FIRES IN THE DISTANCE

Following the release of their acclaimed 2020 debut album, Echoes From Deep November, Connecticut, US melodic death / doom group FIRES IN THE DISTANCE are set to return in 2023 with their much anticipated sophomore album, Air Not Meant For Us, set for release on April 28 via Prosthetic Records.

On their second long player, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE further expand on their musical foundations of wistful melodicism, crushingly heavy guitar work and intricate atmospherics. Across Air Not Meant For Us’ six tracks, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE tie together intensely personal ruminations on mental health and themes of existentialism in the form of mortality salience, without losing sight of the importance of perseverance.

Teaming up with Salt Lake City producer Randy Slaugh (Devin Townsend, Tesseract, White Moth Black Butterfly), FIRES IN THE DISTANCE’s chief songwriter Yegor Savonin (composition, guitars, programming, lyrics) sought to reach even greater dynamics within the band’s core sound of melodic death and doom metal. With live orchestration in the form of violas, violins, cellos, as well as piano work, proving to be an incredibly fruitful collaborative process for both band and producer.

Air Not Meant For Us marks the first time the band have recorded with new drummer, Jordan Rippe, who delivers his own wide range of ornate work and feeling to the group’s established sound. Whilst drums for the album were recorded at the historic Power Station New England, the rest of the instruments were tracked at Studio Wormwood in North Carolina with returning producer, Dave Kaminsky, who handled recording and mixing in both studios.

In addition to the collaboration with Randy Slaugh, the album also features a guest appearance from Burial in the Sky guitarist James Tomedi on instrumental track Adrift, Beneath the Listless Waves, who’s deft fretwork adds an additional layer of dynamic sheen.

Kristian Grimaldi’s thunderous vocal delivery compliments the album’s composition strongly and projects the songs to a greater level of formidability. The record is rounded out by Craig Breitsprecher’s complex and serpentine bass work which weave throughout the LP with an imperative sense of cohesion.

Seeking to retain aesthetic continuity, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE once again reached out to Caelan Stokkermans for the album’s art and layout, which masterfully conveys Air Not Meant For Us’ emotional core. With a runtime of 51 minutes across six songs, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE’s sophomore effort is a melodic doom and death metal odyssey in both artistic vision and sound.

FIRES IN THE DISTANCE is:

Yegor Savonin – composition, guitars, programming, lyrics

Craig Breitsprecher – bass, vocals

Kristian Grimaldi – guitars, vocals

Jordan Rippe - drums