Imonolith Drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen Discusses the Group’s Formation and Debut Album ‘State of Being’ – V13 https://v13.net/2020/03/imonolith-drummer-ryan-van-poederooyen-discusses-the-groups-formation-and-debut-album-state-of-being/
Category: Imonolith
0 Imonolith Drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen Discusses the Group’s Formation and Debut Album ‘State of Being’ – V13
0 ‘Becoming The Enemy’ w/ IMONOLITH’s New Video; Debut Album “State of Being” Out March 27th
(contact info below)
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – March 6, 2020
‘Becoming The Enemy’ w/ IMONOLITH’s New Video“
State of Being” Out March 27th; Guest Features Include Jens Kidman (Meshuggah)
UK/EU Headline Tour
L-R: Kai Huppunen (Guitars), Brian Waddell (Guitars), Jon Howard (Vocals), Scott Whalen (Bass), Ryan Van Poederooyen (Drums)
Photo by Erich Saide
Canadian metal powerhouse IMONOLITH has revealed the fourth single, ‘Becoming The Enemy’ featuring a guest appearance by well-known Swedish vocalist Johannes Eckerström, from their upcoming debut, “State of Being” due out March 27th.
A lyric video for ‘Becoming The Enemy’ is available today via Consequence of Sound HERE.
“’Becoming the Enemy’ is a song about becoming your own worst enemy,” says drummer Ryan ‘RVP’ Van Poederooyen. “All of us have done it at some point in our lives. The point of the song lyrically is to learn from your mistakes instead of repeating them over and over.”
The lyric video for ‘Becoming The Enemy’ features a character called “The Sickness” who reprises his role from the ‘Instinct’ video, released in January.
“We continue the theme we started in ‘Instinct,’” RVP explains. “The theme of our album ‘State of Being’ is about how people deal with various states of being throughout their lives. We thought having ‘The Sickness’ appear in a couple of videos would help tie everything together and tell a visual story to go along with the album as a whole.”
The forthcoming full-length “State of Being” features 10 hook-laden, riff-heavy tracks including ‘Hollow’ the debut single that made big waves for IMONOLITH straight out of the gate, racking up 216K Spotify streams in 2019. Having spent much of 2019 writing, arranging, recording and fine-tuning “State of Being”, the band worked incredibly hard to achieve their goal – to make an engaging heavy metal album. With the release of the three singles thus far, IMONOLITH has begun receiving worldwide praise that has garnered them a massive number of streams and attention from the media and fans alike. ). In addition to Johannes Eckerström, State of Being also features a special guest appearance from Jens Kidman (Meshuggah).
IMONOLITH features drummer Ryan ‘RVP’ Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), guitarist Brian ‘Beav’ Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush). A collective of heavy-hitting players at the top of their game.
“State of Being” is available for pre-order/pre-save here: https://lnk.to/stateofbeing
Music Video – ‘Instinct’ – https://youtu.be/zlmOcXMilHs
Music Video – ‘Dig’ – https://youtu.be/wqn7hTEOgJ4
Spotify
IMONOLITH will be touring globally for the next two years and have announced their first-ever UK/EU headline dates, commencing on March 27 in Sheffield, UK.
Tour Dates:
Mar 27: Sheffield, UK – Corporation
Mar 28: Newcastle, UK – Think Tank?
