Photo by: Alex Morgan
Progressive death metal outfit Revocation have set September 9th as the release date for their eighth studio album Netherheaven through Metal Blade Records. The track listing and Paolo Girardi (Firespawn, Power Trip) created cover art have been revealed and can be found below. Pre-orders are now live and can be purchased at MetalBlade.com/Revocation. Speaking of the album’s direction, frontman Dave Davidson comments:
“We’re definitely in more of a death metal mindset than on earlier albums in our catalog. We’re focusing on how we can write the best death metal-centric album that we possibly can while still pushing our boundaries. The new songs on Netherheaven are evil and sinister but also have a progressive element to them to keep things interesting. It’s got our stamp on it, no question.”
A music video directed by David Brodsky for the record’s first single “Diabolical Majesty” has also premiered and ca be found below.
Speaking of the single, Davidson said of it:
“It’s always hard choosing the first single off of a new album, but we felt that ‘Diabolical Majesty‘ really captures the mood of ‘Netherheaven‘ overall. It’s a thrashing, death metal ripper that’s got a little something for everyone, whether you’re the first one to activate a circle pit at a show or if you just like to bang your fucking head. The music video was filmed by our good friends Dave Brodsky and Allison Woest, and they’ve once again outdone themselves on this one! Special thanks to the Sk8 Liborius crew for letting us rage in their space for a couple days.
Lyrically, ‘Diabolical Majesty‘ was inspired by the Satanic Temple’s ongoing struggle with the religious right and their battle to display the statue of the Baphomet in the face of censorship and legal action. To quote American author Chris Hedges, ‘The merger of the corporatists with the Christian right is the marrying of Godzilla to Frankenstein.’ These words ring even truer now that extremist Christian politicians have begun imposing their authoritarian rule as they seek to completely undo the separation of church and state.”
Bassist Brett Bamberger adds:
“Filming for ‘Diabolical Majesty‘ hyped me up on every level! You can’t beat ripping a video with the crew WHILE having a session and several Busch Waters. Skating at Liborius reminded me of my first time checking out SPOT & Asbury Park when I was a kid. I don’t think I’ve even seen a vert ramp since those days since I’ve always been a tech dawg! It was really special to be able to combine all my beloved passions in the sesh & hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!”
Netherheaven was written entirely by Davidson and also produced and engineered guitar, bass, and vocals at his own HeatWave Studios. Drums were engineered by Shane Frisby at The Brick Hithouse. Mixing and mastering was then handled by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Kreator) to mix and master at Fascination Street Studios. Speaking of the process, Davidson offers:
“First, we had Shane Frisby engineer the drums at The Brick Hithouse in Massachusetts. We did the drums to The Outer Ones there, too. After that, I engineered everything myself, which was a complete first. I know the pandemic was dark and depressing for many musicians and artists. I used the downtime to learn new skills to better myself. I had to keep moving. So, I learned how to record audio and video. The workflow process was something I had to learn too. Trial by fire. I had dabbled in recording before, but nothing like a full album recording. I tracked all of my guitar parts, engineered Brett’s bass parts, and my vocals. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but it was cool to be the ship’s captain. I’ve come a long way since my days of recording riffs onto old cassettes.”
Revocation have also revealed dates for a headlining tour in support of the record with Krisiun, Alluvial, and Inoculation. Dates can be found below. Of the upcoming trek, Davidson shares:
“We cannot wait to play a bunch of new songs on our first headlining tour back since the pandemic. We’ll be joined alongside the Brazilian berserkers in Krisiun, progressive death metal wizards Alluvial and newcomers Inoculation who combine an OSDM aesthetic with a more modern, technical approach. Don’t miss the killer lineup, come out and circle pit for Satan!”
Netherheaven track listing:
- “Diabolical Majesty”
- “Lessons In Occult Theft”
- “Nihilistic Violence”
- “Strange And Eternal”
- “Galleries Of Morbid Artistry”
- “The 9th Chasm”
- “Godforsaken”
- “The Intervening Abyss Of Untold Aeons”
- “Re-Crucified” (feat. Trevor Strnad & George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher)
9/09 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
9/10 Montreal, QC – Les Foufounes Electriques
9/11 Quebec City, QC – La Source de la Martiniere
9/13 Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere
9/14 Cambridge, MA – Middle East
9/15 Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.
9/16 Baltimore, MD – The Metro Gallery
9/17 Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27
9/18 Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger
9/19 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Purgatory)
9/20 Tampa, FL – Brass Mug
9/21 West Palm Beach, FL – Respectable Street
9/23 Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
9/24 Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
9/25 El Paso, TX – Rockhouse Bar & Grill
9/27 Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater
9/28 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
9/29 Los Angeles, CA – 1720
9/30 Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
10/01 Santa Cruz, CA – Santa Cruz Vets Hall
10/03 Portland, OR – Dante’s
10/04 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
10/06 Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
10/07 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
10/08 Lincoln, NE – The Royal Grove
10/09 Sioux Falls, SD – Bigs Bar
10/11 St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
10/12 Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club
10/13 Hamtramck, MI – The Sanctuary 2
10/14 Cleveland, OH – No Class
10/15 Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
10/16 Pittsburgh, PA – Enclave
