Swans Wrap 14-Month Touring Cycle; Announce “Final” Album
Kind of sad to have an end-date put on the Swans reunion, which has to-date produced three expansive studio outings since 2010 — those being that year’s My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky (review here), 2012’s The Seer and 2014’S To be Kind (review here) — as well as countless tours domestic and abroad, taking the reactivated New York avant gardians around the world and back again. But I get it. Michael Gira, founder, bandleader and wrangler of storms, probably has other things in mind. Maybe a return from Angels of Light‘s dark Americana is in order, or something new altogether. Either way, Swans‘ return has produced some of the richest and most visceral audio of the last half-decade, and we’re fortunate to have had them back while we did.
Of course, there will be more to come before they actually split, I’m sure. Having just finished the touring cycle for To be Kind, Swans will issue a live album — to be titled The Gate and no doubt immediately sell out upon being made available; once again denying me my limited Swansy goodness — and set to recording their “final” studio outing, which I put in emphatic quotes because one never really knows what’s going to happen.
As a general note to anyone who hasn’t seen Swans in this iteration yet. Do it. Even if you don’t like the band, not seeing them live is something you’ll regret.
Okay, here’s word from Gira:
Just got home comatose after finishing up the final leg of our 14 month tour for Swans To Be Kind album. We have come to your town, though it’s doubtful we have partied down. It has been a privilege to be inside the sound that on some nights seems to create itself of its own accord, and it’s gratifying that many of you have conveyed to us that it’s been a positive experience for you too… Next step: Sept 1 we commence a new Swans album. This will be the final Swans album (and subsequent tour) for this version / iteration of Swans. Not really sure what the next step will be after that, but that’s perhaps a good thing… We’ll be making a live album/fundraiser (called The Gate) soon, in order to raise the necessary – somewhat daunting – capital for the studio album, which is bound to be an insatiable beast… more soon, Thanks and Love! – Michael Gira
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