NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – July 24, 2024
Manuel Barbará Announces New CyberPunk EP “Whisper in a Storm” and Debut Single “Dead Hand”
East Coast metal guitarist and composer Manuel Barbará is excited to announce his upcoming EP “Whisper in a Storm” set to release on September 13, 2024. The EP blends the aggression and technical mastery of heavy metal with the formal and harmonic concepts learned from the great composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. The first single off this EP is “Dead Hand”, which features Jody Miller, a renowned violinist in the video game music scene. Barbará comments on the single:
“The first song that came together for this project, Dead Hand is 6 minutes of unapologetic Monuments worship featuring an incredible violin solo and some creepy textures that I couldn’t have done better myself (I told Jody to play weird stuff, and boy did it work out)”
Musically, “Dead Hand” features a big heavy riff that keeps returning with slightly different feels and that Barbará says gives him an image of a big snake that you definitely don’t want to get in the way of. That riff gives way to all kinds of spacey ambiance and twisty strangeness, ending with a riff that he explains is one of the heaviest and weirdest things he’s ever written, and the scary violin textures tie the whole experience together.
As a Berklee College of Music graduate (2020, Guitar and Composition), Barbará brings his love of modern “classical” music to the progressive rock that has always inspired him. All songs are written and performed by Manuel Barbará and self-published with distribution via Distrokid. The EP promises a heavy, slamming journey to four distinct musical places, showcasing some of Barbará’s best work to date. It is recommended for fans of Monuments, Tesseract, and Periphery.
Listen to the video for “Dead Hand” via its premiere on GhostCultMag HERE.
Due out September 13, 2024, “Whisper in a Storm” is available for digital pre-save at https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/manuelbarbar/whisper-in-a-storm
Track Listing:
1. Dead Hand (feat. Jody Miller) – 5:43
2. A Different Horizon (feat. Jake Howsam Lowe) – 5:49
3. Aphelion (feat. Michael Nystrom Bala) – 4:13
4. Whisper in a Storm (feat. Thalia Tymowski & Millisa Henderson) – 4:51
5. Whisper in a Storm (instrumental) – 4:51
EP Length: 24:42
More info: Manuelbarbara.com | Facebook.com/8stringalchemy |Instagram.com/8stringalchemy | Youtube.com/@8stringalchemy | Tiktok.com/@8stringalchemy
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“With its rhythmic elements and heavy riffs, Manuel Barbará’s debut album is in the purity of modern instrumental progressive metal. But his influences from classical composers add an interesting extra touch.”- Music Waves (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
“a spectacular showcase of the progressive qualities of Manuel Barbará.” – Games, Brains and A Headbanging Life (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
“This is an astounding first record. Especially for a single composer. If you are a fan of atmospheric instrumental metal, give it a shot. I give the album a solid 8/10. Manuel is already looking forward to the future with new compositions which are even more refined and elaborate. I’m looking forward to it with great anticipation.” – Belgian Metal Shredder (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
“I really enjoyed my time with this album. I’m a big fan of djenty riffs, dissonant tones and atmosphere which this album provided aplenty. The record shows that Manuel is a master craftsman in composition. The album clocks in at about 35 minutes. In this case that’s a plus. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and makes the tracks stand out more. The album is instrumental, which could be a turnoff for some people. But to me it benefits from it. It’s more of a listening album than an all-out headbang/rocking out record.” – Belgian Metal Shredder (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
“without a doubt that we have a talented musician and composer in front of us. The approach is in large parts of the material progressive metal with the corresponding hardness and complexity… You can’t deny the band’s instrumental quality…” – Metal-Heads.de (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
“Manuel Barbará shines bright on Moonrise… this is a fascinating listen and it is easy to appreciate Manuel’s complex musical narrative… this deserves a listen as it does embody the prog metal ideal and as such, it’s a damn good album: think Tesseract or Periphery.” – RAMzine (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
“Barbará has rejuvenated the instrumental metal genre, boldly handling what is often perceived as a deficit of vocals and composing with refinement and a brilliantly malicious sense of melody and groove.” – Jace Media (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
“It’s unbelievable that Moonrise is the debut of a musical high-flyer. Manuel Barbará releases an unbelievably mature masterpiece, which not only pays homage to its role models Dream Theater, Keith Merrow, or Periphery, but also presents crisp, progressive Djent Metal at eye level, which despite its perfection and precision still offers room for improvement. My recommendation with 8.5 / 10” – Soundmagnet (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
“Inviting the listener in with some mystical soundscapes, the tempo and mood change immediately when the trio start firing on all cylinders with a dent-driven, pushing rhythmic sound alongside Manuel’s epic and virtuosic guitar work. The overall sound is dark and mighty, but every now and then gets brightened by some gleaming tones. The use of electronic sounds add a modern vibe as well and he skillfully alternates between full-power, highly technical, and calmer, atmospheric parts, before taking us to the gigantic ending riff.” – Tuonela Magazine (2021 – Moonrise – LP)
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