SHATTERED FORTRESS

Pennsylvania-based Metal act NEXT TO NONE, featuring drummer Max Portnoy, have announced the release of their forthcoming second album “Phases” July 7th through EMP LABEL GROUP in North America, and InsideOutMusic in Europe. The band recently completed their first ever European tour alongside label-mates Haken, as well as forthcoming dates supporting Mike Portnoy’s much anticipated Shattered Fortress.

Formed in 2012, in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, the foursome released their well-received debut A Light In The Dark in 2015 via InsideOut, before setting out to work on “Phases”.

The album features 12 tracks of powerful modern Metal, self-recorded by the band at singer/keyboardist Thomas Cuce’s home studio Battery Power Studios, and mixed by Grammy Nominated Periphery bassist Adam “Nolly” Getgood.

Drummer Max Portnoy says, “It’s a collective production, with all of the band having their say. We had strong ideas as to how we wanted this album to turn out, and if we’d brought in an outside producer, then this could have changed. So, it was best for us to stick together and follow our own vision.”

The recording process started early last October, with drum parts being recorded at Neal Morse’s Radiant Studios in Nashville; these sessions were engineered by Jerry Guidroz.

Says Portnoy, “We then spent about four months at Thomas’ home studio (Battery Powered Studios) doing the rest of the work; Thomas was the engineer for those sessions. We were in there every day until 3am. I don’t know how Kris coped, because he was going to school after we’d finished in the studio and getting just a couple of hours sleep.”

He continues, “We’re so excited to finally be releasing our new album. We feel it’s a huge step forward for the band and shows a much heavier and much more technical side. This album is very special to us because it’s the first time we recorded and self-produced our entire album. We were able to create music that is completely our own. Every note, every sound, every word, came from us and we can’t wait for you all to hear it. I suppose you could say that we’ve done here is do more of everything we did before, but the greater experience we now have has helped us become better at what we want to do.”

Vocalist Cuce adds, “Working with Nolly on the mix has been one of the highlights of this recording for us. He captured the exact sound we wanted right from the start. Doing this upcoming tour with The Shattered Fortress will be a great opportunity to premiere this new material to an audience that will surely get where we’re coming from.”

Phases marks the recording debut of new guitarist Derrick Schneider, who came on a recommendation from band friend and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, who guested on the band’s first album. Guitarist Ryland Holland departed the band last year to attend Berklee College of Music.

The band will also hit the road stateside in July with label-mates DOLL SKIN.

Tracklist:
1. 13
2. Answer Me
3. The Apple
4. Beg
5. Alone
6. Kek
7. Clarity
8. Pause
9. Mr Mime
10. Isolation
11. Denial
12. The Wanderer

With Mike Portnoy’s SHATTERED FORTRESS –

28th June – Koko, London, UK
1st July – Trianon, Paris, France
2nd July – Slagthuset, Malmo, Sweden
3rd July – Kulturfabrik, Esch Sur Alzette, Sweden
4th July – Teatro Della Luna, Milan, Italy
5th July – Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
6th July – 013, Tilburg, Holland
8th September – Prog Power USA, Atlanta GA, USA
10th September – El Plaza Condesa, Mexico City, Mexico
24th September – Irving Plaza, New York City NY, USA