Into Eternity

Breathing new life into a tried and true genre comes Canada’s Into Eternity. One of the most critically acclaimed bands of 2004 and definitely one of 2005’s hardest working, Into Eternity have returned and delivered their defining moment in metal history. Borrowing from all aspects of heavy music "The Scattering of Ashes" is the perfect blend of technicality, memorable songwriting, traditional heavy metal and the sheer savagery of metal’s extreme genres.

Proving true the age-old maxim “whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger,” Into Eternity has evolved and accomplished much despite adversity. Though many lineup changes have been seen throughout the years, founding members Tim Roth (guitars) and Jim Austin (drums) have always remained the band’s tight-knit songwriting nucleus. In 2005, the band was joined by Stu Block (vocals) and Troy Bleich (bass) to create the band’s strongest lineup to date. Soon after, the group began touring with a laundry list of today’s seminal acts (Amorphis, Hate Eternal, Hammerfall, Edguy, Stratovarius, Opeth, Nevermore, Gamma Ray and Kataklysm), making them one of the industry’s hardest working artists.

Upon first listen to "The Scattering of Ashes", it’s easy to see that the band’s musicianship is second to none. Roth has cemented his foothold as one of today’s most exciting six stringers, and Austin and Bleich are without a doubt a rhythm section to be reckoned with. Ranging from death growls to traditional prog-vocals to spontaneous ear-shattering Halford-isms, Block’s schizophrenic vocal performance might as well serve as a timeline of heavy metal’s evolution. While the songs are very complex in nature, they are never overwhelmed by an individual player’s petty self-indulgence. Songwriting is the main emphasis here, as is evident with standout tracks such as “Severe Emotional Distress”, “Nothing”, “Timeless Winter” and “A Past Beyond Memory”. Into Eternity have shown that they aren’t afraid to bridge the gap between Dream Theater and Death, as well as appease all fans of guitar-oriented music.

Once again, Into Eternity has recorded with engineer Grant Belcher at Touchwood Studios in their hometown of Regina, SK. This time around master producer/mixer Andy Sneap (As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Nevermore) was brought in to mix and master the final sessions. The end result is the clearest, heaviest and most aggressive sound the band has yet achieved, packaged beautifully with the artwork of Mattias Norén (Evergrey, Stratovarius), who has also worked with the band on their previous efforts.

Primed once again to hit the road in 2006 and 2007, the band just ended their touring cycle on Gigantour alongside heavyweights Megadeth, Arch Enemy, Lamb of God, Opeth and Overkill. With The Scattering of Ashes, Into Eternity is here to ride the new wave of technically proficient metal and create a tsunami all their own.