Mar 29: Manchester, UK – Rebellion
Mar 30: Glasgow, UK – Broadcast
Mar 31: Bristol, UK – Exchange
Apr 1: London, UK – Underworld
Apr 2: Bree, BE – Ragnarok
Apr 4: Copenhagen, DK – High Voltage
Apr 5: Stockholm, SE – Slaktkyrkan
Apr 6: Oslo, NO – John Dee
Apr 8: Mainz, DE – Schon Schon
Apr 9: Turin, IT – Blah-Blah
Apr 10: Como, IT – Centrale Rock Pub
Apr 11: Verona, IT – The Factory
Apr 12: Salzburg, AT – Rockhouse Bar
Apr 13: Ljubljana, SL – Orto Bar
Apr 14: Zagreb, HR – Hard Place
Apr 15: Sofia, BG – Live & Loud
Apr 16: Bucharest, RO – Quantic Club
Apr 17: Budapest, HU – ROBOT
Apr 18: Geislingen, DE – MieV
Apr 19: Martigny, CH – Sunset Bar
Apr 21: Prague, CZ – Rock Cafe
Apr 23: Bochum, DE – Die Trompete
Apr 24: Cham, DE – L.A. Live Club Cafe
Apr 25: Dobeln, DE – KL17
Apr 27: Nijverdal, NL – Cult Art Shop
Track Listing:
1. State of Being (1:17) (intro)
2. Becoming The Enemy (3:44) (feat. Johannes Eckerstrom)
3. Instinct (3:43)
4. Dig (4:12)
5. The Mourning (3:13)
6. Forgone (4:37)
7. Breathe (3:49)
8. The Reign (3:41) (feat. Jens Kidman)
9. We Never Forget (4:06)
10. Hollow (3:39)
11. Persevere (4:06)
Album Length: 40:12
For more info:
Imonolithband.com
Facebook.com/imonolithband
Instagram.com/imonolithband
EPK
– 30 –
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ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
asher[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
#.514.581.5780
asher[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
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Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
0 All-Star Quintet IMONOLITH Unleash Next Single ‘Dig’ From Forthcoming Debut Album + UK/EU Headline Tour
(contact info below)
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – February 7, 2020
All-Star Quintet IMONOLITH Unleash Next Single ‘Dig’ From Forthcoming Debut Album + UK/EU Headline Tour
“State of Being” Out March 27th; Guest Features Include Jens Kidman (Meshuggah)
L-R: Kai Huppunen (Guitars), Brian Waddell (Guitars), Jon Howard (Vocals), Scott Whalen (Bass), Ryan Van Poederooyen (Drums)
Photo by Erich Saide
Canadian metal powerhouse IMONOLITH are unveiling their third single ‘Dig’ in support of their highly anticipated forthcoming debut album “State of Being” due out March 27th.
With the release of their two previous singles ‘Instinct’ and ‘Hollow’, IMONOLITH have been receiving worldwide praise that has garnered them a massive amount of streams and attention from the media. Their debut album also includes two very special guest performances from Jens Kidman (Meshuggah) and Swedish vocalist Johannes Eckerström.
‘Dig’ happens to be one of the bands favourite songs on the album. It has a hypnotic pulse throughout, crushing guitar riffs and some well delivered heavy vocals from Jon Howard.
“Lyrically the song is about people who ruin their relationships with others, through their poor decisions. The point lyrically is that you can move on from this type of person, learn a lesson from the situation, let go of the negativity involved and let them deal with the shit show they’ve created. In the end, these people dig their own ‘relationship’ graves by burning bridges with others in their lives.” says drummer Ryan ‘RVP’ Van Poederooyen.
‘Dig’ is available on the following links:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/wqn7hTEOgJ4
IMONOLITH features drummer Ryan ‘RVP’ Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project) guitarist Brian ‘Beav’ Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush). A collective of heavy-hitting players at the top of their game.
The forthcoming full length “State of Being” features 10 hook-laden, riff-heavy tracks including ‘Hollow’, the debut single that made big waves for IMONOLITH straight out of the gate, racking up 216K Spotify streams in 2019. Having spent much of 2019 writing, arranging, recording and fine-tuning “State of Being”, the band worked incredibly hard to achieve their goal – to make an engaging heavy metal album.
RVP adds:
“We spent a lot of time making this record. We wanted it to be done the way we envisioned it. We didn’t cut any corners, from the songwriting right up to the album production and artwork. It’s a debut album that we’re very proud of and excited for the world to hear.”
Their debut album “State of Being” will be released on March 27th and is available for pre-order/pre-save here: https://lnk.to/stateofbeing
Music Video – ‘Instinct’ here: https://youtu.be/zlmOcXMilHs
IMONOLITH will be touring globally for the next two years and have announced their first-ever UK/EU headline dates, commencing on March 27 in Sheffield, UK. (dates listed below)
IMONOLITH tour dates:
Mar 27: Sheffield, UK – Corporation
Mar 28: Newcastle, UK – Think Tank?
