November 7th Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse
November 8th Olympia, WA @ Charlie’s Bar & Grill
November 9th Portland, OR @ Kelley’s Olympian
November 10th Medford, OR @ TBA
November 11th Sacramento, CA @ Fire Escape
November 13th Escondido, CA @ Metaphor Café
November 15th Phoenix, AZ @ TBA
November 16th Flagstaff, AZ @ TBA
November 17th Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
November 18th Las Vegas, NV @ Divebar
November 19th Riverside, CA @ Common Ground w/ Witchaven
November 20th Berkley, CA @ 924 Gilman Street
November 21st Eugene, OR @ The Astoria
In conjunction with the upcoming tour HEAVY ARTILLERY RECORDS is pleased to offer a free download of EXCRUCIATOR’s By the Gates of Flesh EP via the label’s Bandcamp profile. By the Gates of Flesh is the second installment in the HEAVY ARTILLERY WAX MANIAX DEMO SERIES and it is strictly limited to 200 hand numbered vinyl mini lps and 500 cds.
Unsatisfied with current trends and the overdone “core” music that was being heard throughout Portland, EXCRUCIATOR was formed to help revive the spirit and values of true heavy metal, long-since lost in the Pacific Northwest. Initially starting as a side project, the concept was hatched when guitarist/vocalist Chris Birkle proposed the idea of starting a faster, heavier, traditional metal band to long-time friend and fellow guitarist Josh Kay. The two agreed and during the winter of 2008 convinced the destroyer of strings, Craig Bridenbeck, to join on bass. Not content to sit idle while searching for a drummer, the trio began writing original material and recorded a rough one song demo using a drum machine. The demo reached the ears of drummer Marcus Hartford who quickly convinced the band with his thunderous beats that he was the right man for the job. The four found instantaneous cohesion and continued writing new material while rehearsing frequently. Within a few months EXCRUCIATOR had built a solid repertoire of original songs and by the summer of 2009 the band entered the studio to record their first proper demo. The eight-track demo quickly gained favor amongst the Portland metal crowd and this growing notoriety allowed the four to acquire gigs with national acts such acts as Forbidden, Cauldron, Enforcer, and Witchaven amongst others. Eventually, the band’s hard work and networking allowed for them to be heard and ultimately signed by New York-based HEAVY ARTILLERY RECORDS.
Listen to EXCRUCIATOR at www.myspace.com/excruciator1