LIGHT THE TORCH (formerly DEVIL YOU KNOW), the band fronted by former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones, will release its debut album, "Revival", on March 30 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.
The official music video for the album opener, "Die Alone", can be seen here.
"'Die Alone' is basically a note I had written to myself a couple years ago and it seemed to really fit the music", explains Jones.
"We are more than excited to release our album, 'Revival', and we all feel it's been worth every bit of the struggle to get it done. See you all soon on the road."
In addition to Jones, LIGHT THE TORCH features guitarist Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH) and bassist Ryan Wombacher (BLEEDING THROUGH). The Los Angeles, California-based trio drew from five years together as DEVIL YOU KNOW to forge a wholly distinct path. Amidst a myriad struggles, they returned from the brink under a new name.
"2016 was a really tough year for us as a band, both personally and professionally," explains Jones. "While going through some lineup changes, we were also battling some issues with the use of our band name. At the same time, I was trying to deal with the loss of my oldest brother, which really hit me hard. During that time, we just bonded like never before. We all meshed because we faced war together. We survived. At the end, we realized we were a real band and decided to make an album representing that resilience. Honestly, we came out of the dark. The name literally signifies what we went through."
"It was time for a change", the singer continues. "It was time for us to try and stretch our wings. We were really going for songs. The structuring made more sense. I was focused on melody and harmony. I really cut loose. All in all, it was the perfect storm. We had so much fun making this, because there were really no restrictions other than creating a heavy and catchy body of work."
The LIGHT THE TORCH lineup boasts one of the most esteemed pedigrees in modern heavy music. Jones spent a decade at the helm of Grammy Award-nominated and gold-selling titans KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Artusato had much-lauded stint in ALL SHALL PERISH and has attained status as a shred virtuoso. Wombacher was a staple in BLEEDING THROUGH for well over a decade. For "Revival", they are joined by EXTINCTION A.D. drummer Mike "Scuzz" Sciulara.
The album artwork was designed by Artusato.
"Revival" track listing:
01. Die Alone
02. The God I Deserve
03. Calm Before The Storm
04. Raise the Dead
05. The Safety Of Disbelief
06. Virus
07. The Great Divide
08. The Bitter End
09. Lost in the Fire
10. The Sound Of Violence
11. Pull My Heart Out
12. Judas Convention
It is speculated that DEVIL YOU KNOW's name change was prompted by a dispute with the band's former drummer, John Sankey, who left the group in June 2016.
DEVIL YOU KNOW released two albums through Nuclear Blast Entertainment: 2014's "The Beauty Of Destruction" and 2015's "They Bleed Red".
In addition to playing songs from its upcoming debut, LIGHT THE TORCH will perform DEVIL YOU KNOW songs at its live shows.