Clandestine Transcendence Full-Length Nears Release On MNRK Heavy

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Photo by Neil DaCosta

Portland, Oregon-based progressive sludge metal outfit LORD DYING today unleashes their monolithic new single, "The Universe Is Weeping", alongside its accompanying video. Now playing on KNAC.COM HERE, the track comes by way of the band's upcoming studio album, Clandestine Transcendence, set for official release on January 19th via MNRK Heavy.

From the earliest rumblings of their debut demo and self-titled EP (both issued in 2011), through the piledriving force of 2013's Summon The Faithless and devastating despair of 2015's Poisoned Altars, LORD DYING has composed masterfully melancholic music for the misanthropic, with grit and grime.

On Clandestine Transcendence, LORD DYING co-founders Erik Olson (guitar, vocals) and Chris Evans (guitar) are joined by Alyssa Maucere (former bassist for EIGHT BELLS) and Kevin Swartz (current drummer of TITHE). Produced by CONVERGE guitarist Kurt Ballou (High On Fire, Code Orange, Kvelertak) at his God City Studios, the twelve-track offering steps even further into the great unknown, filled with riffs and vibes.

Clandestine Transcendence picks up where 2019's critically championed Mysterium Tremendum left off. Latin for "awe-inspiring mystery" or "terrible mystery" depending on one's view of existence, Mysterium Tremendum began a narrative centered on a central character the band calls The Dreamer. Olson describes The Dreamer as an immortal being who wants to die. On Clandestine Transcendence, part two of a planned trilogy, he gets that wish. "This one is about what happens beyond death," the frontman explains.

Woven throughout the songs, that story and its rich thematic material inform a wholly immersive listen. Tension, drama, and atmosphere abound all over songs like "Unto Becoming" and latest single, "The Universe Is Weeping".

Comments Olson, "We are very psyched to premiere the opening track and video for "The Universe Is Weeping" off our upcoming album. This song picks up directly where our previous album leaves off. Post death. Blazing beyond the cosmos and outside the realms of consciousness. Total dissolution of the self. Into Clandestine Transcendence."

Adds Maucere, who directed and produced the video, "When asked to direct the video for "The Universe Is Weeping", I couldn't help but tackle the concept of the Cosmic Calendar. For instance, the Universe's birthdate is January 1st. Life on earth = Sept 30th. Human history is Dec 31st at 23:59:57. We consume everything in our path as our sources of energy, some of which have been on earth for over 600 million years. If the past can tell us anything about life, a new life form could come along one day that decides that they can house us, raise us, and overfeed us to become their most preferred source of energy. Or we could just destroy each other before that day may come, which seems more likely to me."

Writes Decibel, "The song starts slowly, letting clean guitars give way to lively riffs and melancholic lead guitar that imbues the track with a sense of emotional weight. Guitarist Erik Olson and bassist Alyssa Maucere both lend their voices to the song, using both screamed and sung vocals. At the song's end, everything else fades out, leaving just Maucere's vocals; in the context of the full record, it's an exciting transition to the second track. In the context of this track premiere, it's still a pretty neat way to end the song."

The massive scope and melodic vocals found on Clandestine Transcendence expand upon the band's already singular sound while sharpened songwriting, emphasizing hooks, helps push both extremes of the band beyond prior limits. Simply put, the softer side is even dreamier; the heavy side is twice as brutal.

Clandestine Transcendence will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats.

Clandestine Transcendence Track Listing:

• "The Universe Is Weeping"
• "I AM NOTHING, I AM EVERYTHING"
• "Unto Becoming"
• "Final Push Into The Sun"
• "Dancing On The Emptiness"
• "Facing The Incomprehensible"
• "A Brief Return To Physical Form"
• "A Bond Broken By Death"
• "Break In The Clouds (In The Darkness Of Our Minds)"
• "Soul Metamorphosis"
• "Swimming In The Absence"
• "The Endless Road Home"