Category: EPKs

0 EPK – Shinai – Starlight (single) (2022)

August 20, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Shinai

EPK – Shinai – Starlight (single) (2022)

Publicist – jon[@]ashermediarelations.com

“In the music, I tried to convey the mood of furious forward motion. It’s a very energetic and daring composition with really strong melodic moves. The idea that I wanted to convey with the lyrics: Try to achieve everything yourself, don’t wait for someone to pull you out of the darkness. Have a goal, evolve and let unnecessary people go. Don’t let yourself be used.” – Shinai

For fans Bleed From Within, Wage War, Polaris, Make Them Suffer, Architects

Instagram.com/shinai.metal | Facebook.com/shinai.metal | Vk.com/shinai.metal | YouTube

Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music – https://smarturl.it/shinai.metal/

Band: Shinai
Single Title: Starlight
Release Date: 20.08.2022
Label: Banzai Records
Distribution: Banzai Records

Track Listing:
1. Starlight – Length (3:40)

Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Evgeniy Bolshakov
• All songs written by: Evgeniy Bolshakov
• Produced by: Evgeniy Bolshakov
• Mixed by: DCXVI sound
• Mastered by: DCXVI sound
• Single Artwork by: Vladislav Prokopyev (vlpro1)
• Single Recording Band Line Up:
• Evgeniy Bolshakov – All Instruments and Vocals

One-man band project “Shinai” was created in August 2021 by Evgeny Bolshakov from St. Petersburg, Russia. Evgeny was known for his Deathcore project “Bite The Goat” where he took part as a composer, guitarist and backing vocalist. At that time Evgeny had written 8 tracks for the album, which never saw the light in Bite the Goat’s creativity because of the collective breakup. That’s why he decided to create his own project and released an album consisting of these songs. That’s how the history of the Shinai project started.

The album was called “Here and Now”, the recording of which involved the not unknown OUTCAST vocalist Igor Kapranov, as well as a guest vocalist Asya Zelenaya. The album received a lot of positive feedback from heavy music fans and was the beginning of determining the musical direction of the project. Also, 3 music videos were released for the album. At the moment new single “Starlight” is being prepared for release in August 2022, which took more than half a year to prepare. This single is the end of the past and a push towards a new future. There will also be a music video to accompany the single.

Discography:
2022 – Starlight – Single
2021 – Here And Now – LP
2021 – Here And Now – Single
2021 – Leap of Faith – Single

0 EPK – Nihilist Death Cult – Death To All Tyrants (2022)

August 19, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Nihilist Death Cult

EPK – Nihilist Death Cult – Death To All Tyrants (2022)

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

“Death To All Tyrants is about how the corporate-sponsored news media feeds you the stories and ideas they are paid to push… it’s about the victims standing up to the tyrants… it’s about choosing your own path and not blindly following norms if they don’t suit you.” – Nick Sagias – Bass/Vocals

For fans of Poison Idea, early DRI, early Bad Brains, Nails, CroMags

Band: Nihilist Death Cult
Album Title: Death To All Tyrants
Release Date: December 2, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Facebook.com/NihilistDeathCult | Twitter.com/NIHILDEATHCULT | Instagram.com/nihilistdeathcult

Nihilistdeathcult.bandcamp.com/

“Toronto’s Nihilist Death Cult Tackles Tyranny with Death to All Tyrants… Featuring ex-members of Soulstorm, Pestilence, Jaww, Hard Ground and some others that I can’t remember and might have even been a part of at some point, Nihilist Death Cult takes a decidedly spiky and patch-panted stab at D-beat grind/punk with loose tendrils of the members’ pasts in thrash, death, industrial, hardcore and blackened heaps of everything.” – Decibel Magazine

“From one cult to another. This band of punk/death/grinders hail from Toronto and with their 2022 offering Death to All Tyrants, have quickly made an impact on the scene. The album is nine tracks of mini-car crashes. Short, one minute bursts of violence that contain hooks and solos while not sounding forced or generic – hard to achieve but this cult has the formula, perhaps learned in one of those Eyes Wide Shut parties.” – Metal Sucks – 11 Extreme Canadian Bands You Might Not Know

“Anyone living in this day and age can surely relate to the honest message and the aggressive attitude of Nihilist Death Cult’s debut album Death To All Tyrants. Lyrically, it’s about the little person standing up to the major tyrants. Musically, it’s a scathing punk/thrash hybrid full of power and intensity on its nine short blasts of aural ferocity. With the longest track barely two minutes in duration, Nihilist Death Cult quickly makes its point. Consisting of bassist/vocalist Nick Sagias (Tribe of Pazuzu, Soulstorm, Overthrow, ex-Pestilence) and his brother, drummer John Sagias (Soulstorm, Abyss), along with guitarists Ethan Bolduc (Jaww, Abyss), and Rick Kowalski (Soulstorm, Bound By Defiance), the Toronto-based band formed in 2018 for the sole purpose of creating blistering, vicious and aggressive crossover tunes that relentlessly pummels the listener.” – Invisible Oranges

“It’s a full-throttle, full-force rampage that wastes no time, discharging 9 tracks in less than 15 minutes total, and for an extra dose of exhilaration the music includes some wild guitar soloing that sears like acetylene torches applied to flesh.” – No Clean Singing

“Fourteen minutes, Nihilist Death Cult doesn’t need any longer to make it clear what is wrong with humanity in 9 rock-hard ultra-short songs… It is certainly refreshing to hear guitar solos in addition to a political message in songs of just over a minute at a tempo of more than 200 bpm.” – Arrows Lords of Metal

“Get in. Fuck shit up. Get out. That is the mantra of noise mongers, Nihilist Death Cult. Delivering a short and sharp shock to the system with Death to All Tyrants. An album that clocks in at just a little over 14-minutes in length. An album of frenzied hardcore death punk. If you want to feel like you’ve had your senses kicked out of you, then you can’t go wrong with Death to All Tyrants. From the moment Follow the Money kicks off, the brain is Nihilist Death Cult’s football and they are hoofing it with all their might.” – Games, Brrraaains & A Headbanging Life

“Death metal with a punk attitude, short and to the point tracks.” – Moshpit 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)

“Nihilist Death Cult only need 14 minutes to bash skulls in with their punky death/grind on Death To All Tyrants. Any more than that would’ve been overkill, as the band’s potency is based on how quickly they can get in and out of any situation. Any songs that go over 90 seconds (and that’s only about half of them) justify their “extension” with hair-raising guitar solos that bolt out like they are running a 100-meter sprint.” – Heavy Music HQ

“The intensity on this slab of pure filth “Death To All Tyrants” is exceptionally high. There is no respite, there are no pauses, there is no holding back… In the fourteen minutes that NIHILST DEATH CULT are pouring their red-hot Hardcore Death Punk over our heads and into our unsuspecting ears, I can only say that I am very pleasantly surprised at the level that I am relishing the fact that I am allowed to review this.” – Metal-Temple

“When it comes to mouth watering prospects, on paper at least, “Death To All Tyrants” by Nihilist Death Cult is the equivalent of a wagyu beef. An outfit formed in 2018 by Nick Sagias on bass and vocals (Tribe of Pazuzu, Soulstorm, Overthrow, ex-Pestilence) and his brother John Sagias on drums (Soulstorm, Abyss) along with guitarists Ethan Bolduc (Jaww, Abyss), and Rick Kowalski (Soulstorm, Bound By Defiance), their prior convictions speaking for themselves. Then you have the fact that the record was recorded and mixed by former Cancer Bats guitarist Scott Middleton and that is all the convincing anyone should need to check this one out…” – Metal Noise

“The sheer energy levels are absolutely insane as each track hits like a right hook from a prize fighter without pausing for breath, each one a laser guided missile that screams through the air before exploding on impact and bringing with it a dark undertone and soul crushing atmosphere. Then it’s gone, faster than a speeding bullet, leaving you in a state of shock and awe…” – Metal Noise

“they know how to rip like a death metal band playing hardcore punk.” – Scream Blast Repeat

“NIHILIST DEATHCULT: Destined to bring back anger, fire and melancholic fast music destined for punk and metal.” – RTMB Music

“Simple but devastating and of course fast are the six strings. Anecdotally they introduce whiplash tremolo picking. Oh, they also make the lead guitar work with good results. The aggressiveness that Nick Sagias transmits with every word he shouts is worthy of an ovation… Do you like fast rhythms? I hope so, because what prevails here are the up tempos. By the way, they break little, but when they do, the few blast beats are great.” – Broken Tomb

“Therapy with sharp riffs, brainwashing, full-body reboot. There may be chaos and unhappiness all around me lately, and people have dead stares fixed on their phones, but “Death To All Tyrants” makes me feel so good. Once again, the veterans have shown they can kick ass. The fire is burning bright once again! Tear down all the idols! Death punk hardcore attack!” – Deadly Storm Zine

“With this Hardcore Death Punk album, the message is clear, no room for softness and finesse… What we like here is the control of the enraged dynamic tempos as well as the wild solos and the voice that doesn’t give up anything. With NIHILIST DEATH CULT, music as lyrics, it strikes severe!!!” – Ody Metal

“There are quite a few bands that are trying their hand at this sound, few do it as convincingly as NIHILIST DEATH CULT. The EP doesn’t offer dull banging, and you can also tell from the solos that the guys master their instruments. The production has the pressure and dirt that music like this needs.” – Twilight Magazin

Photo Credit – Ron Sumners (ex-Slaughter drummer)

Formed in 2018 by Nick Sagias on bass and vocals (Tribe of Pazuzu, Soulstorm, Overthrow, ex-Pestilence) and his brother John Sagias on drums (Soulstorm, Abyss) along with guitarists Ethan Bolduc (Jaww, Abyss), and Rick Kowalski (Soulstorm, Bound By Defiance), Toronto’s Nihilist Death Cult will be unleashing their debut album entitled “Death To All Tyrants” this coming December.

The album features nine quick strikes to the jugular of hardcore death punk recorded and mixed by Scott Middleton (ex-Cancer Bats). It’s short and sweet with a running time of just under 15 minutes, but it delivers a full dose of whiplash and speedy licks.

Earlier this summer, the band unveiled the album’s title track, a song about the underdog stepping up to the tyrant and winning.

“Scott was excellent to work with and helped us a lot with hearing things we didn’t hear before, that’s what a good producer does and it was a great experience working with him. After we heard the final mixes, there was the daunting task of picking the first track we would use for the lyric video and be the first thing anyone heard of us as a “new” band. We eventually settled on ‘Death To All Tyrants’ because it felt like it set the tone for both the sound and lyrical message we were trying to get across with NDC. We are not trying to be political or force our opinions, but we still feel we are responsible for some substance in our lyrics and I feel the messages in the lyrics are universal ideas that affect all of us in many types of situations and cultures.” adds Nick Sagias.

Nihilist Death Cult was born after the ending of Toronto underground legends Soulstorm, of which Nick Sagias was a founding member.

“I felt it in my heart that I needed to get back to the roots, the fast styles I grew up on, punk, thrash, death metal after I ended Soulstorm in 2016, so I started writing in the style of death metal for what I was going to eventually call my other band Tribe of Pazuzu. During the writing phase in 2017/2018, I came up with the name Nihilist Death Cult first for this other new death metal project, after letting that sit for a month or two I realized it was a more punk-sounding name and I already had a handful of riffs in the hardcore punk style that I ended up arranging and being the first 5 songs for NDC. I sent them to my brother John and he liked it right away and was down to make it happen, which was awesome because I always loved his dbeat style and feel of drumming.”

Relentless savage hardcore death punk grind, Nihilist Death Cult should appeal to most fans of band members’ previous and current endeavours, whether it be Jaww, Abyss, Overthrow, Soulstorm, Tribe of Pazuzu (ft. Flo Mounier (drums -Cryptopsy), John McEntee – guitar, Incantation – first two EPs). “Death To All Tyrants” is meant to bring back the anger, the fire, and the brooding fast music meant to be in punk and metal.

