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The Wring – Nemesis (2024) (WormHoleDeath Records) – Out Sept 27th
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Band Name: The Wring
Album Title: Nemesis
Release Date: Â September 27, 2024
Label: WormHoleDeath Records
Distribution: Aural/Orchard
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“Here’s one for prog dorks. This outfit’s third outing (Spectra) features drums by Marco Minnemann so you know the rhythms are mad. The regulars in the band ain’t slouches either though. This is intricate and melodic prog done well.” – Metal Injection (The Wring – Spectra – 2022)
“A band composed of top artists from the world prog scene, each of whom brings their own style to the bandâs sound. Technique and energy, melodic passages, dynamic and expressive vocals and elaborate instrumental sections characterise the album. A recommended listen for all lovers of Progressive Metal sounds, an album to listen to again and again, always managing to give us positive emotions.” – Progressive Rock Journal (The Wring – Spectra – 2022)â â â
“Tired of prog metal bands who fire away odd rhythms, fast solos and complex arrangements? Half of them trying to sound like Dream Theater but all failing completely? Look no further. The Wring from Canada offers great musicians who find their own way through the prog metal jungle. I said great musicians and I really stand for that. Or how about Marco Minneman (drums), Chandler Mogel (vocals), Don Dewulf (guitars), Reggie Hache (bass, keyboards) and Isamu McGregor (keyboards)”… Sometimes they are a bit more commercial, like in the first song âStilettoâ, reminding me a lot of Threshold. Other songs bring a bombastic wall of sound, with riffs do die for â âThe Wolfâ is a great example. The early parts of âFallenâ has some Rush vibes (of the later and more rock base Rush era) and also softer parts Mogel is a very good vocalist, and he can alter his voice a lot. Something of a voice chameleon!” – Melodic.net (The Wring – Spectra – 2022)â â
â“The opening notes of âSinsâ remind me of the opening salvo in Judas Priestâs âThe Ripperâ. Some of the riff structures are also reminiscent of Priest and itâs another great track.” – TheProgSpace (The Wring – Spectra – 2022)â â â
“The third album Spectra by the Canadian progressive rock project The Wring is downright infectious with its joy of playing and catchy Hard Prog Rock songs. There really is a lot of light and very little shadow here.” – Soundmagnet (The Wring – Spectra – 2022)
“âWring² Project Cipher comes with a heavy, classic rock feel, but thereâs an epic, questing nature to tunes like Sorceress, Steelier and Dose that pushes The Wring beyond metal norms and into prog territory.â â Prog Magazine (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
“Here we have some progressive metal/classic metal, getting a little more into some more typical prog metal with good technical/complex stuff and yeah, keyboards!” – The Moshpit 89.9 FM – Madison, WI (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
“The extreme professionalism on display throughout this entire album, although a labour of love, is a true master class of musicianship performed by musicians who are truly at the top of their game, making the industry what it is today. The sheer attention to detail is a credit to each and every performer as they tailor their craft neatly and precisely throughout every track, with nothing less than perfect being the order of the day.” – Stargazer Music Magazine (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
“Overall, the entire album is laden with a rich tapestry of sound and lyrics, well thought out and carefully developed by founder member and visionary Don Dewulf, taking the listener on that perfect journey of thought, and is a credit to its makers gathering no dust in any collection. 10/10” – Stargazer Music Magazine (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
“Thanks to his renowned session musicians and original compositions, The Wring is a refreshing discovery that offers a personal reading of modern metal. 4/5” – Music Waves (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
“What sounds at first to be a straight-forward rock album, turns out to be so much more. Itâs a tad short, but sometimes less is more. You can hear many influences in these tracks, some of them familiar, but The Wring have stamped their own identity all over it. This should keep you going for the time being but expect more from Don Dewulf with The Wring3 already in the recording stage!” – The Prog Space (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
