Best known for his vocals and bass playing in Canada's much loved Vesperia, Morgan Rider is proud to reveal his first single "The Golden Bough" from his upcoming self-titled debut album for his new side project Deep Dark River. The solo endeavour combines all the humble qualities of blues, folk and classical into a well-balanced, artfully crafted musical reflection on life, hope and old-fashioned storytelling while delivering a uniquely fresh and uplifting listening experience. 

Rider comments: "The song has been the most organic and charged song I've ever written. It talks about the very real issues we are facing in 2018 in the wake of yet another avoidable tragedy. Echoing a sentiment of a contemporary of mine: John Lennon. The man preached universal love and unity for people of all walks of life, only to have his own life taken one December night by a man armed with a firearm. How many more people have to lose their lives, how many families will have to put their loved ones into the ground before this crushing reality begins to even create a whisper of change? How long will it be before we realize that we are alone in an incalculably vast darkness; that we only have each other and the other sentient creatures on this planet for warmth and company." 

"'The Golden Bough' is about stripping away all the petty differences we visualize over our appearances, geographies and beliefs. To brace ourselves for the storm, we need to stand beside each other and remove the crowns we have fashioned for ourselves and for one another; to see what we truly are."

Catch Deep Dark River live on March 11th in Bowmanville, ON at Manantler Craft Brewery. Find further details at the official Deep Dark River Facebook page.

Deep Dark River was created in the summer of 2017 by singer, songwriter, sound engineer and Vesperia frontman, Morgan Rider as an outlet to fuel his newest musical ambitions along with being inspired to form the project from the works of his close friend David Gold (Woods Of Ypres). Deep Dark River's self-titled debut album is currently being recorded and is planned for a 2018 release featuring all original tracks. Rider has performed across Canada, USA and Europe with a variety of heavy metal groups such as Vesperia, Crimson Shadows, and Woods Of Ypres.

Deep Dark River's previously unleashed cover of Woods Of Ypres' "Allure Of The Earth" was in tribute of the memory of dear friend David Gold. The video was shot in Whitby, UK, Sherwood Forest, UK and Clarington, ON.

Other cover videos by Deep Dark River can be viewed below: