EPK – Novichok – Geo-Desiccant (2022)

EPK – Novichok – Geo-Desiccant (2022)

Publicist – Jon Asher – Jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“We’re trying to give something that’s good to listen to while working out or driving.  We try to switch up the energy throughout each song so they don’t get boring.  Def keep it heavy, tempos and time sigs vary but don’t let it sound technical.” – Novichok

Band: Novichok
Album: Geo-Desiccant
Release Date: September 15, 2022

For fans of Megadeth, Pantera, Sacrifice, Iron Maiden, Voivod

Linktr.ee/novichokband | Novichok.ca | Facebook.com/NovichokMetal | Instagram.com/novichok_canadianmetal

Novichokmetal.bandcamp.com | Spotify | Apple Music

Band: Novichok
Album: Geo-Desiccant
Release Date: September 15, 2022

Track Listing:
1. Thrash Free or Die – 5:06
2. First World Poisons – 5:31
3. Tire Fire – 3:18
4. Apes with Sticks – 4:41
5. Freedom Fighters Manual – 4:59
6. Dead Weight – 3:30
7. Predicting Terror – 5:52
8. Geo-Desiccant – 7:17
9. Heat Death – 6:10
Album Length: 46:28

Album Credits:
All Songs Written and Performed by: Novichok
Produced by: Novichok
Mixed by: Novichok
Mastered by: Jamie King
Album Artwork by: Matt Saxton
Members of SOCAN
Music is Canadian Content MAPL

Album Lineup:
Vocals: Jeff MacDonald
Guitar: Lindsey Dicks
Bass Guitar: Jason Young, Brady Hallet (Dead Weight)
Drums: Andrew MacIntosh

=========================================================

About The Album Artwork:

Our German artist friend Matt Saxton listened to the album and we gave him full creative control.  The front side is a toxic elemental representing the environmental havoc mankind has brought upon ourselves, while the rear holds optimism as the spirit of Mother Earth stands ready to repair the damage once we’re ready to step back and allow it.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY  & MUSICALLY):

01 Thrash Free or Die:
This is an ode to metalheads everywhere who refuse to succumb to societal norms.  The Bridge section features Guitar and Bass Solo trade-offs which eventually combine for a frenzied duel tapping harmony.

02 First World Poisons:
People in high society will expend great effort fretting over frivolous things…this song discusses some pathetic wastes of privilege.  Musically this song is pure controlled rage.

03 Tire Fire:
Have you ever wondered what happens to old disused tires? They usually end up in massive heaps eventually to be burned for energy or by accident. Either way, an environmental disaster ensues. This short ripper features a Dimebag-inspired solo and a heavy breakdown in the middle section.

04  Apes With Sticks:
An anthem about mankind’s prehistoric urge to kill for self-gain. The song starts with a sound bite of a hominid bashing in the head while blood spatters can be heard with each blow. The chorus features a gang-style backing vox.

05 Freedom Fighter’s Manual:
The CIA deserves songwriting credits for this track; The lyrics were taken directly from American propaganda airdropped over Nicaragua in the 1980s. The FFM is a comic strip encouraging various acts of terrorism attempting to weaken the communist regime of the time.  This is “Sneaker Metal” inspired by Sepultura’s style.

06 Dead Weight
This song is the narration of an actual nightmare in which a scuba gear malfunction seals your fate as the eager sea life begins to feast even before you are dead.  Inspired by an early Cannibal Corpse, it’s thrash bordering on death metal.

07 Predicting Terror
Since day one metal bands have been telling us of impending doom.  This anthem is paying homage to their warnings and encourages the metal community to pay attention as the future unfolds.

08 Geo-Desiccant
The word “Mortgage” literally translates to “Death Pledge”.  This song is about early settlers building on hard work and hope, and how Money-lenders steal generational wealth as future generations abandon the dreams of their ancestors.  The slow tempo of this track only emphasizes the heavy weight of its riffs.

09 Heat Death
It’s theorized that the universe will eventually expand so much that matter and energy will scatter apart, eventually unraveling in an ever-lasting eventless homogenous vacuum.  All things that ever were will cease to exist and there will be no possible record of anything that has ever happened.  The song features rich percussion sections and a haunting guitar lead.

================================================

Fun Facts – Story Angles:

1.     We had a live show interrupted by Jim Lahey from Trailer Park Boys.  He came on stage mid-set wearing a Novichok hat with a big bottle of whiskey.  He berated the crowd for enjoying heavy metal, then he went into the crowd to steal people’s food.  It was hilarious.

2.     When recording the drums for Geo-Desiccant we built a full make-shift studio in our singer’s living room.  We lived here for 9 days until everything was perfect.  Our guitar player/recording engineer slept on the same couch he worked from all day.  By the end, the drummer’s hands were covered with bandages and blisters, but everything was perfect going into mixing.

3.     When filming the video for Heat Death, we had planned a bunch of shots with the room filled with a smoke machine and our Singer wearing a full scuba suit. Unfortunately, this was cut short when the building’s fire detector went off for the next 3 hours ending our filming session.  We put what we got in the video, just a short bit.

4.     The songs Geo-Desiccant, Heat Death, and First World Poisons weren’t fully written when the album started being recorded.  Some sections were rearranged for the lyrics to flow and make sense.

5. At the end of the “song Geo-Desiccant” there is a harmonica section.  When tracking this we had to pitch the album ½ step, then when mixing we had to pitch the harmonica back down to match.  We’ve since purchased a custom-tuned harmonica to play it live.

Back L-R – Adam Hersey (Drums), Lindsey Dicks (Guitar), Brady Hallet (Bass) – Front – Jeff MacDonald (Vox)

Photo Credit – Alicia Montague (thephotoninja.ca)

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada’s Novichok is a bunch of pissed-off salty thrashers here to narrate the collapse of the world around us. Is there still hope? Well yes, but it’s not looking good. We don’t sound like other bands but we’re heavily influenced by Megadeth, Pantera, Sacrifice, Iron Maiden, and Voivod.

Discography:
2022: Geo-Desiccant Album
2009: Novichok (Album, Self-Titled)

Shared Stage with: Sacrifice, Cryptopsy, Dayglo Abortions, Castle, The Insurrection, Mortorleague, Sanktuary