Streaming Single “Ashes & Embers”
Montréal technical death metal force Volubilis officially announce their highly anticipated debut album “Theasterion,” set for release on July 10, 2026. The announcement arrives alongside the band’s first single, “Ashes & Embers,” now streaming on all major platforms.
Founded in 2020 by Afro‑Canadian multi‑instrumentalist and world‑builder Miguel Marcheterre‑Pina, Volubilis first emerged as a pandemic‑era solo project before expanding into a full lineup featuring some of Canada’s most promising extreme‑metal musicians: André Dubien (vocals), Jacob Collins (drums), Alexis Rioux (guitar), and Shawn Hillman (fretless bass). What began in a bedroom has since evolved into a multidisciplinary, lore‑driven creative universe, one that fuses technical death metal, visual storytelling, and ambitious conceptual worldbuilding.
Volubilis shape their identity through an intricate, hyper‑speed, melodic, modern, and fully immersive approach to extreme metal. Drawing from progressive and technical death metal, neoclassical and black metal, metalcore, and even classical and hip‑hop influences, the band pushes the genre into bold new conceptual territory. Powered by colossal blast beats, monstrous vocals, and soaring harmonies, “Theasterion” positions Volubilis as one of the most compelling new forces in the progressive and technical metal landscape. Their meticulous songwriting and expansive self‑built sci‑fi universe reveal a level of ambition rarely seen in a debut release.
“This album represents a significant milestone, not just for us, but for the visibility of Afro‑Canadian and BIPOC artists in extreme metal. Theasterion is a legacy project. It’s meant to inspire others to pursue their creative visions, even with limited resources,” says Miguel.
“Theasterion” is a fully conceptual record that follows a sweeping science‑fiction narrative. Humanity, no longer able to survive on Earth, colonizes a satellite orbiting the planet Theasterion. When a mysterious monument, the Prism, appears, its glyphs reveal a prophecy foretelling the supernova of the nearest star, Unukhalai. The revelation fractures the colony, igniting political upheaval, a coup d’état, and a desperate expedition to the hostile planet below. There, the explorers encounter the Homo Cumulus, a non‑linear anthropoid species evolved beyond human comprehension. As tensions rise and resources collapse, humanity faces extinction long before the cataclysm arrives.
The album’s first single, “Ashes & Embers,” showcases the band’s signature blend of technical precision and cinematic intensity. Opening with a triplet‑driven riff inspired by Beyond Creation and Ne Obliviscaris, the track erupts into high‑velocity phrygian runs, a Necrophagist‑esque solo, and a dramatic tapping section that highlights the band’s world‑class musicianship.
Streaming now, “Ashes & Embers” offers listeners their first step into the vast universe of “Theasterion.”
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/trac
Visualizer – https://www.youtube.com/watch
Bandcamp – https://volubilisband.bandcam
Recommended for fans of Beyond Creation, Vale of Pnath, Obscura, First Fragment and Ne Obliviscaris.
Album pre-order / pre-save available at the following links
Digital pre-save – https://distrokid.com/hyperfo
Bandcamp – https://volubilisband.bandcam
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Track Listing:
1. Le Flamboiement Stellaire (5:16)
2. Theasterion (6:30)
3. Homo Cumulus (5:48)
4. Ashes & Embers (4:50)
5. The Prism (4:01)
6. Unukhalai Supernova (6:24)
Total Album Length: 33min
Album Band Line Up:
Miguel Marcheterre-Pina – Rhythm, lead and acoustic guitars, composition, concept art, lyrics.
Shawn Hilman – Fretless Bass, Contrabass
André Dubien – Vocals, lyrics on songs 03 & 06.
Jacob Collins – Drums
Alexis Rioux – Guest solos on songs 01, 02 and 03.
Michelle Gao: Violin, viola on song 06
Live Band Line Up:
Miguel Marcheterre-Pina – Guitar, backing vocals
Shawn Hilman – Fretless Bass
André Dubien – Vocals
Jacob Collins – Drums
Alexis Rioux – Guitar
More info:
https://www.facebook.com/prof
https://www.instagram.com/vol
About: Volubilis is a Montréal‑based technical death metal band founded in 2020 by multi‑instrumentalist Miguel Marcheterre‑Pina, originally conceived as a pandemic‑era solo project. It soon expanded into a full lineup featuring André Dubien, Jacob Collins, Alexis Rioux, and Shawn Hillman, quickly establishing itself as one of Canada’s most promising new extreme‑metal acts. After releasing their first single, “Ashes & Embers” in 2025, the band now returns with their ambitious conceptual debut album, “Theasterion.” Defined by colossal blast beats, monstrous vocals, and sweeping harmonies, their sound delivers a fresh and immersive take on progressive and technical metal. Rooted in a self‑created sci‑fi universe and driven by world‑class musicianship, Volubilis push extreme metal into bold new artistic territory.
