Today, the groundbreaking Heavy EDM project of Ragga Ragnars (Netflix's series Vikings) and Derek Engemann (Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals & Scour), ECHO CVLT, proudly launch their debut single, "Diamond Hands."
“Diamond Hands” ignites the dance floor with hard-style EDM intensity, melodic pop hooks, and metallic guitar drive, daring you to hold on for dear life. The debut track arrives alongside an official music video shot in Ragnars' homeland of Iceland, available below. The single is available via Arson Theory.
On the new single and her return to music, Ragga Ragnars shares:
"Music wasn’t something I originally planned on doing, but this project felt like the perfect kind of challenge. Jumping into ‘Diamond Hands’ pushed me way outside my comfort zone in the best way possible. It has been so fun, a little chaotic and full of energy. It reminded me that some of the best things happen when you just say yes and go for it."
Derek Engemann adds:
"This tune pulled me in a new direction creatively. 'Diamond Hands' mixes chaos, melody, and hard-hitting dance floor energy in all the right ways. Crank those speakers and Hold On For Dear Life!"
Watch the Official Video for "Diamond Hands" Below:
ECHO CVLT emerges at the intersection of distortion and club intensity. With recording officially underway in 2024, ECHO CVLT was founded by “Buzzsaw” (Derek Engemann of Scour and Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals), fusing metallic guitars, hard dance rhythms, and widescreen hooks into a sound built to move rooms and shake foundations. The initial offering, “Diamond Hands,” features a striking vocal performance from artist and actress Ragga Ragnars (History Channel’s Vikings); casting a cold Icelandic tension deep into the track. ECHO CVLT is shaped by concepts outside traditional heavy metal structures, existing as a parallel creative outlet alongside Engemann’s current projects.
“There is a lot of music resting idle in the cellar,” Engemann explains. “Ideas that never quite resonated in the right avenue... until now. The main guitar hook for 'Diamond Hands' was actually written ages ago back in 2008. It was never abandoned, it just needed the right track to thrive.” As Engemann began exploring electronic music production, the riff naturally found its purpose eventually taking shape as a hard edged dance driven composition. Unknown at the time, the final piece of the puzzle would begin to reveal itself in 2022 when Engemann met Ragga Ragnars at a biohacking conference in Beverly Hills. Already familiar with her work as an actress, Engemann was struck by her musical depth; especially after hearing her performance on Broken Wings with Kieran O’Riley.
“There was a purity and strength to her tone that immediately stood out. I was blown away.” he says. “Once the music for 'Diamond Hands' was completed, I kept hearing her presence in it, almost as if the riffs had already shaped themselves around her voice before she ever sang a note.” When Engemann reached out, the timing felt unusually precise. Ragnars had just put the intention out to return to music, opening that door again the very same week.
“It was one of those moments when the Matrix just aligned,” Engemann notes. “A couple months later she happened to be in San Diego, we tracked the vocals, and the song took on a life of its own.” With the song complete, momentum continued to build. A planned trip to Iceland for unrelated filming turned into an opportunity to shoot the “Diamond Hands” video in Ragnars’ homeland; grounding the project visually in Iceland’s stark terrain and shifting storms and reflecting the tension at the core of the track.
Looking ahead, ECHO CVLT is positioned as an ongoing body of work with a clear forward trajectory, built to persevere beyond passing cycles. Future releases are in motion for 2026 and beyond, with unexpected collaborations and electrically charged tracks designed to level speakers.
So it begins...
ECHO CVLT are:
Derek Engemann
Ragga Ragnars