Quebecois tech-death masters First Fragment have unveiled new single ‘Solus’ from their upcoming new album, Gloire Éternelle, out 29th October 2021 via Unique Leader.
Watch the visualiser to ‘Solus’ here: https://youtu.be/wZyK3fMG820
Pre-save Gloire Éternelle here: https://orcd.co/gloireeternelle
On the new single, the band comment: “Our 3rd single SOLUS is quite different from either of the singles we have released thus far. It also draws a lot of inspiration from the 80s greats like Joey Tafolla, Cacophony, Elegy, Coroner, Apocrypha & of course Yngwie Malmsteen to further showcase a facet of our sound which we like to classify as “extreme neoclassical metal” – a rare genre where the vocals and drumming are closer to extreme metal while the non-death metal string work remains much closer to neoclassical power metal. While the previous two singles focused on swing grooves or highly complex neoclassical counterpoint fused with death metal, this song is pretty much an homage to the band’s old school influences and contains less blastbeats than usual, giving more room for the dancing guitars and lead bass to express themselves. Enjoy and keep spreading the word!”
Watch the visualiser to previous single ‘La Veuve & Le Martyr’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBJ9CHZHf60
From day one First Fragment sought to create a brand of extreme technical death metal that combined counterpoint-based riffing, neoclassical lead guitar work, power metal-inspired passages as well as flamenco & swing sections, with desire to establish their own unique voice.
Their critically-acclaimed 2016 debut album, Dasein, released through Unique Leader, was the culmination of almost 10 years of hard work and dedication to their craft. First Fragment have since perfected their sound through expanding upon their extensive musical influences, further blurring the line between flamenco-inspired technical death metal and neoclassical power metal.
The result is Gloire Éternelle, an ambitious conceptual album that is unmistakably First Fragment, yet at the same time, impossible to categorise and pigeonhole. Baroque-influenced guitar counterpoint, flamenco sections, unique slap-bass-driven swing grooves (which the band trademarked by name as “swingdowns”), face-ripping lead guitar work and bombastic drumming, combine with a highly aggressive dual vocal approach and lyrics soaked in abstract poetry (sung in French), to create the ultimate shred fest. A shred fest with soul, memorability, identity, purpose and conviction.
First Fragment online:
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Unique Leader Records online:
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Track listing:
01 – Gloire Éternelle
02 – Solus
03 – La Veuve & Le Martyr
04 – Pantheum
05 – De Chair Et De Haine
06 – Sonata En Mi Mineur
07 – Ataraxie
08 – Soif Brûlante
09 – In’el
10 – Mort Éphémère