Category: EPKs

0 EPK – Matt Miller – Monument of Velocity (2022)

September 6, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Matt Miller

Matt Miller – Monument of Velocity (2022)

Band: Matt Miller
Album Title: Monument of Velocity
Release Date: July 19, 2022

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

Manager – Extreme Management Group – Mark Kloeppel – emg.markkloeppel[@]gmail[.]com

“With Monument of Velocity, I set out to push my creative limits by not relying on any preconceived notions and let each song unfold as its own entity. Which in turn actually created a stronger continuity between the tracks. By writing the majority of the album without a guitar in hand I was able to think outside the box and come up with more interesting melodies and more dynamic rhythms. This process allowed me to achieve a greater level of melodicism and generate a stronger emotional response.” – Matt Miller

Distribution: Blood Blast Distribution (powered by Nuclear Blast & Believe Digital)

Mattmillerhhakmusi.wixsite.com/mattm | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram.com/mattmiller630

Spotify | Apple | Mattmiller2.bandcamp.com | Amazon | Deezer

“Creating Emotive Responses” – Prog-Sphere

Band: Matt Miller
Album Title: Monument of Velocity
Release Date: July 19, 2022
Distribution: Blood Blast Distribution (powered by Nuclear Blast & Believe Digital)

Track Listing
1. The Fissure (1:01)
2. Abominable Sands (3:13)
3. The Obscurantist (3:18)
4. Monument of Velocity (4:32)
5. Coral Sword (3:27)
6. Sacred Geometry (3:32)
7. Acheron (3:15)
8. Human Race Against Time (3:38)
Album Length: 25:59

Album Credits
– All music written by Matt Miller
– Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, and Produced by Matt Miller at The Kill Box 2022 – Album art by Hand Rot Art
– Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, and Programming by Matt Miller

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The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY) explained:

Monument of Velocity takes you on a journey and makes a bold statement. I like to think of the songs on the album as scenes from a movie.

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY) explained:

Track 1 – The Fissure sounds mysterious and builds suspense.

Track 2 – Abominable Sands starts off like a race across a vast open space.

Track 3 – The Obscurantist is a story that is full of suspense, twists, and turns.

Track 4 – Monument of Velocity is like a sorcerer casting a spell. Seamlessly changing form and shape.

Track 5 – Coral Sword is a song that was written based upon the creation myth of the islands of Japan.

Track 6 – Sacred Geometry is constantly building up to a new dynamic every time the music changes

Track 7 – Acheron is a joyous expression that slowly turns into something much more prolific.

Track 8 – Human Race Against Time starts off with extremely high tension and represents life passing before your

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

Fun Facts / Story Angles:

1. Most of Monument of Velocity was written without a guitar. After the initial riffs were recorded, the rest of the song was written during the notation process.

2. Monument of Velocity initially had a different title and was not going to be a Matt Miller release.

3. Some of the songs were written with vocals in mind and were not going to be instrumental.

4. Monument of Velocity had been recorded for a year before its release.

5. Monument of Velocity was recorded at the same time as the album Only What the Light Allows

Funny Stories:
During the CYBER SHRED TOUR I was telling everyone how lonely I was on stage each night. Performing on a national tour is tough but by yourself is a feat unto itself. Especially having to play with such awesome bands. At the last show in Austin TX at Come and Take it Live I noticed everyone was acting a little differently when I was interacting with them throughout the day and I couldn’t figure out why. As I was onstage letting my intro sample play I noticed everyone standing behind the stage. I gave them the middle finger and thought to myself “alright it’s time to bring it” right as the sample ended everyone from the tour ran onstage and helped me yell my battle cry “It’s Miller Time!” Which was something I adopted at the behest of the Voraath guys. It was ultimately a great idea. As I went into the first song I got a little emotional and I tried not to show it but that act of kindness and camaraderie hit me right in the feels and that is a tough spot when you’re trying to go into full shred mode. Unbeknownst to me the other guys on the tour had been planning this and they executed their plan perfectly.

A cool story from the CYBER SHRED TOUR involved joining Rings of Saturn onstage and performing a solo during Faces Imploding. After one of the shows Lucas had mentioned to me that he really liked my set and they wanted to have me join them onstage and play. I talked to Joel and we got the details hammered out. I spent the 4th of July in my motel room trying to write something that would complement the song and add something to it. At the last show in

Austin TX I joined them onstage and threw down a completely improvised solo and it sounded awesome. I nailed my exit queue and walked off the stage feeling great about getting to jam with these ridiculously awesome musicians and great people.

When the CYBER SHRED TOUR rolled into Indianapolis it was hot. Actually to say it was hot is a complete understatement. The venue seemed like they were unprepared. The AC was broken and there was difficulty with providing running water. Everyone was drinking any sort of liquid they could find. There we all were sitting in this venue with 1 industrial fan and 4 ceiling fans. As the time to open the doors drew near the P.A. started having problems. Everyone was setup and ready to go onstage. As the venue troubleshot the P.A. I was lucky enough to jam with Josh from Voraath, Jake from Distinguisher, and Dominic from Extortionist. Even Brian the Tour Manager jumped behind the kit. We played everything from improv black and death metal to Pantera, Slayer, and Metallica covers

Matt Miller – Photo Credit – Tony Reviere

Akademia-Award-winning producer, engineer, and songwriter MATT MILLER side-steps these industry achievements to embark on something deeply introspective and personal; a transcendent, reactionary and vile personage embodying soaring progressive melodies and captivating crushing rhythms which engulf the listener in black clouds of desperation and shimmering hope.

Drawing upon the gut-wrenching timed-precision of European death metal stalwarts NECROPHAGIST and SPAWN OF POSSESSION, MATT MILLER progressively blends this approach with deep synthetic and symphonic atmospheres like that of DEVIN TOWNSEND, often arriving at surprisingly emotive and heart-clenching metallic passages like that of RIVERS OF NIHIL.

Calling upon other single-member death metal projects such as PUTRID PILE or INSIDIOUS DECREPANCY, the live performance can best be described as a reclaiming and repainting of the earth by a relentlessly sweeping and deranged berzerker appealing to the vast minions of the extreme music. The combination of elements within MATT MILLER distills the traditions of the international metal realm, the progressive atmospheres of modernity, and reactions to a vile world into a single unrelenting persona of despair and vengeance.

MATT MILLER’s first self-produced instrumental EP came in 2017, drawing on influences from classic metal bands such as MEGADETH and IRON MAIDEN to shredders like YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and PAUL GILBERT, while combining a technical death metal approach to create a maximum intensity music with a frenetic and frantic feel and ferocious atmosphere. Since then, and a few releases into this brief career, MATT MILLER boasts 12,000 consistent monthly listeners on Spotify before hitting the international touring circuit. This was garnered from his 2017 EP, the 2021 self-released ‘Decrepit Shed’ LP, the ‘Reekomposer/Decomposer’ covers double LP, as well as the ‘8E’s’ 1980’s themed covers LP.

In 2022 Matt released the formidable original instrumental LP Monument of Velocity on Blood Blast Distribution. Matt also toured supporting Rings of Saturn on the CYBER SHRED TOUR 2022. 29 shows encompassing the continental United States. Matt has released the cover LP Only What the Light Allows through Blood Blast Distribution as well.

Matt Miller hails from the rain soaked northern Oregon Coast; influenced by the natural foreboding environment. Moving into the present, MATT MILLER has joined up with Extreme Management Group to spread a singularly relentless auditory mind-bend.

Discography
2022 – (Aug 5) – Only What the Light Allows (Cover Album)
2022 – (July 19) – Monument of Velocity – LP (Original Material)
2021 – (July 5) Reekomposer (Cover Album)
2021 – (June 21) 8E’s (Cover EP)
2021 – (Feb 2) Decrepit Shed
2021 – (Jan 13) Decomposer (Cover Album)
2021 – (Nov 12) – MMXVII – EP (Original Material)

Tours and Festivals:
2022 – CYBER SHRED TOUR w/ Rings of Saturn, Extortionist, Distinguisher, Voraath, Matt Miller

Endorsements
Kahler USA, EMG Pickups, GHS Strings, Stevens Cables and Effects Pedals

0 EPK – Obsidian Skies – Saturnian (2022)

September 2, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Obsidian Skies

EPK – Obsidian Skies – Saturnian (2022)

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

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, working on this EP was one of the things that kept us sane. We went through job losses, large life changes, and mental health struggles during this time. The writing was very therapeutic for both of us and it feels amazing to see this EP come to life. After the breakup of our previous band, it’s great to be able to work together again and produce some of the best work either of us has ever done. We’ve both always seen music as an escape and we bring that into our lyrics. The entire story of this EP takes place on Saturn’s moon, Titan, as humanity leaves a dying Earth and struggles to start anew, echoing the struggles of this pandemic.

We’ve both challenged ourselves with this EP, both as songwriters and as instrumentalists. It’s resulted in something we’re beyond excited to share with the world, an EP that really shows who we are as musicians. From heavy rhythmic sections to sweeping orchestral melodies, we feel we’ve touched on a large part of the musical spectrum with this release.” – Obsidian Skies

For fans of Amon Amarth Insomnium Opeth Fleshgod Apocalypse Epica

EP Title: Saturnian
Release Date: October 14, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CD Baby

Facebook.com/Obsidian-Skies-109138908535805 | Instagram.com/obsidianskiesband | YouTube

Obsidian-skies.bandcamp.com

#1 on WKNC 88.1FM (Raleigh, NC) – Chainsaw Charts 10/4/2022

“Rounding off our 9, no 10 highlights this week is another debut release: “Saturnian” by Colorado progressive/symphonic death metal duo Obsidian Skies… this science-fiction tale feels like an epic mini-blockbuster despite its short runtime of only 24 minutes.” – The Prog Space

“The band’s musicianship is fantastic ” – Metal Temple

“Exciting and versatile Prog-Melo-Death” – PowerMetal.de

““Saturnian” is an enjoyable first release from Obsidian Skies. Whilst only a three song E.P. it is a very ambitious release with some very epic and complex music on show.” – Ever Metal

“What a journey this was from Earth to TITAN through space! From acoustic, piano, orchestral to the singing. I enjoyed every bit of it. The debut EP Saturnian was a pleasant melodic death metal surprise and looking forward what comes next. Logan and Tim really put much effort and you hear it. This is for the Metalfans of Rivers of Nihil, Opeth, Scar Symmetry and Into Eternity. 8/10” – Belgian Metal Shredder

“A bold and somewhat brave undertaking, the first record from Obsidian Skies is an absolute pleasure, the merits of which need to be sung from the rooftops [8.5/10]” – Metal Noise

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

EP Title: Saturnian
Release Date: October 14, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: CD Baby

Track Listing:
1. Celestial Age – 6:58
2. Rebirth in the Stars – 11:19
3. Home – 5:52
EP Length: 24:10

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Obsidian Skies (Logan Dougherty and Tim Watervoort)
• All songs written by: Obsidian Skies (Logan Dougherty and Tim Watervoort)
• All Lyrics written by: Tim Watervoort
• Produced by: Obsidian Skies (Logan Dougherty and Tim Watervoort)
• Mixed by: Tom MacLean
• Mastered by: Tom MacLean

EP Band Line Up:
Logan Dougherty – Guitars, Piano, Orchestration
Tim Watervoort – Guitars, Basses, Vocals

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Lyrically, the EP takes place on Saturn’s moon, Titan. In this story, Earth became inhospitable to life and a portion of humankind left the planet to settle on Titan. After colonizing the moon, society began to take shape. Many people could not let go of the thought of all the people left behind on a dying Earth and began to riot. As a result of this, the military presence on the colony dispatched the instigators and enforced a strong, almost dystopian order on the moon. People were at peace, but were not able to live a fulfilling life.

Musically, in order to convey the story, we avoided a repetitive song structure. The songs move through many sections with motivic references throughout to tie it together. Many different instruments carry the melody, including fretless bass and piano. As a whole, the most technically complex part peaks in the middle of the EP as the story climaxes. Our guitars are tuned in drop C, but we didn’t let that limit the tonal centers that we could explore.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

1. Celestial Age
Lyrically: In this track, humankind first leaves a dying Earth to settle on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Astronomers have predicted that in our solar system, Titan would be the best second home for humanity. The settlers are awed by the sights they see, such as a gas giant on the horizon. It seems that hope has been restored for the human race, but the settlers still lament their former home.

Musically: The track begins feeling more like doom metal with a droning quality. Most of the song is in 6/8, giving it a more flowing feel. Many parts, including the chorus, are more rhythmic, but there are absolutely trance-like sections throughout the song. The song has many instrumental sections, but both clean and harsh vocals are used. Harmonically, the song has many instances of “pivot points”. In the section starting at 4:34, for example, the harmonies pivot around a tremolo-picked “C” to maintain that droning quality.

