CONTRACULT - The New Torment

CONTRACULT: industrial-metal powerhouse goes independent and vows to "Keep Goth Hard" on dazzling new album "The New Torment"; collaborators include Attila Csihar (Mayhem); official music video for new single "The Glutton" now streaming via Revolver Magazine

"It almost killed me." –Contracult frontman Svart, on the making of "The New Torment"

Contracult announces the November 4th release of its new album, The New Torment, on the band's own Hogwasche Music label.

Stream the official music video for new single "The Glutton," here: https://www.revolvermag.com/music/see-contracults-gripping-video-gnashing-new-song-glutton

Deemed a promising new up n' comer since its debut single dropped in 2020, Contracult comes into its own at last with The New Torment. The album sees the LA-based band graduate from "prospect" status to that of a fully-realized musical force. Having parted ways with Roadrunner Records, Contracult made The New Torment on its own terms and the results are monumental. The album is a true expression of the collective visions of its creators – founder/frontman Svart (Travis Bacon), guitarist Cultprit (Nick Emde), and newest member Bx (Bec Hollcraft).

 
Svart states: "While I was proud of the music we created before, I felt as though the songs we were writing always came from this lens of these outdated writing formulas which we had to 'learn' rather than them just be something that came out of us. With 'The New Torment,' I feel we were able to hone in on the sound more organically and not follow some rule book that doesn't even exist. With this record we wanted more of a 'Downward Spiral' thing going on. Every song has its own unique vibe and texture while still sounding like it's all from the same band."

Boasting guest appearances by legendary vocalist Attila Csihar (Mayhem) and drummer Jon Siren (IAMX, Front Line Assembly), The New Torment was engineered by Svart; mixed by Svart, Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Ghostemane) and Eric Emery (Periphery, Scale the Summit); and mastered by Rizk.

As displayed on new single "The Glutton," the sound is an onslaught of serrated metallic rock, armored in layer upon layer of industrial stylings. An immersive experience, a dizzying ride, The New Torment wields a dense mix of pedal-to-the-metal beats, thick-as-tar riffs, and head-spinning electronic elements. As the band's own motto states: "Keep Goth Hard."

Guitarist Cultprit describes the musical palette that inspired the writing of the new album, in addition to the aforementioned Nine Inch Nails: "From the heavy bands that are lifelong influences to me, from Napalm Death to Fear Factory, to modern rap like City Morgue. The crossover styles of artists like Ghostemane were definitely inspiring to get juiced up and have the urgency to write. Having Bx in the band opened the doors quite a bit too and helped expand our writing."

Above the fray, infectious hooks soar, bathing the songs in color. Svart's vicious snarl transforms into a commanding singing voice that couples with Bx's angelic croon, elevating the songs to anthemic heights. "[Contracult] are certainly part of the industrial resurgence that has emerged over the past few years, but they instantly stand apart from the crowd," reads a post from MetalSucks. "The only way it won’t get stuck in your head is if you have no head."

Beyond the music, Svart speaks candidly about the inner struggles that equally fueled and threatened, the making of The New Torment: "The record was written and produced during probably the most precarious time for me," he states. "I was diagnosed as bipolar during the creation of it. It's a piece of work I am forever proud of, but it almost killed me."

RIYL: Nine Inch Nails, Fear Factory, 3TEETH, KMFDM, Ghostemane

Tracklist:

1) Welcome to...

2) The New Torment

3) Drown

4) The Glutton

5) Infirmary

6) Geography of Loss

7) Meek

8) M.S.K.

9) The Viral Generation

10) Trauma Garden

Lineup:

Svart - vocals, programming

Cvltprit - guitar

Bx - vocals, synth

Photo by Steven Anthony Roe