British Columbia brutalizers Carcosa have kept the details of their forthcoming full length release especially close to their chest - until now. Building on the momentum generated from the Revolver-premiere of the all out assault in "Descensus," the band has again mounted an offensive with the reveal of yet another show of firepower - this time, enlisting Kyle Anderson of Brand of Sacrifice to join the ranks.
"Our Scars" serves as the most recent offering from, Anthology, which revisits the band's emphatic introduction of their previously-released Absent EP. Bolstered by guesting spots from the likes of the above-mentioned Anderson, Taylor Barber of Left to Suffer, Ricky Hoover of Ov Sulfur, Jake Wolf of Reflections, and Chad Kapper of Frontierer and Charlie PS - the album combines revisited tracks with the additional vocal horsepower of an impressive list of cohorts. Rounded out by the addition of three new tracks, an intro, and interlude and a previously released single, the 11-cut effort marks the arrival of a new contributor in the category of contemporary deathcore.
While the band have secured their footing on their ascent within the category, their contributions well exceed their relatively recent, 2019 formation. While Carcosa ultimately began from the disbanded djent outfit of Galactic Pegasus, the tandem of Andrew Baena and Johnny Ciardullo (who also serves as the guitarist in Angelmaker) had long found themselves veering left of center into the darker realm of aggressive music. Rounded out by the addition of Cooper Lagace and Travis Regnier, Carcosa took advantage of captive 2020 audience and quickly established themselves as brazenly buzzworthy - despite the stalled pace of the pandemic era.
Apart from the band's unapologetically assertive introduction with the Absent EP, both Baena and Ciardullo had already well-established digital footprint that only added to the band's initial push. The pair have cultivated a healthy following via TikTok and Youtube platforms - offering compelling content ranging from technical playthroughs to hilarious jabs at the metal breakdown that have become viral sensations. (Seriously, you should watch the guys turn dad jokes and pick-up lines into mosh pit calls - HERE) Yet while the core of Carcosa maintain a strong presence online, it would be a tragedy to dismiss them as purely hype.The sheer strength of their Absent EP segues to an auspicious road ahead in Anthology and the latest cut in "Our Scars" with Anderson on the mic, further underscores that.
The Brand of Sacrifice frontman weighed in on his joint effort with the band. "Andrew from Carcosa approached me to do a guest feature, and I was more than pleased to be a part of their new record. I've known the guys for a number of years and have been interested in their collective works for that entire time. My feature in "Our Scars" was a blast to track! There's a syncopated, almost Busta Rhymes or Tech N9ne-esque high scream section in the song that is sure to turn some heads, as it's not something you heard normally in the BOS world."
Baena added,"When it came time to discuss who we wanted to feature on our redux songs, my first choice was Kyle. We have followed his career as a vocalist for a long time, since his old band The Afterimage, and seeing his progress has been inspiring for all of us. Brand Of Sacrifice is one of the hottest bands in our scene now, and we have taken a lot of inspiration and direction from them. Hell, both of our old bands broke up only for us to find more success than we'd ever had in the deathcore scene. We knew his voice would be the perfect fit to bring 'Our Scars' to the next level."
Vocalist Johnny Ciardullo also weighed in,"The Absent EP is the telling of the descent into depression and eventual suicide of a nameless person collectively modeled after many of our friends who've lost their battles with mental illness and some who found themselves through it. 'Our Scars' is an in-depth telling of the metaphysical hellscape that envelopes the self-loathing character in the middle of that downward spiral. At this point, all of the positive feelings they once received from the joys of life have been stripped away and replaced with the insurmountable pain of existence. While these lyrics may seem beyond extreme, the existential meaning behind the song brings solace and a sense of comfort to our character. It's somewhat paradoxical and makes little-to-no sense, but that's often the battle with mental illness: pain with no rhyme or reason."
Set to release their full length debut, Anthology on August 19th, the arrival date will mark one year to the day that Carcosa made it's unexpected though celebrated introduction. Armed with keen sense of songwriting ability, a proper grasp of modern deathcore, and an earnest sense of catharsis on the track, the songs work well in exceeding the requisite brutality of the genre and add to the evolution of the sound. Songs like "Our Scars" provide clear evidence as to why Carcosa are among the most promising prospects in the category and why deathcore continues its rise to prominence without relaying on familiar troupes.
Coinciding with the release of Anthology, Carcosa are launching an EXTREMELY limited drop of exclusive color variant vinyl entitled SCARS. The release can be accessed for a limited time - HERE. Previous releases have all sold out immediately, so fans are encouraged to act and quickly.
Stream the KNOTFEST.com premiere of "Our Scars" from Carcosa featuring Kyle Anderson of Brand of Sacrifice below.