“This album is about how the corporate sponsored news media feeds you the stories and ideas they are paid to push… it’s about the victims standing up to the tyrants… it’s about choosing your own path and not blindly following norms if they don’t suit you.” says Nick Sagias.

Live, fans can expect seasoned veterans to go up on stage and put on a show to match the energy of their extreme music that’s ferocious and devastating.

Recommended for fans of Poison Idea, early DRI, early Bad Brains, Nails, Terrorizer and CroMags, Nihilist Death Cult’s album “Death To All Tyrants” is due out on December 2, 2022.

Album Recording Band Line Up:
Nick Sagias – Bass/Vocals
John Sagias – Drums
Ethan Bolduc – Guitar

Live Band Line Up:
Nick Sagias – Bass/Vocals
John Sagias – Drums
Ethan Bolduc – Guitar
Rick Kowalski – Guitar

Shared Stage with:
Saccage, Mount Cyanide, Varthagus

Band: Nihilist Death Cult
Album Title: Death To All Tyrants
Release Date: December 2, 2022
Label: Self-ReleaseTrack Listing:
1. Follow The Money (1:06)
2. Hunting For Prey (1:38)
3. Obey & Consume (1:55)
4. Wake Up! (0:57)
5. Death To All Tyrants (1:25)
6. Ready For War (2:07)
7. Imperium (1:49)
8. Is This Progress? (2:01)
9. You Get What You Deserve (1:04)
Album Length: 14:07Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Nihilist Death Cult
• All songs written by: Nick Sagias
• Produced by: Scott Middleton
• Mixed by: Scott Middleton
• Mastered by: Scott Middleton
• Album Artwork by: Logo by Gragoth
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)Album Recording Band Line Up:
Nick Sagias – Bass/Vocals
John Sagias – Drums
Ethan Bolduc – Guitar

Live Band Line Up:
Nick Sagias – Bass/Vocals
John Sagias – Drums
Ethan Bolduc – Guitar
Rick Kowalski – Guitar

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. Ethan stepped up and did the leads on the recording, it was just a small touch we added to give the songs some extra sprinkles on top… most of the songs don’t really need the addition of solos but we felt it would be fun to add some in select parts… Randy Harris (Tribe of Pazuzu) contributed a couple of leads in Obey & Consume and it’s cool to hear the two styles play off each other… and the outdo solo on You Get What You Deserve was done by Ian Mumble (Overthrow), that part is actually notable because that last riff is a rework of one of my Overthrow riffs, so to hear Ian play a solo on my work again after 32 years is a nice special touch.

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Death To All Tyrants is about how the corporate-sponsored news media feeds you the stories and ideas they are paid to push… it’s about the victims standing up to the tyrants… it’s about choosing your own path and not blindly following norms if they don’t suit you.

Track by track explained (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Follow the Money – is about paying attention to who’s paying the bill or who’s gaining all the profits Hunting For Prey – is about an irresponsible piece of shit on humanity’s shoe that went around knowingly giving AIDS to his sexual partners, described as a “black hole of human emotion”

Obey & Consume – is about just following blindly and not questioning anything, being a good consumer… the time to fight is always now, not later (inspired by John Carpenter’s They Live)

Wake Up! – more about media manipulation and brainwashing

Death To all Tyrants – is about the underdog stepping up to the tyrant and winning

Ready For War – this one literally says “turn off the tv, think for yourself, turn off the news, you’re brainwashed” in it 🙂

Imperium – is about not bowing to anyone, “we will never bleed or bend our knee”

Is This Progress? – about how media sells us a culture of fear on a daily basis, how the masses blindly follow shallow celebrities

You Get What You Deserve – for those who are always talking shit but never do anything “your once proud moment is all in the past, what have you done all these years?”

0 EPK – Iron Kingdom – The Blood Of Creation (2022)

August 19, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Iron Kingdom

EPK – Iron Kingdom – The Blood Of Creation (2022)

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

“We are stoked to be sharing with you our 5th studio album ‘The Blood of Creation.’ Our music is best described as if Iron Maiden and Judas Priest had a child and raised it on Hammerfall, Helloween, Rush, and, Blind Guardian.

With this album, we feel like we’ve merged the more straightforward approach of our last record ‘On the Hunt’ with the storytelling and epic quality of our earlier releases. We took advantage of the forced hiatus from shows and spent the longest on writing that we have for any of our previous efforts and feel like it’s really paid off.

The pandemic also brought us a new drummer to solidify what we feel is our strongest lineup yet and his influence is felt on this record. This album shows the level of maturity we have reached as song writers as well as musicians while maintaining what makes an Iron Kingdom release.

With ‘The Blood of Creation’ listeners can expect the usual mix of fantasy and history-inspired songs that aim to entertain and at least lightly educate about past events and beliefs.” – Leighton Holmes (Bass)

For fans of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Queensryche, Fates Warning, Riot, Helloween

Band: Iron Kingdom
Album Title: The Blood Of Creation
Release Date: November 4, 2022
Label: Self Released
Distribution: Indie Pool (Digital Distributor)

Iron-kingdom.com | Facebook.com/ironkingdom | Twitter.com/iron_kingdom | YouTube.com/IronKingdom | Instagram.com/iron_kingdom

Band’s Online Store Iron-kingdom.com/shop | Iron-kingdom.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

“Loads of riffs and melodies some excellent lead breaks and pounding rhythms. This is bonafide, foot on the monitor, fist pumping, horn throwing real metal. I have never heard Iron Kingdom before but on the strength of this I will be obtaining the back catalogue very soon.” – My Global Mind (The Blood of Creation)

“If you haven’t checked out Iron Kingdom’s earlier releases and you dig pure ’80s metal, grab a copy of The Blood of Creation then get ready to hunt down their earlier catalog. You will not be disappointed.” – The Metal Crypt

“I am compelled to say that IRON KINGDOM most surely outdone themselves with “The Blood Of Creation”… A distinctively distinguished experience in Heavy Metal relishment distils at an epically entrancing adventure, should you desire it… an injection in infectiously venomous momentum most definitely deserves interest – do check it out.” – Metal Temple

“With The Blood Of Creation, Iron Kingdom have forged a masterpiece that brings tears of joy to the eyes of every traditional metalhead. There is only high-quality material and everyone is encouraged to include this album in their choice of this year’s Top10. ” – Soundmagnet

“To put a bow on IRON KINGDOM’s The Blood of Creation, it’s dang good, borderline perfect and any fan of hard rock and heavy metal that is slathered with soaring epic vocals, dual guitar rhythm and shredding solo’s layed down on a feather bed of thunderous, galloping and filling chattering drums and bass then go, go, go get you some of this. A monster thank you to Chris for taking the time to chat me up and gift me this glorious CD. Now I need to go and get the back catalog…” – KNAC

“a barnstorming barrage of blistering heavy metal, highly head bang-able and immensely infectious.” – Metal Gods TV

“Iron Kingdom brings another solid heavy metal album with the fifth album ‘The Blood of Creation’. Slightly progressive, but especially heavy… Give the band a listen, you will be surprised!” – Metal Experience

“”The Blood of Creation” is a satisfying excursion into metal classicism.” – Wormwood Chronicles

“This is a solid album of heavy metal delivered in the style that is true to the cause and therefore, what the listener gets here with ‘The Blood of Creation’, is an album which mounts its steeds and charges forward in a cavalry strike as galloping riffage and rhythms never give the listener the chance to let up with tracks such as ‘Queen of the Crystal Throne’, ‘In the Grip of Nightmares’ and ‘Witching Hour’ having some very impressive twin guitar lines. This would impress any fan of Iron Maiden, Riot V and Iced Earth, but also sticks within the remit of trad metal with bands such as Katana, Skelator and Toledo Steel.” – Metal Digest

“if you like your music to deliver heavy metal in that classic way with some heavy NWOBHM worship, then this latest offering from Iron Kingdom is a very good shout” – Metal Digest

““The Blood Of Creation” is a 13-plus-minute epic track that covers the entire spectrum of what Iron Kingdom is and can be. There is Power, Progressive, Thrash, NWOBHM, and NWOTHM. Soaring vocals, hefty guitars, riffs, rhythms, powerful drums, and bass are all on display for this one. The composition is impressive, complex, and very coherent. The transition makes sense, feels like they are timed perfectly, and flows from one element to the next.” – Metal-Zenith

“Anyone who likes beautiful and playful melodies, extensive guitar solos, detailed arrangements and double lead guitars will be well served with “The Blood Of Creation”.” – PowerMetal.de

“The musicianship is solid, the lead work sharp and Osterman’s high-pitched vocals can certainly hit the heights. His soaring shrill delivery on ‘Queen of the Crystal Throne’ demonstrates that perfectly. New drummer Max Friesen makes his recording debut for the band and puts in a sterling effort with some robust and powerful performances.” – Ever-Metal

“the hype is real: “The Blood of Creation” is an overdose of classic power metal, a homage to the late 80’s – 90’s power metal heroes: HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY, HEAVEN’S GATE, SCANNER, early CHINCHILA (remember those guys?), EDGUY with a touch of American stuff like RΙΟΤ.” – Forgotten Scroll

“They are aiming at the classic sound from the 70s and 80s, so if you want something modern then you have nothing to pick up here. The lyrics speak of war, fear, sacrifice and pain. Luckily the music is not that dark though, but rather very uplifting and pleasant, as it’s a more melodic kind of heavy metal that we get from this band, even though there’s some more powerful tracks too…. I like what I hear.” – Hard Rock Info

“Iron Kingdom created an iron-bound, battle-hardened piece of traditional Heavy Metal that truly made me want to turn the clock back to those long-gone days of glory. Times when metal was just that, the pure joy of a style that was still new, exciting, and powerful. Or to let the band speak in their own words, they “…decided to play metal the way it used to be played in the 70s and 80s.” Well, mission fucking accomplished. Well done, guys.” – Rock Music Raider

#5 (On The Hunt) Canadian National Loud Chart – For the Week Ending: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 (earshot)

“Classic sound, modern feel” – Powerplay Magazine UK (On The Hunt 2019)

“a glorious gallop of foot on the monitor, traditional heavy metal that will have NWOBHM fans drooling. 9/10” – Metal Gods TV

“It’s a pleasure when you have the chance to listening to bands such as IRON KINGDOM, true defenders of best tradition of our loved music. 88/100” – Hard Rock Heavy Metal

“One of Western Canada’s finest exports is traditional heavy metal band Iron Kingdom… another solid effort proving why Canada is by far the best country for modern traditional heavy metal!” – Skull Fracturing Metal

“With On The Hunt, you can expect Iron Kingdom’s traditional heavy metal. They make no apologies for invoking legends like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, et al, for metal inspiration. Not dismissing the excellent rhythm section, but with the twin guitar attack of Osterman and Merrick, you’ll find all the songs within On The Hunt quite guitar-forward… Essentially, with this album, Iron Kingdom remains true to their metal style. 4/5” – DangerDog Music Reviews

“Of the hundreds of heavy metal bands that have “Iron” in their name, not very many of them are deserving of it. Iron Maiden? Obviously. Iron Savior? Yup. Iron Fire? Definitely. Of course, Iron Kingdom are undoubtedly deserving of the mark, because the metal they’ve forged is strong, heavy, and true. 9/10” – Power Thorn

“Holy Shit! Have you heard Iron Kingdom’s On the Hunt? If you haven’t you are missing out on one of the coolest album’s of 2019.” – 10/10 Keeper Magazine

“they’re clearly a talented band and I enjoyed the thematic elements in the album. If you like traditional Metal, specifically older Speed Metal, they’re worth checking out. 8/10” – Metal Temple

