| ANGLO-GREEK METALCORE CROSSOVER QUINTET SIGNS WITH UNFD Hailing half from Newcastle, UK, and half from Athens, Greece, multi-voiced genre-smashers October Ends have been somewhat of a well-kept scene secret. Though it dropped amidst the throes of the 2020 pandemic, the band’s self-recorded, self-released debut album Zodiac has racked up more than 10 million streams to date, with no touring or promotional push behind it. But now, through their global partnership with UNFD, October Ends are primed and ready to step out of the shadows and introduce themselves to the world writ large. “We’re buzzing to start releasing new music with UNFD,” enthuses guitarist/vocalist Michael Charlton, who is part of the band’s Newcastle unit. “We’ve been sitting on exciting material that takes October Ends in a new direction and includes the best songs we’ve ever written.” A groove and hook-laden modern metal mini-anthem, “Play Time” builds around an irresistible nu-metal stomp, adding layers of electronics and trap-inspired beats, before crashing into a soaring chorus crescendo. “This track is one of our favorites, and sees us experimenting and expanding our sound palette,” remarks Nick Thurl Mavromatis, the band’s co-lead singer, though just one-quarter of the band’s four-pronged vocal attack alongside Charlton, co-frontman George Mavridis, and guitarist/vocalist Alex Hek. Athens-born and raised Nick also produced and mixed “Play Time” himself, with a specific vision in mind for how the next chapter of October Ends should sound, look, and feel. He says, “We love many contemporary styles of music and we wanted to marry them with metal in a way that was seamless. Blending a variety of genres also helped portray the drastic mood swings in the song’s story.” A tragic tale told from the perspective of a protagonist struggling with addiction and mental health, “Play Time” tackles the temptation to give in to dark urges. As Nick explains, “It’s quite dark subject matter, but we really wanted to explore and exaggerate these themes as many of us in October Ends have struggled with mental health, especially during the pandemic. Sometimes you feel like there’s just no way out. Sometimes it feels like you should just give in to your dark side. In a tongue-in-cheek fashion, we suggest partying with your demons, giving up, and joining them, facing them another day. A lot of people suffer out there, and it’s not easy to face your demons.” As well as handling the track’s production and a chunk of the lead vocals, Nick also directed and edited the official music video. “I wanted to emphasize the rough times that come with substance abuse through using metaphors,” he offers. “I was very much inspired by [HBO TV series] Euphoria to employ contrasts to give context in a scene without the use of dialogue. It’s stressful to direct, perform, and even film in some cases, but doing this with a crew under our direction really is enabling us to unlock the best of our creativity and visualize our ideas exactly the way we want them.” OCTOBER ENDS ARE: Nick Thurl Mavromatis — Vocals George Mavridis — Vocals Michael Charlton — Guitar, Backing Vocals Alex Hek — Guitar, Vocals Drew Smith — Bass |
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