The debut album from Portland, Oregon’s Tigers on Opium will be issued through Heavy Psych Sounds, as the Italian imprint announced last week. The well-mustachioed four-piece have two EPs — the latest of them is 2022’s 503​.​420​.​6669​.​vol_two, which featured the single “The Perfect Cocktail” (premiered here) that was also released separately — and various other short releases under their collective belt, and to go with the unveiling of preorders, artwork and album details for their first long-player, they’ve got the first single streaming as well, which is how you do. The album is called Psychodrama, and fair enough.

Last week was the Quarterly Review, so I didn’t get to post the signing announcement as I otherwise would have. I’ll take the opportunity to congratulate the band on the deal. Especially if you have any kind of mind toward European touring, pretty much ever, Heavy Psych Sounds is where you want to be right now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Nuclear Blast would take them abroad too, but then the band would have to trigger the drums on all their studio output. That ain’t helping. The first single from the record, called “Sky Below My Feet,” has a right on hook and a lead riff that reminds of ’80s metal without actually trying to be it, midsection gets a little Green Lungy, minus the folklore, plus some QOTSA bounce. At the bottom of the post.

Alright, to the information! From the PR wire:

Heavy Psych Sounds to announce TIGERS ON OPIUM signing for their debut full length !!!

Psychodrama is Tigers on Opium’s debut full length.

ALBUM PRESALE:

https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS293

USA PRESALE:

https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm

A structured form of therapy in which a person dramatizes a personal problem or conflict, usually in front of a group of other therapy participants. The other participants usually take part in the drama, though each performance focuses on a single person’s concerns. The goal of psychodrama therapy is to work together in a group to achieve a better understanding of past traumas and the influence they can create, the members must feel willing to work together.

“When I came across the idea of psychodrama therapy, I started to think about how we have so many joint experiences as a society that currently happen or have happened, and how they shape both our singular and collective consciousness. Music has always been a form of therapy for not just me, but a massive amount of the people in the world. I started to conceptualize this as an idea for the album, thinking that we all have so many connections to major/micro events in time, and generally similar interpretations of them. Like the idea of a psychodrama therapy session, I started to envision how the songs could play out about these different moments… Almost like vignettes or snapshots of life, with the song playing the role of the individual, and the listeners playing the role of the group.” — Juan Carlos Caceres (vocals/guitar/keys)

The album PSYCHODRAMA explores various psychological and social experiences that have shaped our cultural evolution. Occultism, Propaganda, Atomic Warfare, Media Consumption, Religion, Social unrest, Nostalgia, Mental Struggle, Pop Culture, Revolution, and Change – are all themes explored throughout the album.

Out via Heavy Psych Sounds on March 1st 2024.

Produced by Juan Carlos Caceres
Engineered by Jeanot Lewis-Rolland and Adam Bradley Pike.
Tracked in Portland, OR at JLR Audio Productions, Dream Awake Studio, and Toadhouse Recording
Drum Tech Ben Engen
Mixed by Adam Bradley Pike at Toadhouse Recording in Portland, OR
Mastered by Jack Endino in Seattle, WA
All songs by Tigers on Opium
Lyrics by Juan Carlos Caceres
All songs published by Triangles Around Us (BMI)
Artwork by Branca Studio

TIGERS ON OPIUM is
Juan Carlos Caceres – Lead Vocals, Guitars, Synths, Piano
Nate Wright – Drums, Vocals
Charles Hodge – Bass, Vocals
Jeanot Lewis-Rolland – Guitars, Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/tigersonopium/
https://www.instagram.com/tigersonopium/
https://tigersonopium.bandcamp.com/

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/

Tigers on Opium, “Sky Beneath My Feet” official video

Tigers on Opium, 503.420.6669.vol_two (2022)