Noisepicker Premiere “Chew”; The Earth Will Swallow the Sun Out March 21
Posted in Bootleg Theater on January 7th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
UK heavy weirdo noise rock two-piece Noisepicker will put out their second album, The Earth Will Swallow the Sun, on March 21 through respected purveyor Exile on Mainstream. Aside from working with the label on the release, the band are pointedly DIY, as drummer Kieran Murphy and guitarist/vocalist Harry Armstrong — whose pedigree in Hangnail and End of Level Boss would be plenty even if he wasn’t also now a member of Orange Goblin — further demonstrate with the video premiering below for the album’s second single, “Chew.”
Second single and second track. In the album’s succession and in making its way to public ears, “Chew” follows behind “What You Deserve” in showcasing where The Earth Will Swallow the Sun is coming from. And where “What You Deserve” starts with an almost Steve Von Till-style throaty drawl ‘n’ drone before opening up to its bigger nod and answering the atmospheric tension in tonal spaciousness. It’s a slow roller on the surface, and with Armstrong‘s vocal delivery and the corresponding hum, it feels as much like a setup for what’s to follow throughout the 10-tracker
as its own piece.
“Chew” reinforces that idea. With a sound that’s almost as ’90s noise rock as the band’s logo treatment on the front cover, the three-minute cut rides in on a harsher/harder tonalism and crunching groove. Melvins are an immediate touchstone in terms of sound, but “Chew” has a bit of reach in its chorus and is more about craft than its own weirder facets. The melody in the hook reaches up from deep in the mix with Facelift-era Alice in Chains desperation, and the shifts between the verse and chorus hint in sound toward the punkish ideology driving the shove. As songs go, it’s in and out, and surely “Tomorrow Lied the Devil,” which follows on the LP, will reap the benefit of the momentum it quickly and unpretentiously builds.
Sans-bullshit heavy crunch? With a chorus? I know; be still my beating heart. I haven’t heard all of The Earth Will Swallow the Sun at this point, and given the swath of ground they covered on 2018’s Peace Off, their first LP, I’m not about to speculate on sonic particulars or whims being chased. Fine. For today, take three minutes out of your life and appreciate a bit of puppetry and deceptively nuanced stylistic quirk.
Armstrong was kind enough to give some comment on the song and video, and the info for the record follows, as per the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Noisepicker, “Chew” video premiere
Harry Armstrong on “Chew”:
The two of us live on opposite sides of the country, which makes getting together tricky at times. To the point where we never rehearse. Apart from two songs, we had only played the entire new album together when we entered the studio to record it. And those two tracks were only ever played during soundcheck, an hour before we played them live. Which probably explains a lot! This means we need to be “inventive” when thinking about videos, basically making sure that we are not the main focus of them. We grab footage of each other when we can and store it up in case it’s needed. That’s where the puppet idea came from. I couldn’t get both of us in the same room, so I had to improvise. I think it actually makes for a better video! The song is about hating what you’ve become after chasing the expectations of an unfulfilling society, and only realizing you’ve been had when it’s far too late. You’ve been played. Like a puppet on a string. Enjoy!
British avant doom/post-rock duo NOISEPICKER prepares to release their second album, The Earth Will Swallow The Sun, March 21st via Exile On Mainstream Records.
With more than a quarter of a century of noise making history behind him, singer and guitarist Harry Armstrong returns. Known as the current bass player in Orange Goblin, Armstrong has been a part of delivering the hard rock of Blind River, the sludgy thrash metal of End Of Level Boss, the piano-led jazz rock of The Earls Of Mars, the stoner fix of Hangnail and alongside Bill Steer and Ludwig Witt in Firebird, the instrumental soundscapes of The Winchester Club, the death metal of Decomposed, and many others. Armstrong, alongside drummer Kieran Murphy, are NOISEPICKER.
Having released their first album, Peace Off, through Exile On Mainstream in 2018, other commitments (and the dreaded COVID-19 shutdown) put NOISEPICKER on a slight hiatus, until a stash of unused riff ideas were dusted off during 2024 to make what is about to be their second full-length release, The Earth Will Swallow The Sun. On a permanent search to constantly try “something else,” Armstrong has taken to writing, recording, and mixing this new record himself, just to see if he could accomplish the task. Recorded in a rehearsal room and mixed in his kitchen – assisted only in the mastering, which was handled by Stefan Brüggemann – it is an approach to music with a DIY ethic fully embedded in its heart.
Do not expect neat, polished, note perfect, carefully constructed opuses in this environment. NOISEPICKER is loud, abrasive, and in constant flux, influenced by their love of all things doom, punk, and blues. Come stare aghast at it.
Exile On Mainstream will release The Earth Will Swallow The Sun March 21st, digitally and on audiophile virgin Black Vinyl LP with a bundled CD.
Find physical preorders at the label webshop HERE: https://shop.mainstreamrecords.de/product/eom115
Digital preorders at Bandcamp HERE: https://noisepicker.bandcamp.com/
And digital presaves HERE: https://fm.cargo-records.de/noisepicker-theearthwillswallowthesun
The Earth Will Swallow The Sun Track Listing:
1. What You Deserve
2. Chew
3. Tomorrow Lied The Devil
4. Leave Me The Name
5. What Did You Think Was Going To Happen
6. The End Of The Beginning
7. Start The Flood
8. The Earth Will Swallow The Sun
9. Lorraine In Blood
10. Lunatics
All words & music by Noisepicker. Recorded and mixed by Noisepicker.
Band photo by Jerry Deeney.
