The members of VLTIMAS are all legends in their own right. David Vincent blessed the sick for Morbid Angel. Rune Eriksen made grand declarations of war as Mayhem's blasphemous axe man. No one is more vile than Flo Mounier, who's been drumming for Cryptopsy since their earliest exhumations of the underground. But on their second album together, VLTIMAS are mightier than ever.      

EPIC comes out this Friday, March 15. But you can listen to the whole album today on Season of Mist's YouTube channel in partnership with Decibel magazine.  

Listen to EPIC: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/vltimas-epic-premiere

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/VLTIMASEPIC

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/vltimasepic

VLTIMAS have so much history under their bullet belts that some gatekeepers may have wondered if there were any new realms for them to conquer. After all, their first album was voted album of the year by BangerTV.

And yet - their new album boldy declares that these devils aren't content with merely living among the lords of chaos. Though written amongst the many comforts of Vincent's Texas ranch (long walks, plenty of booze) EPIC is dark, extreme and unrelenting. Everyone gets to flex their muscles. Rune rips off fiery riffs from all angles on blistering lead single "Miserere". Though it starts off as a slow burn, Flo blazes through "Scorcher" with blast beats that are so wickedly precise they belong in a museum. David's growl could still summon underground hordes to the alter of madness, but "Invictus" rolls out a new style of death metal vocals.

"I'll not be blinded and I'll never be for sale", he sings with a grizzled battle cry.

But EPIC amounts to a heck of a lot more than just the sum of VLTIMAS' devilish talents. It's a testament to everything these underground heroes have stood for the past 30 years: crushing speed, surgical precession, strength in one's own convictions.

Early Praise for EPIC

"VLTIMAS could hardly fail, given the pedigree of everyone involved, but this suggests that Vincent, Eriksen and Mounier are not leaving anything to chance. EPIC live up to its name and then some" - Blabbermouth (8/10)

"An album that is so varied that it could be heard a dozen times yet not be completely comprehended...it is sure to stand as one of the most original studio outings of the year" - Sonic Perspectives (8.9/10)

"A smooth and dynamic ride...you almost feel like you're listening to the soundtrack to a dark, theatrical play. It has that epic-ness to it, pun intended" - A&P Reacts

"Evil D has blessed us again with the fruits of one of his more recent ventures....a very solid sophomore effort for VLTIMAS" - Metal Injection (8/10)

"EPIC lives up to its title, treading the line between imperious grandeur and ridiculous pomposity" - Metal Hammer (4/5)

"A mix of black and death metal among other influences, EPIC represents a major victory for VLTIMAS' expanding team" - Metal Insider

"Any time you have a chorus with 'Die, Die, Die' - come on - that is classic" - Teeth of Divine

Tracklist
1. Volens Discordant (1:02)
2. EPIC (4:35)
3. Miserere (3:51) [WATCH]
4. Exercitus Irae (4:01)
5. Mephisto Manifesto (05:05)
6. Scorcher (03:21) [WATCH]
7. Invictus (5:30)  [LISTEN]
8. Nature's Fangs (3:52)
9. Spoils of War (5:54)
Total runtime: 37:16

Style: Dark Extreme Metal
FFO: Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Cryptopsy

To properly coronate the arrival of EPIC, VLTIMAS are touring Europe this March.

Get tickets: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/vltimas-tix    

Upgrade to VIP and get a copy of the new album, a custom patch and your photo taken with the band!
VIP: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/vltimas-vip

VLTIMAS EPIC European Tour 2024
23 March: Enschede, NL @ Metropool [TICKETS]
24 March: Drachten, NL @ Iduna [TICKETS]
27 March: Copenhagen, DK @ Hotel Cecil [TICKETS]
28 March: Fredericia, DK @ Tøjhuset [TICKETS]
29 March: Oslo, NO @ Inferno Fest [TICKETS]
31 March: Athens, GR @ Kyttaro Live [TICKETS]

