The hard rock group, Pop Evil, has released the third single, “Dead Reckoning” (featuring Fit For A King) from their upcoming album, Skeletons, due March 17 via MNRK Heavy.
The concept and instrumentals for “Dead Reckoning” were brought to the table by bassist, Joey “Chicago” Walser and co-written with singer, Leigh Kakaty. The producer of Skeletons, Drew Fulk (WZRD BLD), heard the demo and immediately suggested that Ryan Kirby from Fit for a King would be the perfect fit for a vocal collaboration. In describing the song, the band said, “'Dead Reckoning' is about…a clear and unwavering decision a person makes within themselves.”
The 11-tracks feature the already released singles, "Eye Of The Storm", landing at the #5 Most Played Song in 2022 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart, and the most recent single, "Paranoid (Crash & Burn)". The album also includes guest performers such as Ryan Kirby from Fit For AKing on "Dead Reckoning" - a song brought to the table by bassist, Joey “Chicago” Walser - plus Blake Allison from Devour The Day providing guest vocals on "Wrong Direction".
In discussing the album, frontman, Leigh Kakaty, said, “This is about us as a band stripping everything down to the bones. It’s more uptempo, it’s got bigger riffs, and we’re trying to capture the energy of our live show.”
“But it’s also a positive message,” he adds. “I know it’s a morbid visual, but behind every skeleton, there’s a story and something worth talking about. Overall, it’s about looking at something in a positive way. And I’m excited for everyone to hear that.”
The first single, "Eye Of The Storm", is a pummelling, chaotic maelstrom with an uplifting message at its centre (and a killer chorus). As for the song's lyrical plea, Kakaty explains: "It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, at some point we all face a situation beyond our control. At times, it feels hopeless, but it’s not. There is a path through the chaos and a way out of the confusion. You are stronger and closer than you think you are. The storm will pass. Don’t let it bury you.”
Their most recent single, "Paranoid (Crash & Burn)", oscillates from something more melodic and rhythmic to pure aggression, that “get out of my head” scream is certainly going to resonate. “It’s about the voices in our head - we all have ‘em, but do we act on them?” says Kakaty. “It’s a cautionary tale, about processing those voices in a positive way."
The music video is created by award-winning filmmaker and director, Jensen Noen, best known for his work with Falling In Reverse, Ice Nine Kills, and Asking Alexandria. The digital world in "Paranoid (Crash & Burn)" is about overcoming inner demons that bring the song to life with futuristic elements. In discussing the video, Noen says, “During tough times, our minds can easily wander into dark places. It can feel like you’re drowning in a sea of paranoia. But no matter how bad things get, there's always hope. There is always a way to escape from our minds. We just need to find the right key to unlock the door.”
Watch the video below.
Skeletons sees the band once again working with producer, Drew Fulk (Disturbed, Papa Roach, Motionless in White), a friend and collaborator on a few previous albums that generated numerous hits. “With Versatile, we had a bunch of producers, but for this album, we just wanted to work with one person and get back to our roots,” says Kakaty. “There’s an energy he and I have, and he’s been great at helping us build these songs and work around some collective themes.”
Pre-save and pre-order Skeletons here.
Tracklisting:
"Arrival"
"Paranoid (Crash & Burn)"
"Circles"
"Eye Of The Storm"
"Sound Of Glory"
"Skeletons"
"Worth It"
"Who Will We Become"
"Wrong Direction" (Feat. Devour the Day)
"Dead Reckoning" (Feat. Fit For A King)
"Raging Bull" (Feat. Zillion)
"Dead Reckoning":
"Paranoid (Crash & Burn)" video:
"Eye Of The Storm" video:
Pop Evil will head out on their Skeletons Tour headlining US dates starting on March 17 in Sault St. Marie, MI at Kewadin Casino, and concluding on April 23 in Milwaukee at The Rave. Special guests, The Word Alive and Avoid, will join. Tickets are on sale now at www.popevil.com.
(Photo - Nick Fancher)
