BLACKQUEEN: The Destructive Cycle Full-Length From Assück And Wormwood Members Available On Vinyl Through Roman Numeral Records; New Material In The Works
The Destructive Cycle, the dynamic new album by Seattle-based avant metal outfit BLACKQUEEN, is out now through Roman Numeral Records.
Unleashing a haunting and intriguing amalgam of metal infused with a wide array of elements, BLACKQUEEN unites lifelong punk/metal scene veterans Pete Jay (Assück) and Brandon Fitzsimons (Wormwood), the LP lineup fleshed out by Rob Beebe and Patrick Fiorentino. The Destructive Cycle is written based on Taoist five element theory. The band always strives to write music that creates dark and powerful soundscapes while at the same time embracing the deep esoteric knowledge of many cultures, from the powers of the known universe, into the unknown beyond; a musical representation of the powers of nature being channeled through a human host, and of the fear born from its misunderstood creative and destructive elements.
The Destructive Cycle was recorded and mixed by Brandon Fitzsimons at Airport Grocery, and mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering with additional engineering by Jeremy Davis, the record features guest vocals from Paul Pavlovich (Assück) on “Needle Grinding Well,” “Infinitesimal,” and “Calefactorum Occulta,” and Wrest (Leviathan, Lurker Of Chalice) on “The Sorcerer’s Jian.” The album is completed with cover art by Wrest and the LP version features design by Pavlovich.
Stream BLACKQUEEN’s The Destructive Cycle in its entirety RIGHT HERE.
Following its initial release in November – on CD through Super Sargasso and digitally through the band – The Destructive Cycle is now available on vinyl in a run of 500 copies on clear vinyl with an included download card through Pavlovich’s Roman Numeral Records at THIS LOCATION. Find the digital version and more at BLACKQUEEN‘s Bandcamp HERE.
While COVID-19 pandemic social restrictions are in place, Jay and Fitzsimons are currently remotely working with new members on honing the prior material, while writing new material for whatever comes next for the band. Watch for new updates on BLACKQUEEN to post over the months ahead.
“The album is still full of cavernous moments of ritualistic chanting and echoing guitars… the band charges in a stampede blackened arch-thrash that feels like a spiked gauntlet around their esoteric spiritual moments. Songs like ‘Feed The Worm’ and ‘Infinitesimal’ show off their range, giving fans an example of something richer than black metal, more sepulchral than thrash, and sharper than doom – a perfect taste of that sweet spot right in the middle.” – Kerrang!
“…covers a lot of ground throughout its seven-minute running time, from brutal grind to soaring post-metal and plenty of the in-between.” – BrooklynVegan premiere of “Feed The Worm”
“All these musical, stylistic, and thematic elements add up to a power-packed concoction that defies convention on many levels, but that flows like spring water through the ears and leaves the listener breathless, refreshed, and fulfilled. In an era where many bands find a genre and sit safely within its confines, happy to play by the rules, it’s so satisfying to find musicians that are willing to hone and focus their craft and treat it with the respect it deserves.” – Ghost Cult
“…I’m impressed with how cohesive the album sounds as a whole… They do a pretty good job of keeping the listener intrigued and on their toes. The atmosphere is very cold, dark, mysterious, and all the while exciting and intense. For fans of any of the other bands mentioned in the article, such as Ludicra, Weakling, Impaled, Exhumed, Morbid Angel, Atheist, and Opeth, I would recommend giving this album a listen.” – Indy Metal Vault
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