Worshipper drop the hard rocking track “Acid Burns”, which sports some glorious Iron Maiden-inflected riffs within the beautifully-designed 70s aesthetics of the track’s psychedelic video clip.
“Acid Burns” is the first single taken from the Boston psychedelic hard rockers’ forthcoming third studio album “One Way Trip”, which is been chalked up for release on July 19th, 2024, via Magnetic Eye Records.
Watch the video for the new single “Acid Burns” below.
“This song is a fast one for us with a nod to NWOBHM but with a surf bridge”, guitarist and singer John Brookhouse explains. “Is it about… the perils of tasting the void? Sure. ‘Acid Burns’ was the first track that we worked on for this record. I love Alex’s solo as it reminds me of a lost Adrian Smith take from ‘Powerslave’. Lyrically, you can look at it in a couple of ways, but obviously, it’s all through a psych lens. I always like to play with double meanings and mix up metaphors”.
Pre-order & pre-save “One Way Trip” here.
Tracklist:
1. Heroic Dose
2. Keep This
3. Windowpane
4. Only Alive
5. Acid Burns
6. James Motel
7. The Spell
8. Onward
With their third full-length, “One Way Trip”, Boston, MA psychedelic hard rockers Worshipper have perfected their grand balancing act between classic hard rock and old school heavy metal that is empowered to soar high with the injection of a healthy dose of psychedelia. Rock and metal are all about the hooks and riffs, and the American quartet serves out those catchy delicacies in more than generous helpings.
Although the album title “One Way Trip” and some of the record’s songs could be interpreted as relating to drug culture, things aren’t so literal here, as Worshipper take a more kaleidoscopic view of the human condition through a psychedelic lens. During the making of the album, three band members suffered personal loss. The opening track, “Heroic Dose” for example revolves around the choice of a father who had realised in a ‘psychedelic epiphany’ that he faced a choice between either enlisting or being drafted and sent to the front lines of the Vietnam war. This is also reflected in the order of the tracks being influenced by the psychological horror thriller “Jacob’s Ladder” in which a Vietnam veteran is plagued by flashbacks and monstrous visions, and which added a loose circular concept to the entire album.
That a band from Boston takes inspiration from the dark side of art is probably no coincidence as New England is home to such grandmasters of horror as H. P. Lovecraft and Stephen King. Coincidentally, the rebellious city that sparked the American War of Independence and the region are also sizzling hotspots of the East Coast rock scene.
When Worshipper were founded in 2014, it was clear to singer and guitarist John Brookhouse, drummer Dave Jarvis, bass player and backing vocalist Bob Maloney, and guitarist Alejandro Necochea that their new band had to stand out given the high concentration of like-minded and talented local peers. With the mission statement of bringing something exciting and fresh to the table, the still intact original line-up has cranked out impeccable heady and heavy stuff with an emphatic focus on real songs with hooky melodies, creepy vocal harmonies, and twin guitar heroics from the moment of inception.
Worshipper’s gift for catchy epic songwriting did not go unnoticed, and soon a record deal established the band globally with the albums “Shadow Hymns” (2016) and “Light in the Wire” (2019) receiving worldwide praise. Their quick success also opened doors for heading out on the road, and Worshipper gladly accepted offers to tour with Weedeater in the US and The Sjull in Europe as well as sharing stages with kindred spirits and heroes such as Elder, Lucifer, Ace Frehley, and Monster Magnet among many others.
With “One Way Trip”, Worshipper not only fulfil the high expectations their third full-length was saddled with, but the Americans are obviously enjoying doing exactly what they’re best at: writing damn great songs for an album that has only killers and no fillers!
Line-up:
John Brookhouse – Vocals, guitar, synth
Dave Jarvis – Drums
Bob Maloney – Bass, backing vocals
Alejandro Necochea – Guitar, synth
Weblinks:
www.facebook.com/worshipperband
www.instagram.com/worshipperband
