DIETH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, Swedish guitarist/vocalist Guilherme Miranda (formerly of ENTOMBED A.D.) and drummer Michał Łysejko (ex-DECAPITATED), will release its debut album, “To Hell And Back”, on June 2 via Napalm Records.
Today the band has released the song “Walk With Me Forever”, featuring the first-ever solo lead vocal performance of Ellefson‘s career. The track holds very special meaning on this U.S. Memorial Day week, as it explores the intense loss of a loved one and their memory providing the strength to carry on. The track’s haunting accompanying music video, also out today, shows Ellefson narrating a story of love and loss, directed by Oskar Szramka and starring notable Polish actors Jan Napieralski and Agnieszka Goździewicz.
Ellefson states about the track: “We’ve all experienced loss and grief at some point in our life, and this song expresses that feeling as well as the gratitude we find when accepting, letting go and carrying the beauty of that person’s life with us as we move on.”
Produced by DIETH, with mixing and mastering by Tomasz Zed Zalewski at Zed Studios in Chechło, Poland, the LP represents new beginnings — musically, lyrically and for the band members themselves. Weaving a sinister thread of unrelenting tech-steeped death metal and rapid thrash bangers, the members of DIETH have pushed beyond the stereotypes of their former genres to create an unexpected yet charismatic and dynamic new sonic footprint.
DIETH dropped its debut single, “In The Hall Of The Hanging Serpents”, in mid-2022. Met with acclaim from both fans and media alike, the surprise track marked the exciting resurgence of these three renowned musicians, coming together as a new musical force after years of silence.
Opening with an entrancing acoustic introduction, first track “To Hell And Back” quickly slams in with a punishing death metal attack. Tracks like “Dead Inside” and “Don’t Get Mad … Get Even!” showcase the thrash-infused side of DIETH, while death metal anthems such as “Wicked Disdain” and “The Mark Of Cain” lean diabolical with hair-raising solos and breakneck paced rhythms backed by crushing walls of aggression. Standout “Free Us All” flirts with the record’s pace by blending winding passages and aggression with throwback bass-driven interludes with psychedelic production, followed by “Heavy Is The Crown” — a slow-and-low grinder featuring stoner metal groove, a swaying chorus and a blues-infused solo. Pensive, powerful ballad “Walk With Me Forever” showcases Ellefson‘s lead vocal performance debut, singing about the intense loss of a loved one and their memory providing the strength to carry on.
Ending with intensely beautiful “Severance”, “To Hell And Back” proves that DIETH isn’t just another side project or “supergroup”, but rather the collective reincarnation of three renowned heavy metal forces who, by harnessing their own pain and conflict, have delivered an exciting next chapter no metal fan will want to miss!
Ellefson says about the new album: “This album has been a terrific collaboration, building upon our past as we created a new sound together… we’re looking forward to unleashing the fury!”
“To Hell And Back” track listing:
01. To Hell And Back
02. Don’t Get Mad … Get Even!
03. Wicked Disdain
04. Free Us All
05. Heavy Is The Crown
06. Walk With Me Forever
07. Dead Inside
08. The Mark Of Cain
09. In The Hall Of The Hanging Serpents
10. Severance
Upcoming DIETH shows:
June 05 – DE, Berlin – Columbia Theater (supporting TESTAMENT + VOIVOD)
June 16 – DE, Hannover – Capitol (supporting TESTAMENT + VOIVOD)
June 15-18 – BE, Dessel – Graspop Metal Festival
July 6-8 – CZ, Velke Mezirici – Fajtfest
Aug. 3-5 – PT, Vagos – Vagos Metal Fest
Aug. 20 – FR, Carhaix – Motorcultor Festival
DIETH is:
Guilherme Miranda – Vocals, Guitar
David Ellefson – Vocals, Bass
Michał Łysejko – Drums
Photo credit: Maciej Pieloch