Following up Beltfed Weapon‘s 2023 All-Star EP release, Darkened Demise, Frank Hetzel is back with new single “Tortured Within” – with previous collaborators Kragen Lum and Bryan Newbury, plus, this time, bringing Metal luminaries Stu Block and Mike LePond into the mix.
Frank Hetzel explains “‘Tortured Within’ is about a person battling a war within themselves, such as addiction, and the struggle to get out of the cycle and back on track to a positive direction. Working with Stu and Mike was an awesome experience. Both are consummate professionals, and of course Kragen and Bryan deliver, as usual, on all levels as well. I could not be happier with how this song turned out.
Mike LePond says “Frank has some seriously vicious riffs with an almost machine-like right hand. His music is very different from Symphony X, so it was a challenge from the start. The more I listened and practiced, the more I appreciated his metal artistry.”
Stu Block adds“It was fun working with Frank on this tune. Frank is a very talented musician and awesome guy!”
About BELTFED WEAPON:
Beltfed Weapon hails from Seattle and was founded in 1999 by guitarist/songwriter Frank Hetzel.
For more than 20 years, Frank Hetzel has been a staple of the Seattle metal scene. He first established himself in the music business by booking national and international touring bands. On the side – at least at first – he was the guitarist and main songwriter for Beltfed Weapon, a Pacific Northwest band influenced by speed, thrash, and death metal.
Over the years, the group released three critically-acclaimed EPs, and along the way, Beltfed Weapon played shows with metal luminaries including Testament, Over-Kill. Death Angel, Nevermore, Mushroomhead, Nile, God Forbid, Nuclear Assault, Cryptopsy, and Agnostic Front. More recently, Hetzel teamed with ex- Metal Church vocalist Ronny Munroe to release the single and video “P.O.W.” Proceeds helped cover medical expenses for Munroe’s wife and manager, who was battling cancer.
Beltfed Weapon has released one 4-song demo, Beltfed Weapon (2001), and three EPS, Peacekeeper (2009), Raining Plague (2015) and Darkened Demise (2023). Beltfed Weapon recordings have featured many metal notable special guests Steve DiGiorgio (Testament, Death, Sadus) [Bass]; Fredrik Vidigs (Marduk) [Drums]; Dean Sternberg (Where Evil Follows, Ashes Of Ares, ex-Into Eternity touring singer) [Vocals]; and Andy Beech [Lead Guitar]. Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Sanctuary) and Matt Wicklund (Ghost Ship Ocatvius, God Forbid, Warrel Dane, HIMSA) and more.
Frank Hetzel spent years writing five new songs and tracking them with an all-star lineup and delivered Beltfed Weapon’s Darkened Demise EP, released June 25, 2023. Combining four or more styles of metal into a single batch of songs is no small accomplishment. And Darkened Demise is packed with abrupt tempo shifts, staggered rhythms, extended middle-eights, and other musical hairpin turns that keep the music exciting and unpredictable.
Beltfed Weapon‘s EP Darkened Demise, mixed by Juan Urtega, features Steve Tucker (Morbid Angel), Jason Viebrooks (Exhorder/Grip Inc), JD DeServio (Black Label Society), Tim Aymar (Control Denied), Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy), Kragen Lum (Heathen). Bryan Newbury (Into Eternity) and Dagna Silesia (Ghost Ship Octavius).
Ghost Cult writes “All in all Darkened Demise is a cyclone of musicianship that goes by in a flash but leaves you pretty breathless and knowing you have been rocked by lifers.”
BELTFED WEAPON online:
WEBSITE: https://beltfedweapon.net/band/
MERCH: Shop – BELTFED WEAPON – Official Website
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/beltfedweapon/
YOUTUBE: beltfed weapon official – YouTube
BAND CAMP: https://beltfedweapon.bandcamp.com/
