– March 27th, 2026 –
Metal, Melody and Mortality on This Incisive Cut from Forthcoming Album “Wretched Heart”
New single out March 27th, 2026 | Album released May 1st, 2026
Photo by: Caitlin Delaplace
More than half a century into its life, what exactly is heavy metal? Is it a kind of belief system? Is it something to be observed as a relic, or an exhibit in a museum? Or is it, to paraphrase Christopher Lee’s Due de Richeleau in The Devil Rides Out “A living force, which can strike at any moment of the night“? For Vancouver’s SPELL, that question has never been more vital.
The latest single, “Take My Life“, offers one of the most revealing entry points into their new chapter. Released on March 27th, 2026, the track stands as perhaps the starkest embodiment of the album’s central tension – where classic heavy metal confidence collides with profound existential weight. Driven by a swaggering, mid-paced pulse and steeped in the spirit of vintage ’80s metal, the song delivers a chorus built for raised fists and midnight exorcisms alike. Yet beneath its strut lies something far more disquieting. As vocalist and bassist Cam Mesmer explains, “‘Take My Life’ is about an intimate encounter with death, and the power dynamics at play. Where I’ve had to make a decisive move, and been fearful, but others have given me confidence.”
This is a track that captures SPELL at their most direct, dynamic and disarmingly honest. As both a standalone statement and a key moment within Wretched Heart, it signals a band not only at the height of their powers but actively redefining what those powers can be. Stream a music video for “Take My Life“, directed by James Barry and Sean Edwards for Ramble Films, at this location.
Take My Life is released March 27th, 2026. WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO HERE!
Vancouver based hypnotic heavy metal outfit Spell, will release its new LP, ‘Wretched Heart‘, on May 1 via Bad Omen Records. A shadow-drenched journey through desperation, passion and defiance, ‘Wretched Heart‘ sees Spell transform heavy metal into something urgent and human – gothic, cinematic and hypnotic. Not only Spell‘s strongest record to date but also a thunderous celebration of eccentricity which stalks its nocturnal realm with both savage finesse and beguiling charm. ‘Wretched Heart‘ is the follow-up to Spell‘s 2022 LP, ‘Tragic Magic‘, an album hailed as a celebration of “the mystique and darkness within hard rock and heavy metal“.
Pre-order/stream Wretched Heart HERE.
Available on CD, Single LP (spined LP with insert) in Solid Purple, Transparent Red & Blue Marbled, and Red & Black Smoke, and digitally.
‘Wretched Heart‘, in all its gory glory, embodies a very vital paradox – a record made by true believers who yearn for catharsis beyond. The oxymoron of anthems forged from steel, yet with a very human heart. Even the most cynical bystander will likely struggle not to be bewitched.
Track listing:
01.) Dark Inertia
02.) Lilac (stream VIDEO)
03.) Take My Life (stream VIDEO)
04.) Unquiet Graces
05.) Oubliette
06.) Iron Teeth
07.) Exquisite Corpse
08.) Savage Scourge
09.) In Duress
10.) Wretched Heart
Spell is Cam Mesmer (vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, synthesizers), Al Lester, (vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, drums), Jeff Black (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Gabriel Tenebrae, (lead guitar, synthesizers). Follow Spell on Facebook and Instagram.
“Tipping their caps to a range of classic hard rock influences like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush and even old-school Mercyful Fate, Spell captures a dreary, overcast and lo-fi vibe” – Exclaim!
“If this band was a van, they would be the raddest, most pimped out airbrushed 70′s van with plush interior and a BOOMING system. SPELL is a perfect name for them, because their songs are jamming heavy metal magic.” – Cvlt Nation
“If you like your throwback metal loaded with 70s occult magic, this may cast a spell over you.” – Angry Metal Guy