Virginia, VA blackened death metal duo FORETOKEN
are today premiering their new album, Triumphs, in full via Heavy Blog Is Heavy. On their second full-length, FORETOKEN set folkloric tales from both Western and Middle Eastern origins to meticulously lofty soundscapes and elaborate extreme metal and orchestral musicianship.
LISTEN TO TRIUMPHS IN FULL VIA HEAVY BLOG IS HEAVY HERE.
Triumphs
will be available on all streaming platforms on Friday, March 17.
Pre-order Triumphs via the Prosthetic webstore here | Pre-order via Bandcamp here.
Speaking on the premiere, Steve Redmond (guitar and orchestration) comments: “Triumphs is the culmination of two years of intense work. We pushed ourselves hard on this one. We really listened to the feedback we received from our first album, Ruin, and we wanted to improve upon it, and take FORETOKEN to the next level. I personally am really proud of this album and it was certainly a blast to make!”
Vocalist, Dan Cooley adds: “Triumphs marks the next page in the FORETOKEN story and I couldn’t be more excited for people to see it. We pushed ourselves to improve on every aspect of songcraft and that’s allowed us to create a grandeur within these tales which is almost palpable. Whether it’s stories of witnessing the death of Beowulf or our take on the epic conclusion of the Titanomachy, we hope Triumphs gives you a ringside seat to some of the most timeless stories in human history!”
Utilizing traditional narratives of myths, legends, and folklore, Triumphs
examines the ignored collateral damage of the cost of victory through these established mythos. Stories throughout Triumphs include the tale of the Persian epic poem Shahnameh, written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi (referenced in Serpent King’s Venom), Zhong Kui, the mythological Chinese King of Ghosts (Demon Queller) and Mexico’s The Weeping Woman, La Llorona (The Wraith That Weeps).
Taking musical inspiration from melodic and tech death metal, as well as power, folk and black metal, FORETOKEN’s core sound on Triumphs
is bolstered by subtle and captivating use of traditionally Scandinavian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern instruments for atmospheric depth within the album’s 51 minute runtime. Reunited once again with Hannes Grossmann (Hate Eternal, Alkaloid, Obscura, Necrophagist, Blotted Science, and Triptykon) on drums and boasting a guest guitar appearance by The Black Dahlia Murder’s Brandon Ellis on penultimate track A Tyrant Rises As Titans Fall, FORETOKEN’s technical prowess shines through without overpowering any of the nine songs’ rhythmic charge.
Triumphs was penned throughout 2021 by both Steve Redmond (guitar and orchestration) and Dan Cooley (vocals), with the pair settling on eight original compositions and a cover of Naglfar’s I Am Vengeance. Grossmann then commenced drum tracking at his own studio, Mordor Sounds, with guitars recorded by Redmond himself and vocals captured at Trepan Studios by Tony Petrocelly, before mixing and mastering duties were placed in the accomplished hands of Jacob Hansen (Arch Enemy, Fleshgod Apocalypse, The Black Dahlia Murder, and more) at Hansen Studios.
Visually tied together by portrait artist Tomas Honz’s detailed cover painting, depicting a protagonist’s journey in the aftermath of battle, Triumphs aesthetic component is a symbolic embodiment of the duo’s enduring fascination with historial consequence via a folkloric lens. Taking fables and fantasy to extreme sonic heights, FORETOKEN’s Triumphs is as lofty in ambition as it is accomplished in its musicianship and songcraft.