Two of underground music's most undeniable and unpredictable forces of nature have collided: END and Cult Leader have joined together to release their split EP, Gather & Mourn (Closed Casket Activities and Deathwish Inc.) on CD/CS/Digital formats on September 9 (with vinyl variants to follow).
This four track-collection finds each of these each of luminaries firing at full blast with the kind of heavy music that simultaneously repulses as it enraptures, fusing grind, hardcore, and death metal with an ominous intensity befitting of a world on fire.
The project itself represents the strength of the underground community, marking an important joint release between arbiters of integrity Closed Casket Activities and Deathwish Inc. Converge guitarist and producer Kurt Ballou (Cave In, High on Fire) notably mixed Cult Leader's two tracks, while END guitarist Will Putney recorded, mixed, and mastered END in addition to mastering Cult Leader. Deathwish Inc. co-founder and Converge frontman Jacob Bannon also personally created the artwork and layout.
Both heads of this vicious sonic hydra have built an unshakable foundation, leaving fans and press in awe. Among widespread acclaim from Brooklyn Vegan, Invisible Oranges, and more, END's 2020 full-length, Splinters from an Ever-Changing Face, earned a rare "5-out-of-5" star review from Kerrang! followed by "4-out-of-5" from Metal Hammer. However, END roar back with their first release since 2020 now. With an unimpeachable pedigree, the group consists of Will Putney (Graphic Nature Audio, Fit For An Autopsy) [guitar], Brendan Murphy (Counterparts) [vocals], Gregory Thomas (Ex-Misery Signals) [guitar], Jay Pepito (Reign Supreme, Ex-Blacklisted) [bass], and Billy Rymer [Drums] (ex-Dillinger Escape Plan). Drawing on the chemistry between these seasoned musicians, their first single from the split, "Eden Will Drown," steamrolls forward at full speed fueled by bludgeoning rhythms, smart bomb-precise guitars, and a foreboding roar.
Meanwhile, Cult Leader continue to fixate listeners with a different breed of darkness. Gather & Mourn picks up where they left on 2018's A Patient Man. The latter landed highly coveted year-end spots on Consequence's top 25 Metal and Hard Rock Albums (#19), Revolver's Best Albums (#11) and more; it also generated millions of streams, highlighted by "to:Achlys" and "I Am Healed."
Cult Leader unleash their first new music in four years now with the single "Ataraxis." Clocking in at just under two minutes, it hinges on guttural growls, pummeling percussion, and chaotic guitars, speaking to the band's mastery of cataclysmic intensity.
Gather & Mourn heralds a next era of heavy music, translating the pulse of the underground into an unshakable sonic storm.