PROX Intake

Category: news

  • Symphonic metal collective Valcata announce new single ‘Tower’ — Pre-Save on Spotify

    The online symphonic metal collective Valcata will release a new standalone single Tower on February 12th, 2021. Pre-save the song on Spotify here: https://show.co/iN8Pcpg

    The composer of the project Oha Cade is originally from Clonakilty, Ireland, but is now based in Brooklyn, New York. He has this to say regarding Tower,

    “Tower is, like our debut in 2019, a remote online production. Several musicians who featured on the 2019 album have returned, but we’re also introducing new guests. Vocal-wise, on the returning side we have the incredible talents of Hadi Kiani (Gereh, The Frame, Deaton LeMay Project) and Angel Wolf-Black (Goditha, Alexandra Zerner, Vivaldi Metal Project), who reprise their roles as Hessabi and Hypatia. Our new guest is Joshua Morse from the band The Doubted, who appears as the new character Morbus, and delivers Valcata’s first ever harsh vocals.

    Drummer Jonas Schütz (Sacrosanct, Sapiency, Eraserhead, Diësis, Condemned to Dream, First Encounter, Oceanrise) returns again to grace us with his hammer-hearted rhythms. Then we have three new maestros — João Miguel (Enblood, Tokyo Wanderer) on guitars, Chris Kollias (SL Theory, Serenity Broken, Persona Non Grata) on bass, and Nathaniel Wolkstein (Just Nathaniel, Gravity the Architect, Imagine the Moon) on strings — all of whom elevated this music with their creativity and unique contributions.

    Last but certainly not least, this track was mixed and mastered by the legendary producer Jacob Hansen, who has brought to life the music of many bands that influenced us such as Volbeat, Amaranthe, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Delain.

    The artwork was done by Joshua McQuary (McMonster), who creates stunning watercolors. His style perfectly captures the song’s atmosphere.

    Since our debut in October 2019, I’ve been feverishly working on new music. While my ultimate goal is to create another full-length album, some things just can’t wait. When you hear this song and the lyrical themes, you’ll see why.”

    A teaser video is scheduled for next Friday, February 5th. Mailing list subscribers will receive the video in their inbox a couple days early.

    Follow Valcata here: valcata.com/links

    Below are the full credits:

    MIXING AND MASTERING
    Jacob Hansen (Pyramaze, Volbeat, Amaranthe, Delain)

    VOCALISTS
    Hadi Kiani (Gereh, The Frame, Deaton LeMay Project) — as Hessabi
    Angel Wolf-Black (Goditha, Alexandra Zerner, Vivaldi Metal Project) — as Hypatia
    Joshua Morse (The Doubted) — as Morbus

    GUITARS
    João Miguel (Enblood, Tokyo Wanderer)

    BASS
    Chris Kollias (SL Theory, Serenity Broken, Persona Non Grata)

    DRUMS
    Jonas Schütz (Sacrosanct, Sapiency, Eraserhead, Diësis, Condemned to Dream, First Encounter, Oceanrise)

    STRINGS
    Nathaniel Wolkstein (Just Nathaniel, Gravity the Architect, Imagine the Moon)

    SYNTHS
    Oha Cade

    ARTWORK
    Joshua McQuary (McMonster)

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  • Spirit Adrift – Enlightened in Eternity

    By Calen Henry. Despite being written in 2019 Spirit Adrift’s fourth album, Enlightened in Eternity, sounds inexorably linked to 2020. By splitting the difference between the somber doom metal of Chained to Oblivion and the righteous classic metal vibe of Divided by Darkness

    Spirit Adrift: Enlightened in Eternity cover artwork.
    Artwork by Adam Burke.

    Despite being written in 2019 Spirit Adrift’s fourth album, Enlightened in Eternity, sounds inexorably linked to 2020. By splitting the difference between the somber doom metal of Chained to Oblivion and the righteous classic metal vibe of Divided by Darkness it comes off as hope battling through existential dread, exactly how 2020 has felt for many of us. It also sounds like Nate Garrett and Marcus Bryant simply had a blast recording it. Garrett has a gift for taking a collection of metal riffs and melding them into catchy, anthemic songs that straddle the line perfectly between classic metal and arena rock anthems.

    These new songs are more diverse than any single prior album. From the punky intro to “Cosmic Conquest” through the full speed metal banger “Harmony of the Spheres” to the dramatic trudging doom metal of closer “Reunited in the Void”. They lay the foundation for some genre hopping classic-metal worship that comes off as reverential, rather than hackneyed. Like with the songs themselves Garrett cherry picks whatever metal bit or piece he pleases and adds some delightfully out there touches from a late track key-change to spooky chains clanking. The lead work fits the feel of every song and twin guitar leads abound. Many of the parts have the air of familiarity from classic metal albums, but nothing (apart from that one riff in “Stronger than your Pain”) calls back to a specific band or album. It just feels right, like “comfort metal”.

    The choruses are as catchy as the riffs, but the lyrics dive a bit deeper than simply arena rock pizazz. A vein of hope runs through the album, but so does death and pain. The same dichotomy of downcast doom metal and triumphant classic metal that runs through the riffs permeates the lyrics. Many of the songs are about hope and triumph, but they’re often about hope through pain and darkness and death, and the strength to face them head on. So still pretty metal, but 2020 metal, not 1980 metal.

    2020 has been a crazy year and much of my music consumption has been revisiting favourites and discovering classics I’d missed in the metal pantheon so some new music completely fell off my radar Enlightened in Eternity almost did until Max asked me to cover it, and I’m glad he did. It’s exactly the metal album my 2020 needed.

  • Vigor Reconstruct: A Benefit For The Soroka Family

    Here at Metal Bandcamp we have been fans of Markov Soroka’s many projects for years. Like Drown, Aureole, Krukh, and of course the mighty Tchornobog. This, though, is not a celebration of another new release from Markov, it’s a benefit compilation with a sad background:
    Vigor Reconstruct album artwork
    Artwork by Calvin Cushman

    Here at Metal Bandcamp we have been fans of Markov Soroka’s many projects for years. Like Drown, Aureole, Krukh, and of course the mighty Tchornobog. This, though, is not a celebration of another new release from Markov, it’s a benefit compilation with a sad background:

    Markov Soroka’s father suffered a severe heart attack earlier this summer and, though he survived, was left without a job nor insurance in the wake of such tumult. Now the Soroka family faces at least $66,000 in medical bills. It is our hope that this compilation, featuring some of the very best of the metal (and beyond) underground, will help ameliorate some of the financial woes which they face.
    Musically there’s much to enjoy here (Mare Cognitum tearing through “Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times”? Yes, please). The fantastic King’s X cover by Panopticon led me to rediscover a band I had forgotten all about (I’m currently deep down a King’s X Youtube rabbit hole). For another look back at good times, here’s a couple of candid Tchernobog merch actions shots from when they played (remember live music?) Kill-Town Death Fest last year:

    Tchornobog photo from Kill-Town Death Fest Tchornobog photo from Kill-Town Death Fest
    Tchornobog merch action at Kill-Town Death Fest 2019.

    Oh, one last thing. An important message from the compilation organizers:
    We will also concurrently be running a raffle for the original hand-painted artwork by Calvin Cushman, as well as original artwork by Karmazid (Tchornobog logo et al). At $5 per ticket, you are welcome to purchase as many “tickets” as possible (Paypal the total amount as Friends and Family to sorokafamilybenefit@gmail.com) between 10/2 and 10/4 (at midnight PST), with the winners being announced 10/5. Global shipping will be covered by the artists.