Portland, Oregon-based progressive sludge metal outfit LORD DYING today unleash their monolithic new single, âThe Universe Is Weeping,â alongside its accompanying video. Now playing at Decibel Magazine, the track comes by way of the bandâs new studio album, Clandestine Transcendence, set for official release January 19th via MNRK Heavy.
From the earliest rumblings of their debut demo and self-titled EP (both issued in 2011), through the piledriving force of 2013âs Summon The Faithless and devastating despair of 2015âs Poisoned Altars, LORD DYING has composed masterfully melancholic music for the misanthropic, with grit and grime.
On Clandestine Transcendence, LORD DYING co-founders Erik Olson (guitar, vocals) and Chris Evans (guitar) are joined by Alyssa Maucere (former bassist for Eight Bells) and Kevin Swartz (current drummer of Tithe). Produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou (High On Fire, Code Orange, Kvelertak) at his God City Studios, the twelve-track offering steps even further into the great unknown, filled with riffs and vibes.
Clandestine Transcendence picks up where 2019âs critically championed Mysterium Tremendum left off. Latin for âawe-inspiring mysteryâ or âterrible mysteryâ depending on oneâs view of existence, Mysterium Tremendum began a narrative centered on a central character the band calls The Dreamer. Olson describes The Dreamer as an immortal being who wants to die. On Clandestine Transcendence, part two of a planned trilogy, he gets that wish. âThis one is about what happens beyond death,â the frontman explains.
Woven throughout the songs, that story and its rich thematic material inform a wholly immersive listen. Tension, drama, and atmosphere abound all over songs like âUnto Becomingâ and latest single, âThe Universe Is Weeping.â
Notes Olson on single âThe Universe Is Weeping,â We are very psyched to premiere the opening track and video for âThe Universe Is Weepingâ off our upcoming album.  This song picks up directly where our previous album leaves off. Post death. Blazing beyond the cosmos and outside the realms of consciousness. Total dissolution of the self. Into Clandestine Transcendence.â
Adds Maucere, who directed and produced the video, âWhen asked to direct the video for âThe Universe Is Weeping,â I couldnât help but tackle the concept of the Cosmic Calendar. For instance, the Universeâs birthdate is January 1st. Life on earth = Sept 30th. Human history is Dec 31st at 23:59:57. We consume everything in our path as our sources of energy, some of which have been on earth for over 600 million years. If the past can tell us anything about life, a new life form could come along one day that decides that they can house us, raise us, and overfeed us to become their most preferred source of energy. Or we could just destroy each other before that day may come, which seems more likely to me.â
Writes Decibel, âThe song starts slowly, letting clean guitars give way to lively riffs and melancholic lead guitar that imbues the track with a sense of emotional weight. Guitarist Erik Olson and bassist Alyssa Maucere both lend their voices to the song, using both screamed and sung vocals. At the songâs end, everything else fades out, leaving just Maucereâs vocals; in the context of the full record, itâs an exciting transition to the second track. In the context of this track premiere, itâs still a pretty neat way to end the song.â
Watch LORD DYINGâs âThe Universe Is Weepingâ video, now playing at Decibel Magazine, at THIS LOCATION. Stream the track HERE.
Watch the bandâs previously released videos for âI AM NOTHING, I AM EVERYTHINGâ HERE and âThe Endless Road Homeâ HERE.
The massive scope and melodic vocals found on Clandestine Transcendence expand upon the bandâs already singular sound while sharpened songwriting, emphasizing hooks, helps push both extremes of the band beyond prior limits. Simply put, the softer side is even dreamier; the heavy side is twice as brutal.
Clandestine Transcendence will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find preorders at THIS LOCATION.Â
Clandestine Transcendence Track Listing:
- The Universe Is Weeping
- I AM NOTHING, I AM EVERYTHING
- Unto Becoming
- Final Push Into The Sun
- Dancing On The Emptiness
- Facing The Incomprehensible
- A Brief Return To Physical Form
- A Bond Broken By Death
- Break In The Clouds (In The Darkness Of Our Minds)
- Soul Metamorphosis
- Swimming In The Absence
- The Endless Road Home
LORD DYING:
Erik Olson â vocals/guitar
Chris Evans â guitar
Alyssa Maucere â bass/vocals
Kevin Swartz â drums
https://www.facebook.com/LordDying
https://twitter.com/Lorddying
https://instagram.com/lorddying
https://www.mnrkheavy.com
https://www.facebook.com/MNRKHeavy
https://www.instagram.com/MNRK_heavy
https://www.twitter.com/MNRKHeavy
The post LORD DYING: Decibel Magazine Premieres âThe Universe Is Weepingâ Video From Portland-based Progressive Sludge Metal Outfit; Clandestine Transcendence Full-Length Nears Release On MNRK Heavy first appeared on Earsplit Compound.