleddy Melculy (Belgium), Sable Hills (Japan) and more.

“For The Time Being” is due out June 16, 2023.

Shared Stage with:
Endeavour has successfully showcased their music as support act for bands from all over Europe, the UK and Japan such as Immerse (UK), Behind Blue Eyes (UK), Elyne (Italy), Tide Has Turned (Germany), For I Am King (The Netherlands), Two And A Half Girl (The Netherlands), Fleddy Melculy (Belgium), Sable Hills (Japan) and more.

Tours and Festivals:
– 2022 Tour:
2022 – Har Rock Open Air – Oirsbeek, The Netherlands
2022 – InToom Fest – Limbricht, The Netherlands
2022 – Caveau – Mainz, Germany
2022 – Bluff, Heerlen, The Netherlands
2022 – Koempelrock – Geleen, The Netherlands
2022 – Sable Hills – Geleen, The Netherlands
2022 – Fleddy Melculy – Vlaardingen, The Netherlands
– 2019 Tour:
2019 – Nu Of Nooit – Sittard, The Netherlands
2019 – Nu Of Nooit – Maastricht, The Netherlands
2019 – Blegh Fest – Landgraaf, The Netherlands
2019 – Metalcore Night – Urmond, The Netherlands
2019 – De Dukdalf – Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands
– 2018 Tour:
2018 – For I Am King – Sittard, The Netherlands
2018 – Mandril Metal – Maastricht, The Netherlands
2018 – Nu of Nooit – Sittard, The Netherlands
2018 – Immerse – Geleen, The Netherlands
2018 – Behind Blue Eyes, Geleen The Netherlands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Axminister.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Track By Track:

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

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

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

Func Facts – Story Angles:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For fans of Gojira, Septicflesh, The Design Abstract

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

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

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story Angle – Fun Fact:

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

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

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

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