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Grimoire Records presents the caustic, eponymous debut EP from Pittsburgh-based outfit RIPARIAN. Featuring the rhythm section of former outfit Wrought Iron, the band packs five tracks of totally grimy, weird, and filth-soaked death into a dense, twenty-five-minute release. The label has issued the cover art, track listing, and more ahead of the alum’s March 1st release date. Since their formation, RIPARIAN‘s sound has coalesced into an intense entity, infusing a foundation of classic death metal with technical time signature manipulation, a bit of crushing grindcore brute force, with elements of doom and dark atmospherics infiltrating the mix. Riparian was recorded, mixed, and mastered in September 2018 by Noel Mueller in his Tiny Castle, in Towson, Maryland, with additional vocal recording by Nate Campisi at Mr. Smalls Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The EP’s cover artwork was handled by Jason Angst/Artisan Pittsburgh. Grimoire Records will issue Riparian on CD and digital platforms on March 1st; find preorders HERE. Riparian Track Listing: 1. The Nuclear Unclear 2. Cosmic Undulations 3. Event Horizon Of Artificial Existence 4. Consumed By What Is Unknown 5. Metrics Distortion Watch for audio samples, an official video from the EP, tour dates, and more to be issued in the days ahead. RIPARIAN formed in April 2017, their name reflecting elements of their hometown of Pittsburgh, referencing the City Of Bridges, Three Rivers, and the Iron City. Bassist Brooks (ex-Wrought Iron, Circle Of Dead Children) and guitarist Lou Snyder recruited longtime friend, drummer Nick Tupi (ex-Wrought Iron) and the band fell into place. They went to work crafting their own flavor of death metal: hook-oriented but technical guitar work, smoothly shredding from precise speed into crushing breakdown grooves that flow forward with momentum, complimented by dark ambient excursions. The omnipresent thrum of the bass is heavily featured, tastefully carving its own melodic path in the listener’s chest cavity. On the percussive side of RIPARIAN, the assault varies from the minced precision of high-speed bomb blasts to the agonizingly slow pounding of doom-laden instrumentals. As RIPARIAN progressed as a unit, 2018 saw the trio’s ranks magnify to a quintet in only a few short weeks. Guitarist Dan Martin was added in early 2018, his presence allowing myriad new heights of harmonic exploration, increasing the band’s overall energy and fury. A month later the band added full-time vocalist Rob Grisly (ex-Grisly Amputation), who brought the tools RIPARIAN needed on the mic; solid death metal fundamentals, guttural lows, and a vast array of inhuman screams, as well as an intellectual approach to the art form. Since the lineup’s solidification, RIPARIAN has carved an increasingly wider channel for themselves with higher profile live shows, signing with Grimoire Records, and recording their self-titled debut with the label’s Noel Mueller in Baltimore in September of 2018. RIPARIAN has also collaborated with North Country Brewing of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania for the release of the band’s own beer; a peach saison called The Nuclear Unclear, which was sold in bars and released as a limited run in conjunction with the third annual Brewtal Beerfest event in Millvale, Pennsylvania in October 2018. Review copies of the EP will be released in the days ahead. For coverage of RIPARIAN contact dave@earsplitcompound.com. RIPARIAN: Nick Tupi – drums Dan Martin – guitar Rob Grisly – vocals Lou Snyder – guitar/vocals Brooks – bass |