“Dewulfâs guitar work shines throughout, at times reminiscent of Alex Lifeson in his prime, such as his powerful solo on âSteelierâ which soars above the raging musical maelstrom below. Thereâs even a funk-infused breakout on âDoseâ, which is infectious with its driving hook. Itâs an absorbing record, one that takes time to soak in, but several plays ensure that itâs burnt deep into the memory. When those end-of-year lists come round, âWring² Project Cipherâ is likely to be pushing for a slot.” – The Razor’s Edge (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
“The Wring generally succeed at what theyâre going forâDewulf has produced a fun, catchy record. Particularly on the albumâs middle section (âCipher,â âSteelierâ and âDissensionâ), thereâs some great songs with great riffs. If youâre after some new prog, you could do a lot worse than this album, and I found it quite hard to score.” – Angry Metal Guy (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
“The overall sound is something like the heavier side of Rush, with hooks and melodic elements smoothing out the guitar crunch, making this very accessible.” – The Progressive Aspect (The Wring – Project Cipher 2021)
[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Band Name: The Wring
Album Title: Nemesis
Release Date: September 27, 2024
Label: WormHoleDeath Records
Distribution: Aural/Orchard
Track Listing:
1. Badlands – 5:13
2. The Nail – 5:29
3. Blur – 4:17
4. The Sword – 5:37
5. Before I Disappear – 4:39
6. Welshrats – 5:18
7. Dark Passenger – 5:20
8. Nemesis – 4:47
Total 40:40
Album Credits:
⢠All songs performed by:  Dewulf/Hache/Abbott
⢠All songs written by: Don Dewulf/Reggie Hache
⢠Produced by:  Don Dewulf
⢠Mixed by:  Francis Perron/Radicart Studios
⢠Mastered by:  Alex Sergerie/SLAMM Audio
⢠Album Artwork by:  Gord Woolley
⢠Member of SOCAN
⢠Canadian Content (MAPL)
Album Band Line Up:
Don Dewulf â Guitars
Reggie Hache â Bass, Vocals & Keyboards
Kyle Brian Abbott – Drums
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A friend of mine is a graphic designer and is responsible for all cover art and packaging for Nemesis and for the previous album, Spectra.  Our process is now predictable and somewhat amusing.  I sit down and carefully mock up ideas and concepts complete with artwork and other images.  He then takes my ideas and converts them into proper visualizations but then he will stick a couple of his own ideas on at the end.  We always go with his ideas.  The cover depicts a cool image of a jellyfish.  Oceans are a critical element in our survival and the jellyfish is an interesting allegory; deadly to humans, food for turtles and sensitive to human-caused climate change.  A kind of circle of Nemesisâ¦
Describe the album as a whole (Lyrically and Musically)
A nemesis is defined as a long-standing enemy and/or an inescapable agent of oneâs downfall.  Societyâs individuals are buffeted constantly on all sides and internally by such forces, sometimes real, sometimes imagined.  It seems that every human interaction now is adversarial.  âMonkey killing monkey over pieces of the groundâ¦They fight till they dieâ (Tool â âRight in Twoâ â 10,000 Days).  The lyrics reflect my feelings on these things.  Musically, I have no constraint so I write what I like, and I combine seemingly unrelated styles.  Ever since I heard Hocus Pocus by Focus, I have been fascinated and obsessed with playing jazz chords in a hard rock/metal format.  I think it adds so much depth and interest.  I also build parts around jazz progressions which do the same and then intersperse super heavy metal parts to really let the songs bloom!
Track by track (Lyrically and Musically)
Badlands
Bad behaviour of major media outlets has given rise to powerful lower tier/social media that operate without any requirement for truth or decency; conflicting accounts, conspiracy theory, assertions without proof but presented as fact. Â Itâs everywhere, but most obvious in the USA where almost every issue is dramatically polarized. Â Even the average semi-intelligent person doesnât really know what to believe anymore. Â Musically, Badlands starts with a crushing bass riff leading into an angular verse and a very metal pre-chorus. Â The chorus is open and singable. Â I love the solo. Â Itâs got some Lydian forms which has a âcrooked majorâ jazzy kind of vibe. Â Fun to play.
