Extreme metal titans VITAL REMAINS have returned with a vicious new slab of blasphemy that promises to strike fear in the hearts of the masses. The much-anticipated new album, Icons of Evil, was produced by the renowned Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore) and is set for an April 24th release. The album’s striking artwork can be viewed now at the link below.
The cover art has already created a great deal of controversy, but the band’s founder Tony Lazaro (guitars) refuses to censor his vision in any way and further states: “It is great to see that the cover of our new record has already started some controversy. Some of our distributors saw the artwork and suggested we change it. The record's scheduled to come out around Easter, and apparently the subject of Christ being nailed to his cross is a bit extra-sensitive around that time. We were told no one would take the CD unless we either changed it or put a slipcase over it. I absolutely refused to change shit, but I still wanted our fans to be able to find the album in their local stores, so we ultimately decided to go with the slipcase. I’m still pretty bummed about it, but this was out of my hands.
“I am extremely excited to announce that we’ve confirmed some amazing European festivals. We are now scheduled to play the Metal Mania Fest (Poland), Fuck The Commerce (Germany) and the mighty Wacken (Germany), which has been a dream of mine for years now. So many great legends have performed at that fest, and it's great be a part of it.
“Our MySpace page www.myspace.com/vitalremainsnow has some cool footage of Dave Suzuki recording the drums to the new track ‘Hammer Down The Nails.’ We're going to be doing a video for it as soon as we can 'nail down' a date with Glen (Benton, vocals). Speaking of dates, we're also working on a full North American tour for the summer. Stay tuned for more info.�?
Icons of Evil marks the group's second recording with Benton (Deicide) on vocals. Lazaro wrote the entire album and handled bass duties for its recording, while Suzuki once again tracked all the drums and lead guitar parts. There is not enough holy water available to wash away this unholiness.
Drawing from classic ‘80s metal bands such as Venom, Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Morbid Angel, Deicide and Slayer, VITAL REMAINS based their survival through a DIY, underground approach that earned them a rabid legion of fans. After four full-length releases, the group’s biggest break would come in 2003 as they signed to Century Media and released the genre-defying epic Dechristianize. It was hailed by critics and fans alike as one of extreme metal’s most accomplished and ambitious works that ever garnered mainstream acclaim. The album quickly elevated the band into the death metal elite and was supported by four full U.S. tours, further solidifying their status as one of the genre's hardest-working acts.
VITAL REMAINS continues to bring to the table nothing less than barbaric war metal the way it was meant to be: fast, brutal and tasteful. The world of extreme metal is not ready for the savageness that is about to be unleashed upon it.
