Bursting right out the gate with brutal vocals and earth-quaking riffs, Ether Coven exemplify the best of their post-hardcore meets sludge metal sound on new single “Of Might & Failure,” out today. Featuring guest vocals from Shane Post of Bird of Ill Omen, the track addresses the harsh realities of the prison industrial complex in America and how it takes advantage of those affected by the system. The accompanying Matthew Zagorski directed video dives deeper in, exemplifying how it was designed to prey on those in poverty for non-violent offenses. The song comes from the band’s upcoming album The Relationship Between the Hammer and the Nail set for release August 5th on Good Fight Music.
Speaking to BrooklynVegan, vocalist Peter Kowalsky stated:
“This song touches on a few parts of the prison industrial complex; The exploitative nature of using prisoners for labor while paying them next to nothing, killing their opportunities upon release (voting, housing, etc), the history of experimentation of prisoners, the sexual assault that happens in prison (notably from prison admins), cops brutalizing suspects (and the racist history of police.) America is a legalized racket and this is just another arm of it.
Coming from the South Florida hardcore scene, we’ve had a wild array of influences. One of our favorite bands from the area is Bird of Ill Omen. At some point we became casual acquaintances with Shane (from Bird and now Fistula) and it turns out he was a fan of Ether, so it only made sense we asked him to drop some lines and it’s really something incredible. Shane’s voice is absolutely disgusting and it shows on this song. This was a true childhood dream come true.”
Produced by Andy Nelson at Bricktop Studios, the band set out to get The Relationship Between the Hammer and the Nail sounding as close to their live performance as possible. Using actual pedals instead of plug-ins and the majority of vocal cuts being first takes, the recording process was able to be completed in just one week. The seven songs on the record are impassioned, intense, and filled with an overwhelming vulnerability centered around despair, loved ones, and the state of the world.
On the album, the band also brought in a heavy line-up of guests and friends to feature. On opener and lead single “Psalm of Cancer” the band is joined by Integrity vocalist Dwid Hellion and Pain Ritual’s Anthony Crupi (who makes several vocal contributions on the album). Listening through the rest of the tracks you’ll find appearances from Daniel Weyandt (Zao), Howard Jones (Blood Has Been Shed, Light The Torch), Tarek Ahmed (Intercourse) and Shane Post (Bird of Ill Omen).
You can pre-order The Relationship Between the Hammer and the Nail via Good Fight Music.
Ether Coven is Peter Kowalsky (vocals/guitars), Devin Estep (guitar/vocals) Justin Gianoutsos (drums), and Shane Nerenberg (bass).
