<\/p>\n
\n
\u00a0The New Video \u2013 \u201cEscape Velocity\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike \u2013 We\u2019re all sci-fi and space exploration fans, so, no argument that \u201cEscape Velocity\u201d is a powerful title!<\/p>\n Aside from the scientific definition of the speed required to escape a gravity well, it speaks to frantically trying to get away from all the anger, conflict and pain of 21st<\/sup>\u00a0century life.<\/p>\n Lyrically, the song is the culmination, of sorts, of a theme that runs through a lot of our songs, such as Lumbering Menace, Ashes, K.I.A., Insurgent and others. That theme revolves around the human penchant for strife and what effect that has on us psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.<\/p>\n On the surface the song is about escaping earth, but when you dig in, it\u2019s about escaping who we are as a civilization, in many ways.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Right before James and I started Red Vinter, I\u2019d gone through the darkest time of my adult life and honestly wanted to give up more than once. Down in that hole, I spent a lot of time ruminating on the human condition, why we are the way we are, why we hurt each other so much, why our disagreements so often escalate into wars. And, from that, I had this overwhelming urge to run away from those things \u2013 to escape as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Thanks for saying that! We\u2019re really pleased with how the video turned out. The lyrics drove the visuals from start to finish. We tend to approach songwriting as storytelling, marinated in emotional themes. When it was time to sit and create this video, that storytelling aspect informed the visuals, vibe, etc..<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Yes! We love killer atmosphere in music and bands that create it masterfully. For Escape Velocity, it seemed a natural by-product of the storytelling aspect. I\u2019ve heard many astronauts say launching into space is a violent, frantic, jarring experience at first that gives way to this overwhelming sense of wonder and awe. So, capturing that in the song and video was non-negotiable.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 She did such a killer job, didn\u2019t she? Just love the added dynamic her voice brings. When I was creating the vocal arrangements, that part just really seemed like it needed an angelic choir-like voice. After considering that thought for a moment, Susan immediately came to mind as the perfect person to do it.<\/p>\n Susan – I thought “Escape Velocity” was a really cool song and I liked it a lot. My guitarist Bill Anderson, also from Wasteland Coven recorded my vocals in his basement and we sent them to Red Vinter to be added to the mix. I’m thrilled I got to be a part of it!<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 As anticipated, she brought a mood\/feeling into the song it didn\u2019t have prior to her vocals. Seriously couldn\u2019t be more pleased with what she did.<\/p>\n \u00a0The Album \u2013\u00a0Lumbering Menace<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Thanks for saying that! Sometimes it\u2019s easy to get lost in the work of creating music and\u00a0\u00a0you end up feeling a bit alone on an island. But then you bring your head up for air and read great reviews, hear cool things and see the response right in front of you that makes all the hard work worth every ounce of effort.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 We placed it at the end as sort of a \u201cfinal chapter\u201d for this album. Earlier songs examine the things mentioned above (Lumbering Menace for example is all about our innate need for strife, Insurgent describes civilization as a man-made death machine that eats lives to produce profits, etc.) and Escape Velocity is the reaction to staring all those other things in the face and wanting to run from it all once the realization sets in that it\u2019s simply inevitable.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Love that you get that from your listening experience! James and I set out to do two things with this band: we wanted people to walk away feeling the music was really heavy, in more ways than one. Secondly, we hoped just one person, or many people, could find a sense of solace from the rigors of life in our music. Struggle with depression? We can relate. Have anxiety, we\u2019ve been there (and on many levels are still there). Battling overwhelming grief, these songs get you. As music fans, we all likely have that one song that was there for us in a dark hour, and that song will always be there to light the way. Hopefully a Red Vinter song becomes that for someone who needs it.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Yes, you hit the nail on the head with that one. We often joke that band practices and live shows are our therapy. The volume, beat, melodies, and moments where you can just scream at the top of your lungs, bring a much needed release for a lot of built up stress.<\/p>\n \u00a0Songwriting & Sound<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Yes! (laughs) But seriously, it\u2019s really all of the above. Sometimes a quick flash of riff inspiration \u2013 like you start hearing something in your head, or playing something on your instrument that gives you the \u201cstank face\u201d which leads to an entire song. Other times it\u2019s a desire to give voice to a feeling or a need. Fully fleshed out lyrics usually come last, but the words to The Cell Inside, on our upcoming 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0album Ghost in the Fog, started as poetry that J wrote while battling the loss of a loved one.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Thanks for noticing that! We\u2019re very mindful of contrast in our songwriting. If everything was just violent, massive, gravel crushing riffs, it would start to lose its luster. Those moments of heavy, grinding tonal assaults need something to compare to, such as hooking melodies or delicate clean parts. We often talk about size, as in \u201cmake this part small so the next part sounds super huge\u201d when working on the music.<\/p>\n James – For this music, yes restraint is paramount.\u00a0\u00a0It’s super easy to overplay.\u00a0\u00a0I have to listen carefully to the drumless tracks, and then place the minimum number of drum notes that I can to accentuate the riffs.\u00a0\u00a0I frequently use a half-time feel to take the perceived tempo down even slower, but some well-placed 16th notes or 16th note triplets can give a fill just the right amount of pop before settling back into the slow groove.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 (laughs) I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve figured that out yet. I\u2019ve been performing metal vocals all my life, for the most part, but playing bass and singing at the same time is fairly new to me. A friend referred to what he does as \u201ccompound learning\u201d meaning he mashes the guitar parts he plays into the vocals he sings to create one thing in his mind. I try to follow that as best as possible, but sometimes find myself focusing more on bass than vocals or vice versa. Definitely brings a whole new level of respect for the people who have mastered doing both.