VLTIMAS have been legends since the dawn of metal. Rune Eriksen took
hold of axe-wielding duties for the second coming of Mayhem. Flo Mounier
has been drumming for Cryptopsy since their earliest exhumations of the
Canadian underground. And who could forget David Vincent, the
larger-than-life vocalist for Morbid Angel.
Having already made history, some metalheads may have stroked their
beard and wondered if there could possibly be any new realms for this
band to conquer. After all, their debut was voted Album of the Year by
Zero Tolerance Magazine and BangerTV. But on their new
album, VLTIMAS ascend to truly epic heights.
“EPIC”comes out March 15, 2024.
Watch the video for lead single “Miserere”:
Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/VLTIMASEPIC
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/vltimasepic
VLTIMAS have been making grand declarations of war for more than 30
years, but “Miserere” isn’t just another offering at the altar of
madness. “I spread my misery, biblically evolved”, Vincent sings in a
baritone that’s so monstrous it could summon an army of the dead. The
drums speed ahead mercilessly, mowing down all onlookers under a barrage
of surgical blast beats, as riffs hail from all directions with enough
firepower to shatter bulletproof glass.
“The world throws us all trials and tribulations constantly,” says
VLTIMAS. “We use this angst as a weapon in our art to score the
apocalypse”.
Tracklist
1. Volens Discordant (1:02)
2. EPIC (4:35)
3. Miserere (3:51) [WATCH] [8]
4. Exercitus Irae (4:01)
5. Mephisto Manifesto (05:05)
6. Scorcher (03:21)
7. Invictus (5:30)
8. Nature’s Fangs (3:52)
9. Spoils of War (5:54)
_Total runtime_: 37:16
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Extreme metal powerhouse VLTIMAS (pronounced ‘uhl-tuh-mas’) assault
metaldom once more with their highly-anticipated sophomore album,
_EPIC_, through Season of Mist. Featuring Norwegian guitarist Rune
“Blasphemer” Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir), American vocalist David
Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), and Canadian drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy),
the multinational quintet, rounded out by Dutch bassist Ype TVS
(ex-Dodecahedron) and Portuguese guitarist João Duarte (Corpus
Christii), continue to venture down their path. Moored by strength and
integrity, VLTIMAS fortified their signature with wicked invention, as
applauded by Decibel Magazine, BangerTV, Louder, and many others, on
their debut, Something Wicked Marches In (2019). Singles “Miserere,”
“Scorcher,” and “Invictus” showcase a band of musicians at the top of
their game, united in their pursuit of oneness.
“We wrote every bit of EPIC together at my ranch in Dime Box, Texas,”
offers Vincent. “The writing sessions were as organic as they could be.
There were times when, at the end of the night, Rune would take his
guitar and play something ridiculous. Flo would play something even more
ridiculous on top of it. I’d say to the guys, ‘I need to capture this.’
So, the magic of VLTIMAS is being in the same room together,
discussing, playing, and recording music and everything else we’re doing
together. We have unbelievable camaraderie.”
While the members of VLTIMAS are not atavists, their preferred creative
methods are time-tested and battle-hardened. Technology has its place,
but the group thrive when they’re together, not separated by the world.
Eriksen, renowned as a riff innovator, is more effective when he’s got a
highly capable sideman like Vincent or Mounier, whose drumming in
Cryptopsy and his celebrated instructional Extreme Metal Drumming 101
DVD has proven to be a no-limits player, by his side. Whether it’s the
moody, angular attack of “Miserere,” the wicked groove of “Mephisto
Manifesto,” or the dark fury of “Nature’s Fangs,” the chemistry and
enterprise of VLTIMAS is undeniable.
“The main goal of VLTIMAS is to be real,” Eriksen reveals. “To channel
the very moment, to let true inspiration out. I don’t believe I ever set
myself a goal on what an album should or needs to sound like before I or
we write it because that means I have to compromise during the process.
For “EPIC”, we focused on more direct songs, trimming the fat, as
opposed to “Something Wicked Marches In”, which had a progressive and
‘playful’ flair.”