“Assigning the label traditional to this Vancouver metal quartet is entirely fair. From the cover that could have been by Frank Frazetta to the shrieking high register howling of the lead singer. His Rob Halford-by-way-of-Tygers of Pan Tang vocals and the power metal surges, impressed the judges on CTV’s Canada’s Got Talent who thought referencing the beginning days of the NWOBHM (New wave of British Heavy Metal was in the right place with an eighties revival looming. They certainly have tight chops. ” – Vancouver Sun

“40 minutes of enjoyable no-frills classic metal.” – Angry Metal Guy

StillSpinning.ca top albums for 2019 #38 on Iron Kingdom – “On the Hunt” – 7.5/10 – “Solid metal album. Worth taking a listen”

“a mouth watering and exciting gallop, ‘White Wolf’ is cracking traditional heavy metal.” – Frenzy Fire

“This is what heavy metal is supposed to sound like. No let up at all just an album of full on greatness.” – The Dirty Room
“A rollercoaster ride of pure, unadulterated adrenaline.” – Zachary Houle (Ride For Glory Review 2015)

“This is a tremendous throwback into the (first) golden age of metal.” – Merchants of Air (Belgium) (Ride For Glory Review 2015)

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Band: Iron Kingdom
Album Title: The Blood Of Creation
Release Date: November 4, 2022
Label: Self Released
Distribution: Indie Pool (Digital Distributor)

Track Listing:
1. Tides Of Desolation – 1:13
2. Sheathe The Sword – 5:25
3. Queen Of The Crystal Throne – 4:58
4. Hunter And Prey – 5:25
5. Witching Hour – 5:44
6. In The Grip Of Nightmares – 5:23
7. Primordial – 1:40
8. The Blood Of Creation – 13:38
Total Running Length: 43:29

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Iron Kingdom
• All songs written by: Iron Kingdom
• Produced by: Iron Kingdom
• Mixed by: Andy Boldt
• Mastered by: Greg Reely At The Green Jacket
• Album Artwork by: Alan Lathwell
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Album Recording and Live Band Line Up:
Chris Osterman – Lead Vocals / Lead Guitar
Leighton Holmes – Bass Guitar
Max Friesen – Drums
Megan Merrick – Lead Guitar

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

This album is quite dark topically, the lyrics speak of war, fear, sacrifice and pain, and the music although very classical and explorative also has some very evil moments throughout. We were in a dark place due to the pandemic and the music reflects some of those emotions.

Track by Track explained (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

1 – Tides Of Desolation – (Instrumental) – This intro tune has a Tribal like feel to it. The first song of the trilogy within this album tells of the beginnings of the ancient Mesopotamian creation myth and the creation of the gods. This song is best explained from this quoted source: “In the beginning, there was only undifferentiated water swirling in chaos. Out of this swirl, the waters divided into sweet, fresh water, known as the god Apsu, and salty bitter water, the goddess Tiamat.” World History Archive http://www.worldhistroy.org

2 – Sheathe The Sword – Based on the Wheel of Time character Lan Mandoragon. The title Sheathe the Sword refers to a sword move in which you willingly accept your opponent’s sword into your body in order to inflict a killing blow. Lan is the uncrowned king of a lost and scattered kingdom and is highly respected by neighbouring kingdoms who recognize him as the Battle lord of the borderlands. Musically this song is a speedy, driving power metal tune in the vein of early Hammerfall.

3 – Queen Of The Crystal Throne – A Song about a dark seductress: cold, aloof and dangerous, you show interest at your own peril. Musically: this song is a powerful mid-tempo rocker, with hints of early Queensrÿche or Accept.

4 – Hunter And Prey – Telling the historic tale of Simo Häyhä, a Finnish hunter, farmer and sniper who played a large role in the Winter War with Russia (November 1939 – March 1940) Simo had over 500 confirmed kills in the conflict and earned the nickname ‘White Death’. Musically this song takes on a speedy Power Metal feel not unlike something Stratovarious or Sonata Arctica may have done in some of their earlier pieces.

5 – Witching Hour – The shifting darkness in the corner of your eye and all the things that go bump in the night. Is it there? Is it real? There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of… Musically this song has some evil almost Black Sabbath vibes from around the Tony Martin era, with some melodies even hinting towards Gamma Ray.

6 – In The Grip Of Nightmares – This song is about the sword Stormbringer from the Michael Moorcock book Elric of Melnibonè Series. The sword ‘consumes’ the souls of those who it strikes down and feeds the energy into Elric, who needs it to survive. The two are bound together by fate. Stormbringer has sentience to it and ‘shrieks’ as it cuts down foes. Musically this song is relatively progressive, I’d say it has some Helloween and Fates Warning like feelings. It is quite fast and driving, but also quite melodic with lots of leads and solos.

7 – Primordial – (Instrumental) – This instrumental is the second installment towards the Ancient Sumerian creation tale of Marduk and Tiamat. One of the oldest known stories of mankind. Following from the beginnings of ‘Tides Of Desolation’ this song speaks of the beginning of time, and the calm before the storm that is about, to begin with, the epic ‘The Blood Of Creation’.

8 – The Blood Of Creation – Telling the tale of the Mesopotamian creation myth: the gods are created in the beginning by Tiamat and Apsu her partner. Gods kill Tiamat’s partner Apsu. Tiamat becomes a dragon and creates a demon army. Marduk defends the remaining gods and defeats Tiamat in her dragon form along with the demon army. The god Anke uses the dragon’s corpse to create the heavens and the earth. The blood of the demons is used to create humanity. Musically this is a 13+ minute epic tale with twists and turns, and epic musical passages that take you beyond this world. Leaving you at the end in contemplation as the acoustical passages slowly fade into the abyss.

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. The Blood Of Creation was completely self-produced, written and recorded. The album was sent out for Mixing (Andy Boldt) and Mastering (Greg Reely), but we handled everything else. Chris engineered the record with some help from the band and some friends (Dan Yakimow, Jeff Black)

2. We went on tour to Europe in March of 2020 in support of our 4th LP ‘On The Hunt’, which went great until the last week or so when Covid-19 started to shut down events and countries began closing borders. We tried to come home early but we couldn’t get through to the airlines due to the phone lines being so busy, so we stayed and continued to play as many of our final shows as we could. Some nights we waited with our gear set on the stage to find out only 30 minutes before if we’d even be allowed to perform. We ended up playing our last show on March 15/2020 in a town called Magdeburg, DE and the bar wanted to empty its Keg’s so they kept giving us beers. We got pretty wasted. The next day we travelled through Germany, Belgium and into France as each country closed its borders, and we were on the 3rd last flight out of Paris to Vancouver. Seems we got pretty lucky when we first bought our flights, had they been booked for one day later and we would’ve been stranded.

3. During the writing process of The Blood Of Creation, Chris had actually broken the tuft (or tip) of one of his fretting fingers in a work accident. He proceeded to write with the group using only two fingers for three months.

4. This is our drummer Max Friesen’s debut with Iron Kingdom, we got quite lucky that he was even able to join the group as he was teaching abroad in Japan until the Covid-19 pandemic drove him back home. He’s been with us now for 2 years.

5. ‘The Blood Of Creation’ is not a concept album, but it does have a trilogy about the creation myth from the ancient Mesopotamians. Telling the tale of Tiamat and Marduk and the creation of the heavens, the earth, and mankind. This story is known as being one of the oldest, if not the oldest known story from mankind.

L-R: Chris Osterman (Lead Vocals / Lead Guitar), Leighton Holmes (Bass Guitar), Megan Merrick (Lead Guitar), Max Friesen (Drums)
Photo Credit – Caitlin Delaplace

Inspired by legendary pillars of heavy metal such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, The Scorpions, and Rush, this four-piece is well known for their energetic and electrifying stage presence, as well as intricate musical melodies that bring listeners back to a time when heavy metal was in its prime.

Formed in Surrey, B.C. Canada, in June of 2011, the bands core members were Chris Osterman on guitar and vocals, bassist Leighton Holmes, and drummer Amanda Osterman, joined by Jordan Wright on guitar. This quickly changed, after recording their debut album ‘Curse Of The Voodoo Queen’ Jordan was replaced by guitarist Kenny Kroecher. ‘Curse Of The Voodoo Queen’ was released on Dec 14, 2011, and the band took the opportunity to tour western Canada, along with an appearance on the TV Show, Canada’s Got Talent.

With the debut album receiving little attention, the group decided it was time to record a new album, and by April 26, 2013, ‘Gates Of Eternity’ was released. Garnering some strong reviews coming in around the world, attention was growing, and the band was invited to perform at Germany’s Keep It True XVII festival. This opened up many new avenues for the act to pursue, including some serious time on the road through Canada in 2013, Europe in 2014, followed by a tour in the USA with California’s Night Demon. The band had created some major momentum and Iron Kingdom were spreading their moniker far and wide in support of the first two releases.

On July 30, 2015 Iron Kingdom released not one, but two more albums, ‘Ride For Glory’ their 3rd full length album, as well as ‘Unleashed at the Kraken (Live in Seattle)’ an exclusive live E.P. recorded on a previous tour. The band set out on the road again in support of the two new releases. The tour was unfortunately riddled with many trials, including a vehicle accident that almost killed the band members. Following the tour, Amanda decided to step back from the band to pursue other commitments. Joey Paul then took her place behind the kit.

Life on the road continued, including a massive North American tour in 2016, as well as a tour in Brazil in a supporting slot for former front man of Iron Maiden, Blaze Bayley. After many performances, guitarist Kenny and drummer Joey departed, thus leaving the door open for Chris Sonea, and Megan Merrick, on drums and guitar respectively.

It took four years for the follow up album after ‘Ride For Glory’, but finally on Oct 4, 2019, ‘On The Hunt’ was released. This was the fourth full length release from this traditional metal act. Iron Kingdom toured ‘On The Hunt’ immediately with an extensive North American tour in the fall of 2019, and shortly after, toured Europe in March of 2020. Thankfully the band was able to perform the majority of their European dates, but unfortunately, COVID-19 took its toll and their final performance was cancelled. At the return of the tour, drummer Chris Sonea decided to depart from the group, and the band (now consisting of band members, Leighton Holmes, Chris Osterman and Megan Merrick) began auditions to fill the void on the drums.

In the Spring of 2020, Max Friesen joined the band, taking his seat behind the kit, and once again, Iron Kingdom stands ready to take the world by storm and aid in the revival of the mighty and classic sounds of Traditional Heavy Metal.

Their new album “The Blood of Creation” is scheduled to be released in Fall 2022.

Band Line Up:
Chris Osterman – Lead Vocals / Lead Guitar
Leighton Holmes – Bass Guitar
Max Friesen – Drums
Megan Merrick – Lead Guitar

Discography:
2022 – The Blood Of Creation
2019 – On The Hunt
2015 – Ride For Glory
2015 – Unleashed At The Kraken (Live in Seattle) [Live EP]
2013 – Gates Of Eternity
2011 – Curse Of The Voodoo Queen

Tours and Festivals:
2014 – Very ‘Eavy Fest – Stadskanaal, NL
2014 – Warm Up Festival – Paris, FR
2014 – Keep It True XVII – Lauda-Konigshofen, DE
2014 – Throwback Metal Fest – Apple Valley, CA, USA
2015 – Metallion Fest II – Vanderhoof, BC
2016 – Tatuira Festival – Bento Gonçalves, Brazil
2016 – Metallion Fest III – Vanderhoof, BC
2018 – Halloween Havoc Festival – Surrey, BC
2018 – Hyperspace Metal Fest I – Vancouver, BC
2020 – Full Metal Osthessen – Niederjossa, DE
2021 – Loud As Hell Fest – Drumheller, AB
2022 – Hyperspace Metal Fest III – Vancouver, BC
2022 – Armstrong Metal Fest – Armstrong, BC

0 EPK – Inhale Existence – Facade Breaker (single) (2022)

August 19, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Inhale Existence

EPK – Inhale Existence – Facade Breaker (single) (2022)

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

For fans of Meshuggah, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Periphery, The Contortionist

Album / Single Title: Facade Breaker
Release Date: August 19, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Inhaleexistence.com | Facebook.com/InhaleExistence | Instagram.com/inhaleexistence

Inhaleexistence.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify

“Facade Breaker (single) is our tech song. We liked the idea of including a technically aggressive song on the record, and since Sam had a few Necrophagist-inspired songs lying around, he ran with it. Musically, the song feels something like a mashup of Necrophagist, Archspire, and Revocation – vocally, however, things are very different, drawing from bands like Periphery and The Dillinger Escape Plan.” – Inhale Existence

[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]

Album / Single Title: Facade Breaker
Release Date: August 19, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
Facade Breaker (6:07)

Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Inhale Existence (Sam Mooradian, Nikhil Rao, Brian Krahe, James Knoerl)
• All songs written by: Sam Mooradian and Nikhil Rao
• Produced by: Sam Mooradian
• Mixed by: Jamie King
• Mastered by: Jamie King
• Album Artwork by: Moodmeth

Band Line Up:
Nikhil Rao – Vocals
Sam Mooradian – Guitar
Brian Krahe – Bass
James Knoerl – Drums

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. Our first album “The Spiral” plays like a concept album, but only musically. The lyrics are all thematically linked and exist in the same sort of universe, but there’s no single story being told. The music, on the other hand, has a bunch of recurring motifs and callbacks, the most obvious being found in the first and last tracks on the record.