Mar 29: Manchester, UK – Rebellion
Mar 30: Glasgow, UK – Broadcast
Mar 31: Bristol, UK – Exchange
Apr 1: London, UK – Underworld
Apr 2: Bree, BE – Ragnarok
Apr 4: Copenhagen, DK – High Voltage
Apr 5: Stockholm, SE – Slaktkyrkan
Apr 6: Oslo, NO – John Dee
Apr 8: Mainz, DE – Schon Schon
Apr 9: Turin, IT – Blah-Blah
Apr 10: Como, IT – Centrale Rock Pub
Apr 11: Verona, IT – The Factory
Apr 12: Salzburg, AT – Rockhouse Bar
Apr 13: Ljubljana, SL – Orto Bar
Apr 14: Zagreb, HR – Hard Place
Apr 15: Sofia, BG – Live & Loud
Apr 16: Bucharest, RO – Quantic Club
Apr 17: Budapest, HU – ROBOT
Apr 18: Geislingen, DE – MieV
Apr 21: Prague, CZ – Rock Cafe
Apr 23: Bochum, DE – Die Trompete
Apr 24: Cham, DE – L.A. Live Club Cafe
Apr 25: Dobeln, DE – KL17
Apr 27: Nijverdal, NL – Cult Art Shop
More dates to be announced soon
Track Listing:
01 State of Being (1:17) (intro)
02 Becoming The Enemy (3:44) (feat. Johannes Eckerstrom)
03 Instinct (3:43)
04 Dig (4:12)
05 The Mourning (3:13)
06 Forgone (4:37)
07 Breathe (3:49)
08 The Reign (3:41) (feat. Jens Kidman)
09 We Never Forget (4:06)
10 Hollow (3:39)
11 Persevere (4:06)
Album Length: 40:12
For more info:
Imonolithband.com
Facebook.com/imonolithband
Instagram.com/imonolithband
EPK
– 30 –
—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
asher[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
#.514.581.5780
asher[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
0 All-Star Quintet IMONOLITH Release New Single; Announce Debut Album And UK/EU Headline Tour ; “State of Being” Released 27th March; Guest Features Include Jens Kidman (Meshuggah)
(contact info below)
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – January 13, 2020
All-Star Quintet IMONOLITH Release New Single; Announce Debut Album And UK/EU Headline Tour
State of Being Released 27th March; Guest Features Include Jens Kidman (Meshuggah)
State of Being Released 27th March; Guest Features Include Jens Kidman (Meshuggah)
L-R: Kai Huppunen (Guitars), Brian Waddell (Guitars), Jon Howard (Vocals), Scott Whalen (Bass), Ryan Van Poederooyen (Drums)
Photo by Erich Saide
Canadian all-star metal powerhouse IMONOLITH have announced the release of their highly anticipated debut album “State of Being” on March 27 via Imonolith Music and are streaming a new single/video, ‘Instinct’.
Check out ‘Instinct’ here: https://youtu.be/zlmOcXMilHs.
“State of Being” is now available to pre-order/pre-save here: https://lnk.to/stateofbeing.
Featuring drummer Ryan ‘RVP’ Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project) guitarist Brian ‘Beav’ Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush), IMONOLITH is a collective of heavy-hitting players at the top of their game, and ‘Instinct’ serves as a great taster of what can expected on their debut album.
“State of Being” features 10 hook-laden, riff-heavy tracks including ‘Hollow’, the debut single that made big waves for IMONOLITH straight out of the gate, racking up 216K Spotify streams in 2019. There are also two very special guest performances from Jens Kidman (Meshuggah) and Swedish vocalist Johannes Eckerström.
Having spent much of 2019 writing, arranging, recording and fine-tuning “State of Being”, the band worked incredibly hard to achieve their goal – to make an engaging heavy metal album. RVP commented, “We spent a lot of time making this record. We wanted it to be done the way we envisioned it. We didn’t cut any corners, from the songwriting right up to the album production and artwork. It’s a debut album that we’re very proud of and excited for the world to hear.”
The high production video to ‘Instinct’ is not only a great example of the band’s quality aesthetic, but it also serves as a look at IMONOLITH’s collective personality. RVP continues, “I think we raised the bar with the ‘Instinct’ video. It’s a different kind of video that’ll catch you off guard in a few ways. It can also be interpreted differently depending on the viewer. We put a lot of thought into it and hired great visionary people to make it a fun watch.’’
IMONOLITH will be touring globally for the next two years and have announced their first ever UK/EU headline dates, commencing on March 27 in Sheffield, UK. Beav commented: “To be able to take a brand-new band overseas and have the opportunity to headline shows is completely mind blowing!! And we plan on making every show count, this is a dream situation for us.”
IMONOLITH tour dates:
Mar 27: Sheffield, UK – Corporation
Mar 28: Newcastle, UK – Think Tank?
