EPK – Killcrown – Death (single) (2026) (Exitus Stratagem Records)
Publicist – Jon Asher – exsr[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Lorna Shore, Traitors, Filth, Dying Fetus, White Chapel
“I’m confident our fans are going to embrace this album with a real love for the brutal arts. We poured everything we had into creating something that truly resonates—something that drags listeners into the moments that inspired every track. You can feel the anticipation building; people are hungry to get their hands on this record.
Our goal is to make listeners feel like the music is punching them straight in the face—BLUDGEONED. The sound is unavoidable, unrelenting. Just when you settle into the groove, BOOM—you’re slammed with a jagged, chaotic breakdown that shouldn’t make sense at first, but somehow you’re stank-facing and moving with it anyway. Then the vocals hit: heavy, clear, and shocking. You hear a line and think, “Did he really just say that?”
We’ve always pushed ourselves to make every song the best it can be. If we like a track but don’t absolutely love it, it’s gone. Our fans deserve nothing less than our strongest work.” – Steve Maple (vocals) – Killcrown
https://www.exsrmusic.com | https://www.facebook.com/Killcrown | https://www.youtube.com/@Killcrown | https://killcrown.bandcamp.com/
“Oldschool Death Metal sensibility meets modern aggression” – Terry Stevens, Q106 WJXQ
[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]
Band: Killcrown
Single Title: Death – 3:10
Release Date: February 5, 2026
Label: Exitus Stratagem Records
Single Recording Credits:
All songs performed by: Killcrown
All songs written by: Orin Knuppenburg and Steve Maple
Produced by: Orin Knuppenburg
Mixed by: Exitus Stratagem Records
Mastered by: Exitus Stratagem Records
Album Artwork by: Stealthfangs
Recording Band Lineup:
Vocals: Steve Maple
Guitar: Orin Knuppenburg
Lead Guitar: James Alexander
Bass: Tyler Walterspaugh
Drums: Dave Zaza
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About The Single Artwork:
Knives to the face. It is a brutal depiction of life.
About the upcoming album (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
The album is the heaviest and most interesting music we have ever put together. The lyrics are more profound than anything I have ever written. I am blown away at some of the parts, almost as if I didn’t write them.
The music is so well written. Each song is written to stand out as its own work of art.
About The Single:
DEATH is our first single from the record. We had written a few of the other songs prior, but this is one of our newer songs, and we felt like it was a better representation of what we really are currently. I was sitting at home one day, and I got a call from Orin.
“Hey Bitch, you need to get the fuck over here and listen to this song and write lyrics!!”
We call each other ‘Bitch’ as a pleasantry.
I got there, and he played the song. It was EVERYTHING.
I knew that this was going to change the way that we write because of how loudly it was speaking to us.
I wanted to go home and write to it, but he was so excited, he made me stay and write it there. 1 hour later, I had some of the most impactful lyrics that I had ever written. Orin LOVED it…except the chorus.
“The whole song is PLATINUM. We can’t have a bronze Chorus.”
I was like “Well, I never!”
So, he got called over to someone at the door, and I was so appalled that he didn’t like my chorus that now I was going to write a chorus so fucking good that he would CHOKE on it!!! AND, I had to have it done by the time he was done talking with the person at the door.
“Severing Misery. Cut it Out. Make it Bleed. Hold Your Breath. Never Stop. DEATH”
It was perfect. I sang it to him 2 minutes after being INSULTED by his actually polite constructive criticism, and his jaw dropped. LOL “You did that while I was gone?”
Then, he tells me to scratch track the vocal. We got in the booth, and I ended up laying down what we used as our final tracks that were written that day. It was our best work at the time, too!
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Story Angles – Band Fun Facts:
1. Two of our members played in the band Nuskin before Killcrown was formed. Because of this, we get asked to play an NWA song at almost EVERY show!
2. We are from a super small town in Michigan. We play in Battle Creek a lot, but are from Hastings and Delton, Michigan. These are the types of towns that you grow up thinking there is no way that you can make it anywhere in entertainment. We have found that we can make it as far as we want to. It is up to us how far we push this thing, ya know?