2. Nikhil still listens to music on an iPod classic and buys music on iTunes. You’ll have to ask him why, because I definitely don’t know.

3. All of our songs were written and worked on remotely during the pandemic. We founded the band when Covid had made it to the US, but before the pandemic was officially declared – by a matter of days. Being home for those months to come, the majority of our first record was written, and that definitely shaped the music.

4. We have a 17-minute epic on our first album, written by Sam in just under a week.

5. The band was formed as a 4-piece instead of as a more traditional 5-piece. Everything was tracked by the four members at Jamie King’s studio in North Carolina, with Jamie King.

Inhale Existence strives to be the most unabashedly heavy band they can be. Born of a combination of Nikhil Rao’s catchy vocals and Sam Mooradian’s crushing guitar riffs, and paired with Brian Krahe’s nasty bass tone and James Knoerl’s improvised grooves, Inhale creates something wholly unique in a saturated modern progressive metal scene. The band brings substantial experience with them, with all members having done major US tours with bands such as Fallujah (Sam), The Faceless (James), Krosis (Brian), and A War Within (Nikhil). With their sound inspired by bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Meshuggah – and colored with synthesizers – when Inhale Existence comes together, brace yourself.

In the summer of 2021, Inhale Existence entered the studio with renowned producer Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist) to record their debut album. The resulting record traverses a vast sonic landscape packaged in irreverent and interesting song structures. Its expected release in late 2022 promises to be both memorable and upsetting to the prog metal scene.

Band Line Up:
Nikhil Rao – Vocals
Sam Mooradian – Guitar
Brian Krahe – Bass
James Knoerl – Drums

Discography:
2011 – Facade Breaker (single)
2022 – Absolve (Single) – Music Video – https://youtu.be/kZ1h6zep9gw
2022 – The Spiral (Single) – Music Video – https://youtu.be/wVs2Nd64WQ4

0 EPK – Narcotic Wasteland

August 16, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Narcotic Wasteland

EPK – Narcotic Wasteland (Megaforce Records)

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

Booking Agent – Ashley Talent International, LLC – Andrea Roberts – ATI.AndreaR[@]Gmail[.]com

For fans of Vader, The Crown, Nile, Exodus, Marduk

Narcoticwasteland.com | Facebook.com/narcoticwasteland | Twitter.com/Narco_Wasteland

Youtube.com/user/narcoticwasteland | Instagram.com/narcoticwastelandofficial | Tiktok.com/@narcoticwasteland

Apple Music | Spotify | Amazon

New Single – Sex, Lies & DNA – Out July 28, 2023

“This song lyrically shows my ever-growing fascination with true crime. As I was working on this song I asked myself a question. I asked myself what’s worse? A serial killer that has to ritual kill for power and control over the victim, or the husband or wife that kills their partner for a life insurance payout? It’s all equally bad of course. The difference for me is I am fascinated with serial killers, but these other petty selfish murders like for money disgust me. While there are different reasons people kill it all seems to stem from being a sociopath. The level of detachment and selfishness is astounding. And many of these murders whether it be from a serial killer or more on the domestic side of things, drugs and alcohol often play a role.

Musically the song has a sort of frantic tri-tonal riffing you would expect from us but also has an old-school speed metal/ punk vibe. Particularly the chorus chant of the song. This song is one of the most challenging songs to sing and play at the same time I have ever written. I am extremely happy with the guitar solo Brett put into the song. It goes from there into my solo. For the chorus, we recorded multiple tracks for the chant!! Even our booking agent recorded a track!!!” – Dallas Toler-Wade

[Download Single Cover Artwork | Download Single Lyrics]

Single Credits:
Music by Dallas Toler-Wade
Lyrics by Dallas Toler-Wade
Audio engineered and produced by Erik Schultek and Dallas Toler- Wade at Level 3 StudiosBand Lineup:
Dallas Toler-Wade – Guitar/ Vocals
Brett Lee – Lead Guitar
Erik Schultek -Drums
Kenji Tsunami – Bass
Joseph Howard – Vocals
Andrea_N_Black – Special Guest Vocals

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

“Narcotic Wasteland, the now-full-time project of ex-Nile guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade, is just stupid heavy. Toler-Wade and company dropped a self-titled debut album in 2014, and now they’re back with a face-melting new song called “Faces Of Meth.” It’s literally face melting in that it’s about fucking your face up with methamphetamines, and metaphorically face-melting in that Narcotic Wasteland knows nothing other than playing fast, loud, and undeniably brutal music.” – Metal Injection (2017)

“chock full of intensity, technicality, and speed” (Delirium Tremens) – Bravewords (2017)

“It is not easy to thrust the listener consistently into an aural landscape orchestrated by the band and make them stay put for the entire length of the album. Narcotic Wasteland does it brilliantly as they take you through the nightmarish journey of Delirium Tremens.” – Metal Wani (2017)

“More often than not, death metal bands have a tendency to stick to the familiar topics. Death, gore, killing – that sort of thing. There’s always exceptions, or bands that have a different take on the subject, but as they say, dark music demands dark themes. Narcotic Wasteland does, for one of its lyical slants, face a slightly different (yet still suiting) take – that of addiction. Plenty of grim to still go around with such a concept, and Narcotic Wasteland hits just as hard sonically as any other death metal act to come through the pipeline. Founded by Dallas Toler-Wade (he now formerly of Nile), Narcotic Wasteland released their first, self-titled album, back in 2014. Those yearning for something relentless surely found it with said release, and the band is now on the verge of releasing their second album, Delirium Tremens. A focused, tight-knit, and balls-to-the-wall effort that death metal fans should find some visceral comfort in.” – Dead Rhetoric (2017)

Photo Credit – Kenji Tsunami of Tsunami Films

Fourteen years into his two-decade tenure with acclaimed Greenville, South Carolina technical death metal band Nile, guitarist and vocalist Dallas Toler-Wade was itching to explore new musical and lyrical frontiers. So he hooked up with some old buddies from his hometown Fayetteville, North Carolina and started writing old-school death metal inspired by some of their favorite bands, including Gorguts, Immolation, Incantation and Suffocation.

“There was something really powerful about those bands, especially Gorguts,” Toler-Wade says. “They had these twin guitar compositions that felt different than the kind of death metal other bands were doing. So, Narcotic Wasteland is partially my way of rediscovering what I first loved about death metal.”

Narcotic Wasteland self-released their self-titled debut in 2014. Then in October 2016, Toler-Wade left Nile and Narcotic Wasteland became his main priority. “It was just time for me to do something different,” he says.

After talking to several companies, Narcotic Wasteland signed with Megaforce, which historically has launched the careers of Metallica, Anthrax, Testament, Overkill and others. Narcotic Wasteland’s second album, Delirium Tremens is a dramatic musical evolution from the band’s first release. Not only is the production better, the chemistry between Rhone and Toler-Wade is impeccable, each feeling out and feeding off of the other’s playing. And bassist Chris Dupre and drummer Phil Cancilla form a whirlwind rhythm section that’s tighter than a locked door. Coupled with trenchant grooves and impacting vocals, Delirium Tremens is more than an homage to the band’s favorite musicians, it’s a new style wrought from some of the best pages of the past.

“Maybe knowing that this was going to be my main band made me think about it a little more carefully about the songs,” Toler-Wade says. “I had a bit more direction and the stuff I was writing seemed more focused. The first record established a sound and this one definitely took it to the next level.”

On Delirium Tremens, Narcotic Wasteland exit the starting gate with guns blazing on “Introspective Nightmares,” a brutal feast of angular riffs, enticing licks, blast beats and scathing vocals. “Life Revolted” is slower, but impacts just as hard, juxtaposing staccato riffs and melodic guitar lines with double-bass drumming. Then there’s “Self Immolation,” one of two atmospheric instrumentals on the album; it consists of haunting organ, synth, piano and strings and would perfectly compliment the next Evil Dead sequel. Bassist LutaChrist Dupre wrote “Husk,” a death metal stormer that features acrobatic guitar lines and contrasts infectious chugging riffs with amphetamine-fueled blast beats; Dupre also collaborated with Toler-Wade on the lyrics to “Pharma Culture.”

Narcotic Wasteland named their new album after the title track, which is about delirium tremens, the medical term for symptoms an alcoholic suffers after about three days without a drink. These include uncontrollable shaking, shivering, sweating, heart palpitations, confusion and hallucinations.

“All these things are going through your brain and there are voices in your head,” says Toler-Wade, who admits having had problems with alcohol in the past. “It feels like you’re going crazy. It can happen with opioids, too, but most of the time it’s from severe alcoholism.”

Over the years, many of Toler-Wade’s friends and family have fallen into the abyss of addiction. And some never returned. It’s a tragic byproduct of growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, a military town where male residents have a PTSD rate as high as 75% and there are the most reported incidents of shaken baby syndrome in the country. Lots of Fayetteville’s disenchanted population chooses to escape misery through street drugs, prescription medication and alcohol. Instead of remaining silent about the scourge that has surrounded him, Toler-Wade addresses it throughout Delirium Tremens.

“You waste your life trying to forget reality with booze, pills and cocaine/ I will not remain silent while you piss your life away,” he screams in the meaty, riff-saturated “Bleed and Swell.” And in the torrential, hyper-speed guitar-fest “Faces of Meth,” he growls about amphetamines “slowly killing you while robbing your youth and beauty” and laments those who “never had a chance at a normal life” and are “raised from generations of total ignorance.”

“I’m addressing all the bad stuff that goes on with addiction and making statements about what I see,” he says. “There have been a couple of people that have said we’re an anti-party band, but that’s not true at all. I don’t give a shit what people do with themselves. And, you know, if they can handle it, that’s fine. I’m really just interested in talking about addiction and some of the toxic human behavior that comes along with it.”

Unlike Nile, which wrote album after album about Egyptian history, theology and the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Narcotic Wasteland isn’t purely a concept band. The unrelenting, blast-beat powered and rhythmically eclectic “We Agnostics” questions the existence of a higher power, the triumphant “Return to the Underground” is a statement of dedication to the pure strength of metal and “In Memoriam” is an acoustic instrumental that serves as a touching dedication to anyone who has passed away.

“I couldn’t write every song about the same thing,” Toler-Wade says. “But I didn’t want to have a bunch of vague stories and songs that don’t mean anything as a whole, even if they might sound good together. I prefer to be very straightforward and blunt, almost in a punk rock fashion. And I’ve had people actually message me saying, ‘Man, this song you wrote really hits home with me. I’ve had similar issues myself or with a friend of mine.’ Having someone connect with what we’re doing like that is a really powerful thing.”

