On October 13, Canadian metalcore band A Mourning Star released their debut album, A Reminder of the Wound Unhealed, on DAZE. The album dives in with six new songs, followed by six songs originally released in 2022 that are completely remastered.
Drawing influence from acts like Poison The Well, 7 Angels 7 Plagues, and xElegyx, the band is paying ode to old-school metalcore while incorporating complex melodies. With metalcore as one of the notable styles of 2023, A Mourning Star is just another amazing band to add to the list of metalcore bands killing it this year.
A Mourning Star’s A Reminder of the Wound Unhealed is for you if you have enjoyed 2023 releases from bands like Serration, Balmora, xNomadx, Adrienne, Mourning, Since My Beloved, and Razel Got Her Wings. A Reminder of the Wound Unhealed is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of the year and it should be for you too.
On the album, vocalist Elijah Robinson states, “A Reminder of the Wound Unhealed is about trying to move on and realizing that this pain will always be with you and is a part of you, and to honor that. I don’t know what people will take away from the new record but I wrote all the lyrics about specific experiences in my life which I had a hard time expressing outside of the band. Specifically some PTSD, regret, guilt and the healing process following it.”
Make sure to listen to A Reminder of the Wound Unhealed today and if you are heading to Flyover Festival this year, you don’t want to miss their set!
Vocalist Elijah Robinson took the time to answer some questions for us. Continue reading below to learn a little about the band, working with DAZE, and more!
Hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat. Who is A Mourning Star?
Hi Karalyn! Thanks for chatting with us. A Mourning Star is Eli, Byron, Christian, Tyler, and our newest member helping us out with some shows is Ravi. Kurt recorded and helped write the record but he’s doing other stuff now.
Your album released on October 13 via DAZE. Talk to us a little about this debut release and what it means to you all as a band. How has it been working with DAZE?
It feels like it’s taken forever since we recorded I think last January? But it’s definitely exciting. Working with DAZE has been super dope. Being a band from Canada sometimes it feels easy to get lost in the mix with so many crazy bands coming out of the states, so we are super grateful to have the opportunity to work with DAZE. It’s kind of a trip being on the same label as so many other sick bands so we’re just happy to have a chance to put out our music and reach an audience who will appreciate it.
What are 3 words to describe this debut album release?
Melodic, Fast, Epic
If you had to pick one track from this album for a new listener to check out, what song would that be and why?
The breakdown on “Corruption” is super dope… and epic, and melodic.
Metalcore has always been around but it seems to be one of the most notable styles of 2023, especially with releases from Balmora, xNOMADx, Adrienne, Mourning, your friends in Serration, etc. Bands like Prayer For Cleansing have come back to play shows too. What thoughts do you have on this growth? How does it feel to be part of this?
We’re stoked. We love all the various elements that defined the genre and that was the inspiration to start the band in the first place so it’s cool that it’s picked up steam and everyone is doing their own thing with it.
What are some of your favorite 2023 releases, hardcore or not?
Honestly today I was listening to alot of Michael McDonald. I liked the Lil Yachty album, it wasn’t what I was expecting. Human Garbage Straight Not Giving a Fuck was dope. Nickelus F is a rapper from Richmond Virginia who released an album that is more like an Audio Book or a Graphic Novel than a music record, so that was cool and unexpected. I like listening to stuff and being surprised. That’s the fun of listening to new albums for me.
This interview is also in support of your upcoming performance at Flyover in Tulsa. I am very excited to see you perform! How does it feel to be included on such an amazing lineup? And as a Canadian band, how does it feel to be coming to the States to perform?
I feel like we have brought this up a few times but it’s just cool to experience the United States in general. Canada is a massive country but we have like 3 major cities and they are 5000km apart. It’s a bit of an exaggeration but you get the picture. The United States has so much to offer in terms of geography and culture, so anytime we get to go to new cities and states that we have never been to before it’s a cool experience. But also, because hardcore is such a small community, it’s like no matter where we go, we kinda feel at home, like we know there’s gonna be some people we know or who are the same vibe or whatever.
What are you excited to explore outside of the fest (any specific restaurants, shops, etc.)?
Stoked to just check out what Tulsa has to offer. Don’t know much about it!
What bands on the 2023 lineup are you excited about?
King Nine, Peeling Flesh, Spine, Your Spirit Dies, Vomit Forth, Sector
How is your local scene? What other bands from your area should we be listening to?
The local scene is dope lately. Check out Bayonet Dismemberment, that’s Christian’s new death metal dropping a demo soon. Eli and Byron also got another metalcore band called Place of Refuge dropping a demo soon. Also check out Juice. Shallow End from Victoria, Second Nature, and Poisoned Seeds!
If you had to share one last thing with us (about anything), what would that message be?
Stay Hard!
Watch a video of A Mourning Star performing earlier this year in Tacoma, Washington.