2. Rebirth in the Stars
Lyrically: Following the events of “Celestial Age”, humanity has established a functioning colony on Titan. People have jobs, life is flourishing, and it seems that humanity will rebuild. However, there are those that cannot look past the fact that these people chosen to live on Titan seemingly abandoned the rest of humanity to their fate on a dying Earth. These people riot against what they see as a facade of what used to be and cause untold damage to the colony. The military power in the colony organizes and quells this insurrection, and instills a very strong regime of order. Everyone is once again at peace, but people do not live fulfilling lives. At the end of the song, a new speaker calls for riots against this oppressive dystopian regime.

Musically: This song has a much darker quality to it than “Celestial Age”, relying heavily on parallel minor chords. Much of the song also has a more technical feel to it, drawing inspiration from Classical era music. The harsh vocals are much faster in this track, giving many sections a very frantic feel. The tempo of the song as a whole is higher as well. The orchestra is featured heavily in this track, with a four-minute orchestral section in the middle of the song. It explores much of the thematic material introduced by the traditional metal instruments. Rhythmically, this song features many changing time signatures and some metric modulation to shift between tempos.

3. Home
Lyrically: This song is less of a story, but more of one man’s lament for his former home and the exploration of his emotions. He begins by expressing that nothing he sees around him in this new place can compare to his lost home. While he may live and breathe here, none of the lands he sees have been “colored by stories and songs”. As the song continues, he notes that while the end of the world took away much of humanity’s achievements, it preserved our stories and our pasts. The song concludes with him acknowledging that he and his peers have a unique opportunity to write new songs about a new home.

Musically: “Home” provides a more intimate setting, beginning with an acoustic guitar. The vocals have more presence in this song than in the previous two and distorted guitars do not enter until halfway through the song. Much of this song feels like one that could be sung around a campfire, thinking of days gone by. When the distorted guitars enter, they serve more to provide foundation than a true featured part to keep with the aesthetic. Harsh vocals are present in this song, but to a much smaller degree than the previous two. Harmonically, this song features jazzy major 7th chords to give it a warmer feel.

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

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1. Logan is a data scientist with degrees in Physics, Astrophysics, and Composition, while Tim is a software developer with a Master’s degree in Linguistics. We bring both of these fields into the music in the themes, structure, and performance.2. The entire story of this EP takes place on Saturn’s moon Titan. A large portion of humanity has fled from a dying Earth and is starting anew on a distant moon.

3. This whole EP was recorded in Logan’s bedroom in Colorado, mostly using an Axe FX digital amp simulator.

4. Logan’s first instrument was percussion, but he eventually moved to the piano in high school, and picked up the electric guitar in college to help form our previous band. Tim began as a classical guitarist when he was around 8, then moved to electric guitar in high school. When the bassist of our previous band left, Tim picked up the bass and fell in love with it, moving to six-string and fretless basses.

5. We’re both avid gamers and spend a lot of time together playing games like League of Legends, Valheim, Old School RuneScape, and Minecraft.

L-R: Saturnian | Tim Watervoort (Guitars, Basses, Vocals) | Logan Dougherty (Guitars, Piano, Orchestration)
Photo Credit – Kirk MacDonald

Obsidian Skies was founded amidst the turmoil of 2020 by Logan Dougherty and Tim Watervoort. The two had worked together before, but not since the breakup of their previous band, Endlight, in 2017. Logan and Tim wrote much of Endlight’s music, with Logan on guitars and Tim on bass and vocals. They performed throughout Colorado, sharing the stage with bands such as Unleash the Archers and Archspire until the band’s end. While they remained close friends, Tim and Logan’s musical and professional paths diverged for a time at this point.

During this time, Logan attained a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition, adding to his Physics and Astrophysics degrees. He released a solo orchestral album, “Kingdom of Sand” in 2017, and had his chamber works performed at the University of Colorado College of Music. Tim completed his Master’s degree in Linguistics and went through an accelerated full-stack web development program. He performed as a vocalist for Oak, Ash & Thorn for a time in 2018, sharing the stage with bands such as Týr and Alestorm. Following this, he focused his musical attention on bass and solo metal work.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and everyone was stuck indoors, the two looked for a project to work on, half to stay sane, and half to explore a new creative outlet. At this time, Obsidian Skies was born. It started with Tim and Logan sharing parts with each other that they had previously written. However, as time went on, it became a true collaborative writing process, with the two writing each song together. Their first release, “Saturnian”, is absolutely some of the best work either has ever produced.

Both Tim and Logan are influenced by progressive and technical death metal, listening to bands such as Fleshgod Apocalypse, Alkaloid, and Ne Obliviscaris. Composers such as Rachmaninoff, Bach, and Debussy strongly influence Logan, as well as more modern composers like John Williams and Howard Shore. Tim is heavily influenced by folk and melodic death metal bands such as Eluveitie and Insomnium and is inspired by great bass players such as Dominic Lapointe and Linus Klausenitzer.

The music of Obsidian Skies spans many different genres, not all of which are metal. While harsh vocals, fast rhythms, and guitar solos are featured prominently, they do not necessarily dominate. Sweeping orchestral melodies, clean singing, and instruments such as piano, acoustic guitar, and fretless bass contribute to the music to create a melodic and diverse sound.

Lyrically, the band’s themes are heavily influenced by science fiction and fantasy. The story of “Saturnian” takes place on Saturn’s moon Titan. In this story, humanity is forced to flee from a dying Earth, and a portion of the population colonizes Titan. While life is able to flourish there, the people who survived are forced to deal with the emotions of leaving their lost home and the guilt of abandoning those who could not leave the planet.

Obsidian Skies remains a studio band for now, but that has allowed for flexibility in tracking that would have been difficult to achieve as a brand-new live band. “Rebirth in the Stars”, for instance, has multiple sections with four or more guitar tracks and several orchestral layers. Their debut EP “Saturnian” is set to release in 2022 and will deliver an elaborate story with a diverse, but undoubtedly metal, sound.

Obsidian Skies is:
Logan Dougherty – Guitars, Piano, Orchestration
Tim Watervoort – Guitars, Basses, Vocals

Discography:
2022 – Saturnian – EP

GEAR the band uses:
Ibanez 6-string guitar
Schecter Hellraiser 7-string guitar
Breedlove acoustic guitar
Kiesel Vader 6-string fretless bass
Kiesel Zeus 6-string fretted bass
Yamaha piano
Spitfire audio samples
Axe FX digital amp
Rode NT1-A condenser microphone
Cubase 8 Pro
Guitar Pro 7
Finale 2014.5

0 EPK – Aittala – Live To Regret (2022) – Exitus Stratagem Records

August 29, 2022
by Asher
· Aittala (Exitus Stratagem Records) · EPKs

Aittala – Live To Regret (2022) – Exitus Stratagem Records

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

Band: Aittala
Album Title: Live to Regret
Release Date: November 7, 2022
Label: ExSR Records

“Lyrically, the album chronicles a chaotic period of time for members of the band personally as well as the global events happening in parallel. Musically, the songs infuse elements of groove, sludge, traditional, doom and thrash metal but are cohesively woven into the unique Aittala sound.” – Aittala

For fans of Mastodon, Eyehate God, Baroness, Crowbar, Katatonia

Aittala.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify

Album pre-order: https://hypeddit.com/aittala/livetoregret

“Aittala Offer Powerful Pandemic Post-Mortem on ‘Live to Regret’… Stick it on a playlist with Apostle of Solitude, Crowbar, Famyne, and Paradise Lost, with a dash of Slayer for good measure.” – Doomed and Stoned

“One of the best albums for 2022″ – 666MrDoom YouYube Channel

“This platter is heavy melodic ear candy that drips with deep and mesmeric face-melting tones and grinding rhythms.” (Live to Regret) – The Metal Gods Meltdown

“The band’s sound is difficult to pigeonhole because they incorporate a variety of styles. The common element in all the songs is the potent groove. On tracks like “Black Coffin” and “Afterthought” stoner/doom is at the forefront, while songs such as “Disowned” have a more traditional metal vibe. There are progressive influences on “How Much Longer,” while the closer “Debt” is a piano based ballad. Even with so many disparate styles, Aittala bring everything together into a cohesive whole.” – Heavy Music Headquarters

“I would describe them as an eclectic Doom Metal band, although their sound is a bit tough to define. That’s ultimately a good thing though, and I enjoy the refreshment of something different.” – Metal-Temple

“In the metal world, bands can start to sound the same and Aittala steps outside of the box. With clear crisp vocals, grinding rhythms and well executed leads, this band is definitely in a league of their own.” – The Metal Channel

“I am not sure how to describe their overall sound. It is certainly dark, doomy at times, but added to it is a thick, sludgy, rhythmic guitar tone that takes on a life of it’s own. Adding depth is Lugo’s bass, which has an old school Metallica feel and the result is something I’ve not heard before. Almost every one of these songs has that metallic, almost industrial sounding groove line which comes through stronger in some songs more than others, but ever present none the less; it lays a foundation for these songs as dense as the darkness itself.” – Rock-N-Review

“Aittala really blends a ton of genres together on this release. The old school metal feel takes people back to their roots of when they started listening to metal in the first place. The doom and blues sounds show the power that riffs can hold and will have your head nodding along with the music. The riffs really set the tone for a dark, fun album.” – Metal Nexus

“It’s not difficult to pin down Aittala’s heavy metal sound. I’m thinking some classic heavy metal like Black Sabbath and then mid-period Metallica, all washed through down-tuned grunge (he started in 1992 after all), with maybe some a stoner or doom metal vibe dropped in. Aittala’s compositions are heavy with large thick riffage and an equally thick bottom end. After this he fills his songs with satisfying traditional, sometimes neo-classical, leads” – Dangerdog

“The mix of Heavy, Power, Stoner, and Doom Metal resulted in a very tasty aural dish” – Thoughts of Metal

“It has a raw, garage band (harkening to when that was a descriptive term, not some app on a computer) charm that certainly makes them a very unique specimen. Their “I play what I want” attitude is evident in every note of each song, which makes it very easy to embrace the energy of the album. For fans of the old school, this album will be a welcome addition to any collection.” – Fuel The Scene

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Band: Aittala
Album Title: Live to Regret
Release Date: November 7, 2022
Label: ExSR Records

Track Listing:
1. Live to Regret – 2:49
2. Collateral Damage – 3:22
3. War of Attrition – 3:18
4. Saint – 3:35
5. Cannibals – 3:56
6. Betrayed – 3:26
7. Big Brother – 4:45
8. Dancing with Disaster – 3:35
9. Never Forget – 3:36
10. Well Enough Alone – 5:03
11. Juliet (2022 Version) – 5:24

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Aittala
• All songs written by: Aittala
• Produced by: Eric Aittala and John E. Wooten IV
• Mixed by: John E. Wooten IV
• Mastered by: Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering
• Album Artwork by: Mariano Pugliese
• Member of ASCAP

Album and Live Band Line Up:
Eric Aittala – Guitar/Vocals
Ali Lugo – Bass
Gary ‘Zeus’ Smith – Drums

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

The album as a whole:

Lyrically, the album chronicles a chaotic period of time for members of the band personally as well as the global events happening in parallel.

Musically, the songs infuse elements of groove, sludge, traditional, doom and thrash metal but are cohesively woven into the unique Aittala sound.

Track by Track:

1. Live to Regret – A swing metal-inspired track about whether to keep secrets or come clean.

2. Collateral Damage – A hard rock/metal track about dealing with relationship ultimatums

3. War of Attrition – A driving metal song about toxic chaos in a relationship and the struggle to leave or stay.

4. Saint – A modern-day metal ‘ballad’ about the pleasure and pain of a toxic relationship.

5. Cannibals – A thrash-inspired track the tighten grip of governmental monitoring and control

6. Betrayed – A hard rock/metal track about trying to leave the past behind, but it always catches up to you.

7. Big Brother – A sludge metal-inspired song about the devolution/zombification of the human race due to technology

8. Dancing with Disaster – A groove metalesque track dealing with addictions causing a twisted sense of reality

9. Never Forget – A stoner metal-inspired song about dealing with a toxic person

10. Well Enough Alone – A traditional metalesque track about finally walking away from an unhealthy situation.

11. Juliet (2022 Version) – A reimagined version of a 2011 released industrialesque track featuring real drums and guitars (neither of which the original had) that tells the tale of a serial killer and his obsession, Juliet.

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. From Aittala’s second album, ‘Haunt Your Flesh’, there’s a song called ‘Human Waste’ which deals with the daily struggles of life, and for years, it a staple as the second song in their set.

