Venture into the nostalgic 8-bit world through the new album Handheld Demise. The third part of GONEMAGE’s trilogy, this album follows the storyline of the protagonist Galimgim after he is split into a pixelated dream realm by a character known as The Curator to become her successor to tend the realm. Now, consumed by power, The Curator impetuously resorts to casting a banishing spell on him to focus on her mission in Delirium, a place of purgatory.

GONEMAGE is the project of mastermind Garry Brents, who is also involved with the projects CARA NEIR, HOMESKIN, and LEV’MYR. Fusing extreme metal elements with renowned 8-bit sounds harking back to the 1980s and ’90s, GONEMAGE also employs a myriad of progressive and experimental instrumental textures. Handheld Demise begins with Galimgim and The Curator’s troubled reunion. Consumed in a heavy atmosphere, harsh textures deliver a haunting mood, dissonant and disturbed. The following tracks roam through nightmarish domains seeing The Curator as she attempts to battle the dark manifestations. “Weaponless Scream, Laughter Unseen” delivers explosive rhythms and ferocious distortion. Chaotic contrapuntal instrument parts produce epic music; synths and cleaner guitar leads suddenly veer the track off in a very different direction. Intense bass, sultry vocals and smooth electronics all fully immersed in the distorted fuzz of the 8-bit soundscape, appear in “The Smelting Madman”. An intriguing experience morphing a smorgasbord of styles into one, the nightmarish undertone prevails throughout. The penultimate “Chase of the Daemon Glow” unleashes a brutal black metal assault, interspersed with opposing synth sections that bring a sense a calm to the storm. The fierce heaviness continues into the concluding “From Walls to Woods”, before dissipating into a stunning finale comprised of layered vocals, piano and, of course, 8-bit synths.

GONEMAGE delves into vast dimensions of musical experimentation. Not only bringing together multiple genres of contrasting styles but incorporating those into the distinctive 8-bit world GONEMAGE has cultivated. Handheld Demise continues the thrilling narrative with an eclectic and extravagant collection of compositions. It’s volatile, powerful and incredibly unique.

GONEMAGE is:
Galimgim (or Garry Brents) – Guitars, Bass, Drum Programming, Synth, Vocals.

Album Credits:
Galimgim – Guitars, Bass, Drums, Vocals, Synth, Sampling, Production, Cover Layout
Mastered by Angel Marcloid @ Angel Hair Audio
1-bit Pixel Art Cover by BlindCherub

Formats:
Digital, Tape, Vinyl
US Tape on WereGnome Records, EU Tape on Xenoglossy Productions, Vinyl on Fiadh Productions