Shroud of Despondency Added To NYDM 5-State Spring Bash III

Wisconsin-based dynamic and expansive black metal outfit SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY has been added to the NYDM 5-State Spring Bash III, which is set to take place April 6th & 7th at On The Limiter in Cudahy, WI. SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY will join the likes of CIANIDE, CARDIAC ARREST, IMPALER, BLOOD FEAST, ABSCONDER, BURIAL RITUAL and many more. For more info, visit this location.   

  

SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY is scheduled to perform on Saturday, April 7th at 10:05 PM. Erik Stenglein from Milwaukee's NORTHLESS will be filling in on drums for the band.  

On March 1st, SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY released Pine, the follow up to  2011's critically lauded Dark Meditations of Monastic Seclusion. The album is available for purchase at shroudofdespondency.bandcamp.com/album/pine. Main man and composer Rory Heikkila has this to say about Pine. " Pine has one goal and that is to blot out any light that existed onDark Meditations... Here the lush acoustic pieces of previous albums have largely been replaced by ambient improv synth pieces and the awkwardness of the instrumentals is designed to reflect the alienation and despair in the lyrics. Every track further explores human suffering, discomfort, alienation, and the overcoming of the human condition. New singer Ron Blemberg adds the much needed harshness to the vocal department while the rest of the band, despite losing drummer Jeremiah shortly after the recording process was complete, is even tighter and more focused on creating original music than ever. This focus on despair creates the visceral assault that is Pine."

Recorded again at Folkpocalypse studios in Milwaukee and released with a special downloadable bonus disc called Cavalcade of Crows, available upon purchase of Pine, it could easily be considered business as usual. Only this time SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY is even more focused on the bleak and absurd. Taking influence from old school death metal (Morbid Angel, Immolation, Bolt Thrower), Black Metal (Inquisition, Root, Negura Bunget, Emperor, Burzum), and prog (King Crimson and Mike Oldfield). Shroud of Despondency truly does not care about labels, only expulsion of negativity through creation- this is Pine.    

 

SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY is:

Rory Heikkila - Guitars
Jon Liedtke - Guitars
Tyler Okrzesik - Bass
Ron Blemberg - Vocals

 

shroudofdespondency.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/shroudofdesondency

 

Shroud of Despondency's Pine Out Now Digitally / CD Release March 1st

Deep, dark, and dynamic Wisconsin black metallers SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY will release the CD version of Pine on March 1st. The album was just released digitally and can be purchased here.

The self-released album follows 2011's critically lauded Dark Meditations of Monastic Seclusion. The prolific act also released the well received Objective:Isolation, a collection of previously unreleased tracks a few months later in 2011. Main man and composer Rory Heikkila has this to say about Pine. " Pine has one goal and that is to blot out any light that existed on Dark Meditations... Here the lush acoustic pieces of previous albums have largely been replaced by ambient improv synth pieces and the awkwardness of the instrumentals is designed to reflect the alienation and despair in the lyrics. Every track further explores human suffering, discomfort, alienation, and the overcoming of the human condition. New singer Ron Blemberg adds the much needed harshness to the vocal department while the rest of the band, despite losing drummer Jeremiah shortly after the recording process was complete, is even tighter and more focused on creating original music than ever. This focus on despair creates the visceral assault that is Pine."

Recorded again at Folkpocalypse studios in Milwaukee and released with a special downloadable bonus disc called Cavalcade of Crows, available upon purchase of Pine, it could easily be considered business as usual. Only this time SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY is even more focused on the bleak and absurd. Taking influence from old school death metal (Morbid Angel, Immolation, Bolt Thrower), Black Metal (Inquisition, Root, Negura Bunget, Emperor, Burzum), and prog (King Crimson and Mike Oldfield). Shroud of Despondency truly does not care about labels, only expulsion of negativity through creation- this is Pine.  

