{"product_id":"antinoe-the-fold-cd-copy","title":"Spell - Wretched Heart (CD) (Pre-order)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003eSpell - Wretched Heart (CD) (Pre-order)\u003cbr\u003eReleases May 1, 2026\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003eMore than half a century into its life, what exactly is heavy metal? Is it a kind of belief system? Is it something to be observed as a relic, or an exhibit in a museum? Or is it, to paraphrase Christopher Lee’s Due de Richeleau in The Devil Rides Out “A living force, which can strike at any moment of the night”?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNeedless to say, SPELL, Vancouver’s next-level metal magicians, have plenty of thoughts on the matter. And as far as they’re concerned, heavy metal is something that needs to evolve to stay vibrant and exciting. This has been the fuel for their fifth album, the brashly confident Wretched Heart. What’s more, this relentless evolutionary momentum has led to them creating their strongest record to date - a thunderous celebration of individualism and eccentricity which stalks its nocturnal realm with savage finesse and beguiling charm.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Heavy metal can often be a regressive genre, almost by definition. But it doesn’t have to be!” emphasises the band’s singer. bassist and co-pilot Cam Mesmer, “I think that getting set in your ways is death. You have to be open to learning from new influences, or you’re washed up and a caricature of yourself. I consider SPELL to be a heavy metal band, and therefore whatever music we\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emake, will therefore be heavy metal, rather than the other way around, where you try to make your band fit into whatever narrow niche you think heavy metal is supposed to sound like”.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTherefore whilst Wretched Heart is possessed of no shortage of stirring harmony guitars, blazing solos and foot-on-monitor bravura, it also delves into fresh psychic terrain, building on the gothic flourishes that emboldened 2022’s Tragic Magic and embracing an emotional resonance that elevates its viciously catchy songs into the stratosphere. Central to this is the chemistry of the new SPELL line-up, which consolidates the duo of Cam and drummer\/guitarist\/co-vocalist Al Lester with keyboardist\/guitarist Gabriel Tenebrae and lead guitarist Jeff Black. Having honed this incarnation through touring with the likes of Green Lung, Wytch Hazel and Angel Witch, they’ve forged a union which throws the band firmly from the realm of retro chic into a new, bolder direction which, in the words of Baudelaire, extracts the eternal from the ephemeral.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I feel that the core of SPELL is more of a feeling or an atmosphere than a specific sound, and by the time a song goes through our filter it always sounds like us anyhow.” reasons Cam. “I’ve never really cared for happy songs. Excited, maybe. Desperation. adrenaline. melancholy, but in a wild and passionate way”.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll of these attributes and more are to be found herein. Aided and abetted by long-time collaborator Felix Fung on mixing desk and “fifth Beatle” duties, and resplendent in a sleeve by macabre visionary Adam Burke; Wretched Heart is a glorious testimony to a band ready to transcend its influences in search of fresh glory. “Lilac”, the album’s lead single (which also features a guest guitar solo from former Spirit Adrift, Carcass and Angel Witch man Tom Draper) is their most addictive and bittersweet moment to date, channelling both stadium-sized passion and wistful longing. “Take My Life” is an existential mid-paced stomper with a chorus that a Spandex-clad ‘80s warrior would kill for yet an emotional depth that they might be perplexed by.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Oubliette” meanwhile tackles the feeling of being trapped under the wheels of capitalism with bleak fortitude, and the gloriously stirring finale title track maps out a curious hinterland where Maiden-esque gallantry can share space with Kraftwerk-style vocoder stylings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHaving previously dealt heavily with the mystical and fantastical, Wretched Heart also showcases a new kind of emotional directness, reflecting the band’s own personal lives, as Cam attests “I challenge all lyricists: don’t be a coward! Whatever you’re feeling, have the courage to write about it! Being afraid to be cringe is the worst disaster to befall art”\u2028\u2028 “I’m always looking for that subconscious, under-the-skin feeling that we all got when listening to our first favourite bands in high school, where it’s just pure and exciting and takes hold of you” he reckons. “I’ll always worship Maiden, Sabbath and Priest, but I’d hate to be that guy who just goes back to putting on the same records every day. There is always new ground to be broken by those willing to risk it. I hope we succeeded in writing a catchy, exciting, personal record, which also pisses off a few of the more rigid traditionalists”.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWretched Heart, in all its gory glory, thus embodies a very vital paradox - a record made by true believers who yearn for catharsis beyond. The oxymoron of anthems forged from steel, yet with a very human heart. Even the most cynical bystander will likely struggle not to be bewitched.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis album is for anyone going through it” summarises Cam, “Anyone who’s not afraid to lay it all out in the open and feel something real!”.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003ca\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"credits-label\"\u003ecredits\u003cbr\u003eCam Mesmer\u003cbr\u003eVocals, Bass, Rhythm\u003cbr\u003eGuitar, Synthesizers\u003cbr\u003eAl Lester\u003cbr\u003eVocals, Lead Guitar,\u003cbr\u003eRhythm Guitar, Drums\u003cbr\u003eJeff Black\u003cbr\u003eLead Guitar, Backing Vocals\u003cbr\u003eGabriel Tenebrae\u003cbr\u003eLead Guitar, Synthesizers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdditional Musicians:\u003cbr\u003eAlison Black (Backing Vocals)\u003cbr\u003eTom Draper (Guitar Solo on Lilac)\u003cbr\u003eNicole \"Trish\" McDonal (Scream Vocals on \"Iron Teeth\")\u003cbr\u003eKalen Baker and Stephanie House (Choir Vocals on \"Iron Teeth\")\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Felix Fung\u003cbr\u003eRecorded at Little Red Sounds,\u003cbr\u003eNew Westminster, BC, March-October 2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMastered by Greg Mindorff at Suite Sound Labs\u003cbr\u003eCover painting by Adam Burke\u003cbr\u003ePhotography by Caitlin Delaplace\u003cbr\u003eGraphic Design by Annick Giroux\u003cbr\u003eLogo by Sean Coggins\u003c\/h3\u003e","brand":"bad omen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52995601695048,"sku":null,"price":16.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0786\/2252\/3720\/files\/0042851545_10.jpg?v=1777374894","url":"https:\/\/metal-collective.com\/products\/antinoe-the-fold-cd-copy","provider":"Metal Collective","version":"1.0","type":"link"}