Photo by Hannabal Rosabal
Decibel Magazine is currently streaming Senescence, the new full-length from progressive death metal trio, VILE RITES. The premiere comes in advance of the record’s official unveiling on August 16th via Carbonized Records.
VILE RITES uses a hypnotic amalgamation of aggressive riffing, swirling rhythms, wide dynamic range, and dark psychedelic ambience to take the listener on a cerebral journey into the esoteric. Drawing inspiration from events in nature, VILE RITES creates a visceral and kaleidoscopic experience that feels like wandering alone in the forest at night.
Senescence is a forty-minute journey of mind-bending psychedelic death metal that takes its listeners through everything from cavernous darkness to soaring ethereal ecstasy with surprises around every corner.
Guitarist/vocalist Alex Miletich elaborates, “The definition of ‘Senescence’ is ‘the gradual deterioration of functional characteristics in living organisms.’ It is essentially a biological term for the process of dying. Senescence presents the idea that everything must die, and everything must suffer to live. While this idea might seem contradictory to our The Ageless EP, Senescence is very much a thematic follow-up to that. While The Ageless focused on ancient entities looking down upon the chaos of our world, Senescence IS the chaos and presents the juxtaposition of the creatures suffering and writhing in the shadows of those entities. The final track of Senescence, ‘Banished To Solitude (Adrift On The Infinite Waves),’ is a direct continuation of the cosmic drama of celestial bodies presented in the final track of the EP, ‘Spectre Of Forgotten Light,’ which tells the story of the creation of the moon, and it’s desire to take vengeance upon and destroy its creator, the earth.
“Musically, we wanted Senescence to be a step up from The Ageless especially in its dynamics and experimentation. We wanted the synths and instrument effects to play a much larger role in this album and to bring the riffing further into the abstract. Since I wrote much of The Ageless before [bassist] Stephen [Coon] and [drummer] Aerin [Johnson] joined the band, we were able to incorporate more of their ideas into this album and create the songs much more organically. The three of us spent hours rearranging riffs and trying new ideas out, as well as free jamming in various mental states. With this increased level of exploration, Senescence embodies what we set out to create with our ‘psych-death’ sound.”
Adds Decibel, “Clocking in around the forty-minute mark, the songs on Senescence become progressively more ambitious the further into the album the listener goes, ending on the one-two punch of ‘Transcendent Putrefaction’ and ‘Banished To Solitude.’ While still rooted in the expected death metal, both tracks explore dynamics and incorporate softer parts that slow Vile Rites down and allow the band to revel in the atmosphere (and guitar solos) they’ve created.”
Stream VILE RITES’ Senescence exclusively at Decibel Magazine at THIS LOCATION.
Senescence will be released on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. Find US preorders HERE, EU preorders HERE, and digital preorders HERE where first single, “Shiftless Wanderings,” can be streamed.
The VILE RITES name and idea was originally conceived in early 2017 in Portland, Oregon by vocalist/guitarist Alex Miletich. In this early stage of the band, the music had more of a thrash focus, harkening to the pioneers of tech thrash, such as Coroner and Annihilator and the only other member was Miletich’s longtime friend and bandmate, Tyler Becker (Toxic Holocaust).
After relocating to Santa Rosa, California in 2018, and parting ways with Becker, Miletich began searching for new members to complete the band. During this period of transition, Miletich also picked up a seven-string guitar and started taking the compositions in a heavier direction, discarding the material written in Portland. After writing some of the material that would end up on The Ageless EP, Miletich met drummer Aerin Johnson in mid-2019 and they began fleshing out the songs. The band’s lineup was finally completed with the addition of Stephen Coon on bass and synth in early 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down. The pandemic brought the band’s progress to a screeching halt, and everything was essentially put on pause until they were able to meet in person again later that year, finally able to hammer out the finishing touches on the EP.
In 2021, the band entered Earhammer Studio with Bay Area legend, Greg Wilkinson, to record their debut EP, The Ageless. After a well-received release through underground label, Desert Wastelands Productions, VILE RITES began making live appearances up and down the West Coast and immediately started working on their debut full length album, Senescence. After two years of grinding away, VILE RITES returned to the familiar Earhammer studio to work with Wilkinson again. By spending more time in the studio this time around, the band was able to actualize their true vision for VILE RITES.
Fans of Opeth, Gorguts, At The Gates, and ’70s prog, psych, and experimental music, pay heed.
“For my own taste VILE RITES had already foreshadowed a world class effort with their debut EP and in that sense Senescence doesn’t disappoint for a second. They’ve gone from somewhat stiff-jointed ‘old school’-tinted progressive death insight towards something decidedly more present in its voice and purposed in movement. To say they’ve come into their own here just yet might be presumptuous, I’m not sure they’re done peeling back all of the layers but, here they’ve managed to sort out one of the best death metal records of the year.” — Mystification ‘Zine
“Senescence is satisfying and enjoyable. It’s a record that provides a rich deathly landscape for the listener to explore. There’s a wealth of depth and detailing to work your way through as the band’s music washes over you with progressive grace.” – Wonderbox Metal
“…an impressive display of technical and progressive death metal that didn’t stray too far from the path, but just far enough to allow the listener to gain a greater understanding of the possibilities that are out there.” – Metal Temple
VILE RITES:
Alex Miletich – guitars, vocals
Stephen Coon – bass, synth, field recordings
Aerin Johnson – drums
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