LIGHT THE TORCH — Howard Jones [vocals], Francesco Artusato [guitar], and Ryan Wombacher [bass]— will release their new album and second full length “You Will Be the Death of Me” on June 25 via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order it here.
The band have announced a full-length performance airing on album release day — Friday, June 25 at 7pm ET. The set will include several songs from “You Will Be the Death of Me”, which have never been performed live before. It will also include a VIP Zoom hang out with the band beforehand. Tickets for the performance are just $12 and are available here.
Today, the band has also dropped the music video for “Let Me Fall Apart.” Watch it below.
“I loved this song as soon as I heard it,” says Jones. “The music stuck in my head, so I knew I had to work on it right from the beginning of writing the new album. [Guitarist] Francesco [Artusato] wrote a huge chorus so I did my best to match that energy. We are thrilled for this to finally see the light of day.”
Artusato also weighs in on the track, saying, “The initial idea for this song was to combine an ‘old school’ type of guitar riff and vibe — because I love to hear Howard sing over that style — with a more ‘contemporary’ type of arrangement and chorus. I remember writing and arranging the chorus, and feeling that it had the potential to become great knowing what Howard could do with it. And of course he delivered once again. This was one of the first songs that we worked on during pre-production and it felt really good right away. It was definitely one of the songs that helped shape the sound for the rest of the record.”
The video was directed by Ramon Boutviseth, who also lensed the video for first single “Wilting in the Light.” Revolvercalled the song a “powerhouse,” while Loudwire applauded the track for its “spacious guitar playing and textured atmosphere” and noted that “Jones delivers a remarkable hook over the chorus and although the song sounds overtly uplifting, the singer’s lyrics channel a different energy entirely, setting up a wondrous juxtaposition.”
“‘You Will Be the Death of Me‘ has been a journey — even without the pandemic,” says Jones. “This album has been emotional and rewarding in every way, and we couldn’t be more excited to finally release it. Maybe there was a bit of desperation writing and recording these songs.”
He shares, “Going through personal turmoil and watching Francesco deal with injuries, we knew this could change things drastically for us. The album was a welcome distraction, and we dumped every emotion we had into ‘YWBTDOM’. To watch Fran heal and become an even more complete artist in front of my eyes has been amazing to watch. Everything we went through individually and together with this album drew Fran, Ryan, and I together. I couldn’t be more proud of this album knowing I made it with my family.”
Artusato opens up about his experiences, saying, “This record is special to me in a different way. From writing the music during one of the toughest times of my life while dealing with a bad injury due to a car accident to being obsessively involved with every aspect of its production, recording, and creating the artwork. It’s hard to describe how I feel, and to finally see this record getting ready to be released.”
He continues about the redemptive power of the album, offering, “We are all very satisfied with how this record showcases the evolution of our band and our evolution as individuals. Without our brotherhood, this music could not have happened. Music is what kept us strong together during our toughest times. There’s nothing like art that expresses pure and deep emotions, and that’s what I feel when I listen to Howard’s performance on this record.”
Wombacher concurs, “I think this album shows the growth the band has experienced after years on the road together, and a friendship that has continued to thrive doing what we love together.”
The guys returned to Sparrow Sound in Glendale, California to once again work with the production team of Josh Gilbert and Joseph McQueen [Bullet for My Valentine, As I Lay Dying, Suicide Silence]. This time around, they also welcomed Whitechapel’s Alex Rudinger on drums. “He’s incredible,” says Artusato. “He was exactly what we needed.”
“You Will Be The Death of Me” Tracklist:
- More Than Dreaming
- Let Me Fall Apart
- End of the World
- Wilting In the Light
- Death of Me
- Living With a Ghost
- Become the Martyr
- Something Deep Inside
- I Hate Myself
- Denying the Sin
- Come Back to the Quicksand
- Sign Your Name
Upheld by head-spinning seven-string virtuosity yet anchored to skyscraping melodies, Light the Torch crafted 12 metallic anthems, including an unexpected and awesome cover of the ’80s hit “Sign Your Name” by R&B singer Terence Trent D’Arby. The group shot out of the gate as a contender on their full-length debut, “Revival.” It bowed at #4 on the Billboard US Independent Albums Chart and at #10 on the Hard Rock Albums Chart in addition to receiving acclaim from Revolver, Outburn, and many more. “Calm Before the Storm” racked up a staggering 14.5 million Spotify streams, while “The Safety of Disbelief” remains one of SiriusXM Octane’s all-time most requested songs. They also crisscrossed North America and Europe on tour with the likes of Trivium, Avatar, In Flames, Ice Nine Kills, Killswitch Engage, and August Burns Red to name a few.
“You Will Be the Death of Me“ finds Light the Torch firing on all cylinders and ready to take things to the next level.
