BLACKQUEEN: No Echo Debuts “Calefactorum Occulta” Featuring Paul Pavlovich of Assück

 

No Echo is now streaming the first single from Seattle, Washington-based BLACKQUEEN‘s impending The Destructive Cycle LP. The gnarled “Calefactorum Occulta” features guest vocals from Paul Pavlovich of Assück and is premiered alongside a brief interrogation of BLACKQUEEN.

 

Founded by life-long punk/metal scene veterans having played with seminal Florida grindcore outfit Assück and cult avant sludge outfit Wormwood, among others, the band unleashes a haunting and intriguing amalgam of metal infused with a wide array of other elements.

 

BLACKQUEEN‘s The Destructive Cycle is written based on Taoist five element theory. The band always strives to write music that creates dark and powerful soundscapes while at the same time embracing the deep esoteric knowledge of many cultures, from the powers of the known universe, into the unknown beyond; a musical representation of the powers of nature being channeled through a human host, and of the fear born from its misunderstood creative and destructive elements.

 

BLACKQUEEN‘s Pete Jay writes with the “Calefactorum Occulta” premiere, “Inspired by the practices of hermetic alchemy, this song represents the element of fire and the heat created from intense mental focus, creating the energy to serve and achieve spiritual goals. From the practices of living beings, to the actions and reactions of a living star on the cosmos, all these things are encompassed within it. This track is our first single because the depth of meaning it conveys is closest to the overall theme of The Destructive Cycle‘s concept.”

 

The Destructive Cycle was recorded and mixed by Brandon Fitzsimons at Airport Grocery, and mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering with additional engineering by Jeremy Davis, the record features guest vocals from Paul Pavlovich (Assück) on “Needle Grinding Well,” “Infinitesimal,” and “Calefactorum Occulta,” and Wrest (Leviathan, Lurker Of Chalice) on “The Sorcerer’s Jian.” The album is completed with cover art by Wrest and the LP version features design by Pavlovich, who will release the vinyl on his own Roman Numeral Records, the CD to see release by Super Sargasso, and the digital via handled by BLACKQUEEN.

 

The Destructive Cycle will see CD and digital release on November 22nd, with the vinyl to see release in January. Find preorders for all formats at Bandcamp HERE.

 

Watch for additional audio previews from the album, and more to see release over the days ahead.

 

Initially formed in San Francisco in 1998 by Pete Jay (original Assück bassist), BLACKQUEEN was born during the early days of San Francisco’s legendary Lucifer’s Hammer-era, which also gave birth to such bands as Ludicra, Weakling, Impaled, and Exhumed. Branding the name “witch metal” and conceptually evoking horror film soundtrack, uncompromising hardcore riffage, and an unconventional sonic approach for metal, the band gained a consistent following in the Bay Area and was known for always having a surprise around the corner at live shows and always keeping the audience engaged and challenged, very much in the way a good horror film does.

 

After releasing their self-produced demos Witch Metal, a split 7″ in the UK, and later the mini-LP The Anthropocalypse, Jay moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue an education in Kung Fu instruction. After he became certified many years later, the band was reformed with the help of Brandon Fitzsimons (Wormwood) and recorded the self-produced March Of The Obsidian Triumvirate which featured metal and soundtrack material. In 2013, the band created a short film for their song “BabeGhostWitch,” inspired by Italian Giallo films. They then toured out to Austin, Texas to play the inaugural Housecore Horror Film Festival where they not only performed, but also internationally debuted their short film. BLACKQUEEN was the only band at the festival to also bring a film of their own making to screen. The next year saw the release of their full-length LP The Directress, produced by Billy Anderson. Then after a slight lineup change, they began work on the new album, The Destructive Cycle.

 

 

For review copies of The Destructive Cycle and all review/interview coverage of BLACKQUEENcontact dave@earsplitcompound.com.