Iron City-based quartet Urns began in 2014. For several years, guitarist/vocalist Mike Myzak, bassist Justin Gizzi (also of Molasses Barge), and drummer Rick Fontanese played local shows, all along developing their potent mix of paradoxically heavy-but-chill 70s proto-metal/spaced-out sludge/epic doom. Then guitarist Mitchell Cochran joined in 2017, solidifying the band’s lineup, as well as their sound.

“Most of these songs come from a place of desperation,” says Myzak. “When I put my negative thoughts and emotions into a song, it’s like they live in the song now, and no longer in my head. So I guess in a roundabout way this record is about perseverance as much as it is about despair. Musically, I look to subvert the listener’s expectations. I like to take tropes from extreme metal and make them easier for a more casual music fan to enjoy.”

Recorded by Jason Jouver at Plus Minus, mastered by Jack Endino of Soundhouse Recording, Urns debut LP comes out tomorrow on vinyl and CD formats.