Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

UPON STONE mark their entrance into the metal realm with the release of their debut album, “Dead Mother Moon”. 

Crafted under the skilled hands of producer and mixer Taylor Young at The Pit (known for his work with Twitching Tongues and Nails), the nine-track album delivers a relentless onslaught of Melodic Death Metal.

The thematic core of “Dead Mother Moon” explores concepts of isolation, loss, the quest for meaning, and a return to strength. These themes are intricately woven into a tapestry of emotions and ideas, enriched with elements of mysticism and the occult.  

From the fierce opening title track to the savage “Onyx Through the Heart” and the growling melodies of “Dusk Sang Fairest,” the album not only pays homage to the early 90s Scandinavian underground sound but revitalizes it for a new era. The band accompanies the release with a visually compelling video for “Dusk Sang Fairest,” adding a layer of enigma to the already powerful track.

 The band’s journey culminates in a free record release show on February 9th at Knucklehead in Los Angeles, featuring support from Skinfather, Section H8, Darkness Everywhere, and Greenwitch.  

The roots of Upon Stone trace back to the teenage years of its members—vocalist and bassist Xavier Wahlberg, drummer Wyatt Bentley, and guitarist Ronny Marks—when they began playing together in various Valley-based outfits. Joined by guitarist Gage Goss, the band fully took form in 2021 with the EP “Where Wild Sorrows Grow,” released on Creator Destructor.

The subsequent years saw Upon Stone relentlessly gigging, carving their niche between Los Angeles’ hardcore and metal scenes, sharing stages with acts like Bewitcher, Creeping Death, and Vomit Forth. It was during this period that the band began crafting the material that would evolve into “Dead Mother Moon.”  

Throughout the album’s eight original compositions (and one Misfits cover), Upon Stone’s passion for early Melodic Death Metal is palpable. From the album cover artwork by renowned German artist Andreas Marschall (known for his work with Dimmu Borgir and In Flames), “Dead Mother Moon” not only celebrates the sound that influenced global metal scenes but also infuses it with a sense of immediacy and vitality.  

Drummer Wyatt Bentley expresses the band’s aspirations, stating,
“Without sounding arrogant, it feels like a rebirth of a sound that changed how we all looked at music. We hope that it’s a gateway for people to go back and discover albums like ‘The Jester Race’ and ‘Storm of the Light’s Bane.’ I want it to matter to a new generation in the same way those records did for us.”

ORDER THE ALBUM HERE.