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Canadian sludge metal band HERON will release their upcoming album Empires of Ash via Sludgelord Records on Dec 2, 2022.
The first single “With Dead Eyes” is now available on all streaming platforms and can be heard here: https://youtu.be/dmNSxRj6WjE
The band comments: “A long figure stands in the cold stillness of the low and longing early morning hours. Too early to be getting up and too late to still be up. This track is a reflection of the clarity one can feel after staying up all night submerged in anxiety and doubt. Sometimes the start of a new day just means more anxiety but there can also be something very calming and centering about seeing the sun rise and realizing that a new day has started.”
Pre-order Empires of Ash: https://sludgelordrecords.bandcamp.com/
Empires of Ash offers an immersive experience into the eerie gloom. Bringing together a concoction of slow heavy chords, atmospheric synths and angst-ridden vocals, HERON attempt to make sense of a shared hollow experience.
Combining four veterans of the independent music scene and a back-breaking amount of gear, HERON mixes post-rock textures with suffocating guitar riffs, dread-inspiring percussion, and agonizing sludge-metal vocals. No stranger to the live stage, HERON tours extensively and has played with such giants as HIGH ON FIRE, CONAN, PALLBEARER, and PRIMITIVE MAN. Empires of Ash journeys through a dynamic array of soundscapes and moods across each track. It’s a haunting production delving into some of the darkest emotions brought about through an expected series of events. “Rust and Rot” begins with a dramatic sludge-fuelled build-up of percussion and guitars before emerging into a dark and heavy onslaught. “The Middle Distance” unveils an unsuspecting serene calm of lighter guitar melodies, and cymbals. It’s merely the calm before the storm and the immense guitars create an enveloping atmosphere of fuzz. An enthralling sense of vastness is presented in “Hauntology”, while “Hungry Ghosts” delivers a fiery attack. HERON’s bitter anguish exudes through “With Dead Eyes”. The instrumentation transitions into a more minimal form initially, giving space to the commanding harsh vocals. As the track progresses the power intensifies.
HERON twist and turn through turbulent waters as they navigate a large scope of turbulent emotions. Musically the band showcase a diverse range of styles which weave together in Empires of Ash into a harrowing narrative.