Into Eternity - THE SIRENS Vinyl LP

From 2005 to 2008, there wasn't a harder-working metal band on the planet than INTO ETERNITY. The Canadian quintet – whose extreme progressive metal built on the pioneering work of such forward-thinking acts as Death, Cynic and Opeth – toured seemingly nonstop in support of their acclaimed Century Media albums “Buried In Oblivion” (2004) and “The Scattering Of Ashes” (2006), performing alongside the likes of Dream Theater, Symphony X, Dark Tranquillity, The Haunted, Kataklysm and Hate Eternal. In 2008, the group released their fifth record, the concept album “The Incurable Tragedy,” and prepared for another busy touring cycle, which began with a vengeance on that year's Summer Slaughter Canada (where the band played alongside Necrophagist, Dying Fetus, Veil of Maya, Whitechapel and others). From there, the group hit the road in support of Iced Earth, after which they planned to take a short break to recover from four years of nonstop touring. Soon after founding guitarist Tim Roth returned home to Regina, Saskatchewan, however, he became a first-time father, and it soon became clear that touring as aggressively wouldn't be possible.  The group still performed periodically in subsequent months, but as the band considered their next moves after the end of the “Incurable Tragedy” touring cycle, vocalist Stu Block was asked to join Iced Earth. At first, he planned to perform double-duty, and in 2011, INTO ETERNITY recorded two digital singles featuring Block. It quickly became apparent, though, that Block's Iced Earth touring commitments would keep him on the road indefinitely, so in 2012, Roth recruited the Edmonton-based singer Amanda Kiernan to become INTO ETERNITY's new vocalist. The group subsequently began demoing material for a new album, “The Sirens,” which they would record gradually over the next two years. By 2015, the album was finished, but the group's plans to release the record through a European label fell through, delaying its release indefinitely.Earlier this year, INTO ETERNITY – who always continued to perform live periodically in their native Canada – announced plans to finally self-release the long-awaited album, which features guest appearances by Block, Cam Dixon (ex-Annihilator) and Glen Drover (ex-Megadeth). After reconnecting with former Century Media president Marco Barbieri, however, the group decided to join the roster of Barbieri's new independent label, M-Theory Audio. “The Sirens” sees INTO ETERNITY firing on all cylinders, with Kiernan's fierce vocals and Roth's trademark guitar heroics and vocal harmonies backed by longtime bassist Troy Bleich and newer recruits Bryan James Newbury (drums) and Matt Cuthberston (guitars).