Mares Of Thrace releases single ‘The Fourth Stage: Bargaining’

Mares of Thrace delivers the final single, “The Fourth Stage: Bargaining”, ahead of the upcoming The Loss album release out May 16 via Artoffact Records. 

“The Fourth Stage: Bargaining”  opens with a haunting guitar hook and vocal drones that turn into a relentless track that cuts to the core of internal conflict and the desperate attempts to make peace with inevitable loss. Following the emotional intensity of their previous works, this new single plunges into the agonizing yet fleeting hope that emerges when one tries to negotiate with fate. As the track builds, layers of feedback and distortion envelop the listener, symbolizing the psychological maze of bargaining, where every attempt at resolution only deepens the turmoil. “The Fourth Stage: Bargaining” is a powerful testament to the struggle between accepting loss and the bitter fight to hold on, leaving the listener suspended in a moment of emotional chaos.

Listen to “The Fourth Stage: Bargaining” here 
Pre-order The Loss here 

The band’s upcoming album The Loss explores themes of grief, transformation, and resilience, an extension of Lanz’s personal journey over the years. The album also builds on the band’s legacy, following critically acclaimed releases like The Pilgrimage (2012), long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize, and 2022’s The Exile. Now partnered with Artoffact Records, the band embarks on a new chapter, delivering music that is as cathartic as it is confrontational.

Canadian mixed-race mixed-gender duo Mares of Thrace deal in a brand of heaviness that draws as much from noise rock and hardcore as it does from the doom metal they’re commonly grouped with. The band came roaring back to life in 2022 after a considerable hiatus; while 2012’s The Pilgrimage (released on Canada’s Sonic Unyon Records) catapulted them onto the world stage, garnering a premier on Pitchfork and praise in Decibel, Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, and countless other outlets, their current era is fast eclipsing it. Their relentless schedule in support of 2022’s The Exile saw them tour the USA, Canada, and Europe (including a tour with UK doom legends Conan, and stints with Bell Witch, Dopethrone, and KEN mode) and headline a showcase at new “North American Roadburn” festival Prepare the Ground.

The band’s new incarnation sees vocalist and guitarist Trez (hailed as “absolutely riveting, an unrivalled monster of a frontperson” by Exclaim! Magazine) joined by Casey on drums, a multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer whose bona fides include being tapped to replace Gene Hoglan in Zimmer’s Hole. 

2025 looks to be their most ambitious year yet, as they prepare to release their fourth full-length album–The Loss– on illustrious label Artoffact Records (home of Kaelan Mikla and GGGOLDDD). Produced by Scott Evans (Sumac, Sleep, Thrice, Covet, Yautja), it is a personal journey through mortality, grief, and losses of various kinds, and a reflection on the universality thereof; its song titles are a nod to the famed stages of grieving coined by psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.