EPK

In 2024, inspiration hit for singer/composer Damen Easton, prompting his return to rock, after nearly 20 years away from the genre. The result was the debut album for Limit State. Having been a college professor of music theory, a composer and arranger, Easton brings many elements to Limit State’s genre: a genre best described as heavy art rock.

In the spring of 2024, a wave of inspiration hit singer/composer Damen Easton, prompting his return to rock, after nearly 20 years away from the genre. He went into a deep creative hermitage, both writing and finally learning how to really sing rock the right way. He emerged with a full demo version of the debut Limit State album, prepared to be its singer.

In his time away from rock, Damen earned a masters in composition, taught as a professor of music theory, and recorded experimental pop and contemporary classical music. This project is informed by all of that, but remains purely rock.

The sound has elements of grunge, prog, metal, and post punk/indie, and would be described as art rock. Lyrics explore the collective and individual experience of a world contracting in many ways, while rapidly and chaotically growing in others. They speak to alienation, longing for the real, and the humbling realization of being part of the problem.

The original seed, that would become Limit State, was a promise that singer/composer Damen Easton made to guitarist Dave Wolfberg. Realizing that they’d recorded two projects together (“The Dark Corners” in 2020, and “The Stars”, a collaboration with Jimmie Herrod, in 2023) and still had not yet showcased what Dave was capable of, Damen resolved, “I’m gonna write something where you can really shred.”

Some initial sketches were made, but not much came of it at first —only the intention. Then, in the spring of 2024, a wave of inspiration hit and the whole album was written in a couple months.

This creative hermitage involved not only the writing of the album, but a woodshed period for vocal technique, during which Damen finally learned how to truly and properly sing rock. After having first considering hiring another singer, he instead resolved to see what he was capable of. This deep study and training in rock vocals, along with the rapid writing and demo recording, amounted to an almost mystical experience, birthing a whole new musical entity.

This band and album are Damen Easton’s return to full on rock, after nearly 20 years away from the genre. In that time, he’s earned a masters in composition, taught as a professor of music theory, and recorded experimental pop and contemporary classical music. Limit State is informed by all of that, but remains purely rock.

Easton and Wolberg have rejoined with bassist Nicolas Dinucci and producer Chris King, of Moon Palace Productions (previously working together on Easton’s solo album, The Dark Corners). They’ve brought on board drummer Till Richter to complete the band.

The sound has elements of grunge, prog, metal, and post punk/indie. Lyrically, it first speaks to the collective experience of a world contracting in many ways, while rapidly and chaotically growing in others. Later it moves in a more personal direction, speaking to how these large scale systemic themes embody in an individual life. It speaks to alienation, longing for the real, and the humbling realization of being part of the problem. The album is intended to take the listener on an emotional journey so that, hopefully, they will end up in a different place from where they started.