The most political song on Delirium Tremens is the closing cut “Pharma Culture” a slower thrash/death metal number that blends lethal chugs with sharp, melodic guitar lines and addresses how the medical industry is more intent on producing pills to ease symptoms than it is in curing diseases. “It’s talking about how we’re being enslaved because there’s such a high addiction rate,” he says. “Everyone’s hooked on their pharmaceutical drugs, and it would cut into their money if there weren’t so many people that were dependent on their product.”

Toler-Wade wrote four songs for Delirium Tremens before he left Nile, then, with new motivation and more time to work, he powered through the rest of the tracks in early 2017, finishing all 12 songs by March. Joining him in the writing process was lead guitarist Edwin Rhone, who engaged in a friendly competition with Toler-Wade to see who could come up with the coolest parts. Then the two had a blast creating the best songs out of what they had. The main reason for the strong chemistry between Toler-Wade and Rhone is they’ve known each other since 1991.

“I was playing in another band at the time called Dukallian and some of my friends were like, ‘You gotta check this guy out,’” Toler-Wade says. “He was one of a group of guitarists I knew of. So we started jamming and trading licks. We became good friends and then our bands started playing shows together. When my band fizzled, I joined him in Teratosis. We did a couple of demos, but couldn’t really get anything going. I realized it was going to be really hard to have a career in North Carolina, so I moved to Greenville, South Carolina to join Nile. But at the end of the day, the chemistry I have with Ed is really special. It’s not something you can just have with any musician. We really connect on the same level.”

In 2011, Rhone introduced Toler-Wade to bassist Chris “LutaChrist” Dupre, who played on the band’s 2014 self-titled debut. The only lineup shift to take place between the two Narcotic Wasteland’s albums is drummer Erik Schultek, who quit in 2014 to focus on a studio career. The split with Schultek was amicable and the drum stool didn’t stay vacant for long. A Facebook friend of his, Phil Cancilla, earned an audition after Toler-Wade, a gaming junky, saw a clip of him frantically playing along to the music in the final stage of the video game Contra. Toler-Wade could immediately tell their personalities were compatible and Cancilla’s speed, skill and style fit perfectly with Narcotic Wasteland’s passion and energy. “He just nailed it, man,” Toler-Wade says. “He played his heart out and really got the vibe of what we were doing right away.”

Narcotic Wasteland self-produced and mixed Delirium Tremens at Vegas View Recording and at Dallas’ home studio. Grammy award winning producer Neil Kernon mixed the album at Auslander and Alan Douches mastered at West Side Music.

With two albums of material to draw from, Narcotic Wasteland are looking forward to playing shows again in 2022 and beyond.

“We’ll play anywhere,” he says. “We don’t mind doing shows at small bars. We just want to get as many shows as we can and to take this around the world if we can. I’m just excited to get out there and see what happens.”

Narcotic Wasteland’s is currently in the studio working on their third album with its release date to be determined.

Discography:
2014 Self-titled LP
2017 Delirium Tremens
2022 – Morality and the Wasp (single)
2022 – The Best Times Have Passed (single)
2022 – Victims of The Algorithm (single)

0 EPK – Hell Diablo – Push Comes To Shove (2022)

August 12, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Hell Diablo

EPK – Hell Diablo – Push Comes To Shove (2022)

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

“This is the first single to be released of our upcoming second album, ‘Bad News Travels Fast’, and it encompassed all the fury that the full-length provides! It is raw, yet full of the Hell Diablo sound, all contained in 2 minutes and 5 seconds! The lyrics are dark and tell a bit of a sadistic story.” – Tyler Brownfield – Vocals/Guitar – Hell Diablo

For fans Supersuckers, Nashville Pussy, The Lords of Altamont, The Hangmen, The Nomads

Band: Hell Diablo
Single Title: Push Comes To Shove
Release Date: August 12, 2022

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Hell Diablo Online Store

“Hell Diablo brings back menacing rock and roll” – L.A. Beat

“Everything about this one is over-the-top, a real trailer-park tornado of unhinged riffery and pure motor-metal mayhem. It’s also a country record in spots, but even then it still sounds like an anvil dropping on your head, albeit a honky-tonk anvil. It’s like if 1986 Black Lawless discovered rockabilly and really went nuts with it.” – Sleazegrinder – Classic Rock Mag (2021)

[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]

Band: Hell Diablo
Single Title: Push Comes To Shove
Release Date: August 12, 2022

Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Hell Diablo
• All songs written by: Tyler Brownfield

Recordign and Live Band Line Up:
Tyler Brownfield – Vocals/Guitar
Taylor Ackerman – Lead Guitar/Keyboards/Backing Vocals
Eric Hamilton – Drums/Backing Vocals
Shawn Worden – Bass

Hell Diablo is a greasy, dirty blues-infused Garage Rock Machine, hailing from the wind-swept prairies of Southern Alberta, Canada. Rising from the ashes of the Canadian Psychobilly group, The Phantom Creeps, singer/songwriter Tyler Brownfield found himself at the crossroads once again and searching his Rock and Roll roots for new inspiration. Having many influences in Rock & Roll, Punk, Rockabilly, Outlaw Country, and Stoner Rock, it was time to blend them together. In early 2021, Taylor Ackerman (Global Acid Rest, Shaela Miller) joined in the role of Guitarist, as well as recording the first album, ‘Blood is the New Black’. Since then, Shawn Worden (Bass) and Eric Hamilton (Drums) have rounded out the lineup.

Band Line Up:
Tyler Brownfield – Vocals/Guitar
Taylor Ackerman – Lead Guitar/Keyboards/Backing Vocals
Eric Hamilton – Drums/Backing Vocals
Shawn Worden – Bass

Discography:
2022 – Push Comes To Shove (single)
2021 – Blood is the New Black

Shared Stage with:
Rebel Priest, Deadwolff, Syrn, Finny McConnell (Mahones), 21st Ave, Queen of the Worms, Berserker

0 EPK – Aquila – The Great Fire (2022)

August 11, 2022
by Asher
· Aquila · EPKs

EPK – Aquila – The Great Fire (2022)

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

“This is our best material to date. It’s brutal, heavy and catchy and it’s a rollercoaster ride. It has the Aquila sound still with some added influences to it. We have matured as people and as songwriters during this time of the pandemic. To be honest, this EP saved us from going crazy during these troubled times. It helped us stay focused and motivated through it all. I hope people give it a listen, we are metal fans and metal lovers. I’ve been in metal bands since 1999 and I’m, I mean, WE are so proud of this EP.” – Mark Arruda – Vocals – Aquila

For fans of Kataklysm, God Forbid, Gojira

Band: Aquila
EP Title: The Great Fire
Release Date: June 30, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Facebook.com/AquilaMetal | Instagram.com/aquila_metal | YouTube.com/c/AquilaMetal

Spotify | Aquilametal.bandcamp.com | Apple Music

“Aquila strikes that excellent balance between aggression, heaviness, and constructing memorable earworms that keeps up listener engagement. The Great Fire embodies an ideal melodeath metalcore product – ready to take the band up from the underground into making worldwide impressions with their music.” – Dead Rhetoric (2022)

“There are plenty of great guitar solos and fills on this album, with the ones in ‘Bound For Glory’ and ‘Within These Flames’ especially standing out…. Aquila’s “Imperium” brings the fury back to metalcore, creating an album full of aggressive vocals and face-melting riffs and solos. “Imperium” is a mostly great debut from a band that’s hopefully on its way to even greater heights.” – Metal Underground (2010)

“A notable difference between Aquila and other Southern Ontario bands is that they thrash throughout their songs, have great guitar leads and refrain from plastering breakdowns throughout their music. They keep it raw and interesting…. Everyone should pick up a copy of Imperium next time Aquila comes to your town. Fans of Assassinate The Following, Unearth, Bloodshoteye and Odium will headbang to Aquila. This band will be legend… Wait for it…. dary.” – V13 (2011)

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: Aquila
EP Title: The Great Fire
Release Date: June 30, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. The Great Fire – 5:11
2. Emperor’s Curse – 8:15
3. A City Risen – 4:16
4. The Plague of Galen – 6:16
EP Length: 24:00

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Aquila
• All songs written by: Aquila
• Produced by: Aquila
• Mixed by: Aquila
• Mastered by: Aquila
• EP Artwork by: Silent Q Design
• EP and Live Band Line Up:
– Mark Arruda – Vocals
– Matt McGuire – Drums
– Anthony Rimac – Guitar
– Tony Medina – Guitar
– Colin Wakil – Bass

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Musically and lryicially this is the most brutal and progressive material we have ever written. I can honestly say we brought the METAL into METALcore again with this EP. The whole concept of the EP is about Roaman Emperor Nero who is famous for killing Christians and The Great Fire of Rome. This is my view of what happened at that time. I performed from my perspective of being Nero for these songs and how I felt doing these evil things to the people of Rome. It caused some arguments within the band.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Track 1 – The Great Fire

The Great Fire starts off slow and then it explodes. It is our traditional straightforward in-your-face track with a Power Trip style breakdown in the middle of the song. The lyrics are about Nero causing the fire and that he wanted it to happen. There is artwork of Nero playing the flute while the fire was happening.

Track 2 – Emperor’s Curse

This song starts off brutal and it is a rollercoaster of a track. It starts off brutal and in the middle you travel into this Tool like drumming and guitars with a catchy hook at the end of the song. Lyrics are very brutal from beheading and crucifying Christian to Nero taking his own life. This song is the most progressive song we have ever written, it was inspired by our own song, Bound For Glory, from our debut album Imperium.

Track 3 – A City Risen

The lyrics for this are about what Nero is thinking before he takes his life or even after his death. He had some great ideas and he had a vision, but he was also a sick man. The songs through a slower but heavier pace with many hooks. I think it’s my best vocal performance ever. I used my singing range for this one, not just straight death metal vocals for this one.

Track 4 – The Plague of Galen

Back in late 2019, McGuire and I started talking and we asked ourselves, wouldn’t it be cool to jam together again? So we did. With the pandemic happening in 2020, we were in the middle of writing a song which is now The Plague of Galen. A plague that happened in Rome many years ago. We thought it was fitting. The song has a melodic death metal feel to it that you can headbang to. The breakdown in the middle is crushing, ending with Iron Maiden-type guitar playing.

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. Mark Arruda and Matt McGuire played in Bloodshoteye. But not at the same time. Arruda was the vocalist in the early days and McGuire played drums in 2004.

2. Chase Bryant played bass on Imperium and is now the bassist for Warbringer

3. Glenn Fricker recorded, mixed and mastered our debut album Imperium.

4. Anthony Rimac, Matt McGuire and Mark Arruda are still the original members from 2006

Aquila is a Canadian metalcore band from Hamilton Ontario. The roots of their sound are from the early 2000s metal scene.

They started in 2006 with Matt McGuire (drums) and Anthony Rimac (guitarist) in Windsor Ontario. In 2009, Aquila entered the studio with Chase Bryant (current bassist for Warbringer), Matt Shelson (guitarist), and Mark Arruda (vocalist) and began working on their debut album, Imperium, with Glenn Fricker in Windsor, Ontario. From 2009 to 2013, they toured for their album across Canada, including a lengthy east and west coast tour, and multiple weekly shows in Ontario. Sharing the stage with the likes of Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Misery Index, Threat Signal, and many more, Aquila with their aggressive stage attitude can sure entertain and work the crowd.

In 2020, Aquila released 2 Eps, Valle Mortalitatis and Jewel of the Empire’s Crown. The 7 songs were recorded back in 2013 with Glenn Fricker, but were never released at that time.

Now with new guitarist Tony Medina and bassist Colin Wakil, Aquila worked hard to release a new EP called The Great Fire in 2022. The 4 songs were written, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Aquila. A video for the title track, The Great Fire, was recorded by the band as well.

