US-based Progressive Heavy Metal band High Council is proud to announce that its new full-length, entitled “Cruel And Unusual,” will be released as CD and double-LP vinyl on April 11, 2025. You can have a foretaste of what you might expect from the album with the title-track, now available as an official video on YouTube:
Pre-order “Cruel And Unusual” here: https://tinyurl.com/22n546y9
“Cruel And Unusual,” band’s second full-length album and seventh release overall, features eight tracks of glorious epic metal and represents the culmination of years the band has spent honing both its performance and songwriting skills. This collection of stone-cold bangers ferries the listener between moods and dynamics like the proverbial boatman across the River Styx, visiting straight-ahead rockers like title-track and “To From Whence,” dynamic epics like “Routed in the Wood (By Eldlings and Brackenguard)” and “Plaguebringer 2025,” and the pits of bleakest despair on the powerful yet despondent “Jackal”. Though honed in the fires of traditional heavy metal, the new effort also betrays hints of Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, classically-influenced guitar work and even notes of Alternative Rock, while throughout, guitarist/vocalists Bob Saunders and Steve Donahue display trademark vocal and guitar harmonies that would bring even the most distant and uncaring pantheon of pagan deities to collective elation. From the soaring harmonies of opener “Cruel and Unusual” to the ecstatic synth leads of the closing instrumental, “Wildspace,” the album is destined to unite legions of Metal maniacs under its banner forevermore.
All songs written by High Council, except where as follows:
“Liberator” is written by High Council and Chris Haring and contains a lyrical excerpt from “The Liberator,” originally published January 1, 1831 by William Lloyd Garrison.
Additional Guitar Leads on “Plaguebringer 2025” written and performed by Dino DiDomenico
Produced by Dino DiDomenico for Double D Productions
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Eric McNelis and The Gradwell House, Haddon Heights NJ
Album artwork by Apocalyptic Nuke / Medi
Graphic Design by James Viola
Contains 100% Human Generated artwork and music. Support Human Artists.
Dedicated to the memory of our brother-in-arms, Charles Carrado III
CD Tracklist:
01. Cruel and Unusual
02. Routed in the Wood (By Eldlings and Brackenguard)
03. To From Whence
04. Schwarzschild Radius
05. Liberator
06. Jackal
07. Plaguebringer 2025
08. Wildspace
Vinyl Tracklist:
Side A
01. Cruel and Unusual
02. Routed in the Wood (By Eldlings and Brackenguard)
03. To From Whence
Side B
04. Schwarzschild Radius
05. Liberator
06. Jackal
Side C
07. Plaguebringer 2025
08. Wildspace
Side D
09. Ember (Bonus Track)
10. Scion of the End (Bonus Track)
Lineup:
Bob Saunders / Guitars, Vocals
Steve Donahue / Guitars, Vocals
Lou DiDomenico / Bass, Keyboards
Greg “Wolfman Vegas” McKeever / Drums
