event

Does checking apps on your phone feel like you're opening and closing an empty fridge 100 times a day?
 
Does the term “Wellness” or “Self-Care” make you feel so sick that you just wanna BARF ALL OVER YOURSELF?
 
Are you drowning in booze every night just to forget about the grim reality of your own fleeting existence?
 
Well, guess what? We've got absolutely no remedy for any of that...
 
BUT, ARCHSPIRE is about to embark on a NORTH AMERICAN RESCUE MISSION to TEMPORARILY DISTRACT YOU from everything in your life that TOTALLY F#*!@NG SUCKS!
 
We're joining forces with THREE ELITE SQUADS: ABORTED, CARCOSA, and ALLUVIAL, to strategically infiltrate major North American cities on a mission to provide you with a brain-numbing, eardrum-puncturing, nuclear strike that is guaranteed to melt away all those incessant pestering thoughts so you can just TRULY. F#*!@NG. PARTY.
 
And for at least one night of your dwindling life, you can completely forget that:
 
“EVERYTHING'S F#*!@D.”
 

Since their unholy inception in 1995, death metal miscreants ABORTED have been one of the pioneers of the genre and have annihilated friend and foe with relentless intensity and an uncompromising mix of flawless technicality and raw emotion.
Having carved a niche for themselves in the extreme metal realm, the multi-national combo around Sven de Caluwé initially gained notoriety by offering up ruthlessly fast death-grind with groovy breakdowns on their early works (‘The Purity of Perversion’, ‘Goremageddon: The Saw And The Carnage Done’). By meticulously crafting and introducing more technical elements on more recent releases such as “TerrorVision”, “Retrogore” and “ManiaCult”, ABORTED has consistently sharpened their lethal blend of furious death metal. Thereby firmly cementing their status as one of the most menacing and envelope-pushing metal acts of the 21st century.

For their 12th studio album, set to attack the living on March 15th, the band teamed up with Nuclear Blast. With each of the 10 new tracks, ABORTED dives deep into the vaults of VHS cassettes and stories that have been haunting us all for decades. Each song pays tribute to a horror cult classic and ranges from obligatory cuts such as ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (to be found on “Death Cult”) or ‘Halloween’ (‘The Shape Of Hate’) to the more recent ‘The Mist’ to be discovered on ‘Malevolent Haze’. True to themselves, it wouldn’t be an Aborted reference without an odious homage to none other than shit daemon ‘The Golgothan’ (sadly defeated by Silent Bob through the use of deodorant, cheeky bastard!).
There are plenty of familiar faces (and those who collect them), stories and easter eggs to be found on these 10 ferocious, gut-wrenching death metal slashers.

“It’s partially personal preference, but also stories that were interesting to write about”, frontman Sven remembers the writing process and how they chose their victims from the endless arsenal of great horror films. “‘Return of the Living Dead’ was picked not because it’s an interesting story, but because it’s a movie that hasn’t really gotten any coverage from any metal band yet and it’s a great fun film. ‘The Mist’ is another great one and carries a lot of sustenance, as does ‘Prince of Darkness’. The dark world of John Carpenter is always mesmerizing.”

If you’re going head to head with the most vile and infamous monsters in pop culture (all cleverly combined into one supervillain on the cover artwork created by Dan Goldsworthy), you might as well get some help from some of the best out there, right? Therefore, ABORTED invited the crème de la crème (sadly, they ran out of ice cream) of the music scene to the party, and on each track of the album you will find a different guest vocalist – ranging from Alex Erian (DESPISED ICON) to Johnny Ciardullo (CARCOSA / ANGELMAKER), Ben Duerr (Shadow of Intent), Francesco Paoli (FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE) and many more:

“As usual, the guest vocalists were all chosen out of friends, people we’ve known for years or got to know in the last years, toured with, or have a connection with. Hal from Engulf was also picked since I did a guest spot on their record and loved his vocals. The guys from Ingested, Carcosa, Ov Sulfur were people that we toured with last year. We also go way back with Archspire, Despised Icon, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Cryptopsy. Being able to collaborate with all these great artists is such a privilege and made the process all the more exhilarating since each of them bring their own flavour to the mix. The enthusiasm of everyone involved definitely shines through to the final product and adds yet another layer of depth to the listening experience of the album.”

