Montreal metal band Killed By Sorrow return with their powerful new album, Empire of Excess, blending crushing aggression, melodic intensity, and deeply personal songwriting.
Montreal metal outfit Killed By Sorrow has released its brand-new full-length album, Empire of Excess, available now as of October 23, 2026.
The ten-track collection represents the band’s most ambitious release to date, combining heavy riffs, crushing breakdowns, soaring melodies, and emotionally charged lyrics.
Building on the momentum of previous music videos for “The End is Near,” “The Burial,” and “Betrayal,” the album showcases a band continuing to refine its sound without losing the intensity that first connected with listeners.
Killed By Sorrow Empire of Excess – A New Chapter for the Montreal Metal Band
With Empire of Excess, Killed By Sorrow delivers an album that balances the aggression of its earlier material with more refined production and songwriting.
Rhythm guitarist Samuel Ham explains that the band wanted to maintain its musical identity while introducing a more developed sound.
“Fans will connect strongly with this release. It captures the intensity and aggression that defined our early sound, but with a more mature and refined mix. Long-time listeners will recognize the roots of Killed By Sorrow, while new fans will appreciate the clearer production, tighter songwriting, and deeper atmosphere.”
The album moves between melodic passages, explosive breakdowns, and punk-influenced energy, creating a listening experience that feels both familiar and fresh.
For fans of Unearth, Killswitch Engage, Poison The Well, Trivium, and Lamb of God, Empire of Excess offers a powerful combination of heaviness and melody.
Exploring Personal Struggles and Societal Collapse
Beyond its aggressive sound, Empire of Excess explores themes of betrayal, resilience, friendship, self-discovery, and the pressures of modern society.
Each track approaches these subjects from a different perspective, allowing the album to move through a wide range of emotions and musical styles.
“The End is Near” explores apocalyptic devastation, while the title track examines consumerism and societal decline.
Meanwhile, “Never Give Up” delivers a message of perseverance and strength, offering a contrast to some of the album’s darker themes.
“The goal is to blend heaviness and melody in a way that pulls listeners into the story behind each track,” Ham explains.
“Every song is meant to hit hard, connect on a personal level, and leave listeners with the sense that they’ve gone through something meaningful from start to finish.”
The band intentionally avoided creating an album where every song follows the same formula.
“There is definitely a track that will please any listener. We pride ourselves on making sure the album has a different vibe from start to finish,” Ham adds.
Collaboration Shapes the Sound of Empire of Excess
The creative process behind Empire of Excess reflects the collaborative nature of Killed By Sorrow.
Primary songwriting responsibilities were shared between bassist Martin Bersier-Carpentier and guitarist Samuel Ham, with every track reviewed and refined by the entire band.
Martin’s contributions played an important role in developing the group’s evolving musical direction, introducing fresh ideas and helping shape the album’s distinctive sound.
What began as a smaller collection of material eventually expanded into a complete ten-track album, marking an important milestone in the band’s creative journey.
The result is a record that showcases both individual musicianship and a shared commitment to creating powerful, emotionally engaging music.
What’s Next for Killed By Sorrow?
With Empire of Excess now available, Killed By Sorrow continues building momentum within Montreal’s metal scene.
Known for energetic performances and strong chemistry on stage, the band brings its aggressive sound to life through commanding live shows led by frontman Sebastien.
And while the group is celebrating its latest release, its creative momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
According to the band, work on another album is already well underway.
With a growing catalogue of music and a dedication to evolving its sound, Killed By Sorrow is positioning itself for an exciting next chapter.
Killed By Sorrow – Interview
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
We’re Killed By Sorrow, a modern metal band from Québec, Canada. Our music combines aggressive riffs, melodic passages, and honest lyrics that deal with both personal struggles and the pressures of modern society. We’ve always believed that heavy music should make people feel something, whether that’s strength, reflection, or simply the realization that they’re not alone in what they’re going through.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
Our latest release is Empire of Excess, a record that explores the consequences of living in a world where we’re constantly pushed to want more, do more, and be more. The album touches on themes like anxiety, betrayal, grief, resilience, friendship, and personal growth.
Musically, we wanted each song to have its own identity while still serving the larger message of the album. It’s our most ambitious and complete work to date.
Walk us through your creative process when creating music.
The process usually starts with a riff, melody, or musical idea that creates a certain emotion. From there, we build arrangements collectively and focus on finding the right atmosphere for the message we want to convey.
Lyrics often come later, once the music has established the emotional direction. We spend a lot of time making sure every song feels authentic rather than forcing ideas together. If a great riff doesn’t fit the emotion of the song, we’ll save it for another project.
Now that the music is out, what does the ‘road ahead’ look like? Beyond tours and videos, what’s one ‘bucket list’ goal you hope to achieve with this release?
Our focus is on reaching new listeners, performing as much as possible, and continuing to build the band’s presence both in Canada and internationally.
Beyond the typical goals, one of our biggest bucket-list achievements would be earning a spot at a major international metal festival such as Wacken Open Air. Sharing our music with a global audience and seeing these songs connect beyond our local scene would be an incredible milestone.
Every artist has a ‘lightbulb moment’ where things just clicked. Looking back, what’s the one performance or milestone that made you realize, ‘Okay, this is what I was meant to do’?
For us, it wasn’t one specific performance. It was the first time people we didn’t personally know started connecting with our music and sharing what the songs meant to them.
When complete strangers tell you that a song helped them through a difficult moment, that’s when you realize music can be much bigger than the people creating it.
We love championing Canadian talent. If you were curating a ‘Must-Listen’ playlist of emerging artists right now, who is the first person you’d add?
We’d have to say Comeback Kid. They’re one of Canada’s most respected heavy bands and a great example of what can happen when talent, hard work, and authenticity come together.
They’ve stayed relevant for decades without losing the energy and passion that made people connect with them in the first place. They’ve been a huge inspiration to us and to countless bands across the Canadian heavy music scene.
There’s nothing like the energy of a live room. Where can fans catch you on stage next, and for someone seeing you for the first time, what should they expect from a Killed By Sorrow live experience?
We’re currently working on expanding our live schedule in support of Empire of Excess, so fans should keep an eye on our social media channels for upcoming announcements.
For anyone seeing us for the first time, expect energy, intensity, and emotion. We don’t step on stage to simply play songs. We want every performance to feel like an experience where the crowd is just as much a part of the show as the band.
Whether it’s the heaviest breakdown or the most melodic moment of the set, we want people to leave feeling something they’ll remember long after the last note fades.
Connect with Empire of Excess:
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
