Usurpress is a doom/crust/prog-infused death metal band formed in Uppsala (Sweden) in 2010. They've always written short, aggressive songs based around dissonant death metal riffs and raw d-beat drumming, spiced with handfuls of progrock and psychedelia. "The Regal Tribe" is the follow up to "Ordained" (2014) which saw Usurpress leave their deathcrust path for more uncharted territories. During the composing of the new album, the band was plagued by mental disorders/depressions and life threatening illnesses in the memberâs immediate families, most notably vocalist/lyricist Stefan Petterssonâs battle with his bone marrow cancer. Therefore "The Regal Tribe" is a heavier and darker, yet more varied, complex and thoughtful effort than their previous albums. This concept album is a tragic story about life versus death, about vanity and the relentless passing of time and is by far Usurpressâ most ambitious output to date.
The album's haunting cover artwork was created by renowned Dutch artist Marald van Haasteren (Bolt Thrower, High on Fire, Baroness, Kylesa) who was given a carte blanche with rgeards to the visual interpretation of the album’s lyrical concept. "The Regal Tribe" was recorded under the supervision of rising star producer Lawrence Mackrory (FKÜ, Darkane).
