Photo Credit – Ross Theisen
Metalcore Mercenaries MISS MAY I
Drop “Free Fall” Single and Video
Curse of Existence Tour Starts September 1
Curse of Existence Album drops September 2
via SharpTone Records
Miss May I gives us the newest single from the upcoming Curse of Existence album today.
Miss May I vocalist Levi Benton shares “This song âFree Fallâ is our open invitation to anyone who wants to take that leap they never had the courage to take. When you reach the edge of a journey you have struggled to travel through and you back out before the final step, this is your chance to take that leap off the edge and see where the journey takes you. I know the popular term for this is âimposter syndromeâ and for anyone who has felt the relief of pushing through, this song is your anthem.” Â
Watch “Free Fall”:Â https://youtu.be/c6Z6VxOey-c
Buy “Free Fall” here: https://bfan.link/MMI-free-fall
Pre-order Curse of Existence here: https://bfan.link/curse-of-existence
Curse of Existence, the seventh studio album from MISS MAY I, explodes with the life experience of an established band, the uncertainty of mental health struggles, the isolation of the global shutdown, and the perspective gained from the most extensive time away from the road of each manâs adult life.
“Curse Of Existence is exactly what it reads, the curse we have in our existence. This doesnât mean anything strictly negative, but it covers all existence that is the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, the sorrow and the joy. Everything that comes with life comes with a lesson and a price and that is what we have put into this new album. It tells our lessons over our lives that have shaped us and have brought us to the very bottom of our lowest low and the tallest point to our highest high. We know the reflection we all went through during the world coming to a halt and that experience brought a lot of these sheltered emotions to light!” – Levi Benton
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Produced by Will Putney (A Day To Remember, The Amity Affliction, Every Time I Die), Curse of Existence is the sound of five people prying victory from the jaws of defeat. Unbroken by isolation, fearless in the face of fear, MISS MAY I wrestle with demons real and imagined all over the album.
The Curse of Existence Tour  Â
09/01 St. Louis, MO â Red Flag
09/02 Springfield, MO â The Riff
09/03 Dallas, TX â Amplified Live
09/04 San Antonio, TX â Rock Box
09/06 Mesa, AZ â The Nile
09/07 Los Angeles, CA â The Regent
09/08 Roseville, CA â Goldfield Trading Post
09/10 Vancouver, BC â Rickshaw Theatre
09/11 Seattle, WA â El Corazon
09/13 Salt Lake City, UT â Metro Music Hall
09/14 Denver, CO â Oriental Theater
09/15 Lawrence, KS â The Granada
09/17 Joliet, IL â The Forge
09/18 Flint, MI â Machine Shop
09/20 Toronto, ON â Velvet Underground
09/21 Montreal, QC â Theatre Fairmount
09/23 Worcester, MA â The Palladium
09/24 Philadelphia, PA â Underground Arts
09/25 Pittsburgh, PA â Mr. Smalls
09/27 Atlanta, GA â The Masquerade
09/28 Greensboro, NC â The Blind Tiger
09/29 Richmond, VA â Canal Club
09/30 Horseheads, NY â The L
10/01 Cleveland, OH â Beachland Ballroom
10/02 New York, NY â Gramercy Theatre
About Miss May I:
Levi Benton â Vocals
B.J. Stead â Lead Guitar
Justin Aufdemkampe â Guitar
Ryan Neff â Bass/Vocals
Jerod Boyd â DrumsÂ
The men of MISS MAY I were high school students when they picked up the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal torch set ablaze by bands like Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, and All That Remains. Arguably the most prolific group in the Warped Tour-era of the vibrant metalcore scene, the Ohio boys cranked out a breathtaking six albums from 2009 to 2017, some of them just a year apart.
They delivered unforgettable performances on global tours, including runs with Five Finger Death Punch, Pierce The Veil, Asking Alexandria, August Burns Red, and Gwar. A generation of fans who connected to the bandâs blend of pummeling chaos, irrefutable breakdowns, and singalong choruses cherish MISS MAY I. The band perfected its style from early outbursts through recent works like Rise of the Lion (2014) and Deathless (2015). âShadows Insideâ (23 million streams on Spotify alone), âHey Mister,â âI.H.E.,â âForgive and Forget,â âRelentless Chaos,â and other MMI staples became anthems.
MISS MAY IÂ and their fans grew up together, a shared bond reflected by the music itself, equally inviting to longtime devotees and newcomers alike. Relatable real-life concerns present themselves in the collaborative lyrics and music across ten songs which wring hope from self-doubt and turmoil.
Levi Benton, B.J. Stead, Justin Aufdemkampe, Ryan Neff, and Jerod Boyd donât shy away from arresting confessionals about depression and hopelessness in their heaviest, darkest, angriest songs. But a spirit of hope and a newly broadened worldview inform the album as well, with urgent vigor.
Revolver Magazine included the bandâs debut in a 2021 article titled â10 Essential Metalcore Albums from 2009: The Year Everything Changed,â alongside classics from Architects and We Came As Romans. As early as 2010, Alternative Press (who later put MISS MAY I on the cover) praised their âmix of catchy, Swedish-style riffs and mosh pit-ready breakdowns.â AP singled out Bentonâs âconvincingly enraged roar,â bassist Ryan Neffâs clean vocals, and the âblazing two-guitar teamâ of B.J. Stead and Justin Aufdenkampe, whose riffage was worthy of Arch Enemy or In Flames. Rounded out by drummer Jerod Boyd, MISS MAY I even kept the same lineup together for more than a decade.
Metal Hammer saluted Shadows Inside for âhow easily this band can sway from ambient melodic metalcore to balls-out passages of guttural darkness.â Curse of Existence is proof of the bandâs continued relevance and future longevity, delivering on the promise held by each album before it.
MISS MAY IÂ celebrates over a decade of savage metalcore and soaring melody, revitalized and poised for another insurgent renaissance. They remain armed with unmistakable power, road-hardened experience, a steadily building catalog, and an unrelenting spirit, supported by a diehard community.
MISS MAY IÂ online:
Smart URL:Â https://bfan.link/unconquered
FB:Â https://www.facebook.com/missmayi
Twitter:Â https://twitter.com/missmayiband