As the Oct. 25 release of their new Halloween/horror-themed EP “Legions Of The Undead” draws closer, the Los Angeles-based death/thrash/shred quartet EXMORTUS has unveiled a play-through-style music video for their cover of Danny Elfman’s “Beetlejuice” theme.
“I’ve been meaning to cover this for a while now,” says EXMORTUS guitarist/vocalist Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez. “As a kid, I loved the movie and the cartoon series that followed it. Danny Elfman’s music really does lend itself to metal orchestration, so this was a breeze to learn and jam out. Hope you have as much fun watching it as we did recording it. It’s showtime!”
“Beetlejuice” can now be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and other digital platforms. Along with the recently-released “Evil Dead” homage “Swallow Your Soul,” the song is one of two “instant grat” downloads that are being offered with digital pre-orders of “Legions Of The Undead.” Physical copies, meanwhile, can be pre-ordered on CD and limited-edition green slime-colored vinyl at this location: http://smarturl.it/exmortusofficial
Recorded earlier this year with longtime producer Zack Ohren (Machine Head, Immolation) at Oakland’s Sharkbite Studios, “Legions Of The Undead” – the cover art for which was designed by Toha “AHOT” Mashudi – will be released on Oct. 25 via the band’s own Exmortus Music in cooperation with M-Theory Audio. The five-track release includes two originals (“Swallow Your Soul” and the title track, which nods to the Dead Men of Dunharrow in “Lord Of The Rings”), as well as covers of three well-known instrumentals performed in the band’s inimitable neoclassical metal style – Elfman’s “Beetlejuice” theme, Bernard Hermann’s iconic “Psycho Theme” and 19th Century Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s haunting “Night On Bald Mountain.”
“Legions Of The Undead” marks the first EXMORTUS release featuring the lineup – founding guitarist/vocalist Gonzalez, guitarist Chase Becker (also of Warbringer), bassist Cody Nunez and drummer Adrian Aguilar – that has logged numerous miles on the road together over the past two years with the likes of Obituary, Venom Inc., Sabaton, Kreator, Havok, Allegaeon, Hatchet, Homewrecker and The Absence. The group – whose most recent performance was alongside Exodus at the legendary thrash group’s sold-out “Bonded By Con” concert during San Diego’s recent Comic-Con – will support another iconic Bay Area act this fall, when they team up with Death Angel for a five-week tour across the U.S. and Canada. See below for the complete itinerary.
Founded by Gonzalez when he was just 12 years old, EXMORTUS released their debut album, “In Hatred’s Flame,” via Heavy Artillery in 2008. After gaining additional acclaim with their 2011 sophomore effort “Beyond The Fall Of Time,” the group signed a three-album deal with Prosthetic Records in 2013. In support of that acclaimed trilogy of releases (2014’s “Slave To The Sword,” 2016’s “Ride Forth” and 2018’s “The Sound Of Steel”), the band toured alongside some of metal’s biggest names, including Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, Abbath, Dark Tranquillity and Marty Friedman, earning extensive praise along the way for their live power, prowess and proficiency.
EXMORTUS on tour with Death Angel:
Nov 15 – Bend, OR – Third St. Pub (EXMORTUS only)
Nov 16 – Seattle, WA – Club Sur
Nov 17 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
Nov 18 – Vancouver, BC – The Rickshaw Theater
Nov 19 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite
Nov 20 – Calgary, AB – Dickens
Nov 21 – Regina, SK – The Exchange
Nov 22 – Winnipeg, MB – Pyramids
Nov 23 – St. Paul, MN – The Amsterdam
Nov 25 – London, ON – London Music Hall
Nov 26 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Nov 27 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar
Nov 28 – Ottawa, ON – Brass Monkey
Nov 29 – Quebec City, QC – L’Anti Bar & Spectacles
Nov 30 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus
Dec 1 – New Bedford, MA – Vault @ Greasy Luck
Dec 3 – Lancaster, PA – Chameleon
Dec 4 – Baltimore, MD – Otto Bar
Dec 5 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
Dec 6 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
Dec 7 – Tampa, FL – Brass Mug
Dec 8 – Orlando, FL – The Haven
Dec 9 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box (EXMORTUS only)
Dec 10 – Lafayette, LA – Grant Street
Dec 11 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
Dec 12 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
Dec 13 – Dallas, TX – Trees
Dec 14 – Tulsa, OK – The Shrine
Dec 15 – Enid, OK – 1927 Event Center
Dec 17 – Albuquerque, NM – Launch Pad
Dec 18 – Mesa, AZ – Club Red
Dec 19 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky
