Vancouver Prog UTILITY PROVIDER Shed The Mental "Scabs" of Addiction and Trauma w/ New Lyric Video Off New Album "Challenger" Out End of Nov 2024
L-R - Tyler Mayfield - Lead Vocals, Chris Thomas - Guitar/Backing Vocals, Shayne Gold - Bass/Backing Vocals, Vadim Cartovenco - Drums
Vancouver, Canada's UTILITY PROVIDER is set to release their third full-length “Challenger” on November 26th. Before it releases, the prog quartet is sharing their latest lyric video for the track "Scabs". The song was written about overcoming addiction and trauma, surviving, and shedding your mental ‘scabs’.
Vocalist Tyler Mayfield explains further:
"My personal favourite of the album, “Scabs” has perhaps the best sounding vocals, clean and raspy, and uniquely features an unexpected drums-only intro. It is also the longest song on the album at 5 minutes and 55 seconds. The first half of the song is more rock sounding and you can hear this primarily in the guitars and vocals, although that signature U.P metal/rock guitar tone is still present. Things heat up in the second half with a distinctly ‘metal’ riff, very powerful drums, and intense vocals. The ending is my favourite part; a single guitar riff with repeating harmonic notes and quiet drums which allow a beautiful falsetto harmony between Chris and myself to shine through. Listen closely and you’ll also hear a subtle but intricate bass riff in the background separate from the guitar. If you close your eyes you can hear the ghost of old-school Alice in Chains."
Watch and listen to the lyric video for "Scabs" at https://youtu.be/Yx-HW9adaWs
Produced with Nick Bergeron at Starport Studios (Langley, B.C.) with mixing and mastering by the renowned Michael Kraushaar at Little Red Studios (Vancouver B.C), UTILITY PROVIDER's new album "Challenger" features a fresh new lineup and is an evolution from its predecessors 2022's “Lost in Humanity’s Grip” and 2019's “All in Time”.
"The writing is much stronger than in the previous releases and the production as a whole is miles ahead of them. What I love about this album is how each song has its own identity; its own sound, and its own story. There are definitely some surprises in store for our fans." adds vocalist Tyler Mayfield.
The overarching theme of “Challenger” is one of triumph over adversity and having the courage to throw off your “chains” (both physical and mental) and strike out on your own. UTILITY PROVIDER wants fans to be able to make a connection with the music and connect with them on a very personal level. They showcase this with a concept of a side “A” and a side “B”.
"Up until this album, all U.P songs were written in drop C tuning. The first 6 songs of the album stay in that same drop C tuning, however side “B” is written in A# tuning - it's literally a whole new sound for our fans! The transition from side “A” to side “B” is marked by a beautiful instrumental track written solely by guitarist Chris Thomas called “Northern Storm”. We hope the listeners will enjoy this nuance within the album. We sure had a ton of fun recording it!" adds Mayfield.
Lyrically, the album “Challenger” was mostly penned by vocalist Tyler Mayfield who wants to tell a story. He elaborates:
"As the lead vocalist, I feel that it’s my duty to put into words the message that the music is trying to convey. There is a lot of teamwork between Chris and myself to get that right. So in this way, the lyrics don’t always necessarily reflect my personal life, but are more tailored to reflect the story within the music."
With members individually influenced by different elements of metal. You will hear their sonic meshing of blues rock, prog metal, thrash, and grunge throughout the album. Recommended for fans of Mastodon, Devin Townsend, Alice in Chains, and Gojira, “Challenger” is due out on November 26th, 2024, and is available for pre-order at https://utilityprovider.bandcamp.com.
Lyric Video - “Challenger” - https://youtu.be/eHdrDo2AD8Q
Show Dates:
Dec 20 - New Westminster, BC - Bully's Studios - info w/ Mourning High, Assailant, Evan Way
Track Listing:
1. Broken Ghost Touches - 2:39
2. Humans - 4:23
3. Challenger - 5:08
4. Social Murder - 1:59
5. Killer Instinct - 3:36
6. Northern Storm - 1:13
7. You Know She’s Metal - 3:14
8. Loudest Voices - 4:47
9. Skin & Bones - 4:22
10. Independent Soul - 2:28
11. Scabs - 5:55
12. Controversy In Everything - 4:40
Album Length: 44:29
Album Band Line Up:
Guitar/backing vocals: Chris Thomas
Drums: Vadim Cartovenco
Lead vocals: Tyler Mayfield
Bass/backing vocals: Tyler Parsons-Mathieu
Live Band Line Up:
Guitar/backing vocals: Chris Thomas
Drums: Vadim Cartovenco
Lead vocals: Tyler Mayfield
Bass/backing vocals: Shayne Gold
More info: Facebook.com/utilityproviderband | Instagram.com/utilityproviderband | X.com/utilityboys
"We're back at it on a Monday morning & we've just added the punishing new track "Challenger" from UTILITY PROVIDER! "Challenger" is the title track from the forthcoming album set for a Nov.26th release. A heavy driving track that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let up for 5 minutes. Varied tempos and outstanding musicianship make for a special cut." - WJOE - Findlay's Home for Rock & Roll
