Edmonton’s very own Degenerator will unleash their debut album, The Abyssal Throne on November 24th. With Barrett Klesko on vocals, guitar, and bass, along with drummer Jonathan Webster, the duo are melting grunge, goth rock, and alternative into a genre all its own.
On the band, Barrett says,
“Degenerator is a sonic experiment that I conducted to unleash the noise that was haunting my mind. I wanted to capture the essence of the old Smashing Pumpkins, with their distorted and fuzzy guitars, but also add a touch of gothic darkness that I find appealing. This album is a radical departure from anything I have produced before. It’s more somber, but not as heavy, as All Else Fails, slower, but also more profound than the Misfires, and though it has more order than my other project The Secret Places of the Earth, it still keeps some of the mystery. I hope my following fans and unfamiliar ones can discover a new facet of my creativity and a new bond with the art that I make.”
Neither Barrett or Jonathan are newbies in the music world, having been in bands such as Striker, All Else Fails, The Order of Chaos, Tyler Dory Trio, and more. With their combined musical prowess, they’ve created eleven tracks that show their passion for music and for experimenting with sound.
With their first single, “Eternalism”, Barrett has said this,
“Time slips away fast. Aggression and melody. Balance the darkness. This was the first song crafted for the album, and it captures the essence of the album, both musically and lyrically. I am exploring the conflict between being stuck in the past and living only in the now. It starts fast, hits hard, but carries a depth of melody and thought that goes beyond a standard set of 4/4 metal riffs and faux melancholia.”
On the band’s second single from The Abyssal Throne, “Neurotonic”, the band says,
“Loss haunts our hearts. We must cherish our loved ones. Before they are gone. I always strive for stirring emotion, while revealing a glimpse of a mystical hidden depth. This music came from investigations of my connection with both the material and ethereal worlds, and I hope this ignites a similar reflection in others.”
What I enjoy about The Abyssal Throne is the blending of not only genres, but influences. Listen closely and one could pick up echoes of bands like Nine In Nails, Tool, Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, Alice in Chains and more. The Abyssal Throne is a wonderful blend of melodies and atmospheres, and is an authentic aural journey that’s fuelled by raw creative talent.
The Abyssal Throne in Haikus, track by track by the band.
Eternalism:
Time slips away fast
Aggression and melody
Balance the darkness
Finality:
A crow seeks the end
The last human soul to guide
To the afterlife
The Day that Never Comes:
We postpone our lives
For a tomorrow unknown
But we miss today
Darkness Prevails:
We chase empty dreams
Money and happiness bought
But all for nothing
Neurotonic:
Loss haunts our hearts
We must cherish our loved ones
Before they are gone
The Children of the Night:|
They resist tyranny
Sacrificing their own lives
We owe them our all
Hiraeth:
A place in my heart
That I can never return
Hiraeth calls me
The Spiral:
A mind in anguish
Resists the modern culture
Seeks a different path
Heart Like a Hole:
Alone in the world
Searching for a purpose
Meaning is a lie
For Every Truth
We tell ourselves lies
We believe them to be true
But truth always wins
A Way Out:
Eat the rich eat the
Rich eat the rich eat the rich
Eat the rich eat them
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Finality”, “The Day that Never Comes”, “Neurotonic”, “Hiraeth”