Mar 29: Manchester, UK – Rebellion
Mar 30: Glasgow, UK – Broadcast
Mar 31: Bristol, UK – Exchange
Apr 1: London, UK – Underworld
Apr 2: Bree, BE – Ragnarok
Apr 4: Copenhagen, DK – High Voltage
Apr 5: Stockholm, SE – Slaktkyrkan
Apr 6: Oslo, NO – John Dee
Apr 8: Mainz, DE – Schon Schon
Apr 9: Turin, IT – Blah-Blah
Apr 10: Como, IT – Centrale Rock Pub
Apr 11: Verona, IT – The Factory
Apr 12: Salzburg, AT – Rockhouse Bar
Apr 13: Ljubljana, SL – Orto Bar
Apr 14: Zagreb, HR – Hard Place
Apr 15: Sofia, BG – Live & Loud
Apr 16: Bucharest, RO – Quantic Club
Apr 17: Budapest, HU – ROBOT
Apr 18: Geislingen, DE – MieV
Apr 21: Prague, CZ – Rock Cafe
Apr 23: Bochum, DE – Die Trompete
Apr 24: Cham, DE – L.A. Live Club Cafe
Apr 25: Dobeln, DE – KL17
Apr 27: Nijverdal, NL – Cult Art Shop
More dates to be announced soon
Track Listing:
01 State of Being (1:17) (intro)
02 Becoming The Enemy (3:44) (feat. Johannes Eckerstrom)
03 Instinct (3:43)
04 Dig (4:12)
05 The Mourning (3:13)
06 Forgone (4:37)
07 Breathe (3:49)
08 The Reign (3:41) (feat. Jens Kidman)
09 We Never Forget (4:06)
10 Hollow (3:39)
11 Persevere (4:06)
Album Length: 40:12
For more info:
Imonolithband.com
Facebook.com/imonolithband
Instagram.com/imonolithband
EPK
– 30 –
—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
asher[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
#.514.581.5780
asher[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
0 EPK – Imonolith – State of Being (2020)
Imonolith – State of Being (2020)
Imonolithband.com | Facebook.com/imonolithband | Twitter.com/imonolithband | Instagram.com/imonolithband
Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Google Play
Tour Dates (More Dates TBA):
Mar 27: Sheffield, UK – Corporation
Mar 28: Newcastle, UK – Think Tank?
Mar 29: Manchester, UK – Rebellion
Mar 30: Glasgow, UK – Broadcast
Mar 31: Bristol, UK – Exchange
Apr 1: London, UK – Underworld
Apr 2: Bree, BE – Ragnarok
Apr 4: Copenhagen, DK – High Voltage
Apr 5: Stockholm, SE – Slaktkyrkan
Apr 6: Oslo, NO – John Dee
Apr 8: Mainz, DE – Schon Schon
Apr 9: Turin, IT – Blah-Blah
Apr 10: Como, IT – Centrale Rock Pub
Apr 11: Verona, IT – The Factory
Apr 12: Salzburg, AT – Rockhouse Bar
Apr 13: Ljubljana, SL – Orto Bar
Apr 14: Zagreb, HR – Hard Place
Apr 15: Sofia, BG – Live & Loud
Apr 16: Bucharest, RO – Quantic Club
Apr 17: Budapest, HU – ROBOT
Apr 18: Geislingen, DE – MieV
Apr 21: Prague, CZ – Rock Cafe
Apr 23: Bochum, DE – Die Trompete
Apr 24: Cham, DE – L.A. Live Club Cafe
Apr 25: Dobeln, DE – KL17
Apr 27: Nijverdal, NL – Cult Art Shop
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Label: Self-Release
Track Listing:
01 State of Being (1:17) (intro)
02 Becoming The Enemy (3:44) (feat. Johannes Eckerstrom)
03 Instinct (3:43)
04 Dig (4:12)
05 The Mourning (3:13)
06 Forgone (4:37)
07 Breathe (3:49)
08 The Reign (3:41) (feat. Jens Kidman)
09 We Never Forget (4:06)
10 Hollow (3:39)
11 Persevere (4:06)
Album Length: 40:12
Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: Imonolith
• All songs written by: All music written by Ryan Van Poederooyen and Brian Waddell
except: ‘State of Being’ – written by Jon Howard,
except: ‘We Never Forget’ – Written by Jon Howard, Ryan Van Poederooyen and Brian Waddell
• Produced by: Jason ‘JVP’ Van Poederooyen
• Mixed by: Jason ‘JVP’ Van Poederooyen
• Mastered by: Jason ‘JVP’ Van Poederooyen
• Album Artwork by: Dane Hallett
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
• Album Recording & Live Band Line Up:
Jon Howard (Vocals)
Brian Waddell (Guitars)
Kai Huppunen (Guitars)
Scott Whalen (Bass)
Ryan Van Poederooyen (Drums)
Discography:
2020 – State of Being (LP)
2019 – Hollow (single)
Tours & Festivals:
2020 – Euro Tour
2019 – Western Canada Tour
L-R: Kai Huppunen (Guitars), Brian Waddell (Guitars), Jon Howard (Vocals), Scott Whalen (Bass), Ryan Van Poederooyen (Drums)
Photo by Erich Saide
For as much as its inflexible form resembles a blank canvas, the existence of a monolith suggests a deeper meaning. Such obelisks appear throughout mythology, literature, and film, implying a curious level of ambiguity and inviting discourse…
IMONOLITH marks the convergence point of five career musicians whose experience and acumen align seamlessly, almost as if by destiny. These five pieces fit into place within a hypnotic hybrid of hard rock melodies and metallic proficiency. The quintet— Ryan “RVP” Van Poederooyen [drums], Brian ‘Beav’ Waddell [guitar], Jon Howard [vocals], Kai Huppunen [guitar], and Scott Whalen [bass]—introduce this signature sound on their 2020 independent full-length debut, State of Being.
