Fugitive’s New Single “Spheres of Virulence” is a Must-Listen Certified Ass Beater
After sharing the thrash metal spotlight with the reanimated Power Trip for the last few months now, it’s looking like it’s finally time for Fugitive to reclaim its spot. With a brand new banger titled “Spheres of Virulence” out this morning and the announcement of their signing with Blue Grape Music, it’s looking like things are finally going to pick up steam with this powerhouse outfit.
For those that don’t remember, Fugitive is the band that Power Trip guitarist Blake Ibanez started with Skourge vocalist Seth Gilmore in the wake of the untimely death of Riley Gale. In some ways, it seemed like a continuation or natural progression of what Power Trip was doing, but in reality they’ve always been their own beast. And with this new track, it sounds like they’re planting their foot in the ground and putting the world on notice.
This new track comes roughly three years after the release of their 2022 EP Maniac and 2023’s two-track single featuring the killer “Blast Furnace”. And even though the gulf of time between releases may have been the result of both Blake and Gilmore pulling double duty playing in both bands live for a while now, it’s apparent that the mission statement remained the same all this time.
“Spheres of Virulence” is a steamroller crushing everything in its path. It’s an unadulterated piece of old school thrash metal worship while opting to bring a modern flair to the whole thing. Welcome to the new breed of thrash — a hungry, scrappy, and violent beast that won’t be satiated until every head is banged, every pit is moshed, and every crowd is surfed.
In conjunction with the single’s release, the band also announced that they’ve signed with Blue Grape Music. That sort of announcement usually precedes even bigger news, so I’d expect to hear something like a full-length coming in the near future. That’s just pure speculation on my part with maybe a little wishful thinking sprinkled in, but I’d be willing to put money on that.
If you’d like to catch Fugitive live, they’re going to be playing Summer Slaughter in a couple months with the likes of Hatebreed, Malevolence, Gridiron, Escuela Grind, Incite, and Snuffed on Sight. You can find the dates below.
FUGITIVE ON TOUR:
SUMMER SLAUGHTER 2025:
WITH HATEBREED, MALEVOLENCE, GRIDIRON, ESCUELA GRIND, + INCITE:
7/8 — St Petersburg, FL — Jannus Live
7/9 — Atlanta, GA — The Eastern
7/11 — San Antonio, TX — Vibes Event Center
7/12 — Oklahoma City, OK — Diamond Ballroom
7/13 — Dallas, TX — The Bomb Factory
7/15 — Indianapolis, IN — Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
7/16 — Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE
7/17 — Huntington, NY — The Paramount
WITH HATEBREED, MALEVOLENCE, GRIDIRON, SNUFFED ON SIGHT, + INCITE:
7/19 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom
7/20 — Philadelphia, PA — Franklin Music Hall
7/22 — Charleston, SC — Charleston Music Hall
7/23 — Charlotte, NC — The Fillmore Charlotte
