photos by Brian Pritchard
Dystopian Syndrome is the debut album from San Francisco-based MOLTEN, the quintet’s members also sharing rank in Hazzard’s Cure, Hellfire, and other Bay Area acts. The follow-up to their 2019-issued eponymous EP, Dystopian Syndrome was released digitally by the band in January, spewing forth a scorching salvo of Bay Area thrash strewn with gory bits of death metal savagery.
Recorded and mixed by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios (Ulthar, Vastum, Deathgrave), mastered by Justin Weis at Trakworx, the album is completed with artwork by Pedro Felipe Oliveira. Upon its release, the album was met with critical acclaim from a wide array of media outlets spanning the metal underworld and beyond.
Stream MOLTEN’s entire Dystopian Syndrome HERE and watch the band’s incredible “Zombie’s Curse” hybrid mini movie/music video HERE.
While MOLTEN initially issued the album on their own, a new deal is in play which will see CD and LP pressings issued later this year. Watch for details to post in the months ahead, and in the meantime, find the album at Bandcamp HERE and through all other digital providers.
In the meantime, MOLTEN is staying active behind the scenes, currently writing the follow-up release to Dystopian Syndrome and more. The band has also been booked to host a Gimme Metal guest DJ spot which will air at www.gimmemetal.com on May 7th. Stand by for further updates to post over the months ahead.
“MOLTEN‘s debut emerges sonically from that magical brew of traditional heavy metal and the breaking point of thrash where historically it eventually splintered into death metal and black metal. They wisely refuse to settle the question of where precisely on that axis they fall, teetering back and forth between the various shards of historical heavy metal they play with in a way that feels just like those first few spins of early Bathory, Mercyful Fate or Venom.” – Consequence Of Sound
“Bringing to mind Greek black metal and old-school death metal in equal measure, ‘On Through Phlegethon’ puts MOLTEN‘s multifaceted strengths on glorious display.” – Decibel Magazine
“…Dystopian Syndrome is very much worth all the time you can give it… The songs are packed with fret-melting (yet also mood-changing) dual-guitar solos, hammering drum rhythms, growling bass lines, and various forms of vocal barbarity…” – No Clean Singing
“…an excellent debut album and it is driven by the melodic and harmonic guitar play. While drums, bass, and vocals provide a strong backbone, the guitars stand out on the album… an album that should belong to the collection of every thrash metal and melodic death metal fan. 9/10” – Metal Temple
“This is a powerful and impressive debut from a band with a bright future. Come for the zombies but stay for the deep cuts. Highly recommended. 5/5” – Sea Of Tranquility
“Vintage-feeling heavy metal with a good amount of death and thrash metal — that could mean a lot of things, I suppose, so simply put: it’s got riffs, and they’re good.” – Invisible Oranges
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