Extreme metal powerhouse VLTIMAS (pronounced 'uhl-tuh-mas') assault metaldom once more with their highly-anticipated sophomore album, EPIC, through Season of Mist. Featuring Norwegian guitarist Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir), American vocalist David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), and Canadian drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), the multinational quintet, rounded out by Dutch bassist Ype TVS (ex-Dodecahedron) and Portuguese guitarist João Duarte (Corpus Christii), continue to venture down their path. Moored by strength and integrity, VLTIMAS fortified their signature with wicked invention, as applauded by Decibel Magazine, BangerTV, Louder, and many others, on their debut, Something Wicked Marches In (2019). Singles "Miserere," "Scorcher," and "Invictus" showcase a band of musicians at the top of their game, united in their pursuit of oneness.

"We wrote every bit of EPIC together at my ranch in Dime Box, Texas," offers Vincent. "The writing sessions were as organic as they could be. There were times when, at the end of the night, Rune would take his guitar and play something ridiculous. Flo would play something even more ridiculous on top of it. I'd say to the guys, 'I need to capture this.' So, the magic [of VLTIMAS] is being in the same room together, discussing, playing, and recording music and everything else we're doing together. We have unbelievable camaraderie."
 

While the members of VLTIMAS are not atavists, their preferred creative methods are time-tested and battle-hardened. Technology has its place, but the group thrive when they're together, not separated by the world. Eriksen, renowned as a riff innovator, is more effective when he's got a highly capable sideman like Vincent or Mounier, whose drumming in Cryptopsy and his celebrated instructional Extreme Metal Drumming 101 DVD has proven to be a no-limits player, by his side. Whether it's the moody, angular attack of "Miserere," the wicked groove of "Mephisto Manifesto," or the dark fury of "Nature's Fangs," the chemistry and enterprise of VLTIMAS is undeniable.

"Everything we're doing and messaging is about strength and honor," says Vincent. "These are the fundamentals that I incorporate into my life, which I believe in. I want to share with others, hoping they'll incorporate strength and honor into their lives. I wouldn't say I like spelling lyrics out. I use a lot of double meanings on purpose because I want to inspire the listener to think. I'm not a short attention span guy, and I don't appreciate it. EPIC is holistic and meant to be experienced that way."

EPIC was recorded by producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Grave Miasma) with engineer Jonathan Mazzeo (First Fragment, Sickening) at Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. VLTIMAS tracked the album throughout May 2023. Arellano also handled the mix and master. Like everything the band does, the main goal was to be honest. The maxim of no sample replacement or re-amping—EPIC was captured on outboard gear—was adhered to and enjoyed by the team. The result is a sonic expression that sounds like nothing else. From the crushing title track to the epic musicality of closer "Spoils of War," EPIC is an absolute beast.

"Stress, long walks, too much alcohol, yet very focused once in the recording mode," Eriksen says of the sessions. "We booked a month, but somehow, that flew by instantly. We worked up until the very end. I even added a few solos at my local Soundscape Studio in Almada, Portugal. Art unfolds, and once you think you are done, there's always another idea popping up."

VLTIMAS brought Italian artist Daniele Valeriani (Mayhem, Unanimated) to visualize EPIC. The aesthetic, as illuminated by music and message, was iconic boldness. The three-eagle head crest with three different crowns, accompanied by transfigured symbols of the Passion and the "impossible triangle," projects effortlessly. In EPIC, the group will dominate. There's no escape from "Miserere," "Mephisto Manifesto," "Scorcher," and "Invictus." Together, they thrust, by resolve and inventiveness, VLTIMAS into the uppermost echelons of extreme metal.

"[EPIC is] old meets contemporary, a symbiosis of all the great things we love about extreme metal," offers Eriksen. "All combined into one album."

"I want to be as emotional and honest [with VLTIMAS]," Vincent adds. "I want to tell stories; I want to have the themes that appeal to me; I want to have some messaging that someone can take away, in this case, strength. EPIC is strength."