photo by Okko Sorma
Finnish progressive death metal pioneers CONVULSE are pleased to unveil a new lyric video for the track “Whirlwind.” Now playing at The Moshville Times, the track comes by way of the band’s critically lauded Deathstar full-length, recently released via Transcending Records.
Fusing the prime tenets of death metal, heavy rock, and prog into something innovative and enticing, the near forty-one-minute masterwork presents nine tracks that transcend the boundaries of standard death metal. Arguably picking up where the band’s underrated 1994 Reflections full-length left off, Deathstar adopts a similar genre-bending approach and modernizes it.
The Moshville Times champions the band’s eclectic mix of “low clean and deep growling vocals, and epic, euphoric synths and melodic guitars,” furthering adding in a review, “CONVULSE have released an overall awesome collection of songs on Deathstar… On paper this kind of genre-mashing might seem questionable but CONVULSE have pulled it off making for some truly unique music. The band perform brilliantly, making catchy simple riffs mixed with elements of complexity that complement the overall songs…”
View CONVULSE’s “Whirlwind” lyric video, courtesy of The Moshville Times, at THIS LOCATION.
View the band’s previously released lyric videos for the record’s title track HERE and “Summoning” HERE.
Deathstar was recorded and mixed in analog at JJ-studio with Juuso Nordlund and comes enveloped in the art of Jan Yrlund, based on the painting Strangled by Minna Mead.
Deathstar is available on CD, limited-edition deluxe CD, digital, cassette, and vinyl formats. For physical orders in North America, go to THIS LOCATION, for European orders, go to THIS LOCATION, and for digital orders, go HERE.
When Finland’s first death metal boom started in the late 1980s/early 1990s, among the first of its troops on the frontlines was CONVULSE. Like many of their comrades, the band churned out that dark, brutal, uncompromising style of death metal for which the scene had become notorious, culminating in the band’s 1991 debut, World Without God, released on now-defunct French label Thrash Records. Shortly after, CONVULSE followed in the footsteps of many of their contemporaries and began flirting with progressive rock elements as was evinced on their 1992 EP Lost Equilibrium and then fully refined on second full-length Reflections, both of which were released via Relapse Records. The band called it quits in 1994.
CONVULSE returned in 2012, ready to tread the path they helped pave decades prior. The band released their Inner Evil EP followed by comeback album, Evil Prevails. Brutal, menacing Finnish death metal was the name of the game here, lacking in any other unnecessary gimmicks or modern trends. History would partially repeat itself in 2016 when the band revisited the prog infused death ’n’ roll leanings on their fourth studio album, Cycle Of Revenge. It was on this album where they would reach their full potential manifesting an unique and engaging sound, one they’ve been cultivating ever since.
Deathstar finds the band at their most ambitious. A very different band than the one that marched in the first wave decades ago, as the only real holdover of their original sound is the iconic deep grunts of Rami Jämsä. Their ability to bridge the gap between hard rock grooves and airy melodic sections drenched in atmosphere is nothing short of astounding, and even experienced ears will find some new twists and turns to marvel at. Their influences are numerous; their sound varied. Deathstar will take its listeners on a soothing journey to beautiful and unknown places whose nuance and depth will make parting a sweet sorrow and each return all the more rewarding. [words by Luxi Lahtinen]
“Deathstar continues to go above and beyond the parameters of ‘standard’ death metal, melding goosebump-inducing DM growls and gurgles with music that’s jammier and more freewheeling, if no less expertly composed. Trust us: Deathstar was worth the wait.” — MetalSucks
“The new album finds CONVULSE in fine form, continuing down their path of pairing vicious death metal with bright rock riffs and proggy tendencies.” – BrooklynVegan
“…an enjoyable journey through the psychedelic cosmos.” – Metal Injection
“Agile in creating bridges between death metal, groove, prog and classic rock, CONVULSE really have to go down in history – and perhaps it’s time!” — Metal Hammer Portugal
“It’s a heavy, roaring, melodic ripper that lives up to its name, combining a classic death metal rawness with a mesmerizing, hook-laden sensibility. True to progressive fashion, it’s a journey of a song in just five minutes, soaring through different intricate movements without losing its power.” – Treble on “Whirlwind”
“… one of the most varied and creative [albums] to hit the scene in a long time.” – RTMB Music
“…a catchy, complex, and occasionally mystifying record from the first notes of ‘Extreme Dark Light’ to the closing acoustics of ‘The End’…” — Metal Crypt
“…be prepared for mind-warping soundscapes and ethereal excellence.” — Nattskog
“…Imagine a big jam session with musicians from Pink Floyd, Rush, Porcupine Tree, and Judas Priest, but every now and then a somewhat shy alternate-universe version of George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher steps to the mic to deliver some vocals… …a brilliant record!” – Dutch Metal Maniac
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