On April 21st, 2023, Finnish post-punk outfit Grave Pleasures will release their third full-length album, “Plagueboys”, via Century Media Records.
For a first preview of this album, watch the official video (directed by Tekla Vály) for the new single, “Society of Spectres”, below.
Juho Vanhanen (guitar) comments: “This song walks down a dark and crooked path that transcends into a nightmarish blood disco layer. That’s the place where all the ghouls gather to celebrate the downfall and feed on the masses”.
Formed in 2015, after the dissolution of singer Mat McNerney and bassist Valtteri Arino’s short-lived sensation Beastmilk, Grave Pleasures have defiantly expanded on what has been described as their “war-cry for the eternally doomed”, with each album seeing their song-craft reach new heights. Their raw atomic punk of their major label debut album “Dreamcrash” (2015) was revamped and contorted into the uplifting nihilism of distinctly more frenetic sophomore smash-hit album “Motherblood” (2017), ultimately amped up and finessed into the heady “Plagueboys” (2023), their most mature yet dangerous album to-date. With the electrifying contradiction of light and darkness, the duality of the funereal Grave and euphoric Pleasure in their moniker, “Plagueboys” is an exhilarating, tear-filled, grinning dance of death, undoubtedly their most pleasurable yet.
With music written by Mat McNerney (Hexvessel, Carpenter Brut, Me & That Man) and guitarists Juho Vanhanen (Oranssi Pazuzu) and Aleksi Kiiskilä, and then arranged together with Valtteri Arino and drummer Rainer Tuomikanto, “Plagueboys” sees the lineup, who frantically hacked out “Motherblood” together, come of age and find their superpowers. Recorded in Finland and produced by Vanhanen and his Oranssi Pazuzu comrade Niko Lehdontie at the controls, the sound on “Plagueboys” is a blistering wash of reverb and neon warehouse dancefloor; unabashed lone drum and bass carrion call give way to synth and guitar interplay that brings to mind British grandmasters Wire, The Sound and Echo & The Bunnymen through a contemporary lens.
“Plagueboys” is available in the following versions:
• CD Digipak
• Black LP (incl. LP-sized booklet & poster)
• Transparent blue LP available from CM Distro Wholesale EU and CMdistro.de (limited to 300 copies; incl. LP-sized booklet & poster)
• Yellow LP available from UK outlets, Levykauppa Äx, Nuclear Blast (limited to 300 copies; incl. LP-sized booklet & poster)
• Lilac LP available from Grave Pleasures via Evil Greed (limited to 300 copies; incl. LP-sized booklet & poster)
• Digital album
Pre-order “Plagueboys” here.
Tracklist:
1. Disintegration Girl
2. Heart Like a Slaughterhouse
3. When the Shooting’s Done
4. High on Annihilation
5. Lead Balloons
6. Imminent Collapse
7. Society of Spectres
8. Conspiracy of Love
9. Plagueboys
10. Tears on the Camera Lens
On April 28th, Grave Pleasures will host a special album release show for “Plagueboys” in Helsinki, FI. See below for details. Tickets on sale here on Jan 16th, 2023.
Album Release Show 2023:
Apr. 28th, 2023 – Helsinki, FI – Kulmasali, Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo
Line-up:
Valtteri Arino – Bass
Juho Vanhanen – Guitar
Mat McNerney – Vocals
Aleksi Kiiskilä – Guitar
Rainer Tuomikanto – Drums
Weblinks:
www.gravepleasures.com
www.facebook.com/gravepleasvres
