Following the release of their 2024 LP Coagulated Bliss, Maryland grindcore vets Full of Hell have announced their forthcoming EP Broken Sword, Rotten Shield, which arrives May 16 via Closed Casket Activities.
As detailed in a press release, the new EP explores love, loss, and the crushing inevitability of grief through fantasy-tinted lenses as the band craft a world of dog knights and noble quests. As explained by vocalist Dylan Walker, these "symbolic protectors — pure-hearted and loyal — stand in for the real-life companions we lose, and the void left behind when they're gone."
The band have also shared the very first taste of the new EP with "Knight's Oath," a track that captures the "tragic beauty of unwavering devotion, portrayed through a surreal tale of anthropomorphic warriors driven by honour and grief."
Elaborating further on the track, Walked shared that "Knight's Oath" is about the "absolute dedication to your charge, be it a person you love or held tenet, and the ignominy that comes with a sudden defeat. That idea acts as a metaphor for the grief you feel when you lose an animal companion. It feels pointless, cruel, and void in the moment. The video channels those ideas and takes the viewer on a quest with our noble dog knight and his cohorts as they quest for glory and wealth in the face of darkness."
Full of Hell are embarking on a co-headlining tour next month with Harm's Way, with dates scheduled in Montreal (June 7) and Toronto (June 8) this summer.
Watch the music video for "Knight's Oath" and check out the EP's tracklist below.
Broken Sword, Rotten Shield:
- Broken Sword, Rotten Shield
- From Dog's Mouth, a Blessing Full of Hell
- Corpselight
- Lament of All Things
- Mirrorhelm
- Knight's Oath
- To Ruin and the World's Ending