Ov Sulfur Give Clean Vocals a Try in “Wither”
It’s always a point of contention for fans of extreme metal bands — do you use clean vocals for an entire song or not? Some people think it’s okay, that the vocalist in question can handle their own and it sounds good. Others, however, lose their fucking minds over it as if the king had just descended on a love one’s wedding night to invoke prima nocta.
I guess we’ll learn in due time where Ov Sulfur fans will land with today’s release of the band’s latest single, “Wither.” As you can probably guess, this song is the very first time the band’s released a song featuring nothing but clean vocals from frontman Ricky Hoover and guitarist/vocalist Chase Wilson. Both men splilt singing duties on this track.
For Wilson, the track was an opportunity to honor what sounds like an incredibly interesting human being in his grandfather.
“We know ‘Wither’ is different and that it’s not the norm for bands like us to do a song like this, but we felt we had to honor our families and in doing so created something very special to us in the process.
“I had a lot I wanted to say about my grandparents’ passing, as I was very close to them and had a multitude of different emotions I needed to express. Ricky allowed me the honor of splitting singing duties on this song with him, as we joined each other in grief and mourning.
“My grandfather worked as an MC back in the days of Sinatra, The Rat Pack and artists like that. It was always his dream to make it in show business and be on a record some day. It’s bittersweet we were able to make it happen for him after his passing (he’s the voice clip at the end of the song). I wish he was around to hear it.”
Similarly, Hoover said this track was all about honoring his late grandmother:
“My grandmother was the glue that held my family together.
“She was the strongest person I’ve ever known and had the ability to forgive those who wronged her, a quality I wish I had. She was truly the best example of what being a good person is.
“She watched my siblings and I almost every day while my parents were at work, so we were always incredibly close.
“I used to call her on my way home from work, fill her in on things and just talk. Now I still find myself calling everyone I know on the drive because of how much I miss the talks we had.
“After she died I had so many nights spent awake alone wishing I could share in the belief I’d see her or hear her voice again: hours desperately trying to give myself the false hope I would. Eventually, I reached the cold realization that I never would. Some nights I still find myself lost and trying to lose myself in that hope…or delusion.
“The voicemails (of her wishing me a Merry Christmas or that she hopes I have a good show) were something I couldn’t even force myself to listen to until the day I recorded this song. I sent all the ones I had into the studio prior to me going. These were the ones chosen. She always said she wished I sang more in my music, so that’s what I did. I wish she was around to hear it.”
In roughly two weeks’ time, Ov Sulfur will hit the road with Ingested, Distant, Cell, and Crucifiction. The tour will run from November 6 in Fresno, California and will come to a close on December 6 in Ponoma, California. You can find the full list of dates below and get your tickets today.
Endless will be released on January 16 via Century Media Records, but you can preorder your copy today.
Endless track-listing
- Endless//Godless
- Seed
- Forlornfff
- Vast Eternal
- Wither
- Evermore
- Dread (feat. Josh Davies of Ingested)
- Bleak (feat. Johnny Ciardullo of Carcosa)
- A World Away (feat. Alan Grjna of Distant)
- Endless//Loveless
Ov Sulfur tour dates
w/ Ingested, Distant, Cell, Crucifiction
Nov. 6, 2025 – Fresno, CA @ Full Circle Brewing Co.
Nov. 7, 2025 – Roseville, CA @ Goldfield
Nov. 8, 2025 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s
Nov. 9, 2025 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Nov. 11, 2025 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
Nov. 12, 2025 – Kelowna, BC @ Distrikt
Nov. 13, 2025 – Calgary, AB @ Dickens
Nov. 14, 2025 – Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
Nov. 15, 2025 – Saskatoon, SK @ Black Cat
Nov. 16, 2025 – Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theatre
Nov. 18, 2025 – Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
Nov. 19, 2025 – Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
Nov. 20, 2025 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache
Nov. 21, 2025 – Kitchener, ON @ The Hub
Nov. 22, 2025 – Ottawa, ON @ 27 Club
Nov. 23, 2025 – Quebec City, QC @ La Source De La Martiniere
Nov. 25, 2025 – Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs
Nov. 26, 2025 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground
Nov. 28, 2025 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle
Nov. 29, 2025 – Nashville, TN @ The End
Nov. 30, 2025 – St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag
Dec. 2, 2025 – Wichita, KS @ Wave
Dec. 3 – 2025 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall
Dec. 4, 2025 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
Dec. 5, 2025 – Mesa, AZ @ The Rosetta Room
Dec. 6, 2025 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
