‘Ash’, a new song from Demon Hunter, can be streamed below. The song is taken from the band’s upcoming album “War”, which will be made available alongside a companion LP, “Peace”, on March 1.
Frontman Ryan Clark said about “Ash”: “‘Ash’ is a no-frills, anthemic onslaught, berating our infatuation with fleeting possessions. It’s a reminder to myself as much as anyone else.
“I collect pretty much everything I couldn’t afford as a kid: skateboards, shoes, artwork, antiques… you name it. And I love this stuff. Still, I know I can’t ‘take it with me’ as they say.”
He added: “In classic Demon Hunter fashion, we wanted to ensure that ‘War’ had at least one faster thrash number in the vein of ‘Storm The Gates Of Hell’, ‘Crucifix’ or ‘The World Is A Thorn’. ‘Ash’ is the resident barn burner track for this album. This was the last song that we’d written for the heavier of these two records, and is the only song written by Patrick, Jeremiah and myself.”
Video (audio) for ‘Ash’
Clark told Full Metal Jackie‘s nationally syndicated radio show that releasing two separate albums “with the polarized styles” that Demon Hunter is known for — “heavy and the super-melodic ‘ballad’-style songs” — is something he and his bandmates have “talked about doing for a long time.” He explained: “We didn’t want to do it too early in our career just because it felt like a lofty sort of endeavor. So we didn’t want to get carried away too early. So now kind of rounding out our albums at No. 9 and No. 10, seems like a really good time to do it.”
Ryan said that Demon Hunter decided not to package the two LPs together because “double albums are too hard to digest. Of the ones that have been released from bands that I really like, I never really found myself diving into them and fully really soaking them in just because it’s quite an undertaking,” he said. “So I wanted this to almost be two autonomous things that are meant to be listened to. And I know, coming out on the same day and everything, they might as well be packaged together, but the idea of them being separate is that they… it might not be so burdensome to consume.”
“War” track listing:
01. Cut To Live
02. On My Side
03. Close Enough
04. Unbound
05. Grey Matter
06. The Negative
07. Ash
08. No Place For You Here
09. Leave Me Alone
10. Lesser Gods
“Peace” track listing:
01. More Than Bones
02. I Don’t Believe You
03. Loneliness
04. Peace
05. When The Devil Come
06. Time Only Takes
07. Two Ways
08. Rescue Myself
09. Bet My Life
10. Fear Is Not My Guide
Demon Hunter formed in Seattle in 2001. The lineup features singer Ryan Clark alongside co-founder Jonathan Dunn (bass), drummer Tim “Yogi” Watts (drums, since 2004), lead guitarist Patrick Judge (since 2008) and guitarist Jeremiah Scott (since 2011). Clark remains the primary songwriter, with increasing contributions from Judge.
Demon Hunter‘s dedicated supporters wear the group’s symbol and lyrics on their shirts, vests, backpacks, and in many cases, on their skin. Based in both Seattle and Nashville, the group embraces brazenly transcendent melodies, without apology, while maintaining a defiant heaviness reminiscent of the most timeless of metal.
A regular attraction at festivals, in theaters, and clubs, Demon Hunter has visited Europe, Australia, and South America, while touring North America several times. They were a headlining act on “Scream The Prayer”, co-headlined with the band RED, played as direct support to In Flames and introduced their fans to bands like August Burns Red and Haste The Day, whom they took on tour with them early in their career.
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