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Category: EPKs

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

  • August 25, 2022
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Polarity

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spotify | Polaritymusic.bandcamp.com | Apple Music

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

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

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

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

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

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

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

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

The EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

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

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

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

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

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

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

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shared Stage with:
SUM 41, KITTIE, THE FLATLINERS, THE AGONIST, NEW YEARS DAY,
DIEMONDS, SUMO CYCO, RED HANDED DENIAL, THE CREEPSHOW, LIVING COLOUR
 
Tours and Festivals:
2022 – ROCKFEST SANTE MENTALE – Epiphanie QC
2019 – ROCK THE COLUSEUM – Mississauga
2017 – NXNE – Toronto
2017 – LOCKDOWN FEST – Etobicoke
2018 – CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK – Toronto
2016 – KOI FEST – Kitchener
2010 – LOWKEY FEST – Milton
2010 – POLARITY EAST COAST TOUR

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

  • August 23, 2022
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Seventh Station

EPK – Seventh Station – Heal the Unhealed (2022)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seventhstation.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

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

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

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

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

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

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

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

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

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

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

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

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

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

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

Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

Track Descriptions can be found HERE.

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

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

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

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

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

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

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

About:

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

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

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

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

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

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

0 EPK – Cydemind – The Descent (2022)

  • August 23, 2022
  • by Asher
  • · Cydemind · EPKs

EPK – Cydemind – The Descent (2022)

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

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

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

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

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

Cydemind.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

Bandcamp | iTunes | Amazon | CD Baby | Google Play | Spotify

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Download Album Cover]

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

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

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

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

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

The album as a whole explained:

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

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

Track by track explained:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

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

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

‘’Violin meets progressive metal!’’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Awards:
2021 – Won 3rd Prize  Imagination Song Contest

0 EPK – Féleth – Divine Blight (2022)

  • August 23, 2022
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Feleth

Féleth – Divine Blight (2022)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spotify | Feleth.bandcamp.com | Apple Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Depravity the newest album from Feleth is one brutal album full of riffs and hooks to keep even the most particular entertained. Feleth mix the roots of the Norwegian metal scene, with the death metal tone they strive for to create some well crafted blackened death metal, similar to that of Shadow of Intent.” – Metal Injection
 
“With a melting pot of ideas, yet rooted in delivering a head-smashing and neck-destroying style of metal, Féleth are aggressive newcomers to a scene that constantly looks to surprise… Féleth deliver heavy and extreme noise so very well.” 9/10  – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life
 
“straight up heaviness and brutality, tech offerings and melodic atmopsheres, and enjoyable groove.” – Dead Rhetoric
 
“Féleth: Transcends the traditional limits of the genre…” – Permafrost.today
 
“9/10 “Féleth offer an edge-of-your-seat experience that is both fresh and captivating.” – Metal Inferno
 
“Féleth does death metal fast and aggressive, reigning in their impressive technical chops for maximum impact, keeping their riffs (and songs, for that matter) relatively short and to the point. They strike a pretty even balance between chunky chords and caustic melodies, most of which are designed to coax headbanging than to impress with virtuosity. The album is front-loaded with catchy bangers, saving the more technical and weird bits for the latter half.” – Tolet Ov Hell
 
“Overall, Depravity is a solid debut album by Feleth. It’s strongest moments are when they keep things simple, delivering brutal and thunderous death metal that would probably wake the dead. The guitars are the best bit, they sound huge and aggressive, effectively transmitting the anger and hatred in their young Norwegian hearts.” – Abrasive Noise
 
“The new Feléth album is a big melting pot of all things good in modern death metal… They serve up tech death esque song structures and solos with the beautiful harmonies of melodic death metal and the crushing riffs of a brutal death metal banger. It’s an eclectic listen for sure. There are catchy parts here and there that make the record memorable and add to its replay value. The vocalist on here does an amazing job and the production value is high… Great record!” – Zax Record Reviews

[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]

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

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

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

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

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

The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

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

Track by Track explained (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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