REUNITED BAY AREA CROSSOVER THRASHERS MORDRED UNVEIL “MALIGNANCY” MUSIC VIDEO
CLIP FEAT. APPEARANCES FROM CHUCK BILLY (TESTAMENT)
AND WILL CARROLL (DEATH ANGEL)
The influential San Francisco crossover thrash metal act MORDRED have unleashed the music video for their new song “Malignancy.” The clip, which features appearances from fellow Bay Area metalheads Chuck Billy (Testament), Will Carroll (Death Angel) and Matt Camacho (Forbidden), was written and directed by MORDRED guitarist Danny White and Christian Powell of Wintermusik Productions and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/rdyn3kXh7VU.
“’Malignancy’ was truly a band effort,” says White. “We all had a hand in the writing. The music was done and there were some attempts at lyrics, but the subject was just too close to heart to write about. I was relating it to (vocalist) Scott Holderby one night over drinks, and I said that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do for a living – cancer doesn’t give a shit. He said I should just write that. The lyrics were written 20 minutes later. This is dedicated to everyone who’s lost someone to this wretched disease. Fuck cancer.”
“Malignancy” is the second advance taste of “The Dark Parade,” MORDRED’s first full-length album in over 25 years. Set to be released by M-Theory Audio on July 23, the record – which will be offered on CD, digital, blue vinyl with orange splatter and a limited-edition, mail-order exclusive white vinyl variant with a Mordred turntable slipmat and autographed photo card – can be pre-ordered now at https://smarturl.com/Mordred.
MORDRED has also scheduled their first live performance of 2021, a record release show on Aug. 14 during the grand re-opening weekend of famed San Francisco rock club Bottom of the Hill. Special guests and fellow Bay Area heavy metal masters Blind Illusion will also perform. The following week, MORDRED will take the stage alongside the likes of Vicious Rumors and Lich King at the Redwood Metalfest in Ukiah, Calif.
“The Dark Parade” features five-sixths of the personnel from MORDRED’s acclaimed 1991 record “In This Life,” plus new drummer Jeff Gomes (formerly of Fungo Mungo and MIRV). The album is the follow-up to their acclaimed 2020 EP “Volition,” and their first full-length record since 1994’s “The Next Room.” Outside of their 2015 single “The Baroness,” “Volition” – which is available for purchase at https://m-theoryaudio.com/store – marked the first new MORDRED music since the band’s 2013 reunion. The four songs on that effort saw the group return to the scene with a revitalized energy and successfully recapture their classic sound, which is rooted in thrash metal but veers off the straightforward path for more adventurous musical explorations by utilizing funk-infused musicianship and hip-hop influences.
“The Dark Parade” is the continuation of the aural momentum that MORDRED regained on “Volition” and showcases a band that sounds as fresh now as they did during their initial decade of existence. The first taste of music from “The Dark Parade” was recently revealed with the music video for “Demonic #7”, which can be viewed at https://youtu.be/_livW5vY9pQ.
MORDRED was formed in 1984 as the burgeoning Bay Area thrash scene was beginning its rise to global prominence. While mosh-inducing thrash formed the basic blueprint of their sound, MORDRED stood out as a unique presence thanks to their integration of funk, alternative and hip-hop influences. The group was one of the first Bay Area bands to explore those diversities in extremes, but as the dexterous bass performance of Art Liboon and innovative turntable work from band collaborator Aaron “DJ Pause” Vaughn provided a new spin on the thrash metal genre, MORDRED retained their metallic bark thanks to groove-laden shred from guitarists Danny White and James Sanguinetti and energetic shout-along choruses spearheaded by vocalist Scott Holderby. That combination of thrash metal and exploratory funk powered three full-lengths on Noise Records between 1989 and 1994: their revered debut “Fool’s Game”; their eclectic sophomore follow-up “In This Life”; the EP “Visions”, and their final – until now – record, “The Next Room.”
In addition to spending their 2020 releasing “Volition” and putting the finishing touches on “The Dark Parade,” MORDRED also entertained audiences throughout the year with their streaming variety show and concert series, “MORDRED: Acting The Fool!” and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/mordredband/.
More information on MORDRED and “The Dark Parade” will be unveiled by M-Theory Audio in the weeks to come, and by MORDRED at www.facebook.com/MordredBand.
MORDRED is:
Scott Holderby – vocals
Art Liboon – bass
James Sanguinetti – guitar
Danny White – guitar
Aaron “DJ Pause” Vaughn – turntables/keyboards
Jeff Gomes – drums