“We started writing for this EP in 2020. The pandemic made it very difficult to get together. We also had to find a new guitarist. Once Tony joined the band he quickly learned the songs and started helping us record and mix ourselves. No pressure, just us in our element. I think the growth and maturity in our sound on this Ep. is obvious. This Ep is us, brutal and in your face.” – Mark Arruda – Aquila

Aquila’s latest EP “The Great Fire” was released on June 30th, 2022, and is available on all digital platforms.

Band Line Up:
– Mark Arruda – Vocals
– Matt McGuire – Drums
– Anthony Rimac – Guitar
– Tony Medina – Guitar
– Colin Wakil – Bass

Discography:
2009 – Imperium LP
2020 – Valle Mortalitatis EP
2020 – Jewel of the Empire’s Crown EP
2022 – The Great Fire EP

Shared Stage with:
Cryptopsy, A Life Once Lost, Misery Index, Endast, Threat Signal, Fuck The Facts, The Agonist

Tours and Festivals:
2008 – Harvest Fest in Windsor, ON
2008 – Funnel Fest in Windsor, ON
2009 – Knoniknoise Fest in Norfolk, ON
2009 – Canada Tour
2010 – Canada Tour

0 EPK – Nameless King – Order of The Black Flame (2022)

August 2, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Nameless King

EPK – Nameless King – Order of The Black Flame (2022)

Jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“With this EP we really wanted to set the best first impression possible with quality production and songwriting that wouldn’t feel out of place in a playlist with staple bands of the genre. We feel that even though it’s still early in the band’s life, we’ve already managed to carve out a sound that perfectly describes our identity and what we want to get out of creating music. It’s a perfect sum of all our different influences and the direction we want the band to keep going in. The response from people so far has been far beyond what we expected, and we don’t intend to ever stop that momentum.” – Nameless King

For fans of At The Gates, Mors Principium Est, The Black Dahlia Murder, Heaven Shall Burn, Carcass

Band: Nameless King
Album Title: Order of The Black Flame
Release Date: March 25, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Facebook.com/NamelessKingBand | Instagram.com/namelesskingmetal/

Namelesskingmetal.bandcamp.com | Spotify

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

Band: Nameless King
Album Title: Order of The Black Flame
Release Date: March 25, 2022
Label: Self-Release

Track Listing:
1. Amalgamated Kin – 5:06
2. Imprisonment – 4:21
3. Order of the Black Flame – 5:41
4. Grand Executioner – 6:53 ft. guest guitar solo Joey Hockin (Apprentice)
EP Length: 22:02

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Nameless King
• All songs written by: Colton Hession
• Produced by: Jeff Black
• Mixed by: Jeff Black
• Mastered by: Jeff Black
• Album Artwork by: aleh_z
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
EP Recording Band Line Up:
Colton Hession – Guitar & Bass
Kurt Steigleder – Guitar
JR Painter – Vocals
Andrew Fox – Drums

Live Band Line Up:
Colton Hession – Guitar
Kurt Steigleder – Guitar
JR Painter – Vocals
Steve Cuddington – Drums

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

A fast, in-your-face collection of four songs with songs that are very dynamic with many tempo changes and many elements from different metal subgenres from melodic death metal, thrash metal, and even hints of prog, black, and deathcore.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

Track 1 – Amalgamated Kin

Lyrically the song tells the story of the boss character Oceiros, the Consumed King from Dark Souls 3. Musically it’s mostly pure melodic death metal, with a very black metal chorus along with a hardcore two-step feel to the solo section.

Track 2 – Imprisonment

This song is the outlier on the EP lyrics-wise and is the only song not about a character from Dark Souls, but instead about the game Super Monkey Ball. The lyrics were written in a way that unless you analyzed them extremely closely, you wouldn’t be able to tell they were about Super Monkey Ball. Musically it was written as a shorter, more standardly structured song with a high-energy power metal-ish solo section.

Track 3 – Order of the Black Flame

This track tells the story of the boss character Sister Friede from Dark Souls 3. It’s a very groove/thrash heavy song with the first full-on breakdown of the EP. We purposely had it appear later into the EP to make the breakdown section hit that much harder, hoping to have people not expect it.

Track 4 – Grand Executioner

This track is about the boss character Executioner Smough from the first Dark Souls. Musically it was designed to be very frantic with lots of sudden tempo and time signature changes, with every new section feeling different from the last, with a prog intro, hardcore breakdown, and pure thrash verses/solo section.Top – L- R – JP Sauve – Bass, JR Painter – Vocals, Kurt Steigleder – Guitar
Bottom – L- R – Colton Hession – Guitar, Steve Cuddington – Drums
Photo Credit – Jade Weekes

Riffy melodic death metal from Vancouver, BC lyrically inspired by Soulsbourne and other fantasy video games

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. Every one of the band’s songs are about Dark Souls, with a small handful of songs about other video games.

2. We weren’t exactly sure when we wanted to start recording the EP until Jeff Black of Gatekeeper announced he wanted to start doing engineering for other bands aside from his own. We were the first ones to reach out to him so we get to have the honour of the first project he worked on! We’re so happy with how it turned out and how easy he is to work with that so long as he’s doing music engineering, we want him to be our guy.

3. As we were jamming and getting ready for our first show, Colton started playing Dammit by Blink 182 out of nowhere and the whole band joined in. That’s when we decided to end off our set by building up to what seemed like was going to be a huge and heavy breakdown, but kicked into a faster version of Dammit. The look on the crowd’s faces is something we’ll never forget, and it was incredible how wild they moshed for it.

4. At one point one of the lines in Imprisonment was “these bananas are a life risk” and we haven’t stopped laughing about it since. At some point down the road, we want to print that on the back of a shirt as an inside joke that literally only the band members will understand.

5. Despite being named after the Dark Souls 3 boss “Nameless King”, we have yet to write a song about him. One day we might get to it.

0 EPK – Deformatory – Harbinger (EP) (2022)

August 2, 2022
by Asher
· Deformatory · EPKs

EPK – Deformatory – Harbinger (EP) (2022)

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

For fans of Hate Eternal, Angelcorpse, Vitriol, old Cryptopsy, Origin

“For us, the artwork and concept of the EP were just as important as the music and songwriting. It’s a heavy and jam-packed EP that has a little bit of every genre wrapped in brutal death metal packaging. Our hope is that every audio and visual release that is connected to this album helps the listener dive deeper into the totality of our creation.” – Deformatory

EP Title: Harbinger
Release Date: September 13, 2022
Label: Independent
Distribution: Independent

Deformatory.ca | Facebook.com/deformatory | Instagram.com/deformatory | Youtube.com/deformatory | Deformatory.bandcamp.com

“It’s been a hot minute since we last checked in on the Deformatory camp, but it seems they’ve still got it. Harbinger is a short and violent little EP, a perfect bite-sized helping of chaotic technical death metal in the vein of Origin (but with better production). It’s about exactly as much material as you want from this type of music: nothing overstays its welcome, there’s absolutely no fat whatsoever, and it never gets samey or starts to drag. Perfect in its savagery and delivery.” – Toilet ov Hell

“even though Deformatory sound like a demonic battalion, there’s only two of them responsible for all the destruction. It’s also a thoroughly convincing sign that those two put on a hell of a live show.” – No Clean Singing

“Bandcamp New & Notable: Mind-flaying brutal technical death metal that will pulverize you to smithereens while its complex structures stun your cerebral cortex.”

“Guitar player and vocalist Charlie Leduc, creates a series of tracks which are both brimming with utter fury and at times dashes of a haunting melody. The EP’s final track ‘Dustcult’ sees a combination of the two with the melody being used alongside that fury with great results. Another massive improvement from past releases is the overall sound on the release, it’s a clean and potent sounding EP. All the notes come through crisp and clear to the ear and have real punch. The drum sound is also excellent as drummer Neil Grandy offers an excellent display of sonic battery behind the kit. ” – The Razor’s Edge

“A highly intelligent villainy possesses every moment and movement made by Ottawa, Ontario-based technical death metal duo Deformatory, not only on this latest mLP but throughout their twelve year reign as one of the more underappreciated Canadian death metal entities around. ‘Harbinger‘ reinforces the impossible extremity their core songwriters have long written into a cryptic cyclone of violent brutal death metal. In the midst of this destruction they now achieve a most readable brand of cunning riff and rhythm beyond their usual stabbing at the limits of actionable notes within a composition. Theirs is a craft ambitious enough to push the body to a point of physical pain, mercifully limiting their inhumane acts to three to five minute bursts as they further detail the sinister cosmology of the bespoke sci-fi universe threaded throughout their discography.” – Grizzly Butts

“It’d left me looking forward to what they’re working on next and impressed by the amount of work that’d gone into the densely populated and vivifying brevity of this release. A high recommendation.” – Grizzly Butts

“This band manages to sound like a maniacally possessed total frenzy, but it is also intelligible. That’s probably due to the fact that the guitar work comes from metal music, as opposed to being inspired by free-form jazz, prog or groove/core. The most basic way to explain it is to say that even though this is totally blasting insanity, the listener that pays attention will notice that there is a thrash heritage that is sped up but still tangible.” – The Metal Bulletin

“Intensely relentless & destructively intelligent; Harbinger checks all items off the death metal list with ease. Deformatory perfectly channels musical violence in all its unholy glory with this EP.” – TRVE North Reviews

“Uh, la la. What a piece of brutality. Yes. Only 4 songs, true that, short release, but very good. Technical Death Metal or should I say Brutal Death Metal… Hmmm… Anyway, this ep, is very good, very well constructed, very good riffs passages, some groove in the middle of the songs, but never losing the “weight” of the songs, and… Real brutality from the first second till the last second. Give them a try.” – Blessed Altar Zine

“Deformatory attack with lethal precision and serrated claws. Their technical brutality is very moreish, and these new songs are easy to digest if you like a stomach full of spikes. Well-written and delivered with passionate expertise, Harbinger doesn’t mess around. The songs are savagely energetic and imbued with the desire to kill. A storm of violent drumming, merciless riffs, and bloodthirsty growls erupt with barely any restraint, hunting and lashing out with a frenzied fury. The short release hurtles by in a tempest of bladed wrath and potent hostility.” – Wonderbox Metal

“Crafted with the utmost care, the band keep things both simple and traditional, organically writing in the rehearsal space, jamming and experimenting until something lethal reveals itself. ” – Metal Noise

“Ferocious would be a word instantly popping to mind when you begin listening to Deformatory. The music is excellently composed and played to a high standard with a non-stop barrage of guitars and drums incinerating your very ear drums. The good thing about Harbinger are the vocals, which also complement the instruments. Its not a case where they are drowned out by the music or become a little quieter, which can happen with some bands. Charlie Leduc’s voice functions as another instrument, which is the way it should be, so everything can be brought tightly together.” – Fed Up!

