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thoughtcrimes, now just nine days away from the release of their eagerly-awaited debut album, Altered Pasts (26th Aug via Pure Noise Records), offer fans a final preview of the 11-song album with today’s release of “Mirror Glue”.
“’Mirror Glue’ feels like the most natural extension of the Tap Night EP,” explains singer Rick Pepa. “Also, I’d be remiss to not mention my little brother Nick Picerno of Godseyes. He lent his talent for a guest vocal performance on the track.”
Drummer Billy Rymer adds: “I’ve always been a fan of anthemic drum intros. It’s something that when done right, will always give a song an unmistakable identity. That was the intention when putting this one together. It started with the drums. Everything after that was a linear progression of tension and release, blindsided curve balls and scene changes. There was no jumbling around with parts. It was all written as is in sequence. It’s also the only song we have ever auditioned live prior to tracking.”
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO CHECK OUT “MIRROR GLUE”
Pre-orders for the 11-song collection, which include several limited-edition vinyl variants and a CD, can be found here. The band has released two videos in advance of Altered Pasts’ release: the frenetic, multi-color clip for “Keyhole Romance” and the grittier performance video (with robots!) for “Panopticon”. Rymer also created a playthrough video for “The Drowning Man”.
Altered Pasts is the perfect soundtrack for the quasi-dystopian times we find ourselves in. At times an intensely savage listen, at times gracefully gentle, the songs flow together to create one of those rare records that takes you – literally, metaphorically, spiritually – on an actual journey. It’s an album that creates its own world, an alternative universe, a monochrome vision of reality where the air is heavy with despair and the weight of human existence. That’s conveyed with brutally violent, visceral explosions of noise such as “Panopticon,” “Dare I Say,” and “Deathbed Confessions” as well as through more elegant and hypnotic swirls of sound such as “New Infinities” and closer “Lunar Waves,” all propelled by singer Pepa’s cathartic and visceral vocals, guitar player’s Russ Savarese dynamism and the propulsive playing of bass player Cody Hosza – which don’t just match the dynamics of the music but elevate them. There’s also the spoken word track “Hai Un Accendino,” which features poet and Michael Clarity reading a poem he wrote specifically for the band as he found himself stuck in Vietnam at the very beginning of the pandemic. Sometimes, as on the monolithic and majestic “Deathbed Confessions,” those two extremes combine to create something that sounds like the slow-motion end of world and all existence, powerful and nuanced, soothing and terrifying, in equal measure.
thoughtcrimes have a few live shows ahead of them with more to come:
September 7 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
September 8 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
September 9 Amityville, NY Amityville Music Hall
September 10 Philadelphia, PA Kungfu Necktie
Tickets for all shows are available now.
Altered Pasts track list:
1. Panopticon
2. Mirror Glue
3. Keyhole Romance
4. New Infinities
5. Altered Pasts
6. Dare I Say
7. Hai Un Accendino
8. Conscience On Tilt
9. The Drowning Man
10. Deathbed Confessions
11. Lunar Waves
About thoughtcrimes
The brainchild of former Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Billy Rymer, thoughtcrimes started as a bit of fun when he was home on Long Island in between Dillinger tours. After joining DEP he soon stopped playing guitar, because, as he puts it, he “had two of the craziest guitar players of all time playing alongside me.” There was, he thought, just no point. But his longtime friend and now thoughtcrimes’ guitarist Brian Sullivan thought otherwise, and convinced Rymer that he should pick up the instrument again. In 2019, the band came to life with the additions of vocalist Rick Pepa, guitarist Russ Savarese and bassist Cody Hosza. Within a week they had recorded the four-song Tap Night EP and self-released it soon thereafter. The band, in partnership with Pure Noise Records, re-released the collection, with two additional tracks (“Wedlock Waltz,” and “Misery’s A Muse”) in late 2021. Praised by critics worldwide, the feral outfit have been dubbed “chaotic” (Brooklyn Vegan), “daring” (Kerrang!), and “uncompromising” (Consequence).
Altered Pasts is set for release on the 26th of August 2022 via Pure Noise Records. Album pre-orders, including several limited-edition vinyl variants and a CD, as well as digital pre-saves, can be found HERE
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