 

SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY is:

Rory Heikkila - Guitars

Jon Liedtke - Guitars

Tyler Okrzesik - Bass

Ron Blemberg - Vocals

shroudofdespondency.bandcamp.com 

www.facebook.com/shroudofdesondency

SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY: Objective: Isolation Streaming In Full At Apochs.net

Objective: Isolation, the digital-only collection of unreleased material from U.S. progressive black metal act SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY, is now streaming in its entirety on Apochs.net. The album, which was originally recorded in 2009, was brought out of the vault after the attention received from Dark Medications in Monastic Seclusion, the album that thrust SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY into the forefront the U.S. independent black metal scene.  

Visit apochs.net to experience  Objective: Isolation.

An Opposing Shore

This Transcends Belief  

Incongruous

A Life Well Lived  

Struggling With The Current

Wound

My Carrion

Silence After The Downfall

"With the newly released Dark Meditations In Monastic Seclusion doing so well I figured I'd keep the ball rolling by beginning to release some of the stuff that was recorded before it.Objective:Isolation is one such album and is, out of all the unreleased stuff, my personal favorite. It was recorded in two different sessions in the summer of 2009 and literally forced its way out of me during these sessions. I had nothing prearranged when I went into this album. I had no riffs, lyrics, artwork or anything that would lead a person to belief I was creating anything. I had ideas and a strong will to create. I also had a reason to create. Coming off a year spell where I wasn't writing metal, in fact I barely picked up an electric guitar during this period, I suddenly realized I had stored up a lot of frustration, confusion, despair, and aggression. If I didn't purge myself of these feelings something bad was going to happen, and I could feel it. So I began writing. The title came first. It's a very cliche title, but the only appropriate one. I was disappearing inside myself, escaping to mental landscapes that were both serene and desolate. I was turning to the idea of isolation at a time when my life was anything but isolated. The cover and most of the artwork are of the section of Lake Superior that can be found in my hometown in Upper Michigan and was an easy choice for the art because this particular spot of the lake was a spot that I often retreated to with friends to get away from everything. So I was mentally retreating to this spot in times of stress, but there was something else. Something 'darker' inside as well. A lot of the times I was escaping to this place I was also imagining that the outside world had already died and I found great comfort in thinking of myself alone by the lake shore in a world that deserved its death. I didn't give myself a lot of time to do the rest of the album. I knew that losing this drive was a great possibility so I worked non stop during these sessions, with one mic and the patience to program drums. I also didn't edit lyrics or riffs. The album is largely an exercise in stream of consciousness performance. Most of the solos are one take. The lyrics have cliches that should have been edited out. There are flubbed notes all over and I don't care. After the tracks were laid down the vocal sessions began and from there it was all mixing. Mixing this album was a fucking bitch and it was the thing that made me lose the drive to complete the album. So I put it away for a while and during this time met the guys that would become Shroud of Despondency 2011. While no one that is on Dark Meditations... can be found on Objective: Isolation and we are much more focused on writing material as a unit now, I still think this is an album worth hearing. And, while it is quite obvious that it is a DIY CD with no proper mastering or other "professional" minded nonsense allowed, I think it is obvious that the album has plenty of spirit and plenty of balls. So if you are one of the free spirits who sees yourself at war with the world and all its pathetic herd minded philosophies, give it some time. I think these lyrics from the song "Wound" sum up the album nicely: "I am there standing on the shores of Superior, reconciling the world with my interior. I could proclaim innocence but who would care? Who would even hear?"

  

www.myspace.com/shroudofdespondency 

SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY Brings Objective: Isolation Back to Life

The fans embraced it and the critics raved about it; SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY's Dark Medications in Monastic Seclusion was that rare independent release that hit all the right buttons with its organic blend of beautiful acoustic and caustic black metal songs with lyrics focusing on isolation, despair, hatred, and one's personal celebration of introversion. MetalGeorge Pacheco perhaps captured it best in a review on Metal Army America: "Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion suffers repeated listens very well, with each successive spin peeling back layers of brilliance for the listener, and proving that Shroud of Despondency are indeed a band to watch in 2011." Guitarist/composer Rory Heikkila took it as a sign that the time was right to digitally release Objective: Isolation, a collection of previously unreleased material SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY recorded in 2009.  

