Over the last two decades French heavy metal legends Stonecast have shared the stage with the likes of Warlord, Blaze Bayley and Tim 'Ripper' Owens and performed at the 2011 French edition of the gargantuan Sonisphere Festival with the 'Big 4' of thrash metal - Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer. They have released three full length albums, including the acclaimed I Earther, which picked up a glowing 10/10 review in the UK's Powerplay Rock And Metal Magazine and was hailed by popular webzine Musipedia of Metal as “one of the strongest heavy metal albums of the year”. However, it's been more than seven years since Stonecast served up that magnificent metallic feast and fans are growing ravenous for another banquet of adventurous, imaginative, creative heavy metal. And at long last salvation is now at hand…

Stonecast are finally poised to release their new album, Expand Crimson Chaos - a magnificent display of superlative individual performances and sophisticated, mature song writing. As always with Stonecast, Expand Crimson Chaos is more than just a collection of songs. It is an album that explores humanity's resilience in the face of adversity, our in built need to evolve and seek for meaning in existence, to defy the very concept of oblivion even as we teeter upon the brink of destruction. Spinning engrossing tales of resistance, fortitude and the search for redemption, Expand Crimson Chaos is surely Stonecast's most ambitious and engaging work to date.

Beginning with the slow burning majesty of 'Death', Expand Crimson Chaos exudes a sense of the epic from its first notes and once we have set sail from “the harbor of the Styx” with the crisp guitars, strong, emotive vocals and driving purpose of 'Walking Dead', there is no looking back - the adventure has begun! In 'Blood Red' with its sinister, dark-edged riffs and snarling vocal presentation, a preacher prepares to sell his soul for the powers of Hell, while 'Against The Tide' seems to hold a world within its boundaries; rolling metal rhythms, beautiful acoustic sections, magnificent refrains and moments of uplifting, soul-stirring magic. Elsewhere 'Kneel Or Die' brings us face to face with an implacable, undefeatable monster in the grand metal tradition - a true headbanging track of overwhelming power that's instantly memorable and utterly addictive. And all this barely scratches the surface of everything that Expand Crimson Chaos has to offer…the title track itself is a hugely accomplished creation with great bass work, great vocals, great riffs and a wonderful chorus. It's tempting to name it the finest track here, but then comparing such an array of treasures is a thankless task. The CD even comes with a bonus track, a piano and vocal rendition of 'A Ce Lieu', with the strength of the song writing shining through this fragile and intimate rendition. Expand Crimson Chaos will transport you to a world of stories that venture from contemporary life to post-apocalyptic futures, from spiritual struggle to realms of powerfully realised fantasy. This is everything that heavy metal was always meant to be.

Mixed and mastered by the experienced Christophe Boin at Recording Studio Marseille, Expand Crimson Chaos sounds superb - every facet of each song blessed with clarity and vibrancy, including the thunderous work of Iced Earth drummer Brent Smedley and the fantastic solos courtesy of Thomas Tiberi of Sunbeam Overdrive. With striking artwork from WolforDeer (Asking Alexandria, Papa Roach etc), when Expand Crimson Chaos is released by Pitch Black Records, on CD and digital formats, on June 26th, it will mark a staggering return to the spotlight for Stonecast!

 

 

 

Track Listing:
01 - Death
02 - Walking Dead
03 - Blood Red
04 - A Ce Lieu
05 - Against The Tide
06 - King Of Hell
07 - Kneel Or Die
08 - 00.00.01
09 - Expand Crimson Chaos
10 - Gundown The Flag
11 - Nuclear Winter
12 - A Ce Lieu Demo (CD bonus track)

 

For Fans Of: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Vicious Rumors, Iced Earth