Venamoris unveil “Contrapasso,” a gripping new standalone single accompanied by a shadow-drenched video directed by Displaced/Replaced. The track follows the February release of their album To Cross or To Burn (Ipecac Recordings), and is available on all streaming platforms.
With “Contrapasso,” Venamoris deliver a cinematic descent into emotional and psychological ruin.
Paula Lombardo explains: “As we move forward on our musical trek, phenomenology continues to scorch the way. ‘Contrapasso’ is the story of an antagonist’s eventual ruin… an offering created for a specific cycle to end.”
Displaced/Replaced’s video mirrors the track’s intensity, using evocative imagery and a stark black and white aesthetic that echoes Venamoris’ previous clips and reinforces the song’s themes of reckoning.
“Contrapasso” follows the band’s critically-praised To Cross or To Burn’s arrival. Treble described the album as “gripping,” adding it sounds as “if Jarboe had gone even darker.” Ghost Cult said the collection embodies “the spirit of Dorothy Vallens from David Lynch’s surrealist, noir classic Blue Velvet” while Kerrang! dubbed it “beguiling.”
The indefatigable Dave Lombardo’s bona fides as a world-class drummer are well-known. While he drafted the blueprint that would define thrash-metal drumming, he’s also applied his finesse to solo percussion (2023’s Rites Of Percussion), hip hop and classical music, as well as boundary-pushing recordings and performances with everyone from John Zorn’s ensembles to punk icons Misfits and Mr. Bungle. To Cross or To Burn is another milestone in his storied career, where he’s added guitar, bass and considerable production techniques to his sonic skill-set.
Canadian-born Paula Lombardo began her musical career at 18 as a backing singer for Las Vegas icon Wayne Newton, performing multiple shows in the demanding Vegas circuit before relocating to Nashville to further her musical career. A dynamic musical force, she combines impressive vocal prowess, a deftness on piano and synthesizers with a natural instinct for crafting alluring lyrics, melodies and arrangements.
