Vitskär Süden Premiere “Thriller” Video
Merry Christmas! Oh wait, no. The other one. Happy Halloween! You humans and your celebrations.
Indeed, if the trail of pine needles following me in the door, the crisp, clear, almost breathable cool morning air outside and the typhoons of candy at the grocery store are anything to go by, it’s autumn. And while the Xmas decorations are also out, Halloween still gets a nod, both because you buy stuff — candy, costumes, schlock — and because there do exist people on this earth who know how to have fun. They’re called children, mostly.
But cheers to Vitskär Süden as the Los Angeles atmospheric heavy rockers have shown themselves to have titanium organelles by taking on a tune no less iconic than Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to get into the spirit of the season. It’s like trying to cover the bible.
I know you’re cool like that so that when I ask if you recall Vitskär Süden‘s 2022 sophomore LP and Ripple Music label-debut, The Faceless King (review here), the answer is a resounding “duh.” Fair enough. Their take on “Thriller” — a sort of goth-doom via earlier Nick Cave with electronic flair; they made it weird, it’s fun and takes off well near the end — was recorded at the same time as that album.
A bit of quick math tells you that the four-piece — bassist/vocalist Martin Garner, guitarist/synthesist Julian Goldberger, guitarist TJ Webber and drummer Christopher Martin — have thus been sitting on “Thriller” for two years, as The Faceless King was tracked in Spring 2021. One can only applaud their restraint not putting it out at some point between then and now and either undercutting their first record for a new label or wasting it somewhere else along the way. The time, in other words, is right now.
So here you go. New record from these guys next year, or so the PR wire tells me:
Vitskär Süden, “Thriller” video premiere
L.A. prog-doomers Vitskär Süden began experimenting with a cover version of Michael Jackson’s monumental “Thriller” a few years ago during the recording of their second album The Faceless King, although most of the band didn’t realize it. “I launched into my vocal/bass take on “Thriller” around Halloween during a jam session and the guys joined in but had absolutely no idea that’s what they were playing,” says Martin Garner. “They thought I was just improvising like I usually do when we’re writing.” Later, upon realizing what had emerged, the band decided to record the cover in proper Vitskär fashion as a Halloween treat for fans.
“We developed an approach to the track that was something along the lines of ‘a slo-mo trip to a seedy strip club with David Lynch,'” says Garner. “That told us everything we needed to know.”
Vitskär Süden’s third album, as yet unnamed, will be released in 2024 on Ripple Music.
Produced by Vitskär Süden and Don Cento
Mixed by Don Cento at CenTones, Austin, TX
Mastered by James Driscoll
Vitskär Süden is:
Martin Garner – Bass/Vocals
Julian Goldberger – Guitar/Synths
Christopher Martin – Drums
TJ Webber – Guitar
How is the name of this band pronounced?
[…] Los Angeles dark and progressive rockers Vitskär Süden deliver a Halloween special with their brooding rendition of all-time Michael Jackson favorite »Thriller« with the video streaming on The Obelisk! […]
[…] You can check the single out without all my silliness at The Obelisk. […]