This is last week’s news, but worth mentioning anyway. In addition to spreading their potent brand of melodic death metal far and beyond their Caribbean homeland, Dominican lifers ARCHAIOS have a philanthropic streak a mile wide, and are committed to charity and lending a helping hand to those in need.
The long-running group are no strangers to poverty and hardship, and with that in mind, have pledged to contribute 25% of all album sales for their recent Dark Canvas debut, The Distant, to ongoing relief efforts for Haiti and Japan, two nations who were both hit hard by devastating natural disasters last year.
The band also created a mini-documentary to introduce new fans to their music and decades-long history; the video is now up on Metal Underground, and is a fascinating look inside the Third World metal scene and one of its most exciting bands. Watch it here.
The Distant was released on Dark Canvas Records on November 11, 2011 to widespread critical acclaim. The album was recorded and produced by the band in their hometown Santo Domingo and mixed and mastered in by Kanky Lora (who has worked with Cavalera Conspiracy, Straight Line Stitch and Mark Rizzo Band). The stunning cover artwork was designed by Brazilian artist Carlos Fides.
The band’s sound runs deep within both traditional and modern death metal, mixing influences from Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel to Dark Tranquility and early In Flames while also incorporating diverse elements from other musical genres and soulful guitar solos. As is fitting for such a trailblazing act, ARCHAIOS’ The Distant marked the first Dominican metal recording to be released internationally by a North American record label. After almost three years in the making, The Distant has ultimately become an international effort.
