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The onslaught - out now!
posted on 21 Dec 2018 under category News
After 13 years, it is complete.
The Onslaught is finally out. It had of course been out for a couple of weeks already, but I finally received my copies from Peru, and so in my hands I’m holding the discs and the inserts that took me so long to finish. I’ve lived with the music for quite a while, of course, and had been hearing the final, finished version of it since I finished the final mix about ten months ago now, but to see it complete…
Everyone who had it (or gets it) will of course be able to read the credits and thanks, but I could not have done this myself, and so I think some public gratitude is in order.
First, the fellow musicians who helped contribute to the disc - Toby from Eyes of Ligeia gave us some great backing vocals, as did Funeral Grave from Gravewurm. Funeral also did a lot more, contributing lyrics and lead vocals to “Battle Plan”, one of the first songs I’ve co-written with someone else in a long, long time, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. Thank you both for your musical contributions.
Next, Gunter Kramer and Super Sargasso. We were left without a label and I was looking at going for a digital self-release or somehow begging/borrowing the cash to do my own self-release, but Herr Kramer stepped up and offered us the chance to be a part of a new musical family. He went above and beyond with working on the layout and getting everything duplicated, and the final product is a very nice and professional-looking release, far better than I could have managed on my own. Also, along with my share of the print run, he gave me a signing bonus of copies of the other Super Sargasso releases, and I have to say that it is no exaggeration that this is a label doing some great things - very unique, original, and heavy releases of various styles. It’s a roster I’m proud to be a small part of, and I thank Gunter and Super Sargasso for the opportunity.
Of course, mentioning labels, I have to give supreme thanks to Cheryl and Hartmuth Schindler for all of the years of support and encouragement. I know I was a slack, lazy ass with getting this thing done, but Death Beast would not have existed at all if not for Hart and Cheryl listening and then Barbarian Wrath releasing our first album. The Onslaught would not exist at all if not for their positive feedback and encouragement, and they heard it grow from a few rough demos to what you all can hear now. Beyond just thanks, the album is dedicated to three people, and Cheryl and Hart are two of them. I can’t thank you two enough for what you encouraged me to create.
For a while, I will admit, I was stuck in a rut with writing, and the album floundered in writer’s block hell for far longer than is healthy. Two musicians I played with in other contexts, though, provided a good deal of musical inspiration and instruction, helping me learn more about music and how to apply it to what I was working on here - Jez Graham and his son Bill Graham. This album would not be anywhere near as good as I hope you will see it as without the musical jump-start they gave my brain. Thank you both.
Seth Bennett was kind enough to contribute his artistic talents to the front cover of the album, working from just a wordy verbal description and a couple of rough cobbled-together jpeg examples to create exactly the visage of the Beast that I had in my mind as it unleashed The Onslaught upon mankind. It’s not lying, but maybe fudging, to say that it’s all about the music, because as all we metalheads know, the right logo and the right cover really sets the stage for the album, and Seth brought to life exactly what I was hoping it would be. Thank you very much.
Wrapping up, a few people lent their ears to test mixes to help me polish this baby to a nice, shiny metal sheen, and I thank you all for that - Adrian, JM, Blaidd, Toby, Cheryl, Hart, Seth, Funeral, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I forgot a couple of you. My appreciation is not diminished by my forgetfulness. Thank you all.
Finally, thanks to all of the fans who stuck it out. I hope the wait is worth it.