Ape Vermin, the formidable 3-piece act hailing from the depths of Valdese, North Carolina, USA, is gearing up to conquer the cosmos with their latest sci-fi-infused album “Andromedas Colossus” on May 17, 2024, with a US tour to follow the release.
L-R – Brett Gibbs (Guitar) | Eric Wesa (Bass) | Liam Collingwood (Vocals) | Chris Malcolmson (Drums) | Gary Cordsen (Guitar)
Photo Credit: Matthew Collingwood
Streaming their new album “Mirror in the Darkness”, Canada’s Medevil has taken a big step up from their debut full-length “Conductor of Storms”, with a more progressive and ambitious direction than before. The album is also a tribute to drummer Chris Malcolmson who passed away after its recording. The songs on this new album have much more variety, and a lot more to offer, which should accommodate a wider array of music tastes from metal fans or fans of music in general. The band is very confident that fans of the first record will enjoy this one and they explain further:
“‘Mirror in the Darkness’ is our boldest step into different musical stylings than ever before. It is a very dark-sounding album mood-wise and can be described as ‘progressive power metal’ in most areas. Each song throughout sounds completely unique from the other, bringing out a new metal flavour unheard from the previous tracks. We also experimented with Drop-C tuning here on a couple songs, adding to the dark sound. While it is not a concept album, the lyrics throughout have consistent themes about heavy personal issues such as depression and negativity you feel in life.”
Their style on “Conductor of Storms” was heavily inspired by the classic ‘80s heavy metal bands, but for “Mirror in the Darkness” they started looking at other heavy metal influences within the progressive metal sphere such as Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and Mastodon. You can hear this influence on tracks like ‘No Peace in Rest’, ‘Dead Before Birth’ and ‘Veiled’ where they make use of longer arrangement structures, odd time signatures, and atmospheric soundscapes.
Intended to be listened to in a single sitting from front to back, Medevil spent a lot of time considering the flow of the album, from fast and energetic to dark and brooding, so there is a lot of variety that will come from a fully engaged listen. Dedicated to late drummer Chris Malcolmson, it is recommended for fans of Metal Church, Accept, and Baroness.
“Mirror in the Darkness” is out on April 7, 2023.
Fans interested in seeing them live in the Vancouver area can catch them at this year’s Hyperspace Metal Fest on April 13th performing alongside Riot City, Greyhawk, Atavistia, Hyloxalus, and Zack Brannon.
Upcoming Events: April 13 – Fox Cabaret – Vancouver, BC – Hyperspace MetalFest – w/ Riot City, Greyhawk, Atavistia, Hyloxalus, Zack Brannon – Info June 9 – The Wise – Vancouver, BC w/ Iron Kingdom
Track Listing: 1. Dead Before Birth (6:18) 2. Among Thieves (5:00) 3. Pray for Me (6:35) 4. The Signal (7:22) 5. Smoke and Mirrors (1:48) 6. Weight of the Crown (4:18) 7. Mirror in the Darkness (8:31) 8. Gateways (2:41) 9. Veiled (3:56) 10. No Peace in Rest (9:23) Album Length: 55:58
Album Recording Lineup: Liam Collingwood – Vocals Gary Cordsen – Lead Guitar Brett Gibbs – Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar & Backup Vocals Eric Wesa – Bass & Backup Vocals Chris Malcolmson – Drums
