Progressive sludge metal duo Radiant Knife will release their fifth full-length album, “Pressure”, on July 14th, 2023, today unveiling the record’s first single, cover art, and preorders.
Emerging from the swamp-ridden landscape of South Louisiana, Radiant Knife features Greg Travasos on drums and Stephen Sheppert at the helm of guitar, synths, and vocals. Principally inspired by artists like Today Is The Day, Zeni Geva, Loincloth, Yes, and King Crimson, together, the pair manifests a heavy sonic landscape rife with unorthodox time signatures, grizzly guitar tones, and layered, sci-fi influenced synth textures.
The band’s critically lauded “The Ghost” EP — the second in a two-part EP series released in 2020 — rose from post metal roots with ethereal vibes that embraced space. Wrote Invisible Oranges of the output, “‘The Ghost’ is more ‘Jar of Flies’ than ‘Dirt’ in its sparse but meticulous layering and clean delineation. Radiant Knife have carved themselves a nice, idiosyncratic corner in the metal spectrum, and are quickly becoming masters of their domain”. Grizzly Butts concurred, noting, “‘The Ghost’… is an ethereal font of cathedralesque, shimmering, and spaced-out balladry”. Added Last Rites, “while there’s no denying the swampy power of their [home state’s] forebearers, Lafayette duo Radiant Knife brings a progressive edge and ear for experimentation that sets them apart. In fact, despite thick, heavy riffage, there’s a certain lightness to Radiant Knife’s approach”.
This year’s “Pressure” is a crusty-eyed gaze into the crushing weight of the modern world with the energy of each song progressing to the ultimate exhale of final track, “Demon Legs”. Pressure is all about the riff, with metal focused production, breakneck time changes and a fast-paced delivery that would satiate any Botch fan.
Elaborates the band on the record’s surrounding themes: “While not every song deals with it, a lot of the album’s lyrics center around being sold on the American dream, but also realizing it’s oftentimes used as a thin veil to cloak a dubious system/entity aimed at bleeding you dry, even after death. A lot of ‘pressure’ comes with that, and a means of dealing with it could be taking a nihilistic mindset as expressed in the song ‘Give Yourself Away’, or trying to outrun the rat race as expressed in the aforementioned song, ‘Demon Legs’”.
In advance of the release of “Pressure”, today Radiant Knife unleashes first single and video, “His Capa Was Detated”. Watch the video below.
Notes the band of the track: “‘His Capa Was Detated’ is a reflection on the malevolent intent of most mainstream media outlets, pushing cloaked content to sell for puppet masters such as pharmaceutical companies and all things big business”.
“Pressure” was self-recorded in early 2022 at the band’s home studio, Starless Sound, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Obituary, Sunn O))) -16-).
“Pressure” will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find preorders at the Radiant Knife Bandcamp page here.
Tracklist:
1. Slumber
2. Ghost Samurai
3. Phil Collins was Right
4. Give Yourself Away
5. Sunsets from Space
6. Mortals
7. His Capa was Detated
8. Cleanser
9. Demon Legs
Line-up:
Stephen Sheppert – Guitars, vocals, keys
Greg Travasos – Drums