At one particular show at a smaller venue, Aittala is about three-quarters into the first song of the set and the band, along with the rest of the crowd based on the reaction on their faces, started to smell a familiar ‘sewer’ smell that kept getting strong. Apparently, someone decided to ‘blow up’ the venue’s bathroom for everyone’s noses to enjoy. Eric comically made light of the situation and it was a fitting segue into the next song….’ Human Waste’

2. Even though Eric is considered a songwriter by standard definition, he will tell you he’s just the conduit for that combination of words and music to enjoy on this plain of existence at this moment of time by unconsciously interpreting those signals that desire to be a song; the songs essentially write itself through Eric’s vessel.

3. While the band name is Eric’s last name, he didn’t intend it to be a band name or suggest using it. The original version of the band in the early 90s had a vocalist, Tim Mannon, and was playing songs Eric had already written. The newly formed band was searching for a name and, as all new bands do, went through hundreds of different names trying to find one that fit the sound. One day Tim said ‘Why not just use Aittala since we’re playing Eric’s songs and the name was ambiguous and doesn’t lend itself to one particular metal genre’. And it stuck.

4. Right before Aittala went to Europe in 2014, the bassist at the time, Andrew, was prescribed painkillers for an issue he was having. On the first night of the tour, Andrew had no intentions of drinking, but drinking had intentions for him. At some point, someone noticed Andrew hadn’t been seen in a while and he became the subject of a manhunt. Low and behold, someone found Andrew sitting up on the bus toilet. He was motionless with one eye open and one eye closed. For a brief second, everyone thought the worst, but, luckily he was just passed out.

5. Aittala was playing a multi-band show. While hanging out checking out the first band, they see this live wire of a lady running around being crazy.
Ali leaned over to Gary and said “I bet by the 3rd band her shirt is coming off”
No sooner had Ail said that than out came her boobs. Needless to say, they were rather floppy and, when she did put them away, she basically had to roll them up.

After they got done playing and were having dinner and drinks at the bar, she was again shirtless. She basically cornered Ali in his seat and one of her boobs was laying in his chicken Alfredo as she was trying to talk to him. They were pretty sure she had a third-degree burn on her boob from the fresh hot pasta.

L-R – AITTALA Lineup – Gary ‘Smith’ Zeus (Drums), Eric Aittala (Guitar/Vox), Ali Lugo (Bass)
Photo Credit – Formont Photography

The music of AITTALA (pronounced ‘EYE-tah-la’) crosses many metal genres; it’s hard to put it into just one category. The sound infuses elements of classic heavy metal, doom, progressive, power, thrash, and hard rock with lyrics drawing inspiration from the darker side of the human condition. The AITTALA sound has been cited for being unique which is no easy feat in the metal genre.

The first version of AITTALA was formed in 1991 while Eric Aittala was living in Holland. With fellow American Tim on vocals and Dutch bandmates Ed (drums) and Jon (bass), the band became a staple of the Dutch metal scene.

With the release of the 3-song EP ‘Selling Heaven’ in summer of 1993, AITTALA opened for such bands as THE GATHERING and SADIST. Unfortunately, as the demo started to create a buzz in the underground European metal scene, Eric had to return to the US and disbanded AITTALA.

Over the next decade or so, Eric played in numerous bands (TRIBE, MAGNETHEAD, DWELL) and lost focus on AITTALA.

Near the end of the 00’s, Eric decided it was time to refocus his efforts on the AITTALA brand. From 2009 to 2016, AITTALA released 4 full-length albums: ‘Bed of Thorns’ (2009), ‘Haunt Your Flesh’ (2011), ‘Effigy’ (2014) and ‘American Nightmare’ (2016). Each album showcasing a natural progression of song writing and lyrical content but retaining the core AITTALA sound and evolving it.

In 2019, AITTALA signed with Curtain Call Records and released the band’s fifth full-length album ‘False Pretenses’. It was ten brand new songs that not only continued the song writing evolution of heavier but catchy songs, but also sonically. AITTALA used an entirely different approach for the recording, mixing and mastering to create the best AITTALA album to date.

The current lineup of AITTALA consists of Gary ‘Zeus’ Smith (THE FIFTH, ex-MR BLACKWELL) on drums and Ali Lugo (ex-AGE OF DESPAIR) on bass.

They continue to write, record and tour to bring AITTALA to the masses with plans in 2022 to unleash their sixth studio album entitled “Live To Regret” to be released by label Exitus Strategm Records.

“We think the fans will hear the pain and pleasure that went into the creation of this album as well as hear the growth in the songwriting. I wrote this album during a chaotic time in my life. Not only was it during the height of the lockdowns of the pandemic, but I was also in a very chaotic relationship. That chaos fueled my creativity and both musically and lyrically. I was constantly walking on an uncertain tightrope and I never knew was going to break. We hope the fans feel the same pleasure, pain, chaos and passion that I was going through and infused into the songs when they listen to the album and singles.” adds Eric Aittala.

“Live in Regret” will be available on November 7, 2022.

Discography:
2022 – Live in Regret (ExSR Records)
2021 – American Nightmare (remastered) (ExSR Records)
2019 – False Pretenses (Curtain Call Records)
2016 – American Nightmare
2014 – Effigy
2011 – Haunt Your Flesh
2009 – Bed of Thorns
1993 – Selling Heaven (EP)

0 EPK – Whispers In The Maze – Stories Untold: Chapter I (2022)

August 26, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Whispers In The Maze

EPK – Whispers In The Maze – Stories Untold: Chapter I (2022)

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

For fans of Arch Enemy, Gojira, At The Gates, Amorphis, In Flames

“Our fans will be surprised to hear some of our familiar songs, with a new voice as this is the first time Ben and I recorded vocals for. Poisoning Imagination, as the newest song of the EP, will also show the path that the band is moving forward.” – Emine

“I think this collection of songs is a natural progression and representation of the band’s sound – everyone has their moments to ‘shine’ and be featured, and this is the first time both of our vocalists – Ben and Emine – sing on the record, which has been really cool to see and hear.” – Mike

EP Title: Stories Untold: Chapter I
Release Date: July 29, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Facebook.com/WhispersInTheMaze | Instagram.com/whispersinthemaze | Twitter.com/WhispersInMaze | Tiktok.com/@whispersinthemaze | Youtube

Whispersinthemaze.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

“I’ll be damned if “Threads Unbind” doesn’t provide an amazing taste immediately. We are treated to just four songs with their debut EP, but they are filled to the brim with everything that I’ve come to associate with a very well done piece of melo-death from the melody that actually sounds good, never disappoints when it goes to pull back before a well-timed punch, and gives us plenty of hints as to just what exactly Whispers in the Maze is capable of.” – Head Banger Reviews

“I am compelled to say that WHISPERS IN THE MAZE certainly outdone themselves here for a 1st attempt, a remarkably splendid slab of enjoyably entertaining talent that pulses with potential & enlightening fulfilment – check it out – melo-death enthusiasts are ensured to get their guaranteed head-banging fix here…a borderline foundation of finesse & fiercely frenzied domination.” – Metal Temple

“The band started off fast, hard, and shoving brutal reality right in your face. I’ve got to say the did a splendid job.” – The Music Below

“Threads Unbind is a promising display of power” – Acta Infernalis

“Threads Unbind is a surprisingly mature effort from a young band and that means melodic death metal fans should put Whispers in the Maze on the radar for their next effort.” – Metal Crypt

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

EP Title: Stories Untold: Chapter I
Release Date: July 29, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Track Listing:
1. Poisoning Imagination – 4:37
2. Ink – 5:36
3. Chained Till The Grave – 5:02
4. Behind Your Eyes – 3:56
EP Length: 19:12

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Whispers In The Maze
• All songs written by: Music by Whispers In The Maze / lyrics by Ben Bertrand
• Produced by: Dave Sarazin
• Mixed by: Dave Sarazin
• Mastered by: Dave Sarazin

EP and Live Band Line Up
Ben Bertrand – Lead vocals / Fretless bass
Emine Topcu – Guitars / Back vocals
Vitto Oh – Guitars
Mike Berrigan – Drums

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

Stories Untold is a melodic death metal record with an emphasis on melodies, elements of black and doom sprinkled here and there, and two vocalists bring a range of different vocal styles. Lyrically, Stories Untold is introspective, with our inner voices doing most of the talking.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

1. Poisoning Imagination

Lyrics
This song is about a losing battle against anxiety. Whereas most songs on the topic would generally tell a story from the viewpoint of the person suffering from it, this one is told from the viewpoint of Anxiety itself, personified as a kind of imaginary enemy. The song’s title, ‘Poisoning Imagination’, reflects this idea of self-inflicted harm. I chose this viewpoint as I prefer to sing from a position of strength, rather than weakness and self-pity. The energy is totally different. – Ben

Music
I’m the Tribulation fan in the band, but I can’t help but find that this song has some Tribulation influences somehow. Musically, I find it’s a good companion song to Ink. – Ben

Musically ‘Poisoning Imagination” is probably our most energetic starting song, and I especially like that the vocals start right away. It is also a song that began at the jam space rather than a riff being brought, so it is different in that sense. Despite the lyrics being about anxiety, I find this song fun and highly energetic. – Emine

2. Ink

Lyrics
Written by our original singer Zach Dean, Ink’s lyrics are about the alienation that is organized religion. – Ben

Music
“Ink” starts with a very Middle-Eastern-sounding riff. And given my origins, sometimes I am thought to be behind that riff, but that is not the case! It was actually Zach (our first vocalist and then second guitarist, now of Messora) who wrote that riff. And we actually recorded that song as a single a few years ago. But we decided to rerecord it as the new members added new flavours to the music. We always have the mindset that “songs can change till it is recorded.” We surpassed that with Ink! – Emine

Ink was built around a “middle eastern sounding” riff brought to the jam room by Zach Dean, our original vocalist who also covered second guitar live for a while. The rest grew organically from there. The middle part of the song was later modified after Vitto joined us. You can dig out our old demo recording of Ink if you want to hear the difference. – Ben

3. Chained Till The Grave

Lyrics
Thematically a companion song to Ink and also written by original vocalist Zach Dean, Chained Till the Grave is about the prisons that are pre-formatted belief systems and coming to that realization, sometimes too late… – Ben

Music
Sometimes a riff can wait for years to find a home. “Chained Till The Grave”s intro was written many years ago, but it just couldn’t find the right home until it was played by this band. And the wait definitely paid off. It is not necessarily unique to this song, but I love how the two guitars mangle each other in this song and weave something beautiful. – Emine

Musically Chained Till The Grave has a doomy intro, a chuggy transition, that then goes into a neo-classical tapping part, before ending with a melodic outro. – Ben

4. Behind Your Eyes

Lyrics
Written by original vocalist Zach Dean, the lyrics of Behind Your Eyes are about carrying a self-destructive addiction or mental condition and the urge to succumb to it. – Ben

Music
Behind Your Eyes owes a lot to our former guitarist Amaury and his Gojira influences. You can hear that in the pick scrapes and the bent tremolo notes. An intro saturated with flanger and phaser effects and the clean vocal chorus that could belong in a rock song are other highlights of this song – Ben

“Behind Your Eyes” is the first song I ever recorded lead vocals for. And incorporating clean vocals was a very fun experience for me, and I believe it added something different to its vibe. In terms of transitions, there is a phase difference in when my guitar does a transition and joins the rest of the band. It is almost like “I am behind”—very fitting to the title – Emine

L-R – Ben Bertrand (bass/vocals), Vitto Ortori (guitars), Mike Berrigan (drums), Emine Topcu (guitars/vocals)
Photo credit: Jessy Dwyer – Beyond The Pit

A metal band without borders, Whispers In The Maze gathers its members from all around the world, bringing together as one a myriad of musical influences and creative visions. Their guitars work together to create a lush harmonic soundscape, held up by the melodic rhythm and fretless leads of the bass, all tied together by the precision and groove of the drums. This unique melodic, rhythmic, and progressive blend is the canvas on which the brutal vocals paint images of war, rebellion, hopelessness, and death. Recently recorded their debut EP, with lots of shows on the horizon, they will only continue to create, evolve and conquer, with no plans to slow down. The maze is ever-growing. Lose yourself. Follow the whispers.