3. Our lead vocalist owns two grassroots music festivals also based in Michigan. MICHIGAN METAL FEST and MIDWEST BREWTAL FEST. We get to play the fest every other year or every few years, but I’m a dick about not favoring my band, so we don’t play every year, and we don’t get special treatment or billing. Lol
4. Once, at a show at The Music Factory, I had a hernia, so I couldn’t sing my set. I really didn’t want to pull out of the show because it was a killer one and we had committed to doing it. So, instead of cancelling, I decided to try to have another vocalist cover my set. I immediately felt bad for whoever had to learn my set in 2 weeks! I thought for a few about a way to get the songs not only covered but make it an even more special evening. I decided to reach out to 5 different vocalists/friends of mine, and they all were STOKED to help. We made history that night. It was absolutely legendary. I wasn’t supposed to sing, but still did 1 song. lol
5. Our whole band is known to drive separately to an out-of-state gig. We all get along, but that’s just the way we do it a lot cause a couple of the guys are on different schedules. We are a whole convoy!
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L-R – Orin Knuppenburg (Guitar), Dave Zaza (Drums), Steve Maple (Vocals), Tyler Walterspaugh (Bass), James Alexander (Lead Guitar)
Photograph Credit: Steve Maple w/ Deathhouse Media
Born from a relentless passion for extreme music, Killcrown stands as one of Michigan’s most punishing and unapologetic heavy acts. Vocalist Steve Maple and guitarist/composer Orin forged the band after years of writing together, evolving from their previous nu‑metal project Nuskin, a Midwest cult favorite known for its explosive shows and infamous NWA “Boyz In Da Hood” cover. What began as a creative partnership has sharpened into a singular vision: to create music so heavy, so visceral, that listeners feel bludgeoned by every riff, every breakdown, every word.
Hailing from the small towns of Hastings and Delton, Killcrown is proof that extreme metal can erupt from the unlikeliest places. Their sound, an unrelenting fusion of deathcore, slam, death metal, and melodic brutality, has earned them a reputation as “the heaviest band” everywhere they play. Fans describe their shows as unforgettable, grimy, energizing, and downright violent in the best possible way. The band’s stage presence has become legendary, with crowds lining up for photos, autographs, and the adrenaline rush that only Killcrown can deliver.
With influences ranging from Lorna Shore and Traitors to Filth, Dying Fetus, and Whitechapel, Killcrown has carved out a sound entirely their own—detailed, intentional, and crafted to hit like a punch to the face. Maple and Orin write with each other in mind, pushing one another to extremes, refusing to release anything that isn’t their absolute best. If a song isn’t loved, it’s gone. Their fans deserve nothing less.
Killcrown is preparing to unleash their heaviest and most profound work to date: a full‑length album slated for release later this year. Each track is built as its own piece of violent musical art, shaped by real‑life experiences, emotional lows, and the raw honesty that fuels Maple’s most impactful lyrics yet.
The first taste of this new era comes in the form of their devastating new single, “DEATH.” Written in a burst of creative fury, complete with Orin demanding Maple “get the f*ck over here and write lyrics”. The track became a turning point for the band. Within an hour, Maple had crafted some of the most powerful lines of his career, including a chorus so intense it stunned the room into silence. The final vocal take was captured that same day, raw and unfiltered, becoming the definitive version used on the record.
“DEATH” arrives with artwork as brutal as the music itself, knives to the face, a stark depiction of life’s harshest realities. The single is already spinning on stations like Q106 WJXQ in Lansing, championed by longtime supporters Scary F’in Terry and Metal Mandy. As the band puts it:
“This song is some of our best work to date. We truly feel that people are going to connect with this track. This album is written from a very honest standpoint that is BRUTAL, yet beautiful.”
Beyond the studio, Killcrown’s story is filled with the kind of lore that cements a band’s legacy: Maple running two major Michigan festivals (Michigan Metal Fest and Midwest Brewtal Fest) without ever giving his own band special treatment; a legendary night where five guest vocalists stepped in when Maple had a hernia; and the band’s habit of driving separately to out‑of‑state gigs like a chaotic metal convoy.
Killcrown is more than a band; they’re a force. A testament to what happens when passion, pain, and precision collide. With their upcoming album on the horizon and “DEATH” marking the beginning of a new chapter, Killcrown is poised to hit harder than ever.
Extreme. Brutal. Unforgettable. Killcrown is here to make you feel, whether you’re ready or not.
Band Lineup:
Vocals: Steve Maple
Guitar: Orin Knuppenburg
Lead Guitar: James Alexander
Bass: Tyler Walterspaugh
Drums: Dave Zaza
Shared Stage with: Mushroomhead, (hed)P.E., Gideon, Filth, Traitors, Green Jello, Vorrath, Cultus Black, The Convalescence, Casket Robbery, & Aight Bet
Tours and Festivals:
2024 – Michigan Metal Fest – Battle Creek, MI
2024- Toledo Death Fest – Toledo, Ohio
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