News: CORMORANT: Decibel Premieres "Preserved In Ash" From Progressive Blackened Death Unit As Diaspora Full-Length Nears Release

Slated to drop this August, Diaspora is the imminent new full-length from progressive blackened death collective CORMORANT. Recorded and mixed by Greg Wilkinson (Vastum, Graves At Sea, Noothgrush, Brainoil) at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, California, the expansive four-track, sixty-one-minute offering features the band's longest, most detail-oriented compositions to date - the result of two years of collaborative writing.

 

In advance of its release, today Decibel Magazine offers up first single, opening track "Preserved In Ash," for public feasting at THIS LOCATION.

 

"'Preserved In Ash' is the last song we wrote for the album," elaborates guitarist/vocalist Matt Solis, "but as it was coming together it became clear that it fit perfectly as a lead-off track. Lyrically, it's about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which buried the city of Pompeii in volcanic ash. There's a lot of psychedelic black metal and funeral doom stuff going on in this song, and Greg Wilkinson's crushing production allowed us to establish a good balance between those two tonalities."

 

Diaspora will be released independently on 2xLP, CD, and digital formats on August 11th with US and European distribution through War Crime Recordings. Preorders are currently available at THIS LOCATION.

 

Musically, CORMORANT's Diaspora features familiar elements of black, death, prog, and folk metal, but pronounced psychedelic and funeral doom influences can be heard throughout as well, particularly on the twenty-six-minute closing epic, "Migration." Diaspora also features dynamic performances from renowned cellist Jackie Perez Gratz (Grayceon, Giant Squid, ex-Amber Asylum). Mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, YOB, Gatecreeper) at Audiosiege, the album is a crushing statement from one of the Bay Area's most consistent extreme metal bands.

 

Additionally, Utah-based visionary artist Jeff Christensen created the album's vivid four-panel artwork. Issues Christensen, "The idea was to create four panels of artwork based on a migration theme. I thought it would be interesting to have the panels run consecutively to form an expansive, evolving image where the eyes can just roam. We wanted each painting to be able to hold its own as a standalone image but also be a link to the wider image of the migratory theme. The original artwork was done with oil paints on four 16" x 16" panels. The entire process was a challenge, and the finished images are really different than anything I've done before. I was given a lot of reign to just do my thing and I'm very happy with the way it turned out."

 

Oakland dwellers can catch CORMORANT live this August. Future CORMORANT performances are in the plotting stages.

 

CORMORANT:

8/11/2017 Oakland Metro Operahouse - Oakland, CA w/ Inanimate Existence, Wrvth, Logistic Slaughter

 

CORMORANT is a progressive black/death metal band from Petaluma, California. Forged in 2007, the group consists of bassist/vocalist Marcus Luscombe, guitarist Nick Cohon, guitarist/vocalist Matt Solis, and drummer Brennan Kunkel. In addition to performing numerous shows throughout the Bay Area with notable acts like At The Gates, Wolves In The Throne Room, Ne Obliviscaris, and Pallbearer, CORMORANT has completed full US tours with Primordial, While Heaven Wept, YOB, Norska, and others.