Vitskär Süden to Release The Faceless King Nov. 4; New Song Posted
Approach Vitskär Süden‘s new streaming single with a bit of patience and you won’t regret it. “The Broken Crown” is the closer — leading with the finale!; much respect — from the Los-Angeles-not-Sweden-based atmospheric heavy rockers’ upcoming second album, The Faceless King, which they’ll release on Nov. 4 through Ripple Music, and its eight-minute course is rife with underlying neo-folk influence, but presents this alongside a psychedelic post-rock drift of guitar, drums that are hard-hit, but pushed further back in the mix so that they’re just on the other side of the hill you’re climbing, and a lyrical narrative that delivers the record’s title line and balances fluidly between storytelling and songwriting. Though honestly, given the instrumental contemplations surrounding, flow wouldn’t be an issue either way.
This news came in toward the end of last week and I wanted to sit with the song since this is my first exposure to the band — throw another one on the list of records I missed in 2020; yes, there is an actual list — and I feel justified in letting it percolate a while. If you’ve got headphones, you won’t regret that either.
From the PR wire:
L.A. dark psych-prog goldsmiths VITSKÄR SÜDEN sign to Ripple Music and unveil new album details; stream new single “The Broken Crown”.
Los Angeles dark psych and prog rockers Vitskär Süden sign to Ripple Music for the release of their sophomore album “The Faceless King” on November 4th. Their towering and hypnotic first single “The Broken Crown” is available now on all streaming platforms!
The captivating Californian foursome returns after their acclaimed 2020 self-titled debut with their brand new full-length “The Faceless King”, a fascinating 7-track collection of mystique-laden rock spells, the soundtrack of a not-so-distant future when the sun rises no more. Weaving progressive rock, heavy psychedelic and gothic folk into towering and intensely beautiful soundscapes enhanced by Martin Garner’s deep-toned commanding vocals, Vitskär Süden explores the eerie fringes of the rock world, meeting at the crossroads of Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Wovenhand, Lord Vicar and Jaye Jayle.
Get compelled by Vitskär Süden’s new single “The Broken Crown.”
Says Vitskär Süden bassist and vocalist Martin Garner about this new song: “‘The Broken Crown’ was one of the first tracks we developed for the album and it guided us toward the understanding that we had a dark fantasy concept album on our hands. The album tells the story of the rise, fall and return of a vile king, and I was drawn to the idea of crafting a record around the mythological beginnings of a true antihero — subverting the classic ‘hero’s journey’. I’ve always loved concept albums and the epic rock opera-ness of them all. ‘The Faceless King’ allowed me to take my childhood love of albums like KISS’s ‘The Elder’ or Maiden’s ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ and run them through the very different sonic circuitry of Vitskär Süden. We get to bring the vastly varied influences of my bandmates into play and I think it’s resulted in something uniquely our own.”
Their new album “The Faceless King” was recorded and produced by Vitskär Süden and Don Cento at Studio 64 in Los Angeles, mixed by Don Cento at CenTones, Austin, TX, and mastered by James Driscoll. The artwork was created by Samuel Araya. It will be released on November 4th, 2022 on various vinyl formats, CD, and digital through Ripple Music, with preorders coming soon.
Vitskär Süden “The Faceless King”
Out November 4th on Ripple Music
TRACKLIST:
1. The Way (Part I)
2. The Way (Part II)
3. Archdiocese Of Worms
4. Voices From Beyond The Wall
5. Shepherds On The Roadside
6. Bonedust And Dark
7. The Broken Crown
It’s clear that Los Angeles-based quartet Vitskär Süden operates from a shared musical consciousness. Having previously played together over the course of two decades, bassist/vocalist Martin Garner and drummer Christopher Martin unite effortlessly for a no-discussion-required, half-time-heavy rhythm section approach. Guitarists Julian Goldberger and TJ Webber bring their own distinctive influences, touching on both the ambient and melodic but unified in an appreciation of layered sonic texture. Their 2020 self-titled debut drew on elements of psych and prog rock, as well as “weird fiction” lit inspired by the likes of Robert W. Chambers and Laird Barron — a quality equally embodied in the album’s cover art by Samuel Araya (Elvenking). Tracks like “Dawn of the Monolith” and album opener “War Machine Crimson” nod directly to that melting pot of fantasy, science fiction and horror; evoking imagery of malevolent forces at play in our universe, while “Painted Faces” and “Ice & Haze” offer glimpses of light in the darkness.
Vitskär Süden is now ready to embrace its destiny, as the foursome recently signed to Californian powerhouse Ripple Music for the release of their anticipated sophomore album “The Faceless King”, due out on November 4th, 2022.
Vitskär Süden is:
Martin Garner – Bass/Vocals
Julian Goldberger – Guitar/Synths
Christopher Martin – Drums
TJ Webber – Guitar
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