Band Line Up
Ben Bertrand – Lead vocals / Fretless bass
Emine Topcu – Guitars / Back vocals
Vitto Oh – Guitars
Mike Berrigan – Drums

Discography:
2022 – Stories Untold : Chapter 1 (EP)
2019 – Threads Unbind (EP)
2017 – Ink (single demo)

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1. In 2015, Emine had just moved to Ottawa from British Columbia and Ben from New Brunswick. Both had to leave musical projects behind before moving and both were looking to start anew in Ottawa. They met through a Kijiji ad and discovered a shared interest in melodic death metal, especially the Northern European variety. Along with original drummer Blaze Brdar, they started two bands: Projekt Göthenburg, to cover their favourite classic melodeath tunes, and Whispers In The Maze, to put out their own original music. Projekt Göthenburg allowed them to start playing shows in Ottawa and discover the local scene before the first Whispers In The Maze was even written. Projekt Göthenburg still exists today, although as a completely separate entity and with different musicians. – Ben

2. The first time I jammed with Ben was online, on a (now closed) platform called BandHub. Ben was very proactive and responded to my ad in Kijiji even before he moved to Gatineau. We didn’t wait to be in the same city and started jamming online (in 2015 – way before Covid and online collaborations were not this common), and we have been jamming together since! – Emine

3. I unknowingly had already heard Whispers at some point before actually meeting them – I rehearse with one of my other bands, Dead Culture Society, in the same rehearsal warehouse, so it was serendipitous that I should be answering an ad looking for a drummer for a band located about 100 feet from where I was already rehearsing. – Mike

4. I am probably the only member of the band who cannot listen to doom metal, and I am responsible for the most doomish intro we have in Chained Till The Grave. And I don’t regret it, things turned out great! – Emine

0 EPK – Split Image – Night Hag (2022)

August 26, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Split Image

EPK – Split Image – Night Hag (2022)

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

For fans of Power Trip, Enforced, Dead Heat, Drain, Mindforce

Single Title: Night Hag
Release Date: August 26, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid

Facebook.com/SplitImageCA – Instagram.com/splitimageca – YouTube – Twitter.com/splitimageca

Splitimage.bandcamp.com – Spotify

Psycho Image Tour 2022 – Spilt Image, Psycho Mantis
Aug 26 – Murrieta, CA – The Barn
Aug 27 – Canoga Park, CA- Scotland Yard
Aug 28 – Fresno, CA – Destructive Warehouse
Aug 29 – Sacramento, CA – The Colony
Aug 30 – Anderson, CA – Demented Designs
Sept 1 – Portland, OR – No Fun Bar
Sept 2 – Seattle, WA – Lucky Liquor
Sept 3 – Chehalis, WA – McFilers
Sept 6 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Bee Hive
Sept 7 – Las Vegas, NV – Recycled Propaganda
Sept 9 – Phoenix, AZ – The Blooze Bar
Sept 10 – San Jacinto, CA – La Jungla

[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]

Single Title: Night Hag
Release Date: August 26, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid

Track Listing:
1. Night Hag – (2:47)

Single Recording Credits:
• Single performed by: Josh Escobar, Joey Sia, Jared Mooney, Nadesha Mariudottir, Christian Sia
• Single written by: Christian Sia, Joey Sia, Josh Escobar
• Produced by: Split Image
• Mixed by: Christian Sia
• Mastered by: Christian Sia
• Single Artwork by: Aslam Bokrit

Single and Live Band Line Up:
Josh Escobar – Vocals
Jared Mooney – Lead Guitar (Left)
Joey Sia – Rhythm Guitar (Right)
Nadesha Mariudottir – Bass
Christian Sia – Drums

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. We had a difficult time naming the band for quite a while. Joey, Josh, and I had come up with hundreds of names, but none of them were to no avail. This went on for a few months and funny enough one day when I and Joey were on the way home from work the song Split Image from the legendary band Excel played on my playlist. Joey just said, “Why don’t we just name the band Split Image?” I took off my sunglasses, looked at Joey, and replied, “Wait, what did you say?!” It was a eureka moment! Everyone agreed on the name and then Split Image became a thing then literally everyone started hilariously saying, “Split Image… it’s a thing!”It was an inside joke for quite some time. – Chris

2. The songs on Torrent of Illusion were actually written a few years ago during the time I and Joey were in a band called Devastation (aka D.V.T.). These songs were so different from the typical style/structure of the music we played in D.V.T. There was a gradual shift from Hardcore Punk to Metal throughout the years in D.V.T. that the music became so different to the point in where these songs sounded like they could be played by a completely different band. So it feels like these specific songs were meant to be played in Split Image and everything fell into place. – Chris

3. There are three J’s and three Tauruses in the band. The three J’s are Josh, Jared, and Joey. The Tauruses being Josh, Nadesha, and Chris. It seems that a lot of things always work in 3’s! – Joey

4. We all have musical roots reaching back to our parents and grandparents. – Joey

5. Split Image’s early incarnation was actually in 2013 when I used to be a guest vocalist for one song out of D.V.T.’s setlist. – Josh

L-R – Jared Mooney – Lead Guitar, Joey Sia – Rhythm Guitar, Nadesha Mariudottir – Bass, Joshua “Josh” Escobar – Vocals, Christian “Chris” Sia – Drums

Discography:
2022 – Psycho Image (Split)
2022 – Torrent of Illusion (Album) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBe2JCWhuNo
2020 – Facades (Single) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr8EnLlljDE
2019 – Sulfur Pits (Single) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUm-5XeZx4k

Shared the stage with:
Psycho Mantis, Corpus, Braineater, Iggy & the Rough Riders, Philosopher

0 EPK – Even Flow – Mediterraneo (2022)

August 25, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Even Flow

EPK – Even Flow – Mediterraneo (2022)

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

“The five songs that make up Mediterraneo are gloriously uplifting anthems that draw you from your world of cares and worries into an exhilarating musical realm of dreams. The songs are concise and finely honed, yet seem to contain an ever-expanding universe to explore within their duration. The title track, ‘Mediterraneo’, is perhaps the EPs crowning glory, building through multiple layers, each more captivating than the last, but in truth every note from the first bombastic chords that usher in opener ‘Ocean Lies’ to the final spiraling guitar solo of ‘Mediterraneo’ is sheer melodic, progressive metal perfection. Immaculately mixed and mastered by Michele Guaitoli (Visions Of Atlantis, Temperance) and adorned in the spectacular artwork of Mickael Briot of Mythrid Art (Nightmare).

Mediterraneo is a glittering treasure, just waiting to be uncovered.

Even Flow has stolen the hearts of rock and metal fans around the world with their incredible albums and breathtaking live performances alongside the likes of Orphaned Land, Katatonia, Firewind, Pain Of Salvation, and many, many more diverse and revered artists. With the October 3rd release of Mediterraneo, more music fans will fall under their spell and flock to their banner. This is a majestic new level of achievement for Even Flow and the beginning of the exciting next chapter in their remarkable career.”

For fans of Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Stratovarius, Angra, Queensryche

BandEvenFlow.com | Facebook.com/bandevenflow | Instagram.com/evenflowofficial | YouTube

Spotify | Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bandevenflow

Band Name: Even Flow
EP Title: Mediterraneo
Release Date: October 3, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Ocean Lies (5:12)
2. Ray of Light (4:50)
3. Leaves (2:54)
4. Revelation Day (3:00)
5. Mediterraneo (7:32)
EP Length: 23:30

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: EVEN FLOW
• All songs written by: PIETRO PAOLO LUNESU
• Produced by: PIETRO PAOLO & GIORGIO LUNESU
• Mixed by: MICHELE GUAITOLI
• Mastered by: MICHELE GUAITOLI
• Album Artwork by: MYTHRID ART

EP and Live Band Line Up:
PIETRO PAOLO LUNESU – GUITARS & BACKING VOCALS
GIORGIO LUNESU – DRUMS
MARCO PASTORINO – VOCALS
LUCA NEGRO – BASS

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

The EP as a whole explained (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

The EP at the level of lyrics speaks of love, hope, sadness, and joy for the future. Musically it is a concentration of power, energy, melody, and time changes with oriental influences.

Track by track explained (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

1. Ocean Lies is the first song written for this EP, I wanted to compose a powerful song that at the same time was melodic in the refrains, with a clean musical interlude to give space to the vocal harmonies, towards the middle of the song there are Latin influences in the way of playing the drums together with the guitar solo. The lyrics represent at times the desolation of the world, but at the same time thinking optimistically for the future.

2. Ray Of Light the lyrics speak of love towards a girl, characterized by a clean guitar intro, together with a keyboard that creates very beautiful melodies, at the end the guitar harmonizations there is a somewhat Arabic sound.

3. Leaves is a piece of solo piano and voice, extremely intimate with a final part of the piano with strong harmonic tensions decreased. The lyrics represent a love story between two young people that never materialized.

4. Revelation Day lyrics have a Catholic inspiration, a song to be discovered musically in its entirety. The melodic parts are intertwined with more progressive parts.

5. . Mediterraneo talks about a love relationship between two guys, the music has Arabic interludes, many progressive metal parts, and melodic guitar solos.

PHOTO CREDIT: CLAUDIA CHIODI

Even Flow is a progressive metal band that was formed in the late 1990s by brothers Pietro Paolo (guitar) and Giorgio (drums).

In 2008, the band released their first debut EP ‘Dream Weaver’, which continues to garner universal acclaim from fans and critics.

In 2011, the band returned to the studio to record their first album Ancient Memories, which revealed a more mature and eclectic sound where Fabrizio di Sarno (Paul Di Anno and Angra) joined on keyboards and Jani Loikas (Nocturnal Winds) on bass.

The album was received with positive feedback from the international scene, and, thanks to this, Even Flow was selected from over 2,000 bands to participate in the final contest of the Sweden Rock Festival.

Ancient Memories was supported by a European tour that included Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

The band closed out that wonderful year with a sold out show in their hometown Sassari, Italy with special guest Blaze Bayley, the former lead singer of Iron Maiden.

2015 was a magical year for the band as they entered the studio to record their second EP Flower Paths where they were joined by Mark Zonder former drummer of Fates Warning, Mike Lepond (bassist for Symphony X), and Matt Guillory (keyboardist for James Labrie’s solo projects known for his participation in Dream Theater).

In that same year, they supported Flower Paths, with a European tour of Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, Germany, England, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, sharing the stage with Roberto Tiranti, voice of Labyrinth, for the only Italian date in the local cult Rock N’ Roll club in Milan and supporting it as a special guest for his WonderWorld with Ken Ingwersen on guitar and Tom Arne Fossheim on drums: a super band that he supports on world tours, Uriah Heep’s founder Ken Hensley.

At the end of a superlative year, the band was invited by Orphaned Land as the opening band, consolidating seven sold out concerts through Aix-en-Provence, Lyon, Lille, Manchester, London, and Paris with double sold out.

The spring and summer of 2016 was an exciting one for the band, opening in Cagliari for Michael Angelo Batio and traveling to Athens for the recording of the Life Has Just Begun album under the supervision of Greek producer Bob Katsionis, former keyboard player of Firewind.

The mix was entrusted to Tommy Hansen, producer of Helloween, and the artwork was curated by Gustavo Sazes.

Life Has Just Begun marked a new path with the addition of vocalist Marco Pastorino to the lineup, whose voice gave new life and enthusiasm to the band.

The singles Alternative State Of Mind and Azure Haze witnessed Marco duet with the legendary Mark Boals, former singer of Yngwie Malmsteen and under the supervision of Dennis Ward the singles were mixed for Alternative State Of Mind and Tommy Hansen for Azure Haze.

The album was driven by singles Secret Prayer, Come To Life, Infinity and Oblivion which increased the band’s notoriety by giving them the chance to embark on a new tour called the Come To Life European Tour that saw them cross Italy, Spain, the Baltic countries, and Russia in support of Serious Black, Firewind, Eluveitie, Iron Savior, and Katatonia.

2018 saw the entry of Luca Negro on bass to the lineup, debuting that summer with the band when they opened for Dare and Pain of Salvation, and with the studio recording of the EP Mother, which saw the band taking a modern version of the first acoustic EP Flower Paths, in addition to the aforementioned guests of Mark Zonder, Mike Lepond, Matt Guillory, and Matan Shmuely of Orphaned Land.

Mother was recorded in Rome by Paolo Campitelli, and the mixing was entrusted Joost van Den Broek (Epica, Powerwolf)

In support of Mother, the band played at Rock The Castle in Villafranca di Verona sharing the stage with Slash, Black Stone Cherry, Dee Snider, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, and Richie Kotzen, along with them embarking on a tour of England that same year.

