Conversations about mental health came to the societal forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That period also proved prolific for songwriter Andy Du Rego who, under his Black Suit Devil project, is preparing to release the 8-song album, The Eternal Sleep, on June 28.

“I had a burst of creativity, due to everything going on in the world and my personal life,” Du Rego said. “The songs flowed out of me easily, as I had a lot inside that I wanted to say. After recording the bed tracks, I didn’t revisit the songs for quite some time, as I worked on my own mental and physical health.”

The album was recorded over several years, in three different locations — Brantford, Ontario; Hastings, Ontario; and San Pancho, Mexico — as life’s moments inspired Du Rego to move multiple times.

Through life’s changes, he always came back to the music with new inspiration.

“I record all of my own music in my home studio by myself, which allows me to record at my convenience, and when I feel inspired,” Du Rego said. “The recording process picked back up months later with a six-week drum session in Brantford, before moving to Hastings, where the bulk of the record was recorded, on and off, in a two-year period. After leaving Hastings, I headed to San Pancho with my recording gear for the winter, where I recorded all the vocals for the album.”

The first taste of the new record — “Passage” — is a raw ballad with a classic rock flair. Du Rego’s gravelly vocals illustrate the anguish of a man enveloped in his own mental health struggles, crafted in an effort to show solidarity among all those fighting similar battles.

“’Passage’ is a song about the struggles of depression, mental health issues, and addiction; a song bringing awareness to the increasing rate of suicide in our communities that does not get talked about often,” Du Rego said. “I wanted to let people know that you are not alone in this fight. That many people from all walks of life — myself included — experience mental health issues and struggle with these on a daily basis. I wanted to send a message to look after each other and really communicate with one another, to see how the people in your circles are doing.”

Along with the rest of the record, “Passage” was mixed by 2-time Juno Award winner Kevin Dietz (The Glorious Sons , JJ Wilde), and mastered by Noah Mintz (Broken Social Scene, Billy Talent). Listen below!