Watch Debut Live Footage of Umbra Vitae (Converge, The Red Chord, Twitching Tongues) 


 

Death Metal supergroup Umbra Vitae, consisting of current and former members of Converge, Hatebreed, The Red Chord, Twitching Tongues, Scorpion Child, and more, performed their first-ever live shows in December 2022. They releasaed their debut album Shadow of Life on Deathwish Inc. in 2020. The band made their live debut at The Middle East Nite Club in Cambridge, MA on December 15th, and Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NY on December 16. The band includes vocalist Jacob Bannon (Converge, Wear Your Wounds, Blood From The Soul), guitars/vocals: Mike “Gunface” McKenzie (The Red Chord, Wear Your Wounds, Stomach Earth), guitars/vocals: Sean Martin (Twitching Tongues, Wear Your Wounds, ex-Hatebreed), bassist Greg Weeks (The Red Chord, Labor Hex), and drummers Jon Rice (Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, ex-Job For A Cowboy, Scorpion Child). Watch fan-filmed footage here!  

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ALBUM REVIEW: Petbrick – Liminal 


 

Petbrick are the brain-melting collaboration between metal legend Iggor Cavalera (Absent In Body / Cavalera Conspiracy / ex-Sepultura) and electronic noise maker Wayne Adams (Big Lad / Wasted Death). The unique collaboration has been perfected over the last few years in Adam’s London-based Bearbiteshorse Studio, so far yielding their debut album I in 2019, and a handful of EPs and split releases. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Converge – Bloodmoon: I


After the four-year gap since their last studio album, Massachusetts hardcore/metalcore act Converge return with something quite different. A collaborative effort, Bloodmoon: I (Epitaph Records) sees the band joining forces with Chelsea Wolfe, Ben Chisholm plus Cave In singer/guitarist Stephen Brodsky, the seven individuals all contributing to something a little out of their usual comfort zones.

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Converge’s Entombed Covers EP, 100% of Proceeds to Support LG Petrov’s GoFundMe.



Following the news that former Entombed and current Entombed AD vocalist Lars-Goran Petrov was diagnosed with incurable cancer, Converge announced they would be donating 100% of the earnings from their 2013 guest-filled Entombed covers EP to Petrov’s GoFundMe. The EP includes five covers of Entombed’s “Wolverine Blues” with a different vocalist on each one. The covers were originally recorded to be spliced together as one track on Converge’s 2012 split with Napalm Death, but the following year, Converge released each vocalist’s take as its own track on this EP. In addition to Converge’s own Jacob Bannon, Nate Newton, and Kurt Ballou, the vocalists include Aaron Turner (Isis, Sumac, Old Man Gloom), Kevin Baker (All Pigs Must Die, The Hope Conspiracy), and Tomas “Tompa” Lindberg (At The Gates, Disfear).Continue reading


PODCAST: Episode 89: Jacob Bannon (Converge) on Umbra Vitae Band and Debut Album


Ghost Cult was honored to chat with musician and artist Jacob Bannon of Converge, Wear Your Wounds, and his new band Umbra Vitae. That group just released their debut album, Shadow of Life, (read our review here), a brutal, OSDM flavored album created by Jacob and a group of master musicians and friends such as Mike McKenzie (The Red Chord, WYW) and Sean Martin (Twitching Tongues, ex Hatebreed, WYW) Greg Weeks (The Red Chord, Labor Hex) and Jon Rice (Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Job For A Cowboy). In a frank discussion with our editor Keefy, Jacob discussed the impact coronavirus has had on the music world and more specifically his bands and his label Deathwish Inc., what are the Death Metal inspirations of the group, how Umbra Vitae came together, how this is a full band and not side-project, the poem that inspired the band name and the entire album, an update on new Converge and WYW music, and much more. Jacob is working to stay focused and creative during the pandemic to keep his bands and Deathwish Inc. alive in all of this and if you can, please support his music, art activities at these links.

Buy the album here https://orcd.co/umbravitae

Support all of Jacob here:

https://jacobbannon.com/

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Jacob Bannon’s (Converge) “Dunedevil” Art Book Gets A 2nd Edition, Pre-Orders Go Live


Artist and musician Jacob Bannon of Converge and Wear Your Wounds has announced the 2nd Edition of his 300-page art book Dunedevil. Pre-orders are live now over at Jacob’s website. Limited to 500 copies, every copy is hand signed by Bannon and printed in the USA.  Jacob shared the news on social media, offering more details about the book, which has an estimated ship date of October 5th. For a limited time, he is also offering prints from the pieces that inspired the book as well. Continue reading


Kjeld Added To Roadburn, Festival Begins Next Week


Long-revered European music festival Roadburn kicks off four days of heavy, avant-garde and challenging music and art experiences in Tilburg, NL. Dutch black metal entity Kjeld has been added to the bill due to Cocatenatus dropping off due to a family situation. In a post, Roadburn founder and creative force Walter Hoeijmakers updated attendees on the last minute changes to the bill.Continue reading


Roadburn Announces Cul De Sac Lineup And Pre-Party


Roadburn 2018 is shaping up to be another incredible festival. In addition to the main lineup of bands, and special programs, Roadburn has announced its Cul de Sac lineup of special bands in Roadburn’s most intimate venue as well as the site of its Pre-Party. The festival takes place, as always, Tilburg, NL between April 19-22 and tickets are expected to sell out as usual. Continue reading


Idylls – The Barn


An oft-used phrase is that a band/song feels like it’s going to fall off the cliff at any moment. Well, Aussie Hardcore punks Idylls are back once again to make your brains descend from your earholes, actively looking for the precipice, and then some, with their new album The Barn (Holy Roar). Continue reading