NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – October 26, 2022
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Exitus Stratagem Records – Aittala Shun Genres Boundaries With New Swing Metal Title Track Off Upcoming Album âLive to Regretâ
“Live to Regret” Out November 7th
L-R – AITTALA – Gary ‘Smith’ Zeus (Drums), Eric Aittala (Guitar/Vox), Ali Lugo (Bass)
Photo Credit – Formont Photography
Aittala defies the rules when it comes to metal genres, since their inception back in 1991 they have crossed boundaries with their version of eclectic doom metal, bringing in a wide range of influences that accent their sounds with hints of power metal, traditional metal, and sludge. They are getting ready to release their latest album âLive to Regretâ via Exitus Stratagem Records and ahead of that are releasing the title track, a swing metal-inspired track about whether to keep secrets or come clean. On the recording and themes of the album guitarist/vocalist Eric Aittala had this to share:
âI wrote this album during a chaotic time in my life. Not only was it during the height of the lockdowns of the pandemic, but I was also in a very chaotic relationship. That chaos fueled my creativity both musically and lyrically. I was constantly walking on an uncertain tightrope and I never knew I was going to break. We hope the fans feel the same pleasure, pain, chaos, and passion that I was going through and infused into the songs when they listen to the album and singles.â
Watch and listen to the lyric video for the album title track via its premiere on Spaceuntravel – https://youtu.be/tbrSCICjTh8
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âLive to Regretâ will be the seventh addition to the Aittala discography, through which there has been a lot of evolution and growth. The core sound has remained constant but has steadily matured over time. The first two albums had programmed drums and were laden with synths/keys and were a bit more experimental. After Gary (drummer) joined the band for the third album, his drumming style helped further refine the unique sound. With the addition of Ali on bass, he brought a different musical perspective that is infused throughout the new album.
Aittala plays eclectic doom suitable for any metalhead with an open mind. They are recommended for fans of Eyehategod, Baroness, and Crowbar.
“Live to Regret” will be available on November 7, 2022, via Exitus Stratagem Records and was produced by Eric Aittala and John E. Wooten IV, who also mixed the record along with mastering by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering. Album artwork by Mariano Pugliese.
Album pre-order:Â https://hypeddit.com/aittala/livetoregretâ
Album Sampler –Â https://youtu.be/yAoHuPoHlHEâ
Music Video – Collateral Damage –Â https://youtu.be/Foh__WSHD4oââ
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Track Listing:â
1. Live to Regret – 2:49
2. Collateral Damage – 3:22
3. War of Attrition – 3:18
4. Saint – 3:35
5. Cannibals – 3:56
6. Betrayed – 3:26
7. Big Brother – 4:45
8. Dancing with Disaster – 3:35
9. Never Forget – 3:36
10. Well Enough Alone – 5:03
11. Juliet (2022) – 5:24
Album Length: 42:56
For more info:â
âhttps://www.exsrmusic.comâ
âhttp://www.aittala.comâ
âhttps://www.facebook.com/aittalamusicâ
âhttps://www.instagram.com/aittalamusicâ
About: The music of AITTALA (pronounced ‘EYE-tah-la’) crosses many metal genres; itâs hard to put it into just one category. The sound infuses elements of classic heavy metal, doom, progressive, power, thrash, and hard rock with lyrics drawing inspiration from the darker side of the human condition. The AITTALA sound has been cited for being unique which is no easy feat in the metal genre.
The first version of AITTALA was formed in 1991 while Eric Aittala was living in Holland. With fellow American Tim on vocals and Dutch bandmates Ed (drums) and Jon (bass), the band became a staple of the Dutch metal scene.
With the release of the 3-song EP ‘Selling Heaven’ in summer of 1993, AITTALA opened for such bands as THE GATHERING and SADIST. Unfortunately, as the demo started to create a buzz in the underground European metal scene, Eric had to return to the US and disbanded AITTALA.
Over the next decade or so, Eric played in numerous bands (TRIBE, MAGNETHEAD, DWELL) and lost focus on AITTALA.
Near the end of the 00’s, Eric decided it was time to refocus his efforts on the AITTALA brand. From 2009 to 2016, AITTALA released 4 full-length albums: ‘Bed of Thorns’ (2009), ‘Haunt Your Flesh’ (2011), ‘Effigy’ (2014) and ‘American Nightmare’ (2016). Each album showcasing a natural progression of song writing and lyrical content but retaining the core AITTALA sound and evolving it.
In 2019, AITTALA signed with Curtain Call Records and released the band’s fifth full-length album ‘False Pretenses’. It was ten brand new songs that not only continued the song writing evolution of heavier but catchy songs, but also sonically. AITTALA used an entirely different approach for the recording, mixing and mastering to create the best AITTALA album to date.
The current lineup of AITTALA consists of Gary ‘Zeus’ Smith (THE FIFTH, ex-MR BLACKWELL) on drums and Ali Lugo (ex-AGE OF DESPAIR) on bass.
They continue to write, record and tour to bring AITTALA to the masses with plans in 2022 to unleash their sixth studio album entitled “Live To Regret” to be released by label Exitus Stratagem Records.
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“This platter is heavy melodic ear candy that drips with deep and mesmeric face-melting tones and grinding rhythms.” (Live to Regret) – The Metal Gods Meltdown
“The bandâs sound is difficult to pigeonhole because they incorporate a variety of styles. The common element in all the songs is the potent groove. On tracks like âBlack Coffinâ and âAfterthoughtâ stoner/doom is at the forefront, while songs such as âDisownedâ have a more traditional metal vibe. There are progressive influences on âHow Much Longer,â while the closer âDebtâ is a piano based ballad. Even with so many disparate styles, Aittala bring everything together into a cohesive whole.” – Heavy Music Headquarters
âI would describe them as an eclectic Doom Metal band, although their sound is a bit tough to define. Thatâs ultimately a good thing though, and I enjoy the refreshment of something different. My only major complaint is that on some songs, the vocals and lyrics are so drawn out that they become a little boring and you end up waiting a bit for something cool to happen. The good news is something cool usually does end up happeningâ – Metal-Temple
“In the metal world, bands can start to sound the same and Aittala steps outside of the box. With clear crisp vocals, grinding rhythms and well executed leads, this band is definitely in a league of their own.â – The Metal Channelâ
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