<\/p>\n \u00a0The St. Paul Metal Scene<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike \u2013 It\u2019s really both St. Paul and Minneapolis, as the Twin Cities have one big, very, very cool scene. I don\u2019t think any of it has really influenced what we play or how we play it, but the reception from others in the scene has certainly been a welcome game changer for us. From the other bands we\u2019ve played with like Living Through Ghosts, Enigmatus, VolsungaSaga, Waar Party and many others to the \u201cpillars of the community\u201d like Josh Kellerman, Bill Hansen, Will Maravelas, Greg Chilton and more, it\u2019s been great to feel like part of such a talented and amazing music community.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 I like to think it\u2019s our unique perspective and my old school roots. Having been part of the metal underground since its inception brings a connection to the foundation of it all. Mix that with our desire to \u201cfeed\u201d off of all sorts of inspiration while creating music that hits a lot of what people struggle with day to day head on and you get a blend of old and new, familiar and unexpected that seems to catch a lot of people off guard.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 I was the main songwriter in Scab, a Washingrton, DC area death metal band in the 90s, and we were heavily influenced by Venom, Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Bolt Thrower and early Obituary and VoiVod. Those same influences are still at the heart of who I am, but James, who speaks into our work and writes all the drums for us, brings his love of Lamb of God, Tool and a few others into the mix. Oddly enough, an old friend, Ed Farshtey, pointed out that we sound a lot like early Godlfesh, which was never on our minds, but after listening, we can\u2019t disagree with him.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 There are definitely some we admire and think we\u2019d be a great fit with on a tour, like Crowbar, Mammoth Storm, Monolord, Conan, Ahab, Church of Misery, etc.. Just love what all those bands have done and are continuing to do.<\/p>\n \u00a0Momentum & What\u2019s Next<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike \u2013 The crowd tends to tell us we were the heaviest band of the show \u2013 not always \u2013 but we hear that a lot. We also like to hit the stage, hammer the songs in quick succession and leave the crowd wanting more.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Yes and no. When we plot out an album, we try to make sure we have different song types. With that in mind, there will be more songs like Escape Velocity in the future.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 We\u2019re going back in the studio on February 17th<\/sup>\u00a0to start recording our next album, Ghost in the Fog. It features eight, brand new songs and an intro that\u2019s something of a continuation of the end of Escape Velocity. If all goes well, that will drop in May or June of this year.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Give the crowds the best performances we can at our upcoming festival appearances, as well as really make the smaller, more intimate clubs shows something to remember for everyone makes it out.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 We\u2019ve polled a number of our followers and there\u2019s a wide array of answers to \u201cwhat\u2019s your favorite Red Vinter song?\u201d So, give them all a listen before making up your mind which track speaks to you the most.<\/p>\n \u00a0Fun \/ Rapid Fire (Great for Radio Energy)<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Definitely live. Unless you have an old school stereo system that cranks at high volumes, it\u2019s hard to beat the 115-120db wall of sound at a live death\/doom show when it comes to heaviness.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Oooh \u2013 good question! Definitely, in the title track, the bridge that comes in around 3:55, with the vocal line \u201cFighting \u2013 Killing \u2013 Dying \u2013 Again\u201d.<\/p>\n James \u2013 For me it\u2019s also in the song Lumbering Menace. The melodic part in that song is definitely the one. 100%.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Another good question! I\u2019m old school and absolutely love vinyl. So many memories tied to listening to the needle crackle and staring at the big album cover art. But, the convenience of digital is a game changer, for sure.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 None of the above. It\u2019s best enjoyed live in a room filled with doom metal fans. Nothing beats that community of like minded people being moved by the music. There\u2019s really no other feeling like it.<\/p>\n Mike \u2013 Heavy, with all its definitions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/p>\n Red Vinter Unleashes New Video \u201cEscape Velocity\u201d Featuring Susan Mitchell of Wasteland Coven<\/p>\n St. Paul doom\/death metal juggernauts Red Vinter return with their latest sonic assault, Escape Velocity , from their critically acclaimed debut album Lumbering Menace . The track showcases haunting backing vocals by Susan Mitchell of Wasteland Coven, adding an extra layer of depth to the band\u2019s signature crushing riffs and raw intensity.<\/p>\n Escape Velocity continues Red Vinter\u2019s relentless exploration of doom\/death landscapes \u2014 slow-burning, heavy, and emotionally gripping. Fans can stream the track on all major platforms or grab it on Bandcamp, where lyrics are also available:\u00a0https:\/\/redvinter.bandcamp. Mike Bullock , bassist and vocalist of Red Vinter, says:<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u201c Escape Velocity is about pushing forward when the weight of the world is against you. Susan\u2019s vocals added a haunting edge that really elevates the track.\u201d<\/p>\n About Red Vinter:<\/p>\n Since emerging from St. Paul, MN, Red Vinter has quickly become a formidable presence in the doom\/death metal scene. Their debut album Lumbering Menace established the band as a force to be reckoned with, blending crushing heaviness with emotional depth. With new music, upcoming shows, and festival appearances on the horizon, Red Vinter is only accelerating their rise.<\/p>\n Band Lineup:<\/p>\n Mike Bullock \u2013 Vocals, Bass<\/p>\n J LeBrasseur \u2013 Rhythm Guitars<\/p>\n Dylan Jones \u2013 Lead Guitars<\/p>\n James Achilles \u2013 Drums<\/p>\n Listen & Watch:<\/p>\n Escape Velocity is available on all streaming platforms. For lyrics and direct support, visit Bandcamp:\u00a0https:\/\/redvinter.bandcamp. Check out the video and subscribe:<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n