With this deadly alliance, “Vault of Horrors” is an epic journey where listeners are thrust into a world of intense brutality, characterized by lightning-fast guitar riffs, intricate, pummeling drum patterns and monstrous vocals that leave no room for respite.
For the first time since 2016’s ‘Retrogore’ the band opted for a full production with audio extraordinaire and heavyweight producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Archspire, Khemmis):

“The process was different as we spent 6 weeks tracking with him. We did the pre-production with him and he was very involved with each step. In the past, we’ve had people that were less involved or only tracked drums and vocals while the guitarists did their thing. Now everyone went through Dave’s little ‘Torture Chamber’ and it was a great experience. He has a vision and is simply fantastic to work with. I don’t think I’ve ever spent as much time on vocals as on this record. Dave is a fan of the music, he knew the band well and really wants to bring out what makes Aborted ‘Aborted’. He gets super excited working on the music which creates this infectious energy that makes for a really motivating atmosphere. Honestly, it was the best studio experience I’ve ever had and the result speaks for itself.”

And oh boy-o, does it! So sit back, grab a snack, and crawl down into the “Vault of Horrors”, if you dare. As the final notes fade, one thing will be clear – with this new release, ABORTED have not only once again proven their dominance in the world of death metal but leaped to new heights.
 

If time is a flat circle, then two things are true:
1) Deathcore coming back to prominence was inevitable.
2) Andrew Baena, Johnny Ciardullo, Cooper Lagace and Travis Regnier were destined to form another band.
 
Vancouver’s Carcosa formed from the ashes of djenty metalcore band Galactic Pegasus, deciding to kill that band off as the music they were writing trended in a deadlier direction. So intense was their devotion to death that the body was still warm when they started the new project.
 
Writing began back in June 2019, eight months before they’d put their alma mater to rest at a final show. Carcosa’s June 2020 unveiling and the release of the Absent EP two months later solidified not just a disregard for the dead but a mastery over it.
 
While past music gazed to the future with a progressive mindset, Carcosa’s deathcore stares into the abyss—knowing everything happens in cycles but with the nihilistic outlook that everything ends. Indeed, their name, as well as the black, yellow and spiral-laden imagery, were inspired by the first season of True Detective.
 
Hell, it could be argued that their lyrics and even sound came from the hopeless mind of Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey). The music borders on apocalyptic, but rather than giving in accepts the bleak end as the twin of the hopeful beginning. It’s the kind of doom-and-gloom through which The Acacia Strain and Chelsea Grin channeled their brutality, tempered with the futuristic noises of contemporaries like Humanity’s Last Breath and Brand of Sacrifice.
 
In fact, Brand of Sacrifice vocalist Kyle Anderson shows up to guest scream on a revamped version of “Our Scars,” and is joined by Jake Wolf (Reflections), Taylor Barber (Left to Suffer), Ricky Hoover (Ov Sulfur, ex-Suffokate), Chad Kapper (Frontierer) and Charlie Pears-Smith fill out the Absent songs present on Anthology. That five-song journey through depression, despair, loss and love is preceded by subsequent single “Devoid,” three new singles, an interlude and intro.
 
Though the lyrics don’t follow the tragic journey of their debut, the collection renews its endless loop construction. The new release was released on the one-year anniversary of its predecessor (August 19) and the final track seamlessly segues to the opening of both.
 
This was done intentionally for Absent, but on Anthology happened without conscious thought, proving that time is a flat circle, indeed.
 