An Opposing Shore

This Transcends Belief  

Incongruous

A Life Well Lived  

Struggling With The Current

Wound

My Carrion

Silence After The Downfall

"With the newly released Dark Meditations In Monastic Seclusion doing so well I figured I'd keep the ball rolling by beginning to release some of the stuff that was recorded before it.Objective:Isolation is one such album and is, out of all the unreleased stuff, my personal favorite. It was recorded in two different sessions in the summer of 2009 and literally forced its way out of me during these sessions. I had nothing prearranged when I went into this album. I had no riffs, lyrics, artwork or anything that would lead a person to belief I was creating anything. I had ideas and a strong will to create. I also had a reason to create. Coming off a year spell where I wasn't writing metal, in fact I barely picked up an electric guitar during this period, I suddenly realized I had stored up a lot of frustration, confusion, despair, and aggression. If I didn't purge myself of these feelings something bad was going to happen, and I could feel it. So I began writing. The title came first. It's a very cliche title, but the only appropriate one. I was disappearing inside myself, escaping to mental landscapes that were both serene and desolate. I was turning to the idea of isolation at a time when my life was anything but isolated. The cover and most of the artwork are of the section of Lake Superior that can be found in my hometown in Upper Michigan and was an easy choice for the art because this particular spot of the lake was a spot that I often retreated to with friends to get away from everything. So I was mentally retreating to this spot in times of stress, but there was something else. Something 'darker' inside as well. A lot of the times I was escaping to this place I was also imagining that the outside world had already died and I found great comfort in thinking of myself alone by the lake shore in a world that deserved its death. I didn't give myself a lot of time to do the rest of the album. I knew that losing this drive was a great possibility so I worked non stop during these sessions, with one mic and the patience to program drums. I also didn't edit lyrics or riffs. The album is largely an exercise in stream of consciousness performance. Most of the solos are one take. The lyrics have cliches that should have been edited out. There are flubbed notes all over and I don't care. After the tracks were laid down the vocal sessions began and from there it was all mixing. Mixing this album was a fucking bitch and it was the thing that made me lose the drive to complete the album. So I put it away for a while and during this time met the guys that would become Shroud of Despondency 2011. While no one that is on Dark Meditations... can be found on Objective: Isolation and we are much more focused on writing material as a unit now, I still think this is an album worth hearing. And, while it is quite obvious that it is a DIY CD with no proper mastering or other "professional" minded nonsense allowed, I think it is obvious that the album has plenty of spirit and plenty of balls. So if you are one of the free spirits who sees yourself at war with the world and all its pathetic herd minded philosophies, give it some time. I think these lyrics from the song "Wound" sum up the album nicely: "I am there standing on the shores of Superior, reconciling the world with my interior. I could proclaim innocence but who would care? Who would even hear?"

  

myspace.shroudofdespondency 

Shroud of Despondency Track "Parting Of The Way" Now Streaming On AngryMetalGuy.com

As its February 12th release date quickly approaches, the internet is buzzing about the upcoming Shroud Of Despondency masterpiece, Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion. With StereoKiller.com already streaming the epic "To Glisten In All The Colors Of Distress" and critical acclaim coming from reviewers around the globe, AngryMetalGuy.com has decided to get in on the action and offer a stream of "Parting Of The Way" to fans everywhere. Check the song out at this location and visit  www.myspace.com/shroudofdespondency for info on how to get your copy of Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion. 

   

Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion is an organic blend of beautiful acoustic and caustic black metal songs with lyrics focusing on isolation, despair, hatred, and one's personal celebration of introversion. The musical influences are many, but include King Crimson, Death In June, Emperor, Darkthrone, Kate Bush, Immolation, Agalloch, Dawn, Neurosis, Morbid Angel, and many others. With this album, Shroud of Despondency have achieved new goals and fearlessly embraced many musical genres in unveiling a fresh breath that will satisfy many and perplex many more.

www.myspace.com/shroudofdespondency

Seeing One Last Ray Of Light

Homo Homini Lupus  

Parting Of The Way

Sybil

Sullen Murmur Of Oppressive Stillness

Flicker Of The Ardent Light

To Glisten In All The Colors Of Distress 

Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion suffers repeated listens very well, with each successive spin peeling back layers of brilliance for the listener, and proving that Shroud of Despondency are indeed a band to watch in 2011.  

