Intensus’ self-titled debut may be the very definition of “forward-thinking rock music.” The one man project from Knife the Glitter/Burden/Normal Love drummer Eli Litwin thinks way, way, way outside the box, creating an experience that is simultaneously cerebral and unrestrained. No wonder it’s been a constant source of conversation around the MetalSucks Mansion as of late. Which is why we’re proud to be debuting the track “Outlast Robinsum,” which features guest vocals from Between the Buried Me’s Tommy Rogers!

Here’s what Mr. Litwin had to say about the song, and collaborating with Rogers:

“This is one of the two tracks on the album featuring Tommy from BTBAM.  He’s the only singer on the album that wasn’t in the studio recording his vocals with me right there so I had no idea what he had done when I got the completed track in my e-mail.  Needless to say, he exceeded any expectations I may have had.  His mix of creative vocal effects and brutal screaming fits the track perfectly.  I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”

Stream the track below, and then pre-order Intensus here. Other totally excellent guests who appear on the release include Robert Meadows (A Life Once Lost), Jesse Korman (The Number Twelve Looks Like You), Chris Alfano (East of the Wall / Postman Syndrome), Jerry Jones (Trophy Scars), Travis Weinand (Burden/Tetsuo), Evan Moore (Gypsy Wig/Birth Screams), Ruston Grosse, Alex Nagle (Satanized/ex-Normal Love) and Jason Herrmann (Burden/Tetsuo).

[this streaming promotion has ended]

Metal Blade’s latest sign is a band called Intensus, and by “band” I mean “one man project” — the man being  Eli Litwin, drummer of Knife the Glitter, Burden, Normal Love, and some other bands with whom I’m not really familiar (although I know that Gary Suarez is a KTG fan). The only piece of Intensus music I’ve been able to locate thus far is the above track, “Time Killer Shitter,” which features vocals by Jesse Korman from The Number Twelve Looks Like You — and it doesn’t really do that much for me. I mean, it’s fine, but if not for the pedigree, I don’t know that I’d ever have given it a second listen. (There are some other tracks that are allegedly available on Intensus’ MySpace page, but I can’t get the player to work!)

But I still think this album is, at the very least, going to be worth your attention, for the following reasons: a) Litwin has recruited some awesome guest vocalists, including Between the Buried and Me’s Tommy Rogers, A Life Once Lost’s Robbert Meadows, and East of the Wall’s Chris Alfano, to appear on the album, and b) even though process shouldn’t really be considered when evaluating a piece of art, the process for the creation of this particular record, as explained in the press release announcing the signing, sounds pretty cool:

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Kevin Antreassian runs a booming recording business out of Backroom Studios in Rockaway, NJ. In addition to helping make countless local metal bands sound like Gods, Kevin has been the man behind sessions with Coheed & Cambria’s Chris Pennie, The Number 12 Looks Like You, Knife the Glitter, The Binary Code and more.

A couple of weeks ago I shot Kevin a list of questions via email about his studio, producing, the recording process, gear, getting all up in a band member’s face when they play a sloppy take and some of the bands that he’s worked with. It’s clear from his answers that not only is Kevin a talented engineer/mixer/producer but he gets metal, a characteristic that most studio guys on a local level just don’t have. production Kevin’s answers, after the jump.

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Knife The Glitter isn’t afraid to reference the cinematic nadir of popstar Mariah Carey’s career. Nor are these noisy rockers afraid of opening for Dillinger Escape Plan for three “cozy” East Coast dates beginning tonight in Philly. Presumably, it ain’t afraid of no ghost neither.

The as-yet unsigned band – apparently still without a singer – have a few promising instrumental demos up on its MySpace page. You can also listen to some of the more metalcore-ish tracks the band did with a former vocalist at its Purevolume page. So in case you were thinking about showing up for these DEP gigs late, think again, fucker.

-GS

[Gary Suarez pooched the screw. He also writes for Brainwashed and rarely manages the consistently off-topic No Yoko No.]