Even Flow is:
Marco Pastorino: Vocals and Choirs
Pietro Paolo Lunesu: All Electric and Acoustic guitars
Giorgio Lunesu: Drums and Percussion
Luca Negro: Bass

Discography:
2022 – MEDITERRANEO – EP
2019 – MOTHER – EP
2017 – LIFE HAS JUST BEGUN – LP
2013 – FLOWER PATHS – EP
2011 – ANCIENT MEMORIES – LP

Shared Stage with:
ELUVEITIE, PAIN OF SALVATION, IRON SAVIOR, FIREWIND, KATATONIA, SERIOUS BLACK, SLASH & MILES KENNEDY, RITCHIE KOTZEN, DEE SNIDER OF TWISTED SISTER, SEBASTIAN BACH OF SKID ROW

Tours and Festivals:
2020- UK TOUR
2019– ROCK THE CASTLE FESTIVAL (VILLAFRANCA DI VERONA/CASTELLO SCALIGERO-ITALY) with SLASH,Ritchie Kotzen,Sebastian Bach,and Dee Snider
2018- SPAIN TOUR with Iron Savior
2017 – BALTIC TOUR with Eluveitie
2017/2018 – COME TO LIFE TOUR (EUROPE TOUR) with Pain Of Salvation, Firewind, Katatonia, Serious Black

0 EPK – Polarity – Live Off The Floor at Jukasa Studio (2022)

August 25, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Polarity

EPK – Polarity – Live Off The Floor at Jukasa Studio (2022)

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

“You never know how people are going to receive what you put out and honestly we try to take that out of the equation when writing. Bands get into trouble when they stop writing for themselves and start writing for others. That being said the three songs on this EP are very POLARITY. We have “Destruction Of Memory” our proggy 7-minute epic, “Terra Firma” which blends a bit of our softer side with some straight-up rock riffs, and then “Circle” our more technical metal/jazzy alternative song. I honestly think there are so many different types of POLARITY fans and with these three songs, there is something for everyone.” – Jasmine Virginia (Vocals)

For fans of Deftones, Chevelle, Thrice, Flyleaf, Incubus

Band: Polarity
EP Title: Live Off The Floor at Jukasa Studio
Release Date: August 26, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Polaritymusic.com | Facebook.com/polaritymusic | Twitter.com/polaritymusic | YouTube | Instagram.com/polaritymusic

Spotify | Polaritymusic.bandcamp.com | Apple Music

“POLARITY comes out swinging with a sophisticated song (Destruction Of Memory) that attracts audiences who appreciate musical craftsmanship and cerebral ideas” – Canadian Beats

“Canadian metal band POLARITY puts on a technical sonic showcase filled with wailing guitars and complex drum patterns while conveying observations in a world where history continues to be determined by exploitative forces” – Maximum Volume Music

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: Polarity
EP Title: Live Off The Floor at Jukasa Studio
Release Date: August 26, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Destruction of Memory
2. Terra Firma
3. Circle – 3:56
EP Length:

EP Recording Credits:
• Darren Magierowski and Jill Zimmermann of Jukasa Studio and Mike Filsinger for the live video recording
• All songs performed by: POLARITY
• All songs written by: POLARITY
• Produced by: POLARITY
• Mixed by: Darren Magierowski and Jill Zimmermann of Jukasa Studio
• Mastered by: Darren Magierowski and Jill Zimmermann of Jukasa Studio
• EP Artwork by: Jasmine Virginia of POLARITY
• Music is Canadian Content (MAPL)

EP Recording and Live Band Line Up:
Jasmine Virginia – Vocals
Sheldon Fernandes – Guitars
Michael Sitana – Guitars
Deren Bostanci – Bass
Julian Ryan Craig – Drums

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

This release is three songs done at JUKASA Studio live off the floor. It’s unconventional to record music live off the floor nowadays and that’s why we wanted to do it. We wanted to capture our raw sound, no frills and we wanted to challenge our own chops. Destruction of Memory is what our friend and Grammy winning producer David Botrill calls ‘Cinematic Rock’ that takes you on a journey while telling a story. Terra Firma is more of our straight up ‘Rock Anthem’ on this release and then ‘Circle’ is more of our metal/jazzy song that showcases some great technicality from the guys with overlaid clean and screaming vocals. – Jasmine

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Destruction of Memory is our seven-minute epic. It starts off with what some might consider a Middle Eastern vibe and draws you in before it kind of punches you in the face. It then takes you on an all-out heavy-hitting journey that asks you to question who writes the narrative and shapes the human story. Smack dab in the middle of the song takes a turn into a downtempo softer tribal beat, building until we get to the climax which results in an instrumental jam outro. A lot of fun to play live and seems to be doing well online. – Jasmine

Terra Firma is what I would describe as our straight-up Rock Anthem of the release. It showcases our diversity with what I would describe as a pretty intro and verses and then kicks into a straight-up rock anthem chorus. In the middle, you have a great breakdown and solo to break things up a little and then take us out to the heightened chorus. Lyrically this song asks the audience to question everything they have ever believed to be true. It also sheds some light on the fact we’re being fed so much fear that we’re living in these ‘Panic Stations’ and only the truth will aid us in setting our hearts and minds free. – Jasmine

Circle is about the circle and cycle of being stuck in a relationship that you just know isn’t for you which seems to be a huge part of the human condition. So many people I know and I’ve been in the situation before, where we feel we are trapped or stuck in a broken relationship. It’s a continuous circle of fighting and then making up but still knowing and feeling confused as to why you keep running this circle that is not working ….until it’s finally broken, if it ever is….? Musically we have the guys pulling off interesting almost jazzy and dissonant chords while playing interesting rhythms and then hard-hitting breakdowns. This is the first song where we’ve overlaid screaming with a clean vocal, which we’re loving so you’ll be hearing more of this type of thing coming from us in the future. – Jasmine

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FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1) Many years ago during POLARITY’s tour to the East Coast, the band experienced a hilarious incident in Fredericton NB. Jasmine and our ex-bassist Mike Smith at the time were both resting in the motel when the rest of the band decided to go out drinking. Our ex-guitarist Jason got really drunk and started dancing in the streets so we all followed him to make sure he was ok. Back at the motel parking lot, we were next to a lighthouse near the pier. Myself, Jason, and our buddy Mike who came on tour with us decided to climb into the lighthouse while our ex-drummer Eric was inside the tour van smoking a joint. Us 3 made it to the top of the lighthouse and were all enjoying the view until Eric started texting us in a panic. He kept texting saying “GET THE F*** DOWN AND RUN” and then tried calling us a few times but we didn’t hear him. Suddenly numerous flashlights surrounded the bottom of the lighthouse and yelled at us to all get down. Of course, it was the Fredericton POLICE… L They all asked us for our IDs and questioned us about what we were doing. Turns out they were very nice officers and told us never to climb the lighthouse ever again. Sigh of relief we all went back to the motel and found out Eric was hiding inside the van at the time from the police since marijuana was illegal at the time. He then bolted from the van to warn Jasmine and Mike Smith fearing that the 2 POLARITY guitarists might have been arrested! Everything was ok and this became a memorable story afterward. The next day, the exact same police officers passed by us in front of the venue we were playing at. They asked us jokingly “So you guys planning on climbing any more lighthouses tonight?” 🙂

2) On the same East Coast tour during a day off we were all invited along to play an impromptu house party. We accepted the invitation and it ended up being a mini medieval pig roast in the backyard. We all played and had so much fun except that our bassist and guitarist both fell sick (maybe exhaustion, dehydration, food poisoning, etc can’t remember) and started throwing up after the set. Still, a very fun moment that we’ll never forget!

3) Another fun fact about our band is the numerous stages of band members we’ve had and the musical chairs we had between 3 former members. At one point we had Jason Swait as a guitarist and Matthew Hamilton as a bassist. When Jason left the band, Matt decided to take his place as a guitarist since he’s first and foremost a guitar player. He only played bass for us temporarily to replace Mike Smith the original bassist when he departed. Then we got our close friend Adrian DeSousa to come on bass and he himself is a guitarist that played bass occasionally. Then one night when we opened for New Year’s Day in Toronto Matt was unable to play so we got Adrian (who left the band at that time for personal reasons) to hop on guitar for this one show for us and our current bassist Deren Bostanci had just joined the band as full-time bassist. Confused yet? So were we 🙂

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L-R – Julian Ryan Craig (Drums) | Deren Bostanci (Bass) | Jasmine Virginia (Vocals) | Sheldon Fernandes (Guitar) | Michael Sitana (Guitar)
Photo Credit – Michael Crusty

POLARITY’s style of alternative rock is quickly filling up Canadian venues and finding their merch being ordered and shipped out across the world. With their most recent release, the band wanted to capture the raw POLARITY experience so they recorded the songs live off the floor at Jukasa Studio and the result is sonic waves that are real, raw, and in the moment. “We’ve never done anything conventionally so recording these new songs live off the floor is something that really allows us to invite our listeners into songs created completely organically and authentically. We wanted to capture raw music and invite our listeners to hear what you’ll hear if you come to a show, just five humans making music in the moment.” Says vocalist Jasmine Virginia.

POLARITY is not an average independent band, they’ve thrived being DIY for over a decade playing hundreds of Canadian shows to growing audiences looking for a unique and soulful sonic experience. Since their formation in 2008 the band’s list of accomplishments includes four studio albums, working with grammy winning producers including David Bottrill and Joao Carvalho, Juno-winning producers Darren Magierowski and Jill Zimmermann, Canadian radio play on mainstream rock radio including Rebel 101.7, 97.7HTZ FM & 94.9The Rock FM & a youtube channel showing over half a million views and a growing worldwide audience.

Their music takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride where the landscape of sounds shifts from harsh and aggressive to transcendental and ethereal in seamless seconds all while the vocals ooze with soul and range from vulnerable and honest to powerful and in demand. The band recently underwent some member changes and welcomed guitarist Sheldon Fernades to the mix whose technical improvisational style easily fits into the band’s unconventional sounds ‘I’m a big fan of small moments that make a big impact in songs. I was drawn to the fact that POLARITY has a lot of ear candy in their music that makes the listener question what exactly happened and wants to go back and figure it out” says Sheldon. As for what genre of music the band considers themselves? ’POLARITY isn’t for one genre, or one scene, POLARITY is for everyone.’ Says bassist Deren Bostanci.

With a decade of musical friendship behind them, the band is ready to continue its ascent into the realm of well-known Canadian bands and expand its international audience. ‘Our goal has always been to make music that makes a positive impact on the universal ether and it’s what has kept us creating for over a decade …and we have no plans of stopping anytime soon’ says guitarist Michael Sitana.

Polarity is:
Julian Ryan Craig (Drums)
Deren Bostanci (Bass)
Jasmine Virginia (Vocals)
Sheldon Fernandes (Guitar)
Michael Sitana (Guitar)

Discography:
2008 – Self Titled
2010 – Treeman EP
2016 – Action Potential
2019 – Trilateral EP
2022 – Live Off The Floor at Jukasa Studio

Shared Stage with:
SUM 41, KITTIE, THE FLATLINERS, THE AGONIST, NEW YEARS DAY,
DIEMONDS, SUMO CYCO, RED HANDED DENIAL, THE CREEPSHOW, LIVING COLOUR

Tours and Festivals:
2022 – ROCKFEST SANTE MENTALE – Epiphanie QC
2019 – ROCK THE COLUSEUM – Mississauga
2017 – NXNE – Toronto
2017 – LOCKDOWN FEST – Etobicoke
2018 – CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK – Toronto
2016 – KOI FEST – Kitchener
2010 – LOWKEY FEST – Milton
2010 – POLARITY EAST COAST TOUR

0 EPK – Seventh Station – Heal the Unhealed (2022)

August 23, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Seventh Station

EPK – Seventh Station – Heal the Unhealed (2022)

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

“In this specific album, I wanted to bring my personal point of view on my roots as a Soviet Union child. Spending my childhood in the Soviet Union, then youth in Israel, and finally having moved to Slovenia, I went through a lot of different circumstances and the processes of adaptation for each – also resulting in anxiety and panic attacks after all these significant paradigm shifts. Heal The Unhealed is a personal reflection on these experiences and the psychological states they brought, voiced through different characters, including the primary actors of the conditions I had back in the Soviet Union.” – Dmitri Alperovich – Guitar

“The album for me is almost like a novel or a movie, we crafted it meticulously so there’s a lot to discover even after the first pass of listening.” – Eren Basbug – Keyboards

For fans of Dream Theater, Symphony X, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Frank Zappa

Band: Seventh Station
Album Title: Heal the Unhealed
Release Date: November 7th, 2022
Label: Self-Released
Distribution: Self-Distributed

Seventh-Station.com | Facebook.com/SeventhStation | Instagram.com/seventhstationofficial | YouTube

Seventhstation.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

“The guys definitely show that they are a very up-and-coming, well-thought-out Progressive Metal band”. – MetalUnderground.at

“Between Life and Dreams is not a typical progressive metal album, in its musical structure the listener can find elements of classical music and find intensive, delicate motive work in each song”. – Lady Obscure

“This is a combination of old and new influences, including those from musicians that are classically trained. This results in music that has a lot going on, with so many different styles involved that it would be pointless to try and list them all” – Wonderbox Metal

“Many of their creations are inspired from classical music compositions in which they mix their own virtuoso inputs of modern and progressive metal. Believe me, the album will open your ears fully and lead you into the magical world of fantasy between two worlds, the reality and the dreams.” – Paranoid Webzine

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Band: Seventh Station
Album Title: Heal the Unhealed
Release Date: November 7th, 2022
Label: Self-Released
Distribution: Self-Distributed

Track Listing:
1. Unspoken Thoughts (07:37)
2. Seven Digits (07:36)
3. The Heart of a Nation (Nadia) (12:27)
4. The Ruthless Koba (05:19)
5. All Hail the Moustache (12:04)
6. A Final Bow (13:41)
Album Length: 58:47

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Dmitri Alperovich, Eren Basbug, Jure Lopatic, Grega Plamberger, Davidavi Dolev (except 04)
• All songs written by: Dmitri Alperovich
• Produced by: Dmitri Alperovich
• Mixed by: Matej Gobec @ The Cosmosonic Studios
• Mastered by: Matej Gobec @ The Cosmosonic Studios
• Album Artwork by: Tal Asulin
• Album Recording and Live Band Line Up:
– Dmitri Alperovich – Guitar
– Eren Basbug – Keyboards
– Davidavi Dolev – Vocals
– Jure Lopatic – Bass
– Grega Plamberger – Drums and Percussion

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The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

– Davidavi Dolev – Vocals – “The album is the sound of a panic attack, and could very much be a progressive assault on the ear, so much is going on at the same time it’s a really demanding listen, not at all for the weak-hearted and very much for the open minded. musically this album is choosing the long path rather than quick gratification but at the same time very satisfying for those who manage to go through this entire orchard.

