Souls Extolled is a blast of eclectic rock and ska punk from Austin, Texas. Fusing generations of influences from indie and alternative rock to grunge, the bands’ diverse blend is provocative yet familiar. Accents of progressive rock and psychedelia revolve around a dark, groovy core, with gritty and debaucherous lyrics. Often clouded in smoke and accompanied by a mysterious masked figure, their songs are dripping with existential angst and vulgarity. With their intense vibe nostalgic of the classic rock icons they evoke, they're an explosive exhibition of modern rock music!
Honolulu-grown singer-songwriter and guitarist Zach Black conceived the idea for Souls Extolled while attending The University of Texas at Austin. But his vision for an intense genre-bending rock band revolving around spiritual and socio-political themes wouldn’t come into fruition until early 2019, when Souls Extolled emerged onto the Austin music scene as a trio featuring local veteran bassist JP Ortiz, and the drummer of Fair City Fire, Joe Valadez. The band enjoyed an excellent first year in 2019 as they released their inaugural record “Follow the Ghosts” and made their first appearances at some of the most prestigious venues in central Texas. Tracks from the record received radio airtime, numerous playlist ads, significant regional and international media coverage, and several notable reviews. In addition to that the guys had the pleasure of appearing on multiple local radio shows and podcasts, and successfully threw a few major events of their own including The Super Epic House Party during SXSW, and The Restless Kind Boat Party on Lake Travis in the Summer.
As for most artists 2020 was slow for Souls Extolled, but on December 4th they dropped their second studio production “Seraphic War”, a concept record about spiritual, cultural, and political revolution. The EP fused proto-metal, psychedelic rock, and ska punk through a balanced and concise formula that has become the bands’ sound. With 100% of sales from Seraphic War going to the Police Oversight Project in Austin, Texas, the EP achieved significant radio airplay throughout the United States and racked up over 1K streams on Spotify alone. Following up with 2 singles and a music video for ‘The Crucible’, the band stayed active through 2021 and revisited most of the other major cities in Texas along with notable appearances in their hometown including performances at the Red River Cultural District’s ‘Hot Summer Nights’, at ‘Frights & Sounds’ Halloween Festival in San Marcos, on The CW Austin show ‘512 Studios Live’, and at their own ‘Restless Kind Boat Party II’.
Souls Extolled spent the end of 2021 in the fabulous 512 Studios with Omar Vallejo, Clint Manning, and Rich Bauer producing their third record ‘MMXXII’, an eclectic 12-song LP ranging in style from indie rock to ska punk and grunge. With the addition of Trouble in the Streets’ Andy Leonard on synth, and mastered by Grammy nominated engineer Nick Landis, the band is confident that MMXXII has set a new standard for the quality of their sound. MMXXII is available now for purchase at the Souls Extolled website and on iTunes, and for streaming will be released one song at a time on the first Friday of each month of 2022. In addition to their album release show in Austin on February 11th at Flamingo Cantina, the band will embark on their first national tours to the Northeast in April and the West Coast in September. Check out MMXXII and come rock with Souls Extolled LIVE in your city later this year!
Art, like the artists that produce it, is a product of its time. As such, these songs are a reflection of this moment in time for the members of Souls Extolled, and were made without any limitation or rule other than to express themselves honestly through the music. For them, this is the standard of true art. Praedicari Animarum
