“Being a ZEALOT means being so narrow-minded and full of belief in what you’re doing that nothing else matters,” so Alex. “That’s how I had to be in order to create and perform the way I needed to. Throughout my musical journey and career, I had lost that fanatical conviction, but this album helped me find it again. I’ve realized nothing else matters as long as I believe in what I’m doing—and I believe in this.”
Fans weltweit lernten Alex zunächst als Mitbegründer und Frontmann der südkalifornischen Metalcore-Band Atreyu kennen. Nach zwei Jahrzehnten, in denen er die Charts stürmte, zwei Gold-Alben und Gold-Singles veröffentlichte, ausverkaufte Shows rund um den Globus spielte und von Kritikern gelobt wurde, schlug er 2020 sein nächstes Kapitel auf. Der als Gitarrist der Deathcore-Band Enterprise Earth gefeierte Gabe und Alex verstanden sich auf Anhieb und schmiedeten eine musikalische Partnerschaft, aus der die EP "Ad infernum" hervorging.
Auf dem Weg dorthin nutzte das Duo die Stärke ihrer neu gefestigten Verbindung, um ZEALOT zum Leben zu erwecken.
Gesanglich orientierte sich Alex an so unterschiedlichen Inspirationen wie Lamb of God, In Flames und Killswitch Engage, aber auch AFI und Linkin Park. So umspannt die Platte ein ganzes Spektrum an Sound und Wut.
“On the EP, we were getting to know each other,” erklärt der Frontmann. “There was no roadmap for Dead Icarus. We were staring into darkness. By the time we did ZEALOT, Gabe and I had built a brotherhood. It was a lot easier to be vulnerable, and I needed to tap into that. I gave no fucks, went for it, and really found my voice.”
“We have a signature style now,” so Gabe. “We figured out where we wanted to go, dialed it in, and nailed it. Each song has its own flare, and it’s multidimensional.”
Den ersten Vorgeschmack auf das Album liefern die Jungs mit dem Opener „The Unconquerable“:
“Lyrically, it’s about a positive feeling that’s bigger than anything else,” sagt Alex. “It’s more than love, hate, pain, rage, death, or any of that. For me, I wrote it about my kids, how they make me feel, and how I need to be unconquerable for them, so they can grow up to be unconquerable as well. It’s bigger than the love I’ve felt for anything on this planet.”
“‘The Unconquerable’ had extreme metal vibes, but we made it modern with a slam breakdown,” lacht Gabe. “It’s one of my favorites, because it’s fun and powerful all the way through.”
“To me, Dead Icarus means freedom and fun,” fasst Alex zusammen. “There are no rules. There are dark moments in life, but Dead Icarus is a way through all of it for us. It’s a way to navigate and quantify those negative emotions. I’m just so proud of what we’ve made.”
"ZEALOT" von Dead Icarus erscheint am 01.11.24 via MNRK Heavy.
ZEALOT Tracklist
Release date: Friday, November 1st 2024
1. THE UNCONQUERABLE
2. BEARING BURDENS AND SAVING SKIN
3. ZEALOT
4. 1 MILLION DAYS
5. TEMPTATIONS KISS
6. FOUNTAINS OF DEATH
7. CASTING SPELLS
8. HELL OPENS ITS MOUTH
9. VADE RETRO SANTANA
10. SECRETS IN THE DARK
11. BETRAYAL SHAPED DAGGERS