The Nail
The rise of populism in politics combined with the power of social media has given platform to a wide base of groups with extreme views. Â These groups previously operated on the fringes of society but figureheads like Trump have validated their ideas and subsequent actions, giving rise to insurrection and a general disrespect previously unseen. Â What they donât understand is that they are just tools of megalomaniacs â they are the nail, not the hammer. Â And we are truly watching the end of all decency. Â The music here is all over the place. Â Some tried and true metal parts with another somewhat jazzy solo break â more in the chords than the notes. Â Another singable chorus but it goes to odd time in second half with Reggie starting on different beats each iteration. Â Fun stuff.
The Sword
The most âmetalâ song and theme.  If you live by the sword, you will die the same⦠ I played this on a Dave Mustaine old-school Jackson King V for some historical vibe as well as tightness in attack.  I also changed picks for the main riff⦠I almost exclusively use the Dunlop Malmsteen now (though I modify each one to have a sharper tip) but for this song, I used the Dunlop Jeff Loomis, which is thick, very stiff and has a sharp point.  It was important to get the proper string tone and attack.  Weird how these things make such a difference.
Before I Disappear
At a certain point in everyoneâs life, each of us will start to think about mortality and legacy. Â I certainly donât dwell on these things, but I have a son that is now a young adult, and we are very close, so I often think about the overlap of the contexts of our lives. Â A proper moral compass is the best I can do, and the song is about that. Â The music has a very major feel and is the most âpopâ of any Wring song, which I balance out with a very evil sounding pre-chorus. Â The solo starts out somewhat Skynyrd-esque but, of course, ends on the dark side of the street.
Welshrats
Weltschmerz (or the Americanized version â Welshrats) is a term from John Steinbeckâs âEast of Edenâ and is loosely interpreted as a vague sense of sadness that canât really be traced to a specific event.  The song is about dealing with that – trying to understand it and come out the other side.  I listen to a wide variety of music for inspiration, and I think this one came out of a Steely Dan phase with a Slayer/Lamb of God pre-chorus thrown in, just to scare off the yacht rockersâ¦
Dark Passenger
A simple critique of humanityâs almost complete disregard for our planet and each other. Â âDark Passengerâ came from the TV show âDexterâ; the title characterâs âdark passengerâ was the personification of what drives him to kill. Â We are the earthâs dark passenger. Â We have poisoned our planet and each other and we are all facing existential crisis, though are still, for the most part, oblivious. Â Musically, this song drifts among genres with some straight-ahead rock riffs, dreamy arpeggios and odd-time breakdowns. Â The solo is short but one of my favourites. Â Tricky and fun to play.
Nemesis
Believe it or not, this is a break-up song. Â The song tries to examine the physiology and psychology of a tough separation. Â Weâve all had at least one nemesis moment. Â Like most of the songs on âSide 2â, it features a wide palette of musical styles with jazzy progressions mixed with distinctly metal riffing and a dissonant solo section. Â I particularly like the chorus, musically as well as lyrically. Â A very minor progression that I find heart wrenching with words that complement that, delivered emotionally by Reggie.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1.  As I was scouring SoundBetter for players for Spectra, I kept coming back to Reggie Hacheâs profile, and rightfully so.  He ended up playing bass and keys on Spectra and those performances were unreal.  At the time, I also auditioned him for vocals⦠What he sent back didnât work, so I got someone else.  For some reason, I asked him to try again for Nemesis with a different approach and it was exactly what I was after!  It was a simple lack of communication/clarity on my part otherwise he would have done Spectra too.  Oh well.
