New York City-area sonic architect GRIDFAILURE presents a stunning new opus, Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery II. The second album in the five-title concept series will see its initial release on June 5th via Nefarious Industries.
Containing material spanning four-years Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery II infuses many styles of analog and digital percussion, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, ukulele, many types of keys and synth, accordion, trumpet, theremin, power-electronics, harmonica, didgeridoo, field recordings, and more, some of which were recorded outdoors including in extreme weather events.
Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery II was performed/arranged, recorded, and mixed by David Brenner at The Compound in Valley Cottage, New York, who also drew the cover art. The record was mastered by Dan Emery at Black Matter Mastering in Nashville, Tennessee (Kool Keith, Benjamin Tod, Krieg, Thetan).
Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery II will see release through all digital platforms through Nefarious Industries on June 5th with a limited physical version to follow. You can find digital preorders HERE.
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The first three albums in the five-album Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery concept series embody current unraveling of society: murder, outbreak, dystopian governments, warfare, depletion of resources, and survival by any means necessary. The final two albums in the series – Teeth Collection and Drought Stick – prophesy the next phase of society with a further atavistic style. The second instalment in this arc reflects and directs anger at those who exploit our planet with no regard for the consequences of their actions. “As resources are depleted, so are morals” is the underlying theme, societal collapse, revenge, organ harvesting, nuclear warfare, pandemic contagion, unfathomable storms, cannibalism, and other grim topics poetically permeate this intense album which fully envisions the extreme, anti-genre, experimental vision more than any release to date.
Aside from Brenner the album features primary live members – Benjamin Levitt (Megalophobe), Greg Meisenberg (Oxx, Maid Myriad, A Fucking Elephant), and Richard Muller (The Third Kind, Vise Massacre, Great Planes) – as well as Mac Gollehon (David Bowie, Onyx, Madonna, Blondie), Liz Ciavarella-Brenner, Faith Ciavarella, Pete Tsakiris, Leila Abdul-Rauf (Vastum, Fyrhtu), Nathan Verrill (Fyrhtu, Cardinal Wyrm), No One (T.O.M.B., Dreadlords), Clayton Batholomew (Mountaineer, ex-Secrets Of The Sky), Dave Small (Cutworm), Christian Molenaar (Those Darn Gnomes), Lane Oliver (Feel Happiness, Yatsu), Christopher Henry (Fuck Your Birthday, Humans Etcetera), Jeff Wilson (Chrome Waves), Matt Bacon, Andrew Hess, and Chuck Schaaf (Deadbird, ex-Rwake) and his family Star, Izzie, and Mason Schaaf.
Probably Brenner’s most successful release to date this is a collection of fascinating sonic explorations packed with invention, delivering a truly unique listening experience. What adds to the enjoyment of the overall release is that the majority of the fifteen tracks are succinct distilling his work into intense and memorable listening experiences. The craft and attention to detail in these pieces adds value to the work.
The recently released split album with Chrome Waves, and is reviewed elsewhere on the blog.
Different Noises 