American doom/death/post-metal band Vigil released their debut EP »…And The Void Stared Back«; currently looking for a record label
Kingston, New Hampshire based doom/death/post-metal band Vigil featuring members of Onera, Untombed and Shrouded Luminosity has released their debut EP »…And The Void Stared Back« on January 10th, 2023.
Tracklist:
01. Descend To Extinction
02. Words Of A Dying Man
03. Erosion Of The Soul
04. Convulse Ways From A World Beyond
Recorded and mixed by Ehren Hill and Vigil at Iron Hill Studios in June through August of 2022.
Produced by Vigil and Ehren Hill.
Vigil: an event or a period of time when a person or group stays in a place and quietly waits, prays, etc., especially at night
From the ashes of the band Onera, Justin Christian (bass, guitars) and Craig Simas (guitars, synth) built Vigil to be heavier, and more aggressive but also beautiful and emotional. Joined by Joe Davis to compliment as one of the two bassists in the band, Brandon Phinney on drums and Dave Petillo on vocals. Vigil takes the listener down a dark road of sorrow and anger.
The band is currently shopping their music to labels.
“We have gone through some line up changes since the beginning. The Covid years were not easy to keep a band going, especially one that was trying to get off the ground. Through some member changes we finally settled in on our current lineup. The only position we could not replace was our synth player. We decided to move on without one.” guitarist Craig Simas explains.
In the studio Craig handled the synth and keyboard duties. During the tumultuous period during the pandemic, practices were few and far between. Vigil were all trying to follow protocols and feel out this new way of life. In the spaces between Joe and Craig started a post-rock side project named A World Worth Burning.
Once the world opened up again and practice resumed a normal pace, Vigil tightened up their four songs and hit the studio in the summer of 2022. The four song EP »…And The Void Stared Back«, comes in at just about 35 minutes. Simas elaborates, “We are a sum of our parts and our influences are clear in our sound. The songs range from European styled doom like My Dying Bride and Katatonia all the way to atmospheric post-rock such as Russian Circles and If These Trees Could Talk.”
There are slow tempos to drag you through the emotional pain of Daves lyrics, and there are blast beats once in a while to spice things up. All of this is wrapped around a groovy sensibility that reflects the old school thrash roots of Craig. Vigil is currently active and playing local shows, building a fan base and planning their next steps. The writing process has begun for the band’s next album.
Vigil are:
Justin Christian – Bass, Guitars
Craig Simas – Guitars, Synth
Joe Davis – Bass
Brandon Phinney – Drums
Dave Petillo – Vocals
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well