Los Angeles-based atmospheric doomsayers Qaalm will release their new EP, First Light Of The Last Dawn, on 21 June via Hypaethral Records.
The follow-up to the band's critically adored debut, Resilience & Despair, ushers in a new era of Qaalm - introducing influence from black metal and progressive rock and ultimately pushing its new material beyond the boundaries set by its earlier work. Even the production, graced by the skilful engineering of Paul Fig and expert mixing and mastering of Zeuss, two powerhouses who have collectively worked with Slipknot, Hatebreed, and Municipal Waste, displays evolution, elevation, and growth.
Elaborates vocalist/guitarist Henry Derek Elis: "There are elements in First Light Of The Last Dawn that reflect my personal views of death, the afterworld, religion, and reincarnation. It has made me think about my own journey - all the losses and who I would be without having to endure such difficult experiences. My belief is that one must embrace such suffering, in hopes of having some real quality of life. May it remind us that we are not enslaved by our past".
The band has unveiled the title track/lyric video, on which Elis says: "'First Light Of The Last Dawn' is a song that I wrote at the tail end of the writing sessions for the forthcoming second full-length album. As a band, we felt that this one was truly special and that it could potentially stand alone. It's an honest and heartfelt composition that comes from a place of pain and hope. It deals with suicidal ideation, survivor's guilt, grief and redemption far beyond a spiritual nature". Link
Qaalm Live w/ Dead Memory:
01 June, The Naked Lounge - Chico, CA
02 June, Overkill Bar - Tacoma, WA
03 June, High Water Mark - Portland, OR
04 June, Erebus - Kelso, WA
05 June, TBA - Sacramento, CA
06 June, Stay Gold Deli - Oakland, CA
07 June, TBA - San Jose, CA
08 June, Humdinger Brewing - San Luis Obispo, CA
09 June, Jerry's Pizza & Pub - Bakersfield, CA
10 June, Redwood Bar & Grill - Los Angeles, CA
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"I like to call our music suicide pop, because our songs are pretty easy to listen to, but the topics are very negative and quite dark. It's pop, but negative pop." - Simone Salvatori
"It's my kind of duty to provoke people and to make sure they feel something — to dance, cry, do whatever they feel. I do motivate them, because that's my purpose." - Chris Corner
"We were kind of exploring dark subject matters and darker sounds. I really like that, and this is the direction we are going right now." - Larissa Vale
"Within this darkness, where there's no light at all, the golden raven still shines. It's not like a perfectly cut statue of Michelangelo..." - Val Perun