2. Â I connected with Carlo Belotti at Wormholedeath Records for the release of the second album, Project Cipher. Â He and his colleague were so kind and enthusiastic about my music that it was a no-brainer to return to them for Spectra. Â In a world where music is essentially free, an obscure studio project has sketchy prospects for financial success. Â I fully planned on releasing Nemesis independently to save WHD the cost and effort. Â Carlo was relentless in his objection. Â He convinced me to continue with them and offered an amazing marketing package to support the record. Â Itâs hard to put a value to that kind of kindness, enthusiasm and support.
3. Â Project Cipher and Spectra both featured performances from some very prominent musicians including two of the best (known) drummers in the rock world today. Â At the time, it was incredibly gratifying to have these guys interested in what I was doing, and in many ways, it still is. Â What Iâve learned though is that having more emotionally invested players yields a different kind of energy. Â Only the listener will really determine if this is true, but I feel that Nemesis has a more cohesive and vibrant feel because my relationship with the players was more interactive.
4.  I discovered Francis Perron when I was looking for a mixing engineer for Spectra.  He turned out to be an amazing addition to the team!  He has 2 Junos for his work with Voivod (one of my favourite bands!) but is incredibly humble and kind.  Until recently, all of our interactions were by messaging.  Finally, we connected via Zoom and it turns out that he typically avoids that because his first language is French and he is self-conscious about his English.  It was an endearing moment for me, highlighting the humanity of such a great talent.  And⦠his English is very good!! Way better than my French!!
5.  Two things Iâll always remember about my musical journey:  having an album get a good review in Prog Magazine and having a video posted on the Bravewords website.  Those are two places Iâve been going for many years for music news.  To see my music there is surreal.  These things would not have happened without Jon Asher at Ashermedia.  So⦠even if you have a record deal, find a great publicist!!
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The Wring – Album Lineup – L-R – Kyle Brian Abbott – Drums, Don Dewulf â Guitars, Reggie Hache â Bass, Vocals & Keyboards
Sudbury, Canadaâs intrepid prog act The Wring is thrilled to announce the release of their fourth album âNemesisâ this coming September 2024 from WormHoleDeath Records. The album follows 2022’s highly praised “Spectra”. For this new record and new songs, band founder, Don Dewulf recruited a new drummer, Kyle Brian Abbott along with seeing the incredible talent of bassist Reggie Hache return and taking over vocal duties.
“Our previous album Spectra introduced me to the incredible talent of bassist Reggie Hache. Â Nemesis will also feature his vocal genius, delivering what I believe to be the most cohesive and memorable set of songs to date. Kyle Brian Abbott performed all drums on this record. Â Kyle is a precise and articulate player who was the metronomic backdrop for often slippery and shifting time. Â An absolute powerhouse.” adds Dewulf.
Dweluf also recruited the Juno award-winning talent of Francis Perron once again for mixing duties.
“The music would not be the same without him,” adds Dewulf.
Dewulf thinks that every album finds new ways to expand on his vision. “Nemesis” feels like the most cohesive record to date he has created and there are a couple of tracks that are more accessible than anything previously done, so it may attract a new range of new listeners.
The album is titled âNemesisâ because every song deals with some sort of conflict; mostly with an adversary that is either unseen or difficult to overcome. The music is similarly juxtaposed, with hard rock and metal mixed with jazz and prog elements. It makes for interesting listening but all within 5 minute songs.
“There is also plenty of wankery for metal heads and proggies.” says Dewulf
Recommended for fans of Rush, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, and Dream Theater, âNemesisâ is due out on September 27th, 2024 on WormHoleDeath Records and is available for pre-save at https://orcd.co/nemesispre-save
DISCOGRAPHY
2024 – Nemesis
2022 – Spectra
2021 â Project Cipher
2019 â 48 oz. – Single
2017 â The Wring â Self-titled Album
Shared Stage with:
Anvil, Diamond Head, Sven Gali, Dead Daisies, Hookers & Blow
Tours and Festivals:
2018 â Budweiser New Music Festival â Sudbury – Finger Eleven, Glorious Sons, Crown Lands