“‘The Devourer’ features CORMORANT at their darkest…” – BrooklynVegan/Invisible Oranges
Preorder Diaspora at THIS LOCATION.
As Diaspora, the imminent new full-length from progressive blackened death collective CORMORANT, draws closer to release, today the band offers up “The Devourer” for mass consumption courtesy of a dual premiere between BrooklynVegan and Invisible Oranges.
Witness “The Devourer” alongside an in-depth review of Diaspora at BrooklynVegan HERE or Invisible Oranges HERE.
Issues the band of the latest single, “‘The Devourer’ is the shortest song on the record, but it probably has the highest concentration of riffs and musical expressions, with lots of twists and turns that are reflected in the narrative. Tying into the overarching themes of migration and human arrogance, this song tells a story about defying the passage of the soul. [Bassist/vocalist] Marcus [Luscombe] wrote the lyrics based on the Egyptian mythology of Ammit, a funerary deity who consumes the impure in the afterlife. In an attempt to outsmart his doomed fate, the protagonist endeavors to flee Ammit in the underworld in an act of defiance.”
Adds the esteemed blog, “‘The Devourer’ features CORMORANT at their darkest, even considering the weightiest moments of their well-received preceding album Earth Diver (2014). Hammering on a comfortably familiar riff to start, the track patiently evolves across an unpredictable structure rife with moody vocals (both screams and clean), sudden shifts, and technical asides. As with each track, the beginning sounds nothing like the conclusion, but they’re ultimately connected. Midpointing ‘The Devourer’ are thrashy passages and clean-sung melodies, plus a surreal guitar solo as a bonus. The song feels trackable and linear, but non-repetitive and spontaneous, multifaceted and densely packaged.”
If you missed it, be sure to sample opening track “Preserved In Ash,” still streaming at Decibel Magazine at THIS LOCATION.
Diaspora will be released independently on 2xLP, CD, and digital formats on August 11th with US and European distribution through War Crime Recordings. Preorders are currently available at THIS LOCATION.
Recorded and mixed by Greg Wilkinson (Vastum, Graves At Sea, Noothgrush, Brainoil) at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, California, the expansive four-track, sixty-one-minute Diaspora features CORMORANT‘s longest, most detail-oriented compositions to date – the collective result of two years of collaborative writing.
Musically, CORMORANT‘s Diaspora features familiar elements of black, death, prog, and folk metal, but pronounced psychedelic and funeral doom influences can be heard throughout as well, particularly on the twenty-six-minute closing epic, “Migration.” Diaspora also features dynamic performances from renowned cellist Jackie Perez Gratz (Grayceon, Giant Squid, ex-Amber Asylum). Mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, YOB, Gatecreeper) at Audiosiege, the album is a crushing statement from one of the Bay Area’s most consistent extreme metal bands.
Additionally, Utah-based visionary artist Jeff Christensen created the album’s vivid four-panel artwork. Issues Christensen, “The idea was to create four panels of artwork based on a migration theme. I thought it would be interesting to have the panels run consecutively to form an expansive, evolving image where the eyes can just roam. We wanted each painting to be able to hold its own as a standalone image but also be a link to the wider image of the migratory theme. The original artwork was done with oil paints on four 16″ x 16″ panels. The entire process was a challenge, and the finished images are really different than anything I’ve done before. I was given a lot of reign to just do my thing and I’m very happy with the way it turned out.”
Oakland dwellers can catch CORMORANT live this August. Future CORMORANT performances to be announced in the weeks to come.
CORMORANT:
8/11/2017 Oakland Metro Operahouse – Oakland, CA w/ Inanimate Existence, Wrvth, Logistic Slaughter
CORMORANT is a progressive black/death metal band from Petaluma, California. Forged in 2007, the group consists of bassist/vocalist Marcus Luscombe, guitarist Nick Cohon, guitarist/vocalist Matt Solis, and drummer Brennan Kunkel. In addition to performing numerous shows throughout the Bay Area with notable acts like At The Gates, Wolves In The Throne Room, Ne Obliviscaris, and Pallbearer, CORMORANT has completed full US tours with Primordial, While Heaven Wept, YOB, Norska, and others.
http://www.cormorant.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/cormorantmusic
http://www.twitter.com/cormorantmusic
http://www.youtube.com/cormorantmusic
http://www.facebook.com/Jeff-Christensen-Artwork