Shards Of Black, the new EP from Baron Carta is set for release on 29th June. It features a no-holds barred killer line-up over five tracks that explore themes of war, exploration, and humanity itself.
The brainchild of band guitarist/bassist/songwriter Jono Bacon, who assembled an international team of greats on the EP. This includes Primal Fear frontman Ralf Scheepers, drummer Morten Gade Sørensen(Pyramaze, Anubis Gate), mixer/engineer/guitarist Mark Mynett (Kill II This), and grammy-nominatedmixer/engineer Jacob Hansen (Pyramaze, Volbeat, Primal Fear).
The EP’s lead single, ‘Lethality’, encapsulates this mission and is out now. From the lowsof its growling guitars to the highs of its soaring vocal performance, ‘Lethality’ weaves a rich sonic texture. The single is an ode to those brave explorers who dared to put their lives on the line to conquer worlds unknown.
The single’s accompanying music video chronicles the journey of an astronaut from childhood to their bold adventure beyond our planet’s orbit and pays tribute to great explorers past and future.
“For the third Baron Carta record we wanted to really move the needle… But still get laser-focused on our evolving style. I feel like ‘Step Into The Plague’ created the formula, ‘Into a Concrete Room’ shaped it, and now ‘Shards Of Black’ is starting to explore the boundaries of the kind of metal we like to make,” remarked Jono Bacon.
“I am super-proud of everyone for this record,” he continued, “Ralf delivered some of his best work yet, Morten absolutely crushed it on the drums (with an incredible drum recording by Jacob Hansen), and for this record we welcomed a new producer, Mark Mynett, who mixed and mastered. Everything sounds tight as hell…heavy, melodic, and some surprises along the way. I can’t wait for fans to check it out!”
“For me, it was the energy… The rawness… The down-tuned guitars…and the heaviness of Baron Carta that got me so excited to be a part of this. I love all the different colours and textures across the songs, but all staying heavy and powerful,” said Ralf Scheepers
Shards Of Black follows the band’s previous EPs: 2021’s In A Concrete Room and Step Into the Plague. The seasoned industry titans are on a mission to challenge the music scene’s typical album release. Putting audiences first, Baron Carta is dedicated to building a meaningful relationship with their fans by delivering high quality releases more often, breaking the typical 2-3 year album cycle. They back this up with a deep lore for audiences to explore between projects.
“The mechanics of making and selling music are tough, so I wanted to go soup-to-nuts with Baron Carta,“ said Bacon. “What do most fans want? More music, more often. So, my theory is that by putting out music more regularly… fans get a fresh hit of new metal… we get an opportunity to promote a new record… and everyone gets to have fun in the process.
“My hope is that from this comes more Baron Carta fans… and then more and more opportunities from there. Who the hell knows though?… But we are having fun trying.”
The Baron Carta experience is made richer by its treasure trove of in-artwork easter eggs, tales weaved across projects in a three-act trilogy, and constant new content for die-hards to dive into, and Shards of a Black marks a new chapter for the band.