“Harbringer is four songs of heavy and ferocious death metal at it’s finest. ” – Winter Torment Webzine

“A maniacal riff-fest colliding with pulverizing drumming and grotesquely executed vocals, Impaled Upon The Carrionspire is a memorable journey into a modern death metal portal of chaos. This is beyond a brutal wall of sound; it’s an experience that hooks you in, and guides you through everything you can expect to hear on the new album.” – Metal Injection

“Taking cues from the tech-est and brutal-est of brutal technical death metal, the duo from Canada’s capital have offered up a shining gut punch that sings, screams, wallops, growls and races in the same vein as genre masterclass mainstays as Immolation, Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal and Origin. Plus, their name fucking rules!” – Decibel Magazine

“Brutally punchy and laced with annihilating streaks of black metal, cosmic machinations are put into bone-snapping focus through the band’s unrelenting technical death metal.” – Invisible Oranges

“Let’s cut to the chase: Imagine filling a syringe with unadulterated adrenaline, sticking it straight into your carotid artery, and jamming the plunger down with as much force as you can muster. That’s the effect of listening to DEFORMATORY… The whole thing is breathtaking in its careening and cavorting violence.” – No Clean Singing

“This is exquisite Tech Death which manages to avoid wading in wizardry over the top realms preferring instead to delicately balance both brutal and intricate arrangements for great effect. These guys aren’t fucking around.” – Cult Metal Flix

“DEFORMATORY play technical death metal with lashings of brutality. The songs are precise and merciless. It’s a controlled form of frenzied mayhem that the band unleash, one which is augmented by surprisingly potent streaks of melody, dark moments of atmosphere, infectious rhythmic devastation, and straightforward death metal brutality. DEFORMATORY know what they are doing with this style.” – Wonderbox Metal

“…a manipulated frenzy of technical mayhem… DEFORMATORY just demolishes many bands that are signed!” – Metal Nation

“Inversion Of The Unseen Horizon consolidates DEFORMATORY’s position as one of the finest acts in the Canadian metal scene” – Heavy Music HQ

“…for those seeking the most brutal and battery ram-like extremity, DEFORMATORY checks off all of the boxes that you’d like it to: strong musicianship and soloing, intense riffs and vocals, and just enough melody to keep it from going completely unhinged” – Dead Rhetoric

“[DEFORMATORY is] a band that takes both the “tech” and the “death” parts to heart in their songwriting. Their blend of crushing brutality and technical aptitude is a force to be reckoned with.” – Toilet Ov Hell

From their destructive 2013 debut “In The Wake of Pestilence”, on through their crushing 2016 follow-up “Malediction” and into the vortex of insanity from their 2021 masterpiece “Inversion of the Unseen Horizon”, DEFORMATORY unrelentingly summon their creative darkness to deliver another slab of ferocious Canadian death metal.

Without acquiescing to the weakness of modern metal, they reach deep into the abyss of infernal intensity to deliver a new offering of blistering madness entitled “Harbinger”.

Every song, every riff, and every beat writhes through its own iterations to devour the listener beyond this EP’s 15-minute runtime. Make no mistake: these are 15-minutes you will never get back and you will never recover from. The sheer energy your soul requires to withstand this offering of musical violence will render your very core into a depleted version of itself.

The phenomenal production of this album is the work of Topon Das (Fuck The Facts, Apartment 2 Recording), who impeccably captured the essence and intensity of DEFORMATORY’s vision. Every nuance has been brought to light, mixed, and mastered without sacrificing integrity in order to fit into the modern standards of extreme music. All instruments are real fucking instruments and each can be discerned without the overproduced wall of plugins & tone packs we have unfortunately grown accustomed to hearing today. There is an eerie atmosphere that lurks throughout this album and it can be heard clearly through every string, growl, and cymbal.

To visually encapsulate the onslaught of Harbinger’s music, the artwork was masterfully created by the one and only Paolo Girardi. He has, without any doubt, unveiled one of his best paintings to date for this album cover. Additional haunting artistic creations were devilishly assembled by UK’s Adrian Baxter to further highlight the darkness that binds the death metal onslaught of DEFORMATORY’s new EP.

This is unequivocal vitriolic rage. This is uncompromising animosity.
This is not trendy. This is not a safe place.
This is a maelstrom of maniacal death metal.
This is DEFORMATORY.

You have been warned.
Heed the Harbinger’s call.

Album and Live Band Line Up:
Charlie Leduc – Guitars & Vocals
Neil Grandy – Drums

Shared Stage with:
Cryptopsy, Obscura, Napalm Death, Nader Sadek, Archspire, First Fragment, Beyond Creation, Fuck The Facts, Gorod, Unhuman, Unbreakable Hatred, Killitorous, Unleash The Archers, Deamon,

Discography:
2022 – Harbinger (EP) – Independent
2021 – Inversion of the Unseen Horizon (LP) – Independent
2018 – Once Upon The Cross Cover (Single) – CDN Records
2018 – Bilateral Carnage (7” Split with Blood of Christ) – CDN Records
2016 – Malediction (LP) – CDN Records
2013 – In The Wake of Pestilence (LP) – Independent
2011 – Believe The Lie (Single) – Independent
2011 – A Prelude To… (EP) – Independent

[EP Download Cover | EP Download Lyrics]

EP Title: Harbinger
Release Date: September 13, 2022
Label: Independent
Distribution: Independent

Track Listing:
1. PLAGUEWORM (2:56)
2. CORPSEBORN (4:02)
3. SUNROT (3:54)
4. DUSTCULT (5:05)
Total Runtime: 15:17

EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: DEFORMATORY
• All songs written by: DEFORMATORY
• Produced by: DEFORMATORY & Topon Das
• Mixed by: Topon Das (Apartment 2 Recording)
• Mastered by: Topon Das (Apartment 2 Recording)
• Album Cover Artwork by: Paolo Girardi | Additional Artwork by: Adrian Baxter
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album and Live Band Line Up:
Charlie Leduc – Guitars & Vocals
Neil Grandy – Drums

0 EPK – Hunting Giants – Mythos (2022)

July 28, 2022
by Asher
· EPKs · Hunting Giants

EPK – Hunting Giants – Mythos (2022)

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

For fans of Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Audioslave, Muse

“We are confident that new listeners, as well as those familiar with us through our previous release Skyward Eyes, will find a high caliber of intensity and listenability in Mythos that represents the musical growth and evolution of Hunting Giants. It’s a unique album expressed with a great diversity of energetic auditory texture. Each song hits hard with novel approaches and fresh ideas that will induce a comforting nostalgia in modern rock fans looking for something new and awesome.”

Album Title: Mythos
Release Date: September 30, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

HuntingGiants.com | Facebook.com/huntinggiantsband | Instagram.com/huntinggiantsband | Twitter.com/huntinggiants | Youtube

Huntinggiants.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify

“A glorious adventure is about to begin, starting right here today! Heavy metallers Hunting Giants are debuting their brand new music video for “Rituals,” the first single from their upcoming album Mythos. The song indicates the zeal and the ambition that the band is bringing towards this new record, due for release on September 30th. The “Rituals” video matches the flat-out intensity of the song, one that discusses necromancy and the harshness of hatred and shame.” – V13

“It’s not often that a band is described as ‘a blend of modern hard rock, progressive rock/metal and grunge influences,’ but that is indeed a fitting description of Vancouver’s Hunting Giants” – Bravewords

“If you’re tired of reading about the same old bands over and over again look no further. Its time to get excited about music again! Hunting Giants is a breath of fresh air! They are keeping the metal alive with their euphonious new sound. They hail from Canada where a lot hot new bands are burgeoning onto the music scene. Every song off their new album, Mythos is incendiary and their new album is a must have in your music collection.” – Metal Lair

“There are some fine songs on here like ‘Ancient Text’, ‘Too Big Too Kill’ and ‘Vanguard’… Guitarist Bradley Trivett has a neat line in big crunchy riffs and singer Stephen Atkey has a great voice. This will appeal to those who like Muse or Alice in Chains…” – Powerplay Mag UK

“Let me say this first, HUNTING GIANTS from Vancouver are REALLY freaking good. These guys are relatively new but they are tighter and more accomplished man many veteran bands.” – Rock You Show

“This is an album (Mythos) that you’ll want to wander through thanks to their technical proficiency and the production value.” – Metal Roos

“a solid listen, and a fairly unique combination of a few different styles. It’s mostly heavy enough for Metal fans, and mostly melodic enough for fans like myself who appreciate a good hook.” – Metal Temple

“Mythos’ features a very 1990s vibe, offering elements of nostalgia as well as a contemporary feel. They can go hard or ease back, adding theatre and energy in a single song (‘Vanguard’), and then draw deep on emotions (‘Mantle’). It’s a heady mix that runs alongside the overall story line in the album. ‘Mythos’ isn’t an album that will appeal to all. Certainly, those whose tastes veer towards the heavier end of the metal spectrum may baulk at it. It should however, appeal to a wide range of fans, who will be able to appreciate the textured and layered songs and the ambition of a band who have delivered a fine release.” – The Razor’s Edge

“a sonically pleasing experience that had a few unusual stylistic fusions. Most of the time, it’s strong enough for Metal enthusiasts as well as being melodic enough for people like myself who adore theatricality. Additionally, they demonstrated some excellent playing.” – Ever Metal UK

“Hunting Giants: Will grab listeners and amaze them.” – Permafrost Today

“There is a lot to discover here. The sound of the varied album is also well controlled and the rhythm section really bangs.” – Saitenkult

“Hunting Giants stake their claim as a powerful new force in the Pacific Northwest metal scene…this band is absolutely one you’ll want to keep an eye on.” – Wail Magazine

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

Album Title: Mythos
Release Date: September 30, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid

Track Listing:
1. Mythos – 3:28
2. Ancient Text – 3:18
3. Too Big To Kill – 3:06
4. Rituals – 3:57
5. Among Thieves – 5:28
6. Whispers – 2:16
7. Vanguard – 2:54
8. Mantle – 3:19
9. Kindred – 4:05
10. Epitaph – 1:09
11. Into Stone – 4:55
12. Remnant – 4:00
13. King of Ashes – 2:52
Album Length: 44:49

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Hunting Giants
• Vanguard ft. Kirby J. Kaye
• All songs written by: Hunting Giants
• Produced by: Kirby J. Kaye for Aztech Productions
• Mixed by: John Webster
• Mastered by: Richard Addison at Trillium Mastering
• Album Artwork by: Kacper Gilka @kacpergilkaart
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album and Live Band Line Up:
Corey Wharton – Bass Guitar
Stephen Atkey – Vocals
Bradley Trivett – Guitar
Daniel Beavington – Drums

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

This album is musically very diverse as it ranges from intense white-knuckled metal tracks, down to gentle instrumental tracks peppered with melodic piano and haunting cello, all the way to epic ballads tastefully complimented by choirs, strings, and bells. Mythos lyrically explores archetypes, both heroic and villainous, that affect the world around us, as well as the inevitable fates which arise when these values are heinously held and expressed.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Mythos – The Call to Adventure.
We start the album off with the beginning of the hero’s journey, the call to adventure. The guitar intro slowly gains momentum until all of the instruments join in with the toll of a bell. The vocals are low and the instruments hushed as if the beginning of a story is being told in front of a fire. Our protagonist is introduced as a commoner who has witnessed the destruction of his homeland and can no longer idly stand by. We follow him as he crests mountains and is swallowed by rich ravines until he runs face to face with the hanging dead, a symbol of the reality which he is walking into. The instruments and vocals both rise to a climax where our protagonist reaches the conclusion that this task may take his life, yet he believes that a life without freedom is one that is not worth living. He will not back down. At the end of the track, we are reminded that he is good-natured but naive by the hanging corpses who warn him to not follow the path they did as the instrumentation fades with a final note of vocal harmony.

Ancient Text – The Prophecy
Starting out with a metal riff that weaves an auditory puzzle in the ear of the listener, Ancient Text is a story about a doomsday prophecy from a long-forgotten culture. While lyrically referencing both archaeological discoveries as well as age-old myths, we get to experience how a shaman from the distant past might interpret a meteor shower that destroys his tribe. The tension built by these raging riffs is eased by a sensual breakdown, this is where our hero is taken on a spiritual journey to see what disaster is coming for his people. The peace is quickly shattered by a blood-curdling screech as he watches a comet slam into the ocean and pulls those he loves far out into the sea. We end the song with a rhythmic labyrinth of guitar, bass, and percussion framing the climax of our tale as he carves the vision of death he had been shown onto the temple walls to be interpreted by a future civilization.