 

More than anything, our pain connects us. Hardship binds us as humans in one shared experience, bringing us closer together. Alluvial examine this phenomenon on their second full-length album, Sarcoma [Nuclear Blast]. The critically acclaimed Atlanta-based quartet—Kevin Muller [vocals], Wes Hauch [guitar, vocals], Tim Walker [bass], and Matt Paulazzo [drums]—plunge into a whirlwind of neck-snapping polyrhythmic riffs, a barrage of double bass, and a dynamic avalanche of screams. After amassing over 2 million total streams independently and receiving the endorsement of MetalSucks, No Clean Singing, and more, the group evolve into a focused and fiery force in 2021 with their latest body of work.
 
“Sarcoma is a type of cancer that grows from connective tissue in the body,” reveals Wes. “At the end of working on everything, Kevin pinpointed that each song on the record was about the different perils that happen at the hand of one man to another. These perils live in our connections to one another, so Sarcoma became an apt title.”
 
In 2017, Alluvial initially roared to life on their debut LP, The Deep Longing for Annihilation. “Colony” notably gathered 678K Spotify streams—unprecedented for instrumental extreme metal. Building a fan base, the group toured alongside Animals As Leaders and Veil of Maya.
 
On the heels of this tour, Wes traded Los Angeles for Atlanta.
 
“In all honesty, it was an escape,” he admits. “I knew some of my struggles would never leave me, but I felt like I’d have a better chance to reset if I got out of California. The perils of taking refuge in a bottle or the near occupational hazard of drugs in L.A. had hollowed me out and exacerbated my woes. Winston Churchill famously called depression ‘the Black Dog’. The rut with drugs and booze turns the black dog, a longtime bedfellow, into the ruler of your vessel. I’d estimate that the music for Sarcoma started
 there. As strange and vulnerable as it feels to explain that, it would be dishonest to say otherwise."
 
As he began to write at home, he took notice of Kevin due to his time in Suffocation. After hearing his vocals on a demo, everything simply clicked, and Kevin joined the band. Fast brothers, it fulfilled a long-term goal. “The Deep Longing for Annihilation was supposed to have vocals, but I couldn’t find the right guy,” he adds. “Some people possess a rare inability to doubt themselves. Kevin can marry that into performances. The day I heard his vocals over the Sarcoma demos was a special one. We’ve become brothers.”
 
After writing and producing demos at home, Alluvial cut guitars, bass, and vocals with engineer John Douglass in Atlanta. The opener “Ulysses” begins with warm guitar echoes before building towards an ominous crescendo. It quickly crumbles under the weight of a thrash riff and brain-rattling growl.
 
“I was always in trouble in my small hometown,” he says. “After going to a county jail, I joined the military and took orders as an Equipment Operator bound for the US Naval Mobile Construction Battalions. The enlisted side of the military are all misfits of one kind or another. Because of this, it’s really a continuation of high school. The military continued raising us, for better or worse. In 2005, I deployed to Iraq and convoyed throughout Baghdad for seven months. If you were in Iraq from 03 to 08, it was generally pretty bad. Because of that, I wouldn’t call my experience in Iraq “unique”, it was just a hot time over there. If you convoyed, you were gonna get shot at, and you were gonna deal with IED’s. If you were in a camp, you were gonna get mortared. If you were infantry and you were kicking down doors, god bless you, you were gonna have it the worst out of anyone. ‘Ulysses’ is a glossary of my hindsight on that experience.”
 
An airy clean intro ignites a bludgeoning groove on “40 Stories,” which remains “loosely based on the story of Conrad Roy who committed suicide at the coercion of his girlfriend.” Maintaining elements of power and conviction throughout, “Sleepers Become Giants” creeps along on whispers and emotionally charged guitar before another cathartic chorus about a combination of depression and the moment “you become a giant, wake up, and do what you’re supposed to be.”
 
In the end, Alluvial welcome audiences into their world.
 
“My favorite records have always been places where I could crawl inside and hang out,” he leaves off. “They gave me a way of looking at things and put me in a helpful state of mind, whether I knew it or not. The goal with this album is to hopefully provide a similar feeling.”