Dead Icarus Share "1 Million Days" Video
Dead Icarus has announced that their debut album ZEALOT will drop this Halloween. The band has released an appropriately spooky video to promote their new single off the album, “1 Million Days.”
The release of ZEALOT is highly anticipated due to being the first project of lead vocalist Alex Varkatzas since leaving Atreyu. After playing with Atryu for two decades and earning two Gold records, Varkatzas decided to leave the group in 2020. The following year he teamed up with Enterprise Earth guitarist Gabe Mangold and began to write new material which ended up on the Ad infernum EP released earlier this year. The pair are joined by drummer Brandon Zackey (Enterprise Earth, Whitechapel).
Despite Varkatzas’ hardcore and metal roots, the first single off ZEALOT, “1 Million Days” is rather melodic.
"'1 Million Days' is as close as Dead Icarus gets to a power ballad on ZEALOT. When I first started writing the lyrics, I thought it was about failing someone else and seeking their forgiveness. As I finished the lyrics, it became more first person and about letting one's self down and forgiving one's self for mistakes made. Sometimes, the weight we bear is placed upon our own shoulders by ourselves and only we can remove it."
- said Varkatzas
ZEALOT TRACK LISTING:
"THE UNCONQUERABLE"
"BEARING BURDENS AND SAVING SKIN"
"ZEALOT"
"1 MILLION DAYS"
"TEMPTATIONS KISS"
"FOUNTAINS OF DEATH"
"CASTING SPELLS"
"HELL OPENS ITS MOUTH"
"VADE RETRO SATANA"
"SECRETS IN THE DARK"
"BETRAYAL SHAPED DAGGERS"
Dead Icarus has released a video for “1 Million Days” and unlike your typical power ballad, this one utilizes a retro horror look.
"The video is sort of a tongue-in-cheek homage to late '80s horror, filmed inside a haunted house that is housed inside a haunted building from the 1800s."
- said Varkatzas.
Mangold adds,
"Musically, '1 Million Days’ came from the intention of creating an epic, powerful, catchy, and emotional metalcore 'power ballad,' as Alex stated. I'm a sucker for all guitar things from the '80s, so naturally, a catchy, singable, harmonized lead in the chorus was the first thing written and it set the tone for the rest of the composition. Don't let the word 'ballad' fool you, though. This song has some unexpected twists and turns as well that aren't a part of your conventional emotional rock song."
Mongod produced ZEALOT and co-wrote the songs with Varkatzas. Fans will find a lot to enjoy in Dead Icarus as the music adheres closer to their earlier, classic sound. A highly technically played album with plenty of solos and powerful vocals, ZEALOT is an exciting introduction to this new band.
ZEALOT will be released on October 31 via MNRK HEAVY.
