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 has dropped the video for the first track, “Wilting in the Light,” which was directed by Ramon Boutviseth in L.A.
"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 TRACK LISTING:
1. More Than Dreaming
2. Let Me Fall Apart
3. End of the World
4. Wilting In the Light
5. Death of Me
6. Living With a Ghost
7. Become the Martyr
8. Something Deep Inside
9. I Hate Myself
10. Denying the Sin
11. Come Back to the Quicksand
12. Sign Your Name
Upheld by head-spinning seven-string virtuosity yet anchored to skyscraping melodies, Light the Torchcrafted 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.