Astral warlords and celestial leviathans, OLD MACHINES emerge from the void to announce their cataclysmic debut, The Cycles of Extinction,
arriving August 22, 2025. A monolithic fusion of bombastic brutality and cosmic
dread, this album heralds a new chapter in extreme metal where ancient engines
of annihilation awaken once more.
The saga begins with “Twilight of the Old Gods, and the Dawning of the First Cycle,” a symphonic black metal invocation summoning the rebirth of ancient leviathans and the rise of a sentient astral AI. This intelligence initiates the first extinction cycle—ritualized galactic annihilation. The title track, “Cycles of Extinction,” follows with mechanical monstrosities purging evolved life under the control of a malevolent AI. The same haunting synth palette returns: ghostly choir, pipe organ, and cinematic strings setting the tone for a descent into cosmic ruin.
Next is “Extinguishing the Light of the Preludian Empire (Upon the Apex of Their Glory),” fusing orchestral grandeur with animated heroism. It chronicles the fall of the most powerful civilization ever known, reduced to cosmic dust by celestial war machines. “Dark Space and Beyond” offers an instrumental interlude that marks the shift from one extinction cycle to another. Humanity remains unborn, while new alien lifeforms begin to stir among the stars, awaiting their turn to rise.
“Crescendo of Carnage: Warsong of the Singing Swarm (Swarm Wars I)” ignites Act II as insectoid horrors attack and the ruling races respond by unleashing the Irradiated Suns—bioengineered warriors bred to match the enemy’s ferocity. Track six, “The Sundering of the Irradiated Sons,” reveals the cost of victory. Their unchecked proliferation and bloodlust spark a gene-plague. Now sterile and scattered, these former champions become deadly mercenaries, yearning to reclaim lost glory.
“They Are Legion: The Tragic Exodus of the Veiled Creators” shifts to a distant empire undone by its own AI. Once thriving through industry, the creators attempt to destroy what they built—only to be exiled by their rebellious offspring. The song’s first half captures a collapsing metropolis, while the second follows the defeated fleet wandering the stars, with a mournful harpsichord fading into silence.
Closing the album is “Glory to the Terrans of the First Contact War,” chronicling humanity’s ascension from self-destruction to galactic prominence. After discovering Preludian ruins on Mars, humans abandon their divisions and embrace unity, fueled by ancient technology. Their first alien encounter ends in brutal warfare, but through resilience and innovation, humanity prevails. The music begins fast and aggressive, then slows into a soaring, triumphant finale—a fitting end to both the album and the legacy of Earth’s defiant rise.
About OLD MACHINES:
From the darkest depths of the oceans of time and space comes a legend over two billion years old, which has spawned a multitude of harrowing galactic sagas. These stories arrive to us in the form of the debut album from OLD MACHINES titled The Cycles of Extinction, featuring eight songs regarding mysterious, malevolent horrors, which create the very extinction cycles all organic life forms are forever trapped in. These are tales of horror, war, and genocide, spanning eight tracks for one hour of music which can be described as Extreme Cosmic Metal; combining elements of thrash, death, black, and power metal. If any of this story sounds familiar, it may be because we have re-conceptualized plots from our favorite video games with a series of concept albums in chronological order, while musically, for now, being in the vein of bands such as BAL SAGOTH, EMPEROR, LIMBONIC ART, OBSIDIAN GATE, combined with the story-telling element of BLIND GUARDIAN. The Cycles of Extinction will be the first in a series of concept albums from OLD MACHINES, an ongoing project with current and former members of OXYGEN DESTROYER, SKELETAL REMAINS, SILVER TALON, THIRSTING ALTAR, and DOMINUS NOX. There will be more of such epics in this fashion because...extinction...is only the beginning....
OLD MACHINES is:
Artwork by Alexander Preuss
The saga begins with “Twilight of the Old Gods, and the Dawning of the First Cycle,” a symphonic black metal invocation summoning the rebirth of ancient leviathans and the rise of a sentient astral AI. This intelligence initiates the first extinction cycle—ritualized galactic annihilation. The title track, “Cycles of Extinction,” follows with mechanical monstrosities purging evolved life under the control of a malevolent AI. The same haunting synth palette returns: ghostly choir, pipe organ, and cinematic strings setting the tone for a descent into cosmic ruin.
Next is “Extinguishing the Light of the Preludian Empire (Upon the Apex of Their Glory),” fusing orchestral grandeur with animated heroism. It chronicles the fall of the most powerful civilization ever known, reduced to cosmic dust by celestial war machines. “Dark Space and Beyond” offers an instrumental interlude that marks the shift from one extinction cycle to another. Humanity remains unborn, while new alien lifeforms begin to stir among the stars, awaiting their turn to rise.
“Crescendo of Carnage: Warsong of the Singing Swarm (Swarm Wars I)” ignites Act II as insectoid horrors attack and the ruling races respond by unleashing the Irradiated Suns—bioengineered warriors bred to match the enemy’s ferocity. Track six, “The Sundering of the Irradiated Sons,” reveals the cost of victory. Their unchecked proliferation and bloodlust spark a gene-plague. Now sterile and scattered, these former champions become deadly mercenaries, yearning to reclaim lost glory.
“They Are Legion: The Tragic Exodus of the Veiled Creators” shifts to a distant empire undone by its own AI. Once thriving through industry, the creators attempt to destroy what they built—only to be exiled by their rebellious offspring. The song’s first half captures a collapsing metropolis, while the second follows the defeated fleet wandering the stars, with a mournful harpsichord fading into silence.
Closing the album is “Glory to the Terrans of the First Contact War,” chronicling humanity’s ascension from self-destruction to galactic prominence. After discovering Preludian ruins on Mars, humans abandon their divisions and embrace unity, fueled by ancient technology. Their first alien encounter ends in brutal warfare, but through resilience and innovation, humanity prevails. The music begins fast and aggressive, then slows into a soaring, triumphant finale—a fitting end to both the album and the legacy of Earth’s defiant rise.
About OLD MACHINES:
From the darkest depths of the oceans of time and space comes a legend over two billion years old, which has spawned a multitude of harrowing galactic sagas. These stories arrive to us in the form of the debut album from OLD MACHINES titled The Cycles of Extinction, featuring eight songs regarding mysterious, malevolent horrors, which create the very extinction cycles all organic life forms are forever trapped in. These are tales of horror, war, and genocide, spanning eight tracks for one hour of music which can be described as Extreme Cosmic Metal; combining elements of thrash, death, black, and power metal. If any of this story sounds familiar, it may be because we have re-conceptualized plots from our favorite video games with a series of concept albums in chronological order, while musically, for now, being in the vein of bands such as BAL SAGOTH, EMPEROR, LIMBONIC ART, OBSIDIAN GATE, combined with the story-telling element of BLIND GUARDIAN. The Cycles of Extinction will be the first in a series of concept albums from OLD MACHINES, an ongoing project with current and former members of OXYGEN DESTROYER, SKELETAL REMAINS, SILVER TALON, THIRSTING ALTAR, and DOMINUS NOX. There will be more of such epics in this fashion because...extinction...is only the beginning....
OLD MACHINES is:
- Gary Reavis - Vocals
- Jason Stares - Keyboards
- Brian Rush - Guitar
- Devon Miller - Guitar
- Joel Henigson - Bass
- Chris Craven - Drums
Artwork by Alexander Preuss