Back in 2002, Broken Hope guitarist Jeremy Wagner formed a grindcore project named Earthburner to help him keep busy while Broken Hope went on a longer-than-expected hiatus. The band ended up recording a three-track EP back in 2011, releasing it in 2012, but then took a back seat when Broken Hope became fully active again in 2012/2013.
Now, the group of grinding gluttons are returning with a new, stacked lineup, and have completed work on a new album. The lineup features Wagner on guitar, vocalist Devin Swank of Sanguisugabogg, original Earthburner drummer Mike Miczek (also of Broken Hope), bassist Tyler Affinito of Gloryhole Guillotine, and honorary backup vocalist Mitch Harris of Napalm Death.
In April 2023, Earthburner entered the legendary Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, FL and recorded all of the music for the debut full-length there—11 tracks total. All of the main vocals were recorded at Hypercube Studios in Chicago, IL. Harris came on board and has been labeled an “honorary member,” contributing his brand of vocals on most of the songs. In addition to Harris, Earthburner’s upcoming album features Immolation’s Ross Dolan on a track, and actor and Vixen Maw vocalist, Jake Cannavale, contributing guest vocals on a Corrosion Of Conformity cover.
The upcoming release was mixed by Scott Creekmore (who had mixed both the Earthburner EP in 2011 and the Broken Hope album Mutilated and Assimilated in 2017). Offering two versions of their upcoming album, Earthburner had the digital version of the album mastered by the legendary Mike Fuller of Fullersound in Davie, FL, while Scott Creekmore mastered the analog version of the album.
Of Earthburner’s return, Wagner comments: “I’m happy to announce that Earthburner is in motion in a big way and now has an album completed … Earthburner has always been some kind of extreme metal mistress to me. It was always on the side and in my thoughts, and I was always dying to dive into it, but life always seemed to get in the way. For a number of years, I was writing and demoing Earthburner riffs that no one had yet heard, and with each passing year, some fans would ask whatever was I going to do with Earthburner (and I yearned to do something to finally answer that question).”
Wagner also mentioned that the album title, cover art, and all other album details will be revealed once Earthburner finds a label. The band have shared a teaser for the cover art-seen below-completed by Fabrice Lavollay.
For more updates, follow Earthburner here.
Photo courtesy of Corey Soria
