Premiere: Prisoner Introduces A Rallying Cry Of Decay On “Flesh Dirge”
This Friday heralds the arrival of Putrid | Obsolete, the sophmore album from Richmond metallic augurs, Prisoner, breaking a six-year silence since their debut LP with commanding force. A foreboding mix of industrial corrosion and crusty hardcore, this eight-track record delivers epic condemnations that encapsulate the simmering rage and distress that has pervaded our society over the past decade. Released under the emerging Richmond label, Persistent Vision Records, this highly anticipated album arrives just in time to coincide with the intensification of the political tumult in our country, an inescapable and unprecedented toxic tempest that will run our minds for the rest of the year. Each of the eight tracks on the record embodies that frenzied animosity with resounding indignation and biting anguish, offering a stark reflection of the grim world around us. Today, The Auricular is excited to premiere the opening track to Putrid | Obsolete, the seven-minute requiem of rot entitled “Flesh Dirge,” with an exclusive stream as well as insight into its fascinating blight.
“Flesh Dirge” opens with strained gurgling, initially manifesting as erratic static before transforming into a distorted guitar snarl that echoes the hesitant pause between breaths. Roaring to life with a heavy beat accompanied by a subtle metallurgic ringing, the song awakens the inner turmoil before evolving into a relentless plea for the disheartened everywhere. Once reaching this feverish climax, Prisoner refuses to relent for the remainder of the run-time, intensifying the exhortation with scorching vocals and seething instrumentation that both incite and console the strife, creating space for brutal counseling within all of the calamity. Serving as a rallying cry of decay, “Flesh Dirge” intricately blends industrial introspection with hardcore discharge, presenting an imposing yet afflicted track that encapsulates Prisoner’s nuanced approach to darkened gloom.
Dedicated fans of the band’s first album will immediately detect a shift from blackened hardcore to a more inquisitive industrial noisecore, a subtle divergence that enables the band to thoroughly explore the apocalyptic nuances of the world around them. The band’s newest member, Adam Lake, plays a pivotal role in steering this deviation with a focused synth sound, allowing samples and programming to assert control over the texture and definition of each stark soundscape. Amidst this altered terrain, Joel Hansen’s percussion and Justin Hast’s bass remain towering and dynamic, providing a solid foundation for Pete Rozsa and Dan Finn’s guitars to craft riffs that slash through the tense fabric engulfing the quintet. The shared vocals of Rozsa, Finn, and Hast navigate this transformed world with skillful finesse, allowing the brutal denunciation to occupy as much space as the pained exasperation.
Prisoner characterizes Putrid | Obsolete as a portrayal of “the horrific failure of humanity,” a theme introduced with visceral alarm in “Flesh Dirge.” Tracks like “Shroud” and “Leaden Tomb” further encapsulate this concept with gnarled precision. The latter showcases the band, drenched in crimson shadows, scouring their grisly province for any remedy or salvation. We’ll have to wait until the full release of Putrid | Obsolete to see if this piercing quintet uncovers any relief, but until then, we can find stirring catharsis in the stunning charge of “Flesh Dirge.”
Putrid | Obsolete is set for release on Friday, March 15th. You can pre-order the vinyl and cassette tapes now over at their Bandcamp page or through Persistent Vision. Catch Prisoner next in concert on Wednesday, March 13th alongside Listless and Parricide Sentence at Fallout. For more information on that show, click here.
To keep up to date on future Prisoner releases and news, make sure to follow them on social media.
