Morag Tong Releasing Grieve Oct. 6; Preorders Open Tomorrow
If I’ve got my days right — and I might not — then tomorrow, Friday, July 28, marks the launch of preorders for the second Morag Tong full-length, called simply Grieve as we all inevitably must at some point or other, and set to arrive Oct. 6 through Majestic Mountain Records. The London-based heavy psych four-piece released a video last week for the first single from the record, “At First Light,” which is a slow nidding journey through seven minutes of vibes meditative and lush, some lead guitar seeming to work under an influence perhaps from King Buffalo‘s “Orion” as the band make ready to dig into a rougher-edged midsection, still expansive as it is.
Those who got on board with Morag Tong‘s 2018 debut, Last Knell of Om (review here) should be well enough at home in “At First Light,” the title of which also recalls Ancestors for me, and find the new song strongly built on lessons from that five-years-ago-now release. No clue as to what the rest of the four-song release holds, but the fact that they’ve dedicated the entirety of the vinyl’s side B to “No Sun, No Moon” should probably be a clue as to the level at which they’re digging in. ‘Deep’ is the likely answer.
The following came from Majestic Mountain‘s newsletter:
MORAG TONG – GRIEVE
Album releases October 6th; Vinyl ships at the same time
London based Progressive Psych Doomsters Morag Tong have a video out for the first single to be released from upcoming sophomore album “Grieve” due out on October 06, 2023 via Majestic Mountain Records.
“Grieve” is the band’s long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s acclaimed full-length debut “Last Knell of Om” and marks their first release on Majestic Mountain Records. Regarding the album Vocalist/Drummer Adam Asquith states “We wanted to create something huge and heavy, but also gorgeous, textured and atmospheric. Incorporating both massive, aggressive wall of sound sections and more pensive, stripped back ambient instrumentals I think we have hit that sweet spot – something anguished and anxious, crumbling and dangerous, yet eerily beautiful and oozing with a love for life itself.“
GRIEVE comes in
180-gram heavyweight vinyl
Color-in-color: Yellow and black marbled with red center
Single sleeve with 3mm spine
Full color insert
Black poly-lined inner sleeve
Protective plastic sleeve
33 rpm heaviness
STRICTLY LIMITED TO ONLY 200 COPIES
NO WHOLESALE, EXCLUSIVE TO MAJESTIC MAILORDER
Tracklisting
Side A
At First Light
Passages
A Stem’s Embrace
Side B
No Sun, No Moon
Recorded and mixed by Mike Bew at Foel Studio
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege
Artwork by Kuba Sokólski
MORAG TONG:
Adam Asquith – Vocals / Drums
Alex Clarke – Guitar
Lewis Crane – Guitar
James Atha – Bass
moragtong.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/moragtongband
instagram.com/morag.tong
http://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com
http://facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords
http://instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords
It’s strange with Morag Tong, somehow I’ve always underrated them… to myself. Any time I listen I’m surprised at how much I like it, and the couple of times I saw them live were great, yet they’re not in my mental list of stuff I like. Must have antibodies or something.