photo by Sarah Kirkwold
“In Yearning, Alive” is the new single from melodic death metal trio MAJESTIES, the song the latest preview of their impending debut LP, Vast Reaches Unclaimed, nearing March release through 20 Buck Spin.
MAJESTIES unites guitarist/vocalist/drummer Tanner Anderson, guitarist Carl Skildum, and bassist Matthew Kirkwold. The sound on Vast Reaches Unclaimed will be another striking addition to their respective oeuvres, recalling the glorious days of Wrong Again and No Fashion Records. Evoking a time when Gothenburg was starting to unseat Stockholm as the unimpeachable city for Swedish death metal in the mind of the international metal scene, MAJESTIES bears that intrinsic sense of rabid intensity and the effortlessly satisfying melodic ability that made albums like In Flames’ The Jester Race and the like instant classics. The mix of major key melodies and twin guitar harmonies snaking through every track ornament the vigorous riff eruptions and anguished vocals in a sheen of gleaming brilliance that proves an exhilarating triumph to behold.
Without a hint of the corruption the style experienced in a post-Slaughter Of The Soul world, Vast Reaches Unclaimed exists as a fervent reminder of what was and what again shall be. MAJESTIES reanimates the corpse of the true melodic style that both divided and invigorated the death metal scene of the mid-1990s and brings it into 2023 like it never left, sounding as novel and thrilling as ever. Fans of In Flames, Eucharist, Dark Tranquillity, A Canorous Quintet, Gates of Ishtar, Iron Maiden, Ceremonial Oath, and clearly Obsequiae and Inexorum, should not miss MAJESTIES’ debut.
Vast Reaches Unclaimed was engineered by the MAJESTIES members after which it was mixed and mastered by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone Recording (Ulthar, Thou, Obsequiae), and completed with photography by Sarah Kirkwold, artwork by Juanjo Castellano (Gates Of Ishtar, Varathron, The Black Dahlia Murder), logo by Dan Capp, and layout by Chimere Noire.
With the new single, Tanner Anderson reveals, “‘In Yearning, Alive’ is an ode to one of the finest examples of melodic death metal – the godly 1995 EP Subterranean. In it, we dismiss the idle and pervasive notion that ‘the repetition of the riff’ is a sign of mature songwriting across all styles of heavy music. For those who lack the ability to pay attention to detail, you fortunately have melodic death metal post-1996. For those who instead want to feel the harmonic fabrics woven throughout the short-lived tapestry of sound, and who want the teetering-on-disorienting frenzy of riff-smiths like Alf Svensson, this is for you.”
MAJESTIES’ “In Yearning, Alive” is now streaming at YouTube HERE and Bandcamp HERE.
20 Buck Spin will release Vast Reaches Unclaimed March 3rd on LP, CD, CS, and digital formats. Find preorders at the label webshop HERE and Bandcamp where lead single “The World Unseen” is playing HERE.
https://www.instagram.com/majesties_melodicdeath
https://www.20buckspin.com
https://listen.20buckspin.com
https://www.facebook.com/20buckspin
https://twitter.com/20buckspinlabel
https://www.instagram.com/20buckspinlabel