VLTIMAS was a profane concept—a constellation of riffs against a
modest frame—when formed by Eriksen in 2015. After departing Mayhem in
2008 and putting his gothic doom outfit Ava Inferi to rest in 2013, the
Norwegian’s fingers still itched with infernal fury. VLTIMAS was his
vent, and when Mounier and Vincent joined, he finally had the cadre of
professionals to make it a reality. Together, they devised complementary
schemes and themes rooted in rightness. In a world gone mad, VLTIMAS had
a vision. On Something Wicked Marches In, they commanded attention with
metaphors about the apocalypse, the ancient goddess Lilith, and truth.
Lyrically, “EPIC” spears into the very nucleus of strength through
Vincent’s brio of double entendre and clever wordsmithing. The songs are
designed to be heard, read, and interpreted—there are no shortcuts.
“Everything we’re doing and messaging is about strength and honor,” says
Vincent. “These are the fundamentals that I incorporate into my life,
which I believe in. I want to share with others, hoping they’ll
incorporate strength and honor into their lives. I wouldn’t say I like
spelling lyrics out. I use a lot of double meanings on purpose because I
want to inspire the listener to think. I’m not a short attention span
guy, and I don’t appreciate it. “EPIC” is holistic and meant to be
experienced that way.”
“EPIC” was recorded by producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost,
Grave Miasma) with engineer Jonathan Mazzeo (First Fragment, Sickening)
at Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. VLTIMAS tracked the album
throughout May 2023. Arellano also handled the mix and master. Like
everything the band does, the main goal was to be honest. The maxim of
no sample replacement or re-amping—”EPIC” was captured on outboard
gear—was adhered to and enjoyed by the team. The result is a sonic
expression that sounds like nothing else. From the crushing title track
to the epic musicality of closer “Spoils of War,” “EPIC” is an absolute
beast.
“Stress, long walks, too much alcohol, yet very focused once in the
recording mode,” Eriksen says of the sessions. “We booked a month, but
somehow, that flew by instantly. We worked up until the very end. I even
added a few solos at my local Soundscape Studio in Almada, Portugal. Art
unfolds, and once you think you are done, there’s always another idea
popping up.”
VLTIMAS brought Italian artist Daniele Valeriani (Mayhem, Unanimated) to
visualize EPIC. The aesthetic, as illuminated by music and message,
was iconic boldness. The three-eagle head crest with three different
crowns, accompanied by transfigured symbols of the Passion and the
“impossible triangle,” projects effortlessly. In EPIC, the group will
dominate. There’s no escape from “Miserere,” “Mephisto Manifesto,”
“Scorcher,” and “Invictus.” Together, they thrust, by resolve and
inventiveness, VLTIMAS into the uppermost echelons of extreme metal.
“EPIC” is old meets contemporary, a symbiosis of all the great things
we love about extreme metal,” offers Eriksen. “All combined into one
album.”
“I want to be as emotional and honest [with VLTIMAS],” Vincent adds. “I
want to tell stories; I want to have the themes that appeal to me; I
want to have some messaging that someone can take away, in this case,
strength. “EPIC” is strength.”
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LineupDavid Vincent – Vocals
Rune Blasphemer Eriksen – Guitars
Flo Mounier – Drums
Ype TVS – Bass
João Duarte – Guitars
Recording studio
ARDA Recorders
Producer
Jamie Gomez Arellano
Sound engineer
Jonathan Mazzeo
Mixing and mastering engineer
Jaime Gomez Arellano
Mixing and mastering studio
Arda Recorders, Orgone Studio
Cover art
Daniele Valeriani
Additional artwork and layout
Adrien Bousson
Biography
Chris Dick
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/vltimasepic
Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/VLTIMASEPIC
Links:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/vltimas/1445457453
Bandcamp: https://vltimas.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vltimas/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vltimas/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0kz64zyv2xtkdhboztpdwa
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/vltimas?lang=en
Available Formats:
Digital Download
CD Digipak
12″ Vinyl Gatefold – Black
12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Skull Gold
12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Dracula
12″ Picture Vinyl
press release:
https://czpromotions.haulix.com/Media/Link?h=v9g4ejPM4FFT/aE82aIBDw==