Having so far powered from the short-sharp-shock of their debut single Harvest to the grandiose stoner metal attack of The Looming, Empire State Bastard today take a freshly savage style as they unleash their latest track Moi?. It arrives as the September 1 release of the band’s debut album Rivers of Heresy draws near.
Rather than going straight for the jugular, Moi? takes a moment to build tension with Simon Neil’s clean vocals almost crooning “It’s always someone else’s fault” to a sparse backdrop reminiscent of The Jesus Lizard or Tomahawk. But then his bandmates set the intensity to stun and Moi? becomes a far more confrontational beast, switching at will between ominous atmospherics, grinding riffs and full-throttle screams.
Simon states, “Moi? is about people who just no matter what you talk about — and I’m guilty of this at points – will never ever see the truth, even if you dangle it in front of them. Ignorance can feel like a badge of honour these days, with people being stubborn and not being willing to enlighten themselves. I cannot believe we’ve got to the stage where that’s to be cherished.”
