HISS FROM THE MOAT Unveils 'The Passage To Hell' Music Video

To celebrate yesterday's release of their sophomore album “The Harrier,” the transcontinental technical blackened death metal quartet HISS FROM THE MOAT has unveiled a music video for their song “The Passage To Hell.” And can be seen below:

HISS FROM THE MOAT features acclaimed Italian drummer James Payne, formerly of Hour of Penance and Vital Remains. Now residing in Los Angeles, Payne – praised by Gear Gods for his “god-like capability of playing with extreme technical precision while endowing deliberate feel” – is well-known in extreme metal circles for his lightning-fast “swivel” footwork, which is captured in this demonstration video that has been viewed more than 3.5 million times on Facebook alone.

According to Payne, “The Passage To Hell,” co-produced by Francesco Paoli and Francesco Ferrini of Fleshgod Apocalypse, was key in determining the musical direction of “The Harrier.” “It was the song that shaped the rest of the album,” he says. As for the video – which was directed by Steve Saints, who oversaw a crew consisting of director of photography Brace Beltempo, lighting director Dulio Ghiraldi and makeup artist Marilena Maglio – Payne says the group opted for a live treatment in order to “give a face and vibe of the band.” He explains, “We preferred to prioritize this instead of writing the script of a typical metal video, as we thought it was important to convey a sense of identity and who we are.”

“The Harrier” is now available on CD, digital and limited-edition moat-black vinyl (200 copies). The album – which features cover artwork by Stefano Bonora – was recorded, mixed and mastered at Milan's SPVN Studio with Stefano Orkid Santi, who produced the latest Cripple Bastards album and previously worked as live sound engineer for bands such as Origin, Suffocation and Cattle Decapitation.

“The Harrier” track listing:

01 - The Badial Despondency
02 - The Harrier (Video)
03 - I Will Rise
04 - The Passage To Hell (Video)
05 - Slaves To War
06 - Sine Animvs
07 - The Abandonment (Interlude)
08 - The Allegory Of Upheaval
09 - God Nephasto (Video)
10 - Unperishing
11 - The Decay Of Lies

Payne formed HISS FROM THE MOAT with two Italian friends – bassist/vocalist Carlo Cremascoli and guitarist Giacomo Poli – when he was just 18 years old. In 2009, the group self-released their debut EP, “The Carved Flesh Message,” which they supported by performing alongside the likes of Psycroptic, Skeletonwitch and The Black Dahlia Murder.

Four years later, HISS FROM THE MOAT released their debut full-length, “Misanthropy,” via Lacerated Enemy/Nuclear Blast. The band's intense use of both extremes of death and black metal produced an album that stood alongside those of acts such as Behemoth, Belphegor and Rotting Christ.

Following the release of “Misanthropy,” HISS FROM THE MOAT embarked on an extensive tour across Russia, Europe and Asia, delivering aggressive and visually engaging performances backed by the blackened intensity of the band's new material. During this period, Payne left the legendary death metal act Vital Remains – a group he joined following a two-year stint with Italian death metal powerhouse Hour of Penance – to focus full-time on HISS FROM THE MOAT, and the band extended from a three-piece to a quartet with the addition of Max Cirelli (guitar/vocals).

Over the past two years, the band has toured extensively worldwide while working between the U.S. and Italy to write “The Harrier,” a sonic onslaught that captures the band's range of death and black metal inspiration while creating a unique and intense presence in the world of extreme music.