This is the first time I’m involved in writing the lyrics and the vocal lines for Seventh Station and I wanted to find the right ‘voice’ for the lyrics, trying to voice Dmitri’s musical ideas through surrealism and through the absurd. so, lyrically the point was to magnify even more the panic attacks Dmitri was trying to describe through the light of harsh incomprehensible historical events. I exceptionally relate to the ‘Heart of a Nation’ trilogy from which ‘All Hail the Moustache’ is from as I think it’s the top of our mutual work and I can’t wait until we release the other video clips of this trilogy.”

Dmitri Alperovich – Guitar – “Heal the Unhealed” is inspired by the events of the Second World War and the Soviet Union. The title itself reflects on a panic attack I experienced for the first time during the keyboard recordings in Boston. Soon enough I also realized once this type of experience occurs it becomes something you need to learn how to live with rather than completely healing it.

– The album was composed after our debut release Between Life and Dreams in 2016 and recorded throughout 2020 in three different countries. The keyboard recordings took place between Boston and Turkey, while the rest of the band recorded in Slovenia, through three different studios.

– We have six tracks in the album, where three of the tracks we call the Stalin trilogy. These tracks are the main theme of the album and deal between Stalin’s inner ego struggle and his tough personal relationships in the context of the Soviet Union. We offer a view of these events from our perspective based on historical knowledge. Although the other half of the tracks are loosely connected with this theme, they stand more as individual songs.”

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Track Descriptions can be found HERE.

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STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1. Dmitri: The name of the band is actually a math calculation of numbers that were hunting me in the past (you can find out about it in Between Life and Dreams). The short story is: when I was checking the time I always encountered at the hour 13:48 (1:48pm), and I jokingly made up a conspiracy theory about these numbers. In the days we were forming the band, we liked the idea that it would be ‘something Station’. One day, I decided to keep adding the numbers from the clock- 1, 3, 4, 8, and eventually, the calculation resulted in 7. That’s the story behind how we picked the name Seventh Station. Even today, lots of things regarding the band are circling around this number.

2. Dmitri: In one of our shows I had to play Mirage at Yourself from our debut album (one of the hardest songs in our catalog) blindfolded because I lost a bet with our bassist Jure.

3. Heal the Unhealed is an international effort being rehearsed and recorded through five different studios on three continents ranging from the United States, Slovenia and Turkey.

4. The Ruthless Koba, the fourth track from Heal the Unhealed is a portrait of Stalin by Shostakovich, the second movement of his 10th Symphony. At the end of the track, we put an excerpt from a Soviet propaganda movie praising Stalin where Shostakovich was forced to compose the soundtrack for it – as an interesting contradictory contrast.

5. The entire vocals for the record were recorded during the first week of the global pandemic outbreak. Our vocalist Vidi flew to Ljubljana to record his parts, only to get stuck due to the global lockdowns and travel restrictions. He ended up recording the vocals by himself with our engineer Matej Gobec, although they had not met before the sessions.

About:

Seventh Station is a progressive metal band based in Slovenia, led by Israeli Guitarist Dmitri Alperovich and Turkish Keyboardist Eren Başbuğ. Constructing their sound by fusing progressive metal with contemporary classical music, the band’s new album Healed the Unhealed is their second full-length record, released independently. Featuring an international lineup, Davidavi “Vidi” Dolev (Vocals), Jure Lopatic (Bass), and Grega Plamberger (Drums). On their new record, Seventh Station adds to their “on the edge” performances and compositions more blood, more sweat, and more tears.

Formed between the Academy of Music & Dance in Jerusalem and Berklee College of Music in Boston, Seventh Station released its debut album Between Life and Dreams in 2016. After relocating to Europe and a few line-up changes, Alperovich and Başbuğ knew no borders in the search for uncompromising compositions and musical executors, progressive and challenging. After several tours between the Middle East and post-Yugoslavia, the band gathered together on recording ‘Heal the Unhealed’. Inspired by the Second World War and the Soviet Union, the album is an hour-long reflection in the eyes of Alperovich, who was born in Minsk, Belarus, moved to Israel and eventually found his way to Slovenia. Featuring surrealistic epos, harnessing the band’s skillful abilities in order to express Kafkaesque situations, Heal the Unhealed examines resemblances between dictatorships and the personality disorders of an artist.

Seventh Station is now gearing up for their upcoming record Heal the Unhealed released on November 7th, 2022, along with a supporting tour through Europe and the Middle East, to be announced later this Fall.

Album Recording and Live Band Line Up:
– Dmitri Alperovich – Guitar
– Eren Basbug – Keyboards
– Davidavi Dolev – Vocals
– Jure Lopatic – Bass
– Grega Plamberger – Drums and Percussion

Discography:
2022 – Heal the Unhealed
2016 – Between Life and Dreams

Tours and Festivals:
2013 – Israel Tour
2017 – Slovenia Tour
2019 – Slovenia Tour
2020 – Deri Po Bresicah Metal Festival – Slovenia

0 EPK – Cydemind – The Descent (2022)

August 23, 2022
by Asher
· Cydemind · EPKs

EPK – Cydemind – The Descent (2022)

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

“The Descent is really meant to be listened to from start to finish. Many times!! It has lots of recurrent themes, sometimes hidden, sometimes obvious, so the hard listeners really get rewarded.

As for the singles, Hoax is very lively and reveals the band from a completely new angle. We expect fans to be surprised (which is why we called it Hoax!). Breach, on the other side, is a classic Cydemind song. Fans will enjoy its heavy riffs and crazy solos.” – Cydemind

For fans of Dream Theater, Symphony X, Haken, Tigran Hamasyan, Avishai Cohen

Band Name: Cydemind
Album Title: The Descent
Release Date: November 4th, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distribution Amplitude

Cydemind.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

“Cydemind “Breach” The Walls of Normality With Next Violin Prog Metal Single – The Progspace

“Cydemind have struck a fine balance between mood, emotion, and technicality. The Descent is a great step forward.” – Heavy Music HQ

“There Isn’t Any “Hoax” in the Quality of the Latest Cydemind Single” – Everything Is Noise

“Any lover of progressive rock music with a soft spot for metal, classical and jazz elements should not miss Cydemind. This is especially true for The Descent. I’ll have two full hands for that later in the year. I say buy!” 10/10 – Sound Magnet Magazin

“CYDEMIND are clearly one of this year’s pleasant surprises for me, as I wasn’t aware of that kind of “violin meets progmetal” so far. Their music always has a certain energy, whether during the slower or faster parts, comes along with a beautiful lightness, but is powerful and heavy nevertheless. It is groovy, mesmerizing melodious, yet complex, and smoothly performed thanks to the great skills of all musicians involved. The huge joy in their playing, which can be felt from the beginning, makes their wandering through the different styles sound so effortlessly. Last but not least, the detailed production supports their work to shine in the best light, and makes “The Descent” a marvelous listen – Highly recommended to check them out \m/” – Mostly Metal

“With “violin meets progmetal”, the Canadian quintet offer marvelous music to dive into” – Mostly Metal’s Favorites 2022

“Conceived, written and performed with great talent by the CYDEMIND members, the music is not easily accessible and demands the listener’s full attention. But anyone who listens to Prog Rock knows what they’re getting into.” – PowerMetal.de

“The musical style of CYDEMIND means that they can be cataloged under many genres: Jazz Rock, Prog Rock, Prog Metal, etc. Having a violinist who is on equal terms with the guitarist makes their music unique, more special. There is nothing that displeased me. Give it a listen, it’s worth it!” – Profil Prog (The Descent 2022)

“Montréal’s Cydemind is an instrumental progressive metal band, avec violon, s’il vous plaît. They really hit hard with their 2017 album Erosion, and they’ve taken those five years to improve on their formula. To be clear, nothing had to be changed, give me long-form song structures filled with creative riffs, modulations of all kinds, exchanging solos, and lyrical melodies, and I’ll enjoy the hell out of it! Yet, I can’t deny that the quality is higher than ever. I’m sure that, behind the scenes, there has been a lot of cuts and changes to these compositions, to make sure that only the best come through to the final product. That’s certainly a rational practice, but it seems less and less common at large, and it’s reassuring to see them stick to it and provide the first line of quality control. Now be sure to listen to this album!” – Can This Even Be Called Music

“Violin metal shredders, Cydemind, has just released a beautiful new video for their “Winter” single, using the gorgeous backdrop of Quebec, Canada. The neo-classical prog track showcases the amazing abilities of this young band on the rise, with captivating hooks that’ll leave you awestruck and hitting up their Bandcamp page for more!” – Metal Injection (2017 – Erosion)

“The instrumental band puts the violin front and center, which is strange (if not unheard of) in and of itself. They’ve also released a sweet cover of Vivaldi’s “L’inverno” (“Winter”), from The Four Seasons, which is definitely the first time in the 12+ years of MetalSucks that we’ve had to type that sentence… and they’ve done so when we’re just about a week away from the first day of spring, which was a ballsy decision. And on top of all of that, they made a really, really beautiful video for the track out on the frozen tundras of Québec. Do they have tundras in Québec? Whatever. The video looks really cool. Also, cold. I got mild frostbite just watching it.” – Metal Sucks

“presented what will easily be among the top prog metal albums of the year…” – Metal Underground (2017 – Erosion)

“An epic album in every sense of the word” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life (2017 – Erosion)

“Cydemind have an excellent album on their hands with “Erosion.”” – Progressive Music Planet (2017 – Erosion)

“Everything a person could want in his or her progressive metal is contained within the album’s six tracks. Heavy, complex riffs? Check. Knotty, constantly-shifting time signatures? Check. Shreddy solos? Double check. Winding, non-linear song structures? Epic track lengths? Uplifting melodies? Check, check, and check. And then there’s that violin. It’s pretty clear from the first few notes that Olivier Allard has classical training, because he attacks his instrument like Yngwie Malmsteen with a bow.” – Indy Metal Vault (2017 – Erosion)

“Cydemind have captured a sound that I have spent a long time searching for. Combining the modern progressive style of bands such as Dream Theater and Haken, with some exceptional violin at the forefront to really stand out from the crowd.” – Belwood Music (2017 – Erosion)

“Out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada could be the next big musical act in the world of instrumental progressive metal, and that band is known as CYDEMIND…The beauty of this record is that the entire record stands out, yet the flow of the musicianship and arrangements flow together like that expensive wine that is aged over time and that cheese that is cured to where it has its perfect, exquisite taste to it. ” – Muen Magazine (2017 – Erosion)

“A lush and atmospheric journey that brings brisk mountain air into my lungs” – Metal Trenches (2017 – Erosion)

“Bottom line, “Erosion” is a glorious album that is worthy of any Metal… nay, any music collection. It’s simply wonderful music to listen to.” – 925 Rebellion (2017 – Erosion)

“Cydemind have shown me two things on this debut album: they’re damn good musicians, and they have the ability to write compelling music that sticks with you. ” – Angry Metal Guy (2017 – Erosion)

“Cydemind are the find of the month, hell maybe even the year.” – Wyrd Ways Rock Show (2017 – Erosion)

[Download Album Cover]

Band Name: Cydemind
Album Title: The Descent
Release Date: November 4th, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distribution Amplitude

Track Listing:
1. Obsessions – 8:56
2. Hoax – 6:11
3. Breach – 5:00
4. Call Of The Void – 8:25
5. Hemlock -13:44
6. Slumber – 4:30
7. The Last Stone – 12:17
Album Length: 59:06

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Cydemind
• All songs written by: Cydemind
• Produced by: Cydemind
• Mixed by: Simon L’Espérance
• Mastered by: Tony Lindgren
• Album Artwork by: Alexandre Dagenais
• Member of SOCAN
• Music is Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album and Live Band Line Up:
Olivier Allard – Violin
Alexandre Dagenais – Drums
Nico Damoulianos – Bass
Camille Delage – Piano & Keyboards
Kevin Paquet – Guitars

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The album as a whole explained:

Cydemind will make its return with 7 new tracks, on an album that lasts just under 60 minutes. “With The Descent, we musically explored the themes of obsessions and the abysses into which they can plunge the human mind,” says Olivier Allard, violinist.

