Both sonically and lyrically, the debut EP from BONE TOWER, “We All Will Die One Day” represents a collective status of disarray. Challenging speed and complex rhythms serve to accelerate unfavourable feelings to the forefront of your mind. The first single off this succinct record is “Mangled Wounds”, the words in which are totally up for interpretation and expresses a couple of different personal thoughts. According to the band, it was written both literally, outlining repeated trauma; as well as figuratively, about how one might process anxiety and depression.
They continue to explain in their own words: “Opening abruptly with tremorous blast beats and rattling vocals, this tune wastes no time in delivering its taunting message. With a sense of urgency, the cryptic lyrics rest upon escalating guitar licks, as drums rapidly push this anthem to the point of no return. Briefly, you are allowed to catch a quick breath, only to be slingshotted into a barrage of open chugs. The mainline ‘mangled wounds torn open again…’ is chanted back at you, and you are plunged into the second interlude track, ‘Cower Away’.”
The eight tracks on the EP come in at just over nine minutes, but capture a full array of raucous violence. “We All Will Die One Day” is abrasive, pissed off, and fatiguing. If you’re into that kind of thing, you’ll like it.
Today, we have teamed up with the band to give you some more details about their craft and lyrical content, through a full track by track rundown below. The sinister trio was also kind enough to share their picks for some bending heavy records of the year and their top local bands from Halifax, NS, Canada worth diving into!
For fans of grindcore and death metal, Bone Tower is suitable for fans of Full of Hell, Pig Destroyer, and Cryptopsy.
Bone Tower is a fresh group having started in February of this year, they came together with the sole purpose of creating this record, and have delivered on that with this auditory assault. The band worked collaboratively writing and performing the songs, it was produced, mixed, and mastered by Michael Bowers and the album artwork was done by Jonas Deviller.
The EP “We All Will Die One Day” will drop on November 5, 2021 via No Funeral Records & Fresh Outbreak Records.
Like top mind-bending heavy records of the year, as seen by Bone Tower:
Alluvial‘s “Sarcoma”
Full of Hell‘s “Garden of Burning Apparitions”
Gatecreeper‘s “An Unexpected Reality”
Bone Tower’s top local bands from Halifax, NS, Canada to check out:
“We All Will Die One Day” EP Track by track commentary:
1. DISLODGING SPLINTERS: The lyrics in ‘Dislodging Splinters’ were initially written about a habitual cycle of letting opportunities pass you by, how future endeavours may possibly look because of this, the process of reflection, and an irrational sense of regret that tends to follow. From the first three snare drum hits poking you in the ears, the shrieking vocals, fast riffs and the feedback that closes out this track, this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the disorder that is to come next. Remember: this is only the first song. You’re in for a lot more discomfort.
2. AM I CONSCIOUS: An amalgamation of sludgy riffs, pick scrapes, tremolo picking, and blast beats, this song has the grip of Hell’s Gate, sending you face-first into the auditory ambush that ‘Am I Conscious’ presents. In compelling fashion, this song launches you into a concussive breakdown and concludes with the first of 4 boisterous interludes on the album.
3. MANGLED WOUNDS: The meaning of the words in ‘Mangled Wounds’ are totally up for interpretation and expresses a couple of different personal thoughts: it was written both literally, outlining repeated trauma, as well as figuratively, about how one might process anxiety and depression. Opening abruptly with tremorous blast beats and rattling vocals, this tune wastes no time in delivering its taunting message. With a sense of urgency, the cryptic lyrics rest upon escalating guitar licks, as drums rapidly push this anthem to the point of no return. Briefly, you are allowed to catch a quick breath, only to be slingshotted into a barrage of open chugs. The main line ‘mangled wounds torn open again…’ is chanted back at you, and you are plunged into the second interlude track, ‘Cower Away’.
4. COWER AWAY: ‘Cower Away’ is the first of two harsh electronic tracks on ‘We All Will Die One Day’. It is simultaneously the most straightforward in terms of song structure, as well as totally frigged up and distorted. The main objective with this tune (if you can really even call it that) was to break up the tracklist with a different flavour of stress and to serve as an intro to the following track.
5. UNDER A VEIL: This song is pissed. There is more than one meaning, but it’s really written about the perception that you are always in the wrong, that who you are is a made-up persona, you aren’t good enough, and you should be exiled from everything positive in your life. This feeling couldn’t be further from the truth, and it is simply anxiety creeping in to say hello; A flurry of notes and blast beats being thrown at you really like to drive that idea deep into your head, though. Cower away under a veil of delusion.
6. EMPTY CAVE: Track #6 off ‘We All Will Die One Day’ begins with a propulsive sequence of blast beats and screeching vocals, coming at you like a wrecking ball. ‘Empty Cave’ is a commentary on dissociating, holding onto suppressed feelings, self-doubt, and the effects mental turmoil may have on you. The panicked rhythms and frantic vocals lead to an anticlimactic passage that symbolizes the descent into a state of decay. The droning feedback and familiar choir observed at the end of this song are a slow burn into the cacophony that is ‘The Sun’.
7. THE SUN: Distorted synths, jarring rhythms, and controlled chaos. ‘The Sun’ is a demonstration of what it feels like to be at the end of your rope; to have no patience left, and the sense of exhaustion boiling over. This is an intro to the title track and features both a sample from ‘Empty Cave’, and a distorted voice proclaiming a variation on the album’s title. We all will die one day, and this track is setting that mood – prepping you for the following song.
8. WE ALL WILL DIE ONE DAY: As the namesake of the album, you really want to make a statement. We all know you are your own worst enemy, and that’s what ‘We All Will Die One Day’ stands to shove down your throat. We’re all human, we all have shitty habits, and those practices are probably what’s gonna give us the axe one day. Whether you mindlessly find yourself repeating damaging thought patterns or any other number of self-destructive tendencies… This song encourages you to mull over your daily actions. The 8th and final track on ‘We All Will Die One Day’ hangs around for just a measly 50 seconds (and 17 of those are sustained feedback), but packs a major punch in that short amount of time. Blistering riffs lead into a short and sweet breakdown, leaving you confused about what the heck you just listened to. ‘We All Will Die One Day’ is a punishing conclusion to the album.
Bone Tower got its start early in 2021, with the sole purpose of channeling built-up negative energy and creating a hectic, pissed-off sounding record. Hailing from Atlantic Canada they got straight to the point through pummeling angry death metal.
Bone Tower is the musical equivalent of the chaos ensuing globally since last year. An angry jab back at the universe for anyone who was angry and watched the world unfold with racial upheaval, conservatives and conspiracists coming out of the woodwork against Covid, economic regression with millions losing jobs, the entire world changing beneath our feet, and for the politicians who claimed to be on our side but continue to fight against the truth.
The trio of Jonas DeViller (vocals/electronics/lyrics), Sean Carroll (guitar/bass), and Michael Bowers (guitar/bass/vocals) is a seasoned one at that and they were able to quickly write and produce their debut EP ‘We All Will Die One Day’ in two weeks. It came together as a whole very quickly and organically.
This is just the start for Bone Tower, they already have a follow-up record in the works. As of now, they are mostly a recording project but they intend on eventually playing shows. When they do finally play live, it’s bound to be just as fucked up as the recording.
EP ‘We All Will Die One Day’ is due out November 5, 2021.
