After a brief and much-needed break, we're back in the studio. We've been hard at work on our second album, writing and recording. The album will be released later this Summer, and the direction is the logical next step in the evolution of the BACKMASK sound after Dark Fiber - heavier, more progressive, and more melodic! We will launch a new website and some in-studio videos very soon - stay tuned!
So we've uploaded a few of our live videos to LG's Make The Music Contest. We're pretty much the ONLY metal band up there (it's mostly folk and hip hop) and we'd really like to win as the $10000 USD could really help us out!
You can vote 3 times a day (once for each of our videos) and every time you vote, you have a chance to win a phone!
Here's how to vote for us:BACKMASK is currently looking for a new drummer. After several months of great fun and great shows with Ben, we have decided to part ways. We'd like to thank Ben for his time with the band, and we wish him the best of luck with his future endeavours.
We are therefore in search of a replacement. The level of talent of the drummers in this band is very high, and as such we expect nothing less of our newest member.
Before considering auditioning, please be sure you fit the following requirements:
If you feel you meet these criteria and you want to try out for BACKMASK, please send us a message on our MySpace page (or email band-at-backmask-dot-com) with a link to your audio and/or video samples. We will listen to all submissions, but cannot reply to everything. If you do not hear back from us, please wait at least 3 days before messaging us again (we all have to listen and then discuss each case).
Cheers,
BACKMASK
Today is a sad day for us all.
After learning earlier in the week that Threat Signal was not going to be able to conduct the tour, we have learned this morning that both Year of Desolation and Bloodjinn have also pulled out of the tour. This means for us that we will not be able to play on the show on July 18th.
If you had planned on seeing us in Hollywood, do not fear, we are trying to line something up for around the same time.
We would like to wish all the best to our friends in Bloodjinn and Year of Desolation that they can continue to shred without this tour. And we would like to offer our support to Threat Signal that they come through whatever "personal situation" has caused the tour cancellation.
Cheers,
Richard, Shane, Ben and Oscar
BACKMASK
Check out this killer review of Dark Fiber on PureGrainAudio.com. They're also holding a contest, giving away signed and unsigned copies of the album! Thanks guys!
PS - we are going to be launching a revamped website in the next few weeks. We'll be making MUCH more frequent updates. In the mean time, our MySpace page is the best place to get current news.
We're very stoked to be opening up for Threat Signal on July 18th at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, CA. We'd also like to let you know that we're selling tickets at a discounted rate. Pick them up here!
After receiving mass amounts of rave reviews, "New Revelation" is Song of the Week and "Blacklisted" is Song of the Day! Check it out!
Two months after the release of BACKMASK's debut full-length album Dark Fiber as a digital download, the album is finally available on CD for $13.99 from CafePress.com . Don't feel like shelling out the cash? PureGrainAudio.com is hosting a contest for 5 lucky fans to win signed copies of the CD! Enter the contest here.
BACKMASK is also in the process of booking tour dates. New dates are being posted to the BACKMASK MySpace page as soon as they're confirmed.
Check out the BACKMASK MySpace page for a sampling of the new pictures! An overhaul of the Media section of Backmask.com is also underway, as we have more photos to share.
After a few months of searching, we've found our new drummer, Ben Bradley. He absolutely shreds, and we couldn't possibly be happier! The BACKMASK lineup is now complete. Band photos will be taken, shows will be scheduled, stay tuned!
We're very honored to receive news that our song "New Revelation" has been chosen as Track of the Day on GarageBand.com for January 25th, 2007. This is the second time for us to be awarded this, so we'd like to thank all the reviewers and fans on GarageBand.com for helping get us more exposure!
BACKMASK is dominating the GarageBand.com charts and winning Metal Reviewers' Picks with the songs "New Revelation" and "The Architect."
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"New Revelation" awards: "The Architect " awards: |
Check out this review of Dark Fiber courtesy of German language metal site BloodChamber.de. Our friend Suzie provided the following English translation for those of you who don't speak German:
When I was going around on all fours through the internet link through link, I suddenly landed on the homepage of a, until now, totally unknown US metal band called Backmask. Since "metal" is not always exactly metal and the cover on Dark Fiber does not lead me into a certain direction then I need to make myself a little smarter; and as seen, both musicians name as their influences bands such as Soilwork... Now that makes me curious.
Right away the first song "New Revelation" goes straight through the wall and swings like a wrecking ball, the reason could be in the beginning of the CD the bass is very over-proportionate. Luckily that ends rather quickly and for the rest of the 85% of the playing time one can enjoy the high-end production demo. But what kind of music is Backmask actually? I asked Hauptmann [another BloodChamber.de editor], and he said that it is not very easy. It could most likely be considered Modern Melodic Progressive Thrash Death Metal, but again, not really. It starts in the direction of Modern Thrash Death, the middle part goes back to Melodic Death Album and it ends as Progressive Death Metal. Everything clear so far? The best thing about the album is that it switches among the genres which shows it quality as an album. The main memorableness of the band lies with the melody, which in the refrains sound very Swedish and the instrumental was set wonderfully into the scene. That again is underpainted by a very variable voice, which can both growl and sing, and both are cleanly met.
Whoever wants an overview of Dark Fiber, you can listen to the first song of the album or for those who have more time, enjoy the 9 minute progressive highlight "Prisoner of Mind," where the band shows all that it is capable of. The complete CD is available for download on the bands homepage and they start at $9.99. With the dollar being where it is at the moment, spending only that much for a CD of this quality is a joke.
Here's the artwork and tracklist for BACKMASK's debut album Dark Fiber:
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Total running time: 51:30
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Dark Fiber was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Kazrog Studios and Lizard Rock, in Santa Barbara, California, in the fall of 2006, by Shane McFee and Richard Chapleau. Artwork and layout was made by Shane McFee. Dark Fiber will be released worldwide on December 5th, 2006 through Backmask.com.