“We’ve all had professional careers and played in different groups for a long time,” says Ryan. “We’re drawing on all of that experience to do something new. When you think of a monolith, you think of a grand and solid structure. It resembles what we want the band to be, while making it an intriguing experience.”
“I feel very fortunate to be in a band with such talented musicians and great guys,” adds Scott. “Being able to join a band of this caliber is very humbling. Everything has worked out rad so far. It’s really meant to be.”
Ryan and Brian logged nearly ten years recording and touring in Devin Townsend Project. As early as 2015, they started writing together and tracking demos for a possible collaboration. In late 2018, they sought out a singer. Heeding the call, Threat Signal and Arkaea co-founder Jon Howard submitted a demo within a day and left Ryan and Brian, “Floored and blown away.” Welcoming the vocalist in the fold, the musicians rounded out the lineup with guitarist Kai, previously of Methods of Mayhem and Noise Therapy, and ex-Econoline Crush bassist Scott. IMONOLITH recorded their debut album State of Being between March and July 2019. Produced, mixed and engineered by Ryan’s brother Jay Van Poederooyen [Nickelback, Chris Cornell, Daughtry], the guys collectively “decided to go old school with the recording.”
“This album went back to the basics with the drums being recorded to two-inch tape and no samples,” reveals Kai. “All of the vocals were raw takes with no auto-tuning. All of the bass and guitars were recorded through amps. What you hear on the album is what we heard when we recorded. It felt great to record like that as a band.”
“We come from different backgrounds and styles,” Brian adds. “However, the focus is to just write the best songs possible built on riffs, first and foremost.”
Right out of the gate, IMONOLITH made waves with the debut single “Hollow,” racking up 216K Spotify streams in 2019 and receiving looks from Loudwire, Brave Words, The PRP, and more within a few months’ time. Maintaining this momentum, the 2020 follow-up single “Instinct” hinges on guttural guitar riffs before slamming into a jackhammer refrain uplifted by Jon’s clean vocals.
“It’s a battle of self,” explains the singer. “You’re trying to figure out who you are. You’re following a path, but you’re not sure of it. That’s what the song is about.”
Meanwhile, “Dig” drives forward with a chugging groove as it builds towards a bludgeoning and bold hook. Ryan explains, “It’s about burning bridges. Some people dig their own graves as a result. The music and the lyrics match in terms of heaviness. Somebody may screw you over and burn a bridge with you, but it doesn’t mean you can’t just move on. The meaning flips. Learn from the experience and move on.”
Elsewhere, Swedish vocalist, Johannes Eckerström guests on the caustic and catchy “Becoming the Enemy,” while legendary Meshuggah mainman Jens Kidman makes a rare vocal cameo on “The Reign,” which eviscerates everything in its path.
“It really is an honour to record a song with Jens,” Jon goes on. “We’re singing together on a track, and I couldn’t be happier.”
In the end, IMONOLITH encodes a provocative transmission inside of the music.
“There’s an underlying message,” Ryan leaves off. “On one end of the spectrum, you can take away a personal meaning to live your life the way you want—or you can just crank the music and enjoy it.”
Jon agrees, “Everyone will receive this differently, but I hope there’s something positive that may help you in your life or situation.”
IMONOLITH’s debut album “State of Being” is due out March 27, 2020
0 Glacially Musical – Classic Spins with Jon Howard of Imonolith
0 FEB – MARCH 2019 – ABSOLUTE UNDERGROUND MAG – IMONOLITH
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