- MetalArmyAmerica.com

I can assure that this is going to be one of the most interesting and worthwhile metal albums you would hear all year. - PowerOfMetal.dk

Beautiful acoustic tranquility accompanied by tribal drumming and horns gives way to tortured shrills and vocal drawls complemented by raw thrashing metallic guitar, but skillfully contrasted with a strong melodic theme... - Battlehelm

Shroud of Despondency Streaming New Track On StereoKiller.com

In preparation for the February 12th release of their latest magnum opus, Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion, dynamic USBM act Shroud of Despondency have made the adventurous, 11+ minute song "To Glisten In All The Colors Of Distress" available for streaming on StereoKiller.com. To experience this aural journey, visit www.stereokiller.com/ShroudofDespondency.

  

 Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion is an organic blend of beautiful acoustic and caustic black metal songs with lyrics focusing on isolation, despair, hatred, and one's personal celebration of introversion. The musical influences are many, but include King Crimson, Death In June, Emperor, Darkthrone, Kate Bush, Immolation, Agalloch, Dawn, Neurosis, Morbid Angel, and many others. With this album, Shroud of Despondency have achieved new goals and fearlessly embraced many musical genres in unveiling a fresh breath that will satisfy many and perplex many more.

myspace.shroudofdespondency

Seeing One Last Ray Of Light

Homo Homini Lupus  

Parting Of The Way

Sybil

Sullen Murmur Of Oppressive Stillness

Flicker Of The Ardent Light

To Glisten In All The Colors Of Distress 

Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion suffers repeated listens very well, with each successive spin peeling back layers of brilliance for the listener, and proving that Shroud of Despondency are indeed a band to watch in 2011.  

- MetalArmyAmerica.com

I can assure that this is going to be one of the most interesting and worthwhile metal albums you would hear all year. - PowerOfMetal.dk

Beautiful acoustic tranquility accompanied by tribal drumming and horns gives way to tortured shrills and vocal drawls complemented by raw thrashing metallic guitar, but skillfully contrasted with a strong melodic theme... - Battlehelm

Shroud of Despondency Raise USBM Bar with Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion

Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion from dynamic USBM act Shroud of Despondency is set for self-release on February 12th, 2011. The album is an organic blend of beautiful acoustic and caustic black metal songs with lyrics focusing on isolation, despair, hatred, and one's personal celebration of introversion. The musical influences are many, but include King Crimson, Death In June, Emperor, Darkthrone, Kate Bush, Immolation, Agalloch, Dawn, Neurosis, Morbid Angel, and many others.

On Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion, Shroud of Despondency have achieved new goals and fearlessly embraced many musical genres in unveiling a fresh breath that will satisfy many and perplex many more.

www.myspace.com/shroudofdespondency

Seeing One Last Ray Of Light

Homo Homini Lupus  

Parting Of The Way

Sybil

Sullen Murmur Of Oppressive Stillness

Flicker Of The Ardent Light

To Glisten In All The Colors Of Distress 

Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion suffers repeated listens very well, with each successive spin peeling back layers of brilliance for the listener, and proving that Shroud of Despondency are indeed a band to watch in 2011.  

- MetalArmyAmerica.com

Shroud Of Despondency: Dark Meditations In Monastic Seclusion; Release: 2/12/2011

Shroud Of DespondencyDark Meditations In Monastic SeclusionSelf ReleasedRelease: 2/12/2011

Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion from dynamic USBM act Shroud of Despondency is an organic blend of beautiful acoustic and caustic black metal songs with lyrics focusing on isolation, despair, hatred, and one's personal celebration of introversion. The musical influences are many, but include King Crimson, Death In June, Emperor, Darkthrone, Kate Bush, Immolation, Agalloch, Dawn, Neurosis, Morbid Angel, and many others.

On "Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion" Shroud of Despondency have achieved new goals and fearlessly embraced many musical genres in unveiling a fresh breath that will satisfy many and perplex many more.

myspace.shroudofdespondency

Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion

Track List

Seeing One Last Ray of Light

Homo Homini Lupus

Parting of the Way

Sybil

Sullen Murmur Oppressive Stillness

Flicker of the Ardent Light

To Glisten In All the Colors of Distress