New York’s stoner/doom metal trio Restless Spirit releases their new full-length album »Afterimage«, out now via Magnetic Eye Records

Long Island, New York based stoner/doom metal trio Restless Spirit has just released their new full-length album »Afterimage« on October 6th, 2023 via Magnetic Eye Records.

Tracklist:
01. Marrow
02. Shadow Command
03. Of Spirit And Form
04. All Furies
05. Brutalized
06. The Fatalist
07. Hell’s Grasp
08. From The Dust Returned

Courtesy of All Noir PR:

Long Island sludge metal trio Restless Spirit have released their third full-length album »Afterimage« on October 6, 2023 via Magnetic Eye Records.

In the case of Restless Spirit, the band name says it all, and in more than just one way. Their third album, album, »Afterimage«, embodies the East Coast trio’s aim of never wanting to sound exactly like before. Long Island deep-fried guitars meet pounding rhythms and emotionally raw vocals. Where the predecessor »Blood Of The Old Gods« (2021) sometimes ushered the listener into twisted complexity, »Afterimage« delivers short, sharp shocks that hit straight home.

Photo by Susan Hunt

Lyrically, »Afterimage« is driven by tragedy and personal loss. Singer and guitarist Paul Aloisio has put his heart and soul into the album. Confronted with a choice to deal with his pain in a healthy way or go down a destructive path, the singer and guitarist opted for the former but months later found his words to be prophetic for doing the latter. Deciding that artistry requires honesty, Alosio wanted to share his experience as a message to others in similar situations that they’re not alone in their despair. »Afterimage« might well be read as a cautionary tale.

Embarking on their musical journey very early in life, Restless Spirit’s core of Aloisio and bassist Marc Morello met the summer before Kindergarten and grew up discovering music side by side. Channelling influences like Black Sabbath, Type O Negative and The Sword and incorporating aggressive modern metal, unabashed stoner-doom pummelling, energetic changes and stirring, earnest vocals, their band was finally christened Restless Spirit in 2019. Their debut full-length »Lord Of The New Depression« (2019) fit equally well into the stoner, doom, and sludge moulds, while on »Blood Of The Old Gods«, the three-piece developed a more varied, melodic approach with added complexity.

Discontent at being sometimes labelled ‘progressive’, Restless Spirit, true contrarians that they are, avoided overly-long songs and excessive ornamentation on »Afterimage«, intentionally eliminating anything that might distract from the new album’s direct, crushing immediacy.

On the live front, the Long Island band has undertaken several tours in support of »Blood Of The Old Gods« and shared stages with the likes of Crowbar, The Obsessed, and Cannibal Corpse. They will return to the road in winter 2023/24 to present »Afterimage«.

With »Afterimage«, Restless Spirit deliver a massive punch to the gut that actually feels damn great once the initial pain subsides.

Order your copy here: lnk.spkr.media/afterimage

Recording by John Forrestal at The Animal Farm, Flemington, NJ USA.
Mix & mastering by Jonathan Nuñez at Sound Artillery Studios, Miami, FL, USA.
Cover art by Luca “Solomacello” Martinelli.
Layout by Marc Christoforidis.

Restless Spirit is:
Paul Aloisio – Vocals, Guitars
Marc Morello – Bass
Jon Gusman – Drums

Guest musicians:
Scott “Wino” Weinrich – Guitars on »The Fatalist«
Mike Hill – Vocals on »Shadow Command«

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well