OPETH Bassist MARTIN MENDEZ's Death Metal Project WHITE STONES Releases 'Rusty Shell' Lyric Video

The official lyric video for the song "Rusty Shell" from WHITE STONES, the new death metal project featuring OPETH bassist Martin Mendez, can be seen below. The track is taken from WHITE STONES' debut album, "Kuarahy" (pronounced Kwa-Ra-Hee),which was released on March 13 via Nuclear Blast.

Mendez commented: "In this lyric, I tried to empathize with the female role in society. Throughout history, women have had to adapt their roles in society according to the geographical and social situation. It’s a reflection on humanity, where the top dream would be a fairer place for everyone."

The creative process for "Kuarahy" began during a year-long break OPETH took after the "Sorceress" tour as a means of unwinding by exploring new avenues of creativity. Initially, that's all it was ever meant to be.

"I've always written music at home but never had the confidence to do anything like this," Mendez said. "I never wrote a song, never presented something I wrote for Mikael [Åkerfeldt, OPETH singer/songwriter]. I didn't have any direction, I came up with the first song for fun.

"WHITE STONES has nothing to do with OPETH; I see no relation between the two.

"I played 'Kuarahy' to Mikael a few months ago. He really liked it and was happy for me.

"Everyone in the band has side projects; it's important. We tour so much you can become consumed by it. It has been really nice to do something different. WHITE STONES has renewed my strength and energy."

Named after Martin's birthplace in Uruguay, the record represents a return to his roots, both familial and musically. By exploring the forgotten paths of his ancestors via the style of music that remains his one true love — death metal.

"I feel strongly connected to Uruguay still," he reflected. "I wanted to write music related to that — the sun on the Uruguayan flag I transformed into the WHITE STONES logo; there are a lot of small things that connect the record to that place. 'Kuarahy' is the native Uruguayan people's word for 'Sun.'"

"Kuarahy" was recorded at the Farm Of Sounds studios in Barcelona and produced by Martin Mendez himself, while Jamie Gomez at the Orgone Studios in the U.K. was responsible for mixing and mastering.

"Kuarahy" track listing:

01. Kuarahy (1:24)
02. Rusty Shell (4:25)
03. Worms (3:57)
04. Drowned In Time (5:17)
05. The One (4:34)
06. Guyra (4:45)
07. Ashes (4:04)
08. Infected Soul (5:59)
09. Taste Of Blood (4:10)
10. Jasy (2:48)