Track Premiere: DieHumane – “Epitaph”

Identifying the geographical location of where a band is “from” in the modern world is fairly pointless. Musicians can be in a band together, or at least make an album together, having never met or stood in the same room as each other. So while we can tell you that DieHumane are from Galveston, Texas, the five members of the outfit are from all over, at least musically. Guitarist Rick Hunolt was one of half of the H-Team (along with Gary Holt) in Bay Area thrashers Exodus; drummer Sal Abruscato is ex-Type O Negative/Life Of Agony and current head honcho in A Pale Horse Named Death; DieHumane founders Joshua Vargas (bass/ rhythm guitar/piano/programming) and Greg Hilligiest (keys/programming/guitar) may indeed be based in Galveston; and vocalist Garret West arrives from Houston prog metalers Anova Skyway. But, sure, we’ll say they’re from Galveston.

The track we’re premiering, “Epitaph,” from the band’s upcoming debut, The Grotesque, is about as unexpected as the collection of musicians who wrote and played it. It’s a slowly unfolding and melancholy track that does the quiet/loud thing to great effect and is dotted with little touches of strings here, maybe a distant horn(?) there as West’s clear, ’90s alt-rock vocals guide the steady, laconic pace. The highlight may, in fact, be Hunolt’s emotive solos woven throughout. Who knew the divebomb devotee had such grace and restraint?

The Grotesque was produced and mixed by Ulrich Wild and is set for release on May 5 via Wurm Group on vinyl, CD and digitally. You can preorder “Epitaph” here and The Grotesque here.

Here’s what the band had to say about its new single:

“We’re happy to release our third single ‘Epitaph’ as we get closer to our album dropping on May 5. ‘Epitaph’ is an emotional song about the wreckage one leaves behind as a result of their own death.”