Too Big To Kill – Domination and Avarice
The riff which begins this track immediately brings to mind the thrill of the hunt which is encapsulated by the lyrical repetition of ‘Row’ as our anti-hero cuts through the waves, hot on the trail of his next quarry. As the instruments are hushed, the lyrics speak from the perspective of a man who desires only domination and finds satisfaction in ending the lives of those he hunts. This unending momentum builds throughout the song revealing how remorseless yet effective he is at killing until we arrive at the bridge, where the tables are turned and he finds himself fleeing from the beast which he sought to trap. Cornered and without option, our protagonist lets out one last “Come What May” as he charges toward his prey in one final effort. This song is an exploration of those who love violence and the inevitable bloody end that they attract towards themselves.

Rituals – Necromancy, Hatred and Shame
A bass slide introduces us to a seductive salsa that peaks suspense until it explodes with a punk-inspired bounce. This song follows a man who sees morality as a vain illusion that people create for themselves and that the maxim “Do what though will shall be the way of the law” reigns supreme. He is robbing a grave when we encounter him and we watch as he dismembers a corpse and grafts its limbs onto a different body. The chorus opens up with complex guitar and percussion work complimented by a simple call-and-answer vocal melody as the body is then reanimated by the grave-robber. In sudden contrast we are greeted by a soft and sensual vocal line with sparse instrumental work which speaks of the freedom moral relativism can grant you. This leads to a frantic Mastodon-inspired bridge where we explore how hatred can fester in a person if they isolate themselves away from the world and blame others for the fruit of their own actions.

Among Thieves – The Addict
The slow sensual riff of the verse comments on the seductive nature of destructive things which we can use to temporarily ease our emotional or psychological pain. We move on to see how they slowly alter you into someone you weren’t before. Under the racing gallops of percussion, we explore how violence can seem to be the most effective and immediate solution to solve disagreements and needs. The guitar, bass, and percussion all ring out as the progressive rock elements of the song are featured in a vocal chant expressing fear, pain, and hope. As the drums drop into halftime, we encounter a gritty taste of the life of those who live in addiction. A swell of guitar and stringed instruments signals the moment of self-realization and the protagonist has taken ownership of who they have become. We are greeted warmly by a swirling choir of vocals, guitar, and strings which are broken by the toll of bells as our hero embraces his faults and opens his heart to the world.

Whispers – The Voice of the Dead
A haunting instrumental track with a grand piano in place of the vocals as the main melody.

Vanguard – The Love Song
This non-stop rocking love song starts with an intricate bass line, a crunchy guitar riff, and a busy drum line peppered with ghost snare hits. We follow a soldier on the front lines of a battle as he thinks of his love and what he would sacrifice to be with her once more. An incredibly catchy chorus blends back into the verse where his thoughts of his love is ripped away by the reality of the battlefield on which he is. As the captain screams “Hold The Line!”, we get a ripping solo recorded by our producer Kirby Kaye as we flow by into the chorus. In the outro, we are treated to a key change and the soprano-esque wail of a dying man as he keeps his thoughts on the one he loves.

Mantle – Undeserved Worship
Right off the bat, we know that this song is a beastly one as all instruments and vocals come in on the same first beat. As an allusion to a toxic relationship, we follow the story of a man who makes a pact with an unknown force who claims to be subservient to him. While the vocals and instruments roar with aggressive verses and a theatrically inspired chorus, the deity demands to be re-payed for the boons she has bestowed upon her subject. As the track breaks down into the bridge, he dismembered himself to feed her. This is a mirror to those who sacrifice pieces of themselves for another who only seeks to use them. The song comes to a conclusion with the instruments playing the intro riff while it is accented by a feral vocal roar.

Kindred – A Tempting Offer
Opening up with the flight of guitars as they soar over a pounding bass riff, this song is about casting away the pain and trauma of the past and coming together as allies with those whom we once saw as enemies. The open chords of the chorus leave room for the bass and percussion to accent the coming riff as the vocals sing about the power of unification. The bridge drops into a monologue where our protagonist is faced with one final challenge. This gives way to the last verse where we as the listener are given the choice to decide what happens in our futures. The triumphant outro hints at Queens of the Stone Age as the vocal harmonies ease into a final harmonized note.

Epitaph – Grief in Glory
A snare roll reminiscent of the drums of war synchronizes with guitars as they sail over the spine of the bass. The vocals speak of honor and the dreams of the future as a tyrannical figure manipulates the populace into furthering their corrupted agenda.

Into Stone – To Fight Again
The gallop of the drums sets an almost power metal vibe as the vocals set the stage for war and speak of the victory which is to come. Double kicks and blazing bass frame the Iron Maiden-inspired chorus while the vocals incite the need to fight for what you believe as tomorrow may be too late. A vocal chant erupts in the bridge which heralds those who have fought for valor as hints of the cello can be heard underneath the instrumentation.

Remnants – Victory in Death
Bass sets this frantic yet forlorn mood as the endless rhythm pounds out over vocals conveying the hopelessness of a hero who has been cornered by the demons he battled. A ghost-like wail recites the melody which the guitar previously squealed, leading to a triumphant chorus that speaks of the accomplishments our hero made in his life which brought him to this moment. As the guitar sails out into the bridge, we are met with polyrhythmic percussion and persistent bass. Following the final chorus, our hero is supported by a choir of harmonies as he sacrifices his own life for those he loves. He is destroyed and devoured by the darkness he held at bay as a demonic screech splits the air and a bass outro which hints at a positive finale with a major note.

King of Ashes – At What Cost
This epic industrial ballad is reminiscent of both Nine-Inch-Nails and King Crimson. The vocals ponder on the futility of victory at all costs as the percussion and instruments chase each other in polyrhythmic complementation. A constant yet subtle feedback loop heightens the vocals until they crescendo in a final lament, “Oh, to be the King of Ashes.” In finality, the album comes to a close and fades out with the ringing of a gong.

L-R – Corey Wharton (Bass), Bradley Trivett (Guitar), Daniel Beavington (Drums), Stephen Atkey (Vocals)
Photographer Credit – Bradley Trivett

Hunting Giants is a four-piece heavy rock band from Vancouver, BC, Canada.

This unique group of musicians offers a spectacular visuals-driven live performance that exceeds both the precise ferocity of their recordings, and the highest expectations of an energized audience looking for something recognizably different. Their music is both refreshing and familiar, serving well as the musical backdrop for one’s ongoing discovery of meaning in life and self.

Hunting Giants was started in 2017 with Bradley Trivett assembling the first musical themes and combining the percussive expertise of Daniel Beavington with the explosive rhythmic prowess of Corey J. Wharton into the foundation of a team set to discover and dominate the most enormous sounds and daunting massive ideas they could find. Led by the visionary passion and styling of frontman Stephen Atkey, Hunting Giants is poised to deliver to the highest expectations of an energized listening audience looking for something recognizably awesome.

Discography:
2022 – Mythos – LP
2018 – Skyward Eyes – EP

Shared Stage with:
Unleash the Archers, Wednesday 13, Ophelia Falling, Kayas, Vessel, Sick Logic, Dark Stone

Tours and Festivals:
2019 – HempFest – Seattle, WA
2019 – Metal battle 2019 – Vancouver, BC

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS

1. How the band formed, aka Steve pirating their recordings and sending a finished track as an application.

Hunting Giants began in Vancouver, British Columbia when Bradley Trivett digitally composed and assembled a group of songs unlike any he had created before, including some material co-written with long-time friend and former band-mate Corey Wharton. The new songs were fast, concise, and particularly short in duration when compared to the music from his two former bands, Oddchild and One Tree Forest, both known for long progressions and exploratory soundscapes. The new material did away with the complicated structures and massive arrangements in favour of dense, rich music that gets straight to the point.

Looking to give life to this fascinating new material, Brad enlisted the help of another long-time friend and former band-mate Daniel Beavington to add his unique and powerful drumming flair. After working for several weeks to nail down the structure and challenges the new material posed, the two were ready to bring in the earth-shattering talents of bass player and close friend Corey Wharton. Daniel and Corey had both worked previously with Brad in Oddchild, and were excited to reclaim the passion and start a new group.

The three of them worked smoothly together as they were quite familiar with one another’s playing style, quickly rekindling the chemistry they had developed over their 15 years of experience playing together. They transcribed the riffs from their original digital format and sculpted them further by adding the depth and dimension found only in live performance.

After a few months of intense rehearsal, the group felt that the time was right to take the next step toward completing the group with a powerful vocalist that understood the music and themes, but they somewhat disagreed on how to go about it. Brad was focused on lining up the professional recording of the music, believing that the right singer would be attracted by exhibiting their ability to succinctly perform all the work they had done. Daniel was more enthused with canvassing the need and scheduling auditions to see what the world around them could offer.

Brad called upon another former band-mate and family friend Kirby Kaye, enlisting his cooperation to produce for them a good-sounding instrumental album to attract the singer that was needed to finish their music. Kirby quickly contacted his good friend and sound engineer John Webster, and together with Brad, Corey, and Daniel, booked studio time and recorded the drum lines for the new music in one intense day. From there, the group began recording the matching bass lines.

Meanwhile, in response to the push for auditions from Daniel in a Craigslist ad, the group received an email from singer-hopeful Stephen Atkey. Stephen had recently quit his job in Edmonton, said farewell to his friends and family, and moved to the west coast, following a dream that he would there find a promising musical partnership. A dream that had so far floundered in the province he was born.

The email that Stephen sent included a pirated live recording of one of their songs, to which Stephen had used Pro-Tools to assemble a layered vocal line that immediately got their attention. The work done and the artistry displayed was more than enough to hastily arrange a meeting and jump on the opportunity. The meeting went very well, and they decided to meet up for the next rehearsal.

After the first jam, it was clear that the four musicians had unique chemistry and with that, the group took their first lumbering steps towards significance by officiating the roster of the four-piece band.

By that time, guitars and bass were fully recorded and the team was ready to lay down the vocal tracks, despite Stephen having only been involved in the project for a few weeks. Still, Stephen was able to quickly craft and record vocals that enhanced the music beautifully and elevated it to a level nobody thought possible.

Two months from that meeting, the group had finished and mastered the album to be known as Skyward Eyes, and were ready to grow the group further, but were unable to without first discovering a name that would fit the grandiosity of the music and the aggressive drive they all had toward the project. After some time, the group finally emerged as Hunting Giants.

2. Stephen getting bottled at a Periphery Show:

After the first day of recording vocals for our first EP, Skyward Eyes, the band decided to take a night off to celebrate their success and be inspired by a successful touring act. The opening band, Animals as Leaders, were absolutely amazing and had brought Steve to the pit. After the first few songs of Periphery, Steve needed some fresh air and went to leave the pit but was blocked by a line of metal heads refusing his access. Steve pushed past them to get through and in response one of them through a bottle point-blank into Steve’s head. The bottle smashed into Steve’s forehead and the blood started pouring onto the floor of the pit. The security guards gathered up Brad and Corey and told them that their friend was in critical condition. Corey helped clear the blood from Steve’s face as Brad called for a Taxi to take them to the hospital. Steve, while fainting from blood loss, hid his weed under the garbage can in the hospital while the doctors operated on his skull. They were able to stop the bleeding, stitch up the wound and in a couple of hours let them go. Steve then slinked back in to grab his weed undetected. Later that day Steve wrote the lyrics to the song ‘Extinction’ while still covered in his own blood and the very next day was back in the studio recording the last two tracks.

3. Getting all of our gear stolen

Hunting Giants had practiced for months for an incredibly important show, an annual BC-wide battle of the bands. They were confident in their performance but had stiff competition and several of the members had work early in the morning so they packed up their gear in the truck parked behind the downtown venue. The winners were about to be announced so the members decided to wait a couple of minutes before they took off the night. They did not expect to win the battle of the bands, but lo and behold, they did. In the pounding of adrenaline, they forgot about the vehicle parked behind the venue and were brought onstage for an acceptance speech. During the speech, their vehicle was broken into and almost ten thousand dollars of musical equipment was stolen. Only ten minutes later, they went back to their vehicle to find the windows smashed and all of their gear missing. A night of soaring highs turned into that of extreme lows as the realization of what had just happened dawned upon them.

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