“…a doom/rock amalgam that will stand up to the test of time
when this band takes over the planet.” -
Decibel
"one of the greatest metal acts this decade and maybe
of all time" - Pop Matters
"...their most accomplished work, their most
interesting work, and their most complicated work; it’s also their most
intricate, innovative, and impressive in terms of both the writing and
performances on display; and somehow, it’s also the flat-out best-sounding and
most fun to listen to." - Stereogum
"The band moves out of the shadows of mythology and
toward an earth riddled with new problems, broken defenses and evaporating
futures. The music follows, with hooks that seem sharper and choruses that
demand more attention." - Rolling Stone
Today, progressive doom giants Pallbearer have released
their third album: a 7-song collection of monumental rock music titled
Heartless, available from Profound Lore in North America (in Europe
from Nuclear Blast Entertainment).
Pallbearer recorded Heartless on analog tape at Fellowship Hall Sound in
their hometown of Little Rock, AR,
and mixed it with Joe Barresi (Queens of the
Stone Age, Tool, Melvins, Soundgarden) in summer of 2016. The end result is an album grander in scope
than anything they’ve released prior, showcasing a natural progression that
melds higher technicality and more ambitious structures with Pallbearer’s most
immediate hooks to date.
On Heartless, Pallbearer offer a complex sonic architecture
that weaves together the spacious exploratory elements of classic prog, the raw
anthemics of 90’s alt-rock, and stretches of black-lit proto-metal. Lyrics
about mortality, life, and love are set to sharp melodies and pristine
three-part harmonies. Vocalist and guitarist Brett Campbell has always been a
strong, assured singer, and on Heartless, his work is especially stunning.
Written by Campbell
and bassist/secondary vocalist Joseph D Rowland, the words have moved from the
metaphysical to something more grounded. As the group explains: “Instead of
staring into to the void—both above and within—Heartless concentrates its power
on a grim reality. Our lives, our homes and our world are all plumbing the
depths of utter darkness, as we seek to find any shred of hope we can."
By fusing their widest musical palette to date, Pallbearer
make the kind of heavy rock that will appeal to diehards, but could also find
the group crossing over into newer territories and fanbases. After having
helped revitalize doom metal, it almost feels like they’ve gone and set their
sights on rock and roll itself. Which doesn’t seem at all impossible on the
back of a record like Heartless.
See Pallbearer on tour in support of Heartless now:
PALLBEARER, ON TOUR:
March 25 Brooklyn, NY
@ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
March 28 Cleveland, OH
@ Grog Shop *
March 29 Grand
Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme *
March 30 Indianapolis, IN @ 5th
Quarter *
March 31 Chicago, IL
@ Thalia Hall *
June 2 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
* w/ Marissa Nadler, Kayo Dot
^ w/ Baroness, Nothing
Pallbearer is:
Brett Campbell - guitar, vocals
Devin Holt - guitar, vocals
Mark Lierly - drums
Joseph D. Rowland - bass, vocals
Heartless, track listing:
1. I Saw the End
2. Thorns
3. Lie of Survival
4. Dancing in Madness
5. Cruel Road
6. Heartless
7. A Plea for
Understanding
* top photo by Diana Lee Zadlo
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