“Structurally, the album really represents a descent into hell, ” explains guitarist Kevin Paquet. The first track, Obsessions, acts as an opening. There are rhythmic and melodic motifs from each track on the album. The opening melody acts a bit like the leitmotif of the obsession (whichever it is) and comes up several times throughout the album. Subsequently, the album continues with Hoax, which incorporates several elements of funk. As the name suggests, you should not expect the album to respect that tone; on the contrary, the music gradually turns into something much darker and complex.”

Track by track explained:

Obsessions : The first track, Obsessions, acts as an opening. There are rhythmic and melodic motifs from each track on the album. The opening melody acts a bit like the leitmotif of the obsession (whichever it is) and comes up several times throughout the album. It might seem too much to grasp at the first listen but once you’ve been through the whole album, going back to this one makes much more sense.

Hoax : Hoax is one of the first songs we wrote for the new album, so it’s been finished for a while. It took us 3 or 4 days to write that one (it usually takes 3 or 4 months to finish one!), so it all came up pretty instinctively. We like to brand Hoax as a Funk Metal song because it really is borrowing vibes from both genres. We always liked funk bands like Vulfpeck or Snarky Puppy, and we always felt like their music would sound well with a little metal injection. So it’s basically what we did!

Breach : It’s a high-energy song that we believe is going to be appreciated by many fans! While Hoax may have surprised prog fans, Breach is more in line with the classic sounds of prog metal (if there can ever be anything classic about prog!). It’s got hard riffs, a captivating chorus and unleashed solos. »

Call of The Void : The darkest, most complex song of the album. This song has a big narrative structure in it. It’s very easy to imagine a story with this one. We like to think we’re on a ship, exploring dark places after dark places!

Hemlock : Longest song on the album. It starts with a guitar motif that is going to come back throughout the song. After the big, epic conclusion of Call Of The Void, it feels good to come back to something softer. The song becomes heavier and heavier, and goes into a middle section we like to call Maelstrom. Really fun to play. There’s also a very long, melancholic guitar solo that leads to a grandiose, groovy finale, where the initial motif of the guitar comes back in a triumphant way.

Slumber : Slumber is a well-earned rest. Smooth, airy, and mysterious, it’s just soothing to close your eyes and let this one flow, after all the drama that went throughout the album.

The Last Stone : Even though it’s the last song of the album, The Last Stone was one of the first songs to be finished. Fans will maybe recognize some Erosion influence in it as it was written during the last weeks prior to Erosion’s release. The Last Stone uses the obsessions leitmotif quite a bit, and also the last melodic piano line of Slumber, which is going to come back in different ways throughout the song. Very heavy riffs, very catchy choruses, crazy solos, and hovering ending; we think it’s an epic finale!

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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. There’s the Batman (1989) theme hidden in Call of the Void!
2. Call Of The Void’s main riff is inspired by Hago’s Ezekiel 1.4
3. You can hear an alternate version of Slumber for the video Game Navyblue & The Spectrum Killers.
4. Some parts of the writing, recording and editing process took place in Malpeque, Prince Edward’s Island, where the band has a cottage.

L-R – Camille Delage (piano and keyboards), Kevin Paquet (guitars), Olivier Allard (Violin), Nico Damoulianos (Bass), Alexandre Dagenais (Drummer)

‘’Violin meets progressive metal!’’

That’s how violinist Olivier Allard describes the sound of CYDEMIND.

Mixing progressive rock, jazz, classical, and metal, Montreal-based CYDEMIND is a unique sounding group, one we’ll surely be hearing much more from in the future. Influenced by such bands as Dream Theater, Symphony X, Haken, and jazzmen like Avishai Cohen and Tigran Hamasyan, CYDEMIND has a sound that appeals to a broad audience.

CYDEMIND’s first release, EP ‘Through Mists and Ages’, dates back to 2014. It is soon after this release that their first single ‘What Remains’ came out. After a writing period that allowed for the band to refine their sound, the quintet (violin, bass, piano, guitar, drums) came back with their first full-length album. Titled ‘Erosion’, its six tracks are centered around the idea of nature’s persistence through time. Epic is quite certainly the word here, with one track clocking in at an impressive 27 minutes. ‘Erosion’ was released with critical acclaim :

“Cydemind has […] presented what will easily be among the top prog metal albums of the year…” Metal Underground

“Cydemind have an excellent album on their hands with ‘Erosion’.” – Progressive Music Planet

“Allard’s playing is by turns dizzyingly nimble and achingly plangent, and the band – park the showboating and pull relentlessly in the same coherent, melodic direction”. – Prog Magazine

CYDEMIND then diverted from the usual metal band musical trajectory in order to produce music for the indie video game ‘Navyblue and the Spectrum Killers’. The game was released in September 2018 and is available on Steam. In addition to composing the entirety of the game’s soundtrack, CYDEMIND also released two singles ‘Navyblue’ and ‘Lights of Iberia’ as bonus content for the game.

To further expand their musical soundscape and reach new audiences, the versatile band then released its first music video ‘Winter’ in March 2019. The single is an arrangement of Vivaldi’s ‘Winter violin concerto’ from the Four Seasons. Shot throughout various locations in Quebec, Canada, the video poeticizes the beauty of Canadian winters while emphasizing the band’s energetic performance.

Always looking for novel and rewarding experiences, Cydemind then collaborated in producing the soundtrack for the post-apocalyptic contemporary theater play ‘’The Employees’’, which was performed in various theaters throughout Canada during the 2021-2022 theater season.

Five years after the release of Erosion, the band is releasing their much anticipated second full-length album called The Descent. Musically and thematically darker than its predecessor, The Descent delves into the concept of obsessions and the abysses into which they can plunge the human mind. Cydemind’s The Descent will be out on November 4, 2022, on all digital platforms.

In addition to their significant recording experiences, the band has performed numerous times throughout the Montreal area since 2011 in such venues as the Foufounes Électriques, the Katacombes, the Plaza Theater, and others. In 2017, they also directed the first edition of Proggy Nights in Canada, a small tour gathering of 3 Canadian prog bands in Quebec City, Montreal, and Toronto.

The band is composed of Olivier Allard (violin), Alexandre Dagenais (drums) Nico Damoulianos (Bass), Camille Delage (piano & keyboards), and Kevin Paquet (guitars). Olivier holds a PhD in violin performance from the University of Montreal, while Camille graduated from the classical piano program at CEGEP St-Laurent in Montreal.

Cydemind is:
Olivier Allard (Violins)
Alexandre Dagenais (Drums)
Camille Delage (Keyboards/Piano)
Nico Damoulianos (Bass)
Kevin Paquet (Guitars)

Discography:
2022 – The Descent – LP
2019 – Winter – Single
2018 – Navyblue & The Spectrum Killers – video game soundtrack
2017 – Erosion – LP
2014 – Through Mists and Ages – EP

Shared Stage with:
Gone in April, Pyramid Theorem, Universe Effects, Fractal Cypher, Innerspace, No Ticket, Stereoframes, The Nightwatch, Unbeing, Transcend

Tours and Festivals:
2017 – Proggy Nights in Canada – Québec, Montreal, Toronto

Awards:
2021 – Won 3rd Prize Imagination Song Contest

0 EPK – Féleth – Divine Blight (2022)

August 23, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Feleth

Féleth – Divine Blight (2022)

“After getting signed with our new label “Rob Mules Records” and playing some pretty sick gigs at both Buktafestivalen and Tons of Rock, we’re super stoked to release our new album “Divine Blight”. It was a long and tedious process of selecting, practicing and recording, but the result will speak for itself. Our best album thus far.

It’s a collection of stories based upon the dystopian path humanity is set on. An evil king-like figurine, representing the darkness of mankind, that appears timely throughout the album is depicted on the album cover which is made by the talented Eric at Kahinnien Graphix.

We felt that throughout this new journey of an album we’ve refined our songwriting and successfully achieved a style that’s not only ass-whoppingly brutal, but also more complex emotionally and lyrically. It is clear that we’ve got multiple influences and styles throughout the album which all contribute to a massive sonic package. It’s definitely a death metal album with some subtle takes on some of its many subgenres.

Two and half years after our debut “Depravity” we’re ready to present ”DIVINE BLIGHT”.” – Féleth

For fans Shadow of Intent, Archspire, Fit For An Autopsy, Inferi, Soreption

Album Title: Divine Blight
Release Date: November 11, 2022
Label: Rob Mules Records

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

Facebook.com/FelethBand | Instagram.com/felethband | Youtube

Spotify | Feleth.bandcamp.com | Apple Music

““Majesty” is an exciting introduction to the differing styles and techniques that Féleth intertwine in their songwriting, drawing together ingredients from technical and melodic death metal in a white-hot rush that nevertheless is home to some bone-smashing grooves. “Avarice” puts those genre ingredients on display again, but expands the musical palette and makes the song an even ore multi-faceted and atmospheric experience. With no room to gasp a breath, the song explodes in a flurry of fleet-fingered, fret-leaping guitar work, neck-cracking drumming, and flame-throwing vocal intensity. But groaning chords and shrill, eerie melodic overtones also create dark and deleterious moods, building tension and fear. While the vocals are utterly unhinged in their madness (and doubled in the chorus for extra intensity), squirming guitar arpeggios create a different dimension of insanity, coupled with agony, and martial drum patterns and a misery-steeped closing solo add to the song’s relentless dynamism. On top of all that, the song also punches like a heavyweight fighter.” – No Clean Singing

““Divine Blight” is mature and presents the band in a very good and creative prime on its career. And to have a taste of what their musical strength, pay attention carefully to “Majesty” (where their instrumental technique is amazing, with very good grunts and screams contrasting in a great way), “Caretaker” and “Riven” (both are excellent moments, showing some amazing slow paced tempos, and being permeated by some Northern Death/Black Metal sheath on the guitar riffs and arrangements), “The Serpent” (a song in a more simple trend, but the rhythms are solid as a rock, with a very good show of bass guitar and drums), “Casanova” (it’s impressive how they can bind together a very good technical level with a massive and aggressive energetic appeal), “Deadlands” (what a massive set of extreme Metal hooks and melodic sense this one shows, with excellent guitars and vocals), and “USA” (what lovely and unusual elements can be heard in the Death Metal musical cauldron of the quintet on this song) will do the job to convince you to become a fan of the band.” – Metal Temple (Divine Blight 2022)

“The production of The Divine Blight is impeccable. The sound is crisp and clear and allows the listener to appreciate the nuances of the music. The guitars are thick and heavy, and the drums are thunderous and powerful and are equally as intense and intricate as the guitar work throughout this album. The vocals are brutal and full of emotion. The bass is deep and resonant, and it provides a solid foundation for the rest of the music. The production of this album is superb and provides the listener with a truly immersive experience. It comes as no surprise that someone with amazing ears worked on this project, the album was mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy) who has mix and mastered The Agonist, Beneath The Massacre, Beyond Creation and a handful of bands from Century Media Records and Victory Records.” – Metal Purgatory (Divine Blight 2022)

“From start to finish this album is a memorable listen. The lyrical content explores a lot of thought-provoking topics ranging from colonialism, consumerism, capitalism, and explores the idea that we as a species are complicit in the way our world turns. Pointing the finger right back into our faces shedding light on whos really responsible for where we are today. This album was a great listen for me and I hope to see these lads continue to grow and evolve.” – Metal Purgatory (Divine Blight 2022)

“Feleth is gaining a name for itself despite only being around for a couple of years. They are developing their sound and their technical ability rapidly and this release shows that development, especially in songwriting where they bring different elements in to add color. An excellent example of melodic/technical death metal and worth anyone’s hard-earned cash.” – My Global Mind (Divine Blight 2022)

“On all fronts you can hear that the company continues to develop itself and has thus managed to raise the bar. It makes Divine Blight an interesting work that sounds layered, versatile and professional.” – Zwaremetalen (Divine Blight 2022)

