We are well aware that it’s Friday but press pause on the celebratory Van Halen for like 10 minutes or something (some unfortunates have to work the weekend, y’know) because we’ve got some crucial FYI for fans of the noir melancholia of doom, death rock. Atriarch and Alaric have a split out in April 17th through 20 Buck Spin and below are a couple of tracks to help get you in the mood for what should be essential listening.
Both bands are are presently tied-up working on successors to their superlative debuts. Atriarch’s Forever the End (ranked 23rd in Decibel’s Best Albums Of 2011) was a real doozy, a heady abstraction on doom, with downtempo and downcast elements of black metal. If you haven’t heard it you should definitely check it out at Seventh Rule‘s BandCamp page HERE. Alaric’s self-titled LP had was similarly genre non-specific, and was a pretty cool, portentous offering of death rock, gothic punk and new wave.
This will be an interesting release given both bands’ different styles but it kinda makes sense mood-wise for them both to be sharing wax. 20 Buck Spin supremo Dave Adelson said it was inevitable that both bands would share a split.
Here is his take on it: “The two bands have been very close and touring together for several years already and share a common aesthetic that manifests differently in each band. Russ and Nick have even shared a split release in the past with prior bands, for those who remember, so in a sense this is coming full circle.
“Each band is twisting elements of dark post-punk and death rock into something haunting and memorable, in such a way that isn’t happening anywhere else in underground music. I have known both bands for a long time, some of those guys since we were just kids, so I’m excited to get this split released and I look forward to working with these guys more in the future and our continuing friendships.”
The bands themselves were less forthcoming, with a joint statement released through Alaric reading, “We have connected on a level and influenced each other in a way too inherent to explain; this [split] is merely an expression of our bond.”
ALARIC “Weep”
ATRIARCH “Oblivion”
https://youtu.be/q0CnT1pHp-0
**Alaric and Atriarch will be touring in support of the split in April:
10th – Seattle, WA – Highline w/Bell Witch
11th – Portland, OR – Branx (record release show)
12th – Eugene, OR – Wondering Goat
13th – San Francisco, CA Submission w/ Negative Standards & Swamp Witch
14th – Oakland, CA First Church Of The Buzzard w/ Crimson Scarlet
15th – San Jose, CA Blank Club**
**20 Buck Spin will be streaming it full just before it drops.**
Alaric || Facebook
Atriarch || Facebook