“Depravity the newest album from Feleth is one brutal album full of riffs and hooks to keep even the most particular entertained. Feleth mix the roots of the Norwegian metal scene, with the death metal tone they strive for to create some well crafted blackened death metal, similar to that of Shadow of Intent.” – Metal Injection

“With a melting pot of ideas, yet rooted in delivering a head-smashing and neck-destroying style of metal, Féleth are aggressive newcomers to a scene that constantly looks to surprise… Féleth deliver heavy and extreme noise so very well.” 9/10 – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“straight up heaviness and brutality, tech offerings and melodic atmopsheres, and enjoyable groove.” – Dead Rhetoric

“Féleth: Transcends the traditional limits of the genre…” – Permafrost.today

“9/10 “Féleth offer an edge-of-your-seat experience that is both fresh and captivating.” – Metal Inferno

“Féleth does death metal fast and aggressive, reigning in their impressive technical chops for maximum impact, keeping their riffs (and songs, for that matter) relatively short and to the point. They strike a pretty even balance between chunky chords and caustic melodies, most of which are designed to coax headbanging than to impress with virtuosity. The album is front-loaded with catchy bangers, saving the more technical and weird bits for the latter half.” – Tolet Ov Hell

“Overall, Depravity is a solid debut album by Feleth. It’s strongest moments are when they keep things simple, delivering brutal and thunderous death metal that would probably wake the dead. The guitars are the best bit, they sound huge and aggressive, effectively transmitting the anger and hatred in their young Norwegian hearts.” – Abrasive Noise

“The new Feléth album is a big melting pot of all things good in modern death metal… They serve up tech death esque song structures and solos with the beautiful harmonies of melodic death metal and the crushing riffs of a brutal death metal banger. It’s an eclectic listen for sure. There are catchy parts here and there that make the record memorable and add to its replay value. The vocalist on here does an amazing job and the production value is high… Great record!” – Zax Record Reviews

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: Divine Blight
Release Date: November 11, 2022
Label: Rob Mules Records

Track Listing:
1. Majesty – 03:46
2. Caretaker – 03:58
3. Riven – 03:51
4. En Elskovsdans – 03:10
5. The Serpent – 03:32
6. Casanova – 03:35
7. Deadlands – 04:26
8. Absence – 04:09
9. USA – 05:32
10. Avarice – 05:33
Album Length: 41:37

Album Credits:
All songs performed by Féleth
Guest vocalist Petter Carlsen on USA
All songs written by Féleth
Produced by Féleth
Mixed and Mastered by Christian Donaldson
Assistant Engineer Jonathan Mazzeo
Album Artwork by Kahinienn Graphix

Live and Album Lineup:
Espen Dagenborg – Vocals
Thomas Nyvoll – Guitar
Alexander Stamnes – Guitar
Brage Ingebrigtsen Westgaard – Bass
Aleksander Alsen – Drums

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

The lyrical themes are usually all over the place, but often inspired by things that I (Espen) find massively wrong and provocative such as politicians waging war, being greedy, and also how humans can be extremely hateful against others. Then again there are also songs that are somewhat purely fictional, mostly showcasing my lyrical style. The general red line throughout the album when it comes to the lyrics is perfectly described in the album title ‘’Divine Blight’’, which is a wordplay on ‘’Divine Right’’ where kings etc. meant they were chosen by god, and because of that had more worth than other people. ‘’Divine Blight’’ is my dismay in such thinking, implying that all of humanity is equal and we are all equally responsible for all the fucked up shit that’s happening in this world.

Track by Track explained (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

1. Majesty
Musical take: The songwriting started out with the intro which later translated into the massive hook. Most of the songwriting was written around the hook to build it up. Also threw in a really spicy shred-lead. The solos were written when the song was done. The first solo is Alexanders’ and the second one is Thomas’s.

Lyrical take: This song and the song Avarice is in a sense story related. Majesty describes the rise of a diabolical king-like entity who corrupts, oppresses and kills everyone. The ‘’king’’-persona is basically humankind fucking itself up.

2. Caretaker
Musical take: Originally written from a riff Espen had made, and just adjusted the riff and wrote a whole song around it. Some of the bridges were written a long time beforehand but were also adjusted to fit the song. The rock’n’roll solo by Alexander ended up completing the song.

Lyrical take: Caretaker was inspired by a real-life experience of a ghost sighting I had when I was young with a friend. The lyrics are about someone being haunted, then becoming corrupted by demons, and just ending up in hell. Haha, easy as that.

3. Riven
Musical take: A bit musically inspired by Fit For An Autopsy, trying to develop a huge atmosphere at the beginning of the song, and then transitioning into pure heaviness. Also, queue the fat solos at the end of the song wooohh.

Lyrical take: Very powerful song lyrically for me, where I’m trying to get into the mindsets of people struggling with drug addiction, being desperate for help but nobody is listening. Having grown up with a lot of close friends and even family who’ve been drug addicts whereas some of them have even died, I wanted to dedicate a lyric for them. Where I grew up the support system has been really bad, and I feel like lives have been wasted because of it. The mellow feel to the instrumental also helps convey this, at least for me vocally.

4. En Elskovsdans
Musical take: Tried to make a song as hard as possible for myself (Thomas). Just tried to write a song where I could push everything to the extreme. The song also opened another level of technicality to the band, which we will see more from at a future date.

Lyrical take: A somewhat funny lyric, this one in Norwegian too, about basically sex. Many years ago an ex-girlfriend of mine wrote a song for me, so I jokingly dedicated this lyric to her. It’s about a man obsessed with a woman, so he stalks, kills and rapes her post-mortem. Sounds really grim, sure, but it’s written very comedically and satirically, trying to read like typical old-school 1800’s Norwegian poetry, so it’s more silly than anything when being read in Norwegian.

5. The Serpent
Musical take: Started out writing the first riff, and all the other riffs just came naturally. No real thought process except making another big hook. Solo by Thomas.

Lyrical take: Not really much to add here, it’s mostly just lyrics to make the vocals sound better, but then again I also tried to make some cool lyrics for it. The story is basically the devil is summoned, fucks up the holy see where the pope lives and evil stuff, no clue hahaha.

6. Casanova
Musical take: Casanova was made out of an old demo we had laying around, Espen had written the first riff and it just worked perfectly as the main riff. For the melodic chorus Brage (bassist) came around and threw some wild bass-lead under which worked very well. For the solo part, Thomas starts off with a solo that somewhat follows the theme of the general melody, before Alexander channels his inner Yngwie Malmsteen.

Lyrical take: This is the one lyric I try to keep my mom away from reading (hopefully she hasn’t read any of them). This song was written many years ago, and I was heavily into the band Bloodbath, and all of their lyrics are super ridiculous to the point where you just have to laugh at it. This is somewhat the same. I wrote it at a time when I watched a lot of serial killer stuff, so it’s about a man being abused by his mother, then starting to kill females. But with very nasty words.

7. Deadlands
Musical take: The song Thomas spent the most time on writing. From the eerie and atmospheric intro lead into the more heavy riffs, a lot of time was spent on the guitar. Tying the rope between our original sound and a more technically advanced style, this was the last song written, maybe showcasing what direction we are headed. In the song you also get a bass solo from Brage, and an absolutely epic guitar solo from Thomas.

Lyrical take: Pretty generic death metal lyric about pollution and too much mining and fishing etc. This song is mostly an instrumental highlight, so I didn’t want the lyrics and vocals to be too much. Also found it funny to write lyrics for a 6/8 song again, so it just ended up very generic and not over-inspired. But it works.

8. Absence
Musical take: Absence is a somewhat generic take on modern metalcore/deathcore, written completely by Alexander. Going between jaw-dropping brutal chug-patterns into more eerie leads, creating a huge soundscape to accompany the breakdown.

Lyrical take: The lyrics for Absence was written during covid and with all the huge riots in America, but also inspired by general humans-are-shit-stuff that’s written throughout the entire album. The lyrics are so-so but I had more focus on delivering heavy and awesome vocals for this song.

9. USA
Musical take: Our most alternative song on the album, where almost everyone contributed to the songwriting. USA starts off very calm and beautiful, before the main bassline of the song comes in, which in itself is very intricate. The song follows a very strange structure where it has two ‘’hooks’’, and riffs that showcase the absolute guitar mastery that the band can deliver. Solo by Alexander.

Lyrical take: This song I put in a lot of work with and it’s the pinnacle of my lyrical writing, at least for this album. This song touches upon the horrors that were inflicted upon the Native Americans, and also the Sami people, the indigenous people of Northern Norway, expressing extreme dismay and criticism against the atrocities inflicted.

10. Avarice
Musical take: The one song we actually wrote by just jamming, which one can easily hear in certain parts where the instruments are chaotic, yet totally in line with each other. A somewhat basic song structure, but with highly aggressive riffs and big atmospheric leads. At the end, we transposed the chorus down half a step turning the song into borderline black metal out of nowhere. Started off as a joke, but it worked. The huge twin solo at the end was orchestrated by Alexander.

Lyrical take: Here we are back again with the king-like figure from Majesty, declaring war on everything and itself. The hook is written in the first person from the view of the general greed and hate that lies in the hearts of men. But grimmer. Also a song I focused more on vocal delivery than epic poetry.

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

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1. We once did a festival gig where Brage(bass) couldn’t make it. He was studying in a neighboring town (6hr drive away #NorthernNorway) and his studies didn’t allow him the gig. The band prepared and figured they’d try backing bass track live. 1 day prior to the gig Espen called Brage with a marvelous idea. Espen would bring a 42” TV onstage and skype call Brage. And then they did the gig, with pyrotechnics and everything. Brage just rocked out, with coffee breaks, in his living room right next to his roommate in Tromsø.
Great solution!

2. Another recurring theory (Which all empirical evidence points towards), within Féleth, is that every band has that one “fart-guy”. In Féleth it’s Brage. This scientific research has been done in multiple backstage areas where other bands have been asked, and everyone agreed to the fart-theory. Survey conducted by Féleth.

3. Espen has a massive flight-anxiety and didn’t manage to board the plane to Oslo to play Tons of Rock. Which meant he had a long 22hr drive ahead. The very first stop in northern Sweden was a piss-break and he got bitten by a mosquito bite on the ding dong cuz he was not paying attention. Resulting in an awkward groin rubbing for the rest of the drive.

4. The song Deadlands has never been rehearsed and didn’t have a bass solo before the studio.

5. The name “Féleth” doesn’t actually mean a thing, but Feleth is a common first name somewhere in southern America.

BM L2R: Espen Dagenborg (vocals) – Thomas Nyvoll (guitar) – Alexander Stamnes (guitar) –
Brage Ingrbrigtsen Westgaard (bass) – Aleksander Alsen (drums)
Photo Credits: Dánil Røkke – Nordaførr

Féleth was formed in the late autumn of 2014 when the band IronBound got in Espen Dagenborg on vocals and changed their direction from Thrash-metal to more melodic death metal.

Previously, IronBound had seen some large presentations such as headlining Aronnesrocken 2012 and played after big Norwegian bands like Dunderbeist.

The boys quickly started rehearsing and writing the songs that were later recorded on the EP <<The Covenant>> which they released on January 12th, 2017.

From 2016 to 2020, the band could only be found at festivals and stages in northern Norway, as it quickly became clear that there was a big challenge getting gigs in the south because of the travel costs, etc. when playing a more niche genre.

After many delays, and having established a game-changing work relationship with Christian Donaldson, Féleth released their debut album <<Depravity>> on 22 May 2020, with an early exclusive premiere on Metalinjection. They received overwhelmingly good feedback from Scream Magazine and Metalhammer in Norway and Germany, but apart from a live stream concert organized by Aronnesrocken, there were no concerts or tours due to the covid pandemic.

When the pandemic finally cleared up, the band received the finished masters for their follow-up album <<Divine Blight>>, which was also done by Christian Donaldson.

And to top it all off they won a band competition organized by Tons Of Rock, giving them the opportunity to play at Norway’s biggest rock-and-metal festival, playing with bands such as Iron Maiden, KoRn and Jinjer.

“Divine Blight” is due out November 11, 2022 via Mob Rules Records.

Feleth is:
Espen Dagenborg – Vocals
Thomas Nyvoll – Guitar
Alexander Stamnes – Guitar
Brage Ingebrigtsen Westgaard – Bass
Aleksander Alsen – Drums

Discography:
2020 – Depravity – Album
2017 – The Covenant – EP

Shared stage with
Jinjer, Dark Funeral, Tribulation, Sepultura (Tons Of Rock 2022), Dunderbeist, Ribozyme, Pil & BueFestivals Played
2022 – Buktafestivalen – Tromsø
2022 – Tons Of Rock – Oslo
2022 – Pizzarocken – Alta
2021 – Alta Live – Alta
2020 – Iskald Metalfest – Alta

Page 36 of 72

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