Premiere: Hush ‘I Am Without Heaven And A Law Unto Myself’ – New Album Drops 24th June
Where do we start with a band like Hush? They first hit the scene back in 2014, but in 2022, they return with a revamped lineup and a new album of what can only be described as a journey through face-melting sludge and hardcore ferocity that transcends through the ambient textures of post-metal and doom.
Titled The Pornography Of Ruin, the seven tracks on offer run at a shade under the hour and is set to be ushered into the world on the 24th June independently by the band on compact disc and digital download, with UK label Sludgelord Records stepping in to offer this abrasive long-player on limited cassette.
Now today, it gives The Shaman great pleasure to bring you the first cut from the album with the track I Am Without Heaven And A Law Unto Myself, which vocalist Mr C Cure esquire explains, ‘I think this song is really interesting and beautiful in a lot of ways as far as the music itself is concerned. Although it is the opening of the record, it doesn’t immediately smash the listener with some huge chunky riff or bombastic introduction. Instead, it begins quietly and grows into something huge and intense over time.’
He continues, ‘Lyrically, it addresses loss of identity and personal transformation as well as feelings of otherness. It portrays the process of individual transformation as an ongoing tension between a need to exist within the boundaries and norms of the social construct and the inherent challenge to it that is posed to that construct when an individual pursues a unique and authentic self-concept. It is about the external forces that attempt to channel us all into one of a limited set of acceptable and anodyne archetypes rather than allowing for a profusion of idiosyncrasy and ambiguity. It is about making the choice to abandon expectation and fully become what you are.’
And concludes by adding, ‘The song’s title, I Am Without Heaven And A Law Unto Myself, is an English translation of a statement made by Jiang Qing, wife of Mao Tse Dong at the time of his death, and a high-ranking minister in the Chinese Communist Party until the mid-1970s. She allegedly shouted this while being dragged from a courtroom during her trial for counter revolutionary activities in the power struggle that ensued after Mao’s death. I was immediately drawn to it as a raw and intense defense of autonomy and individuality even in the face of overwhelming and contradictory authority.’
Got that? Great, and now all that’s left to do is click play below…
More On Hush & The Pornography Of Ruin
New York’s devastating crust/sludge group Hush – formed by former members of From Ashes Rise, Self Defense Family, Aficionado, Endicott, and others – prepares to release their third full-length release, The Pornography Of Ruin.
After muscling their way onto the scene in 2014, Hush has since issued albums through the likes of Dullest Records, Silent Pendulum Records, Fuzz Records, Sludgelord Records, as well as independent releases and more. In the years since their most recent album, Untitled II, the band has endured several lineup shifts that resulted in limited live outings, but the group remained focused on producing a follow-up record that would surpass their previous efforts on every front. To accomplish this, founding member Jordan Cozza built a recording studio in a barn in Hudson, New York and the group began shaping songs that would refine and encapsulate the ideas they had been pursuing since their inception.
The Pornography Of Ruin showcases a more expanded view of Hush’s established sound by embracing more melodic elements, intense dynamic shifts, and previously unexplored vocal and atmospheric textures within each composition. Thematically, the record focuses on the concept of personal destruction and transformation; drawing heavily from vocalist/lyricist Charles Cure’s experiences in the aftermath of a 2016 car accident that left him hospitalized and unable to walk for several months.
Engineered at Hush’s studio, HOVVL Audio Environment in Hudson, New York, by frequent collaborator Ryan Slowey, and was mastered by Jack Shirley at Atomic Garden in Oakland, California. The cover was created with photography by an urban explorer Adrian Ledezma and design by the band’s vocalist Charles Hush.
The Pornography Of Ruin Tracklist:
01. I Am Without Heaven And A Law Unto Myself
02. Above Your Head They Close Like Giant Wings
03. There Can Be No Forgiveness Without The Shedding Of Blood
04. ..By This Are You Truly Known
05. And The Love Of Possession Is A Disease With Them
06. The Sound Of Kindness In The Voice
07. At Night We Dreamed Of Those We Were Stolen From
Hush is:
J. Cozza – 8 Strings, Synthesizer
J. Tash – 4 strings
J. Andrews – 7 strings
M. Obrien – Drums, Piano, Organ, Synthesizer
C. Cure – Voice
Hush has booked their first live shows since 2018 in support of the LP. The day of the album’s release, the band will head out on a five-city run of East Coast shows, June 24th through 28th, alongside their friends in Cowardice. They’ve also booked their first local show in several years, in Catskill, New York July 8th. Watch for additional dates to be posted throughout the months ahead.
Hush Live Dates:
06/24/2022: Riffhouse Pub – Chesapeake, VA w/ Cowardice, Knoll, Redundant Protoplasm
06/25/2022: Atlas Brew Works – Washington, DC w/ Foehammer, Cowardice, Et Mors
06/26/2022: Fotoclub – Philadelphia, PA w/ Cowardice, Quiet Man, Oldest Sea
06/27/2022: Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY w/ Pharaoh, Cowardice
06/28/2022: Middle East Upstairs – Cambridge, MA w/ Cazador, Cowardice, Head In Hand
07/08/2022: The Avalon Lounge – Catskill, NY w/ Planning For Burial, Madeline Darby
The Pornography Of Ruin, the latest album by Hush will be released on the 24th June independently by the band on compact disc and digital download, while Sludgelord Records will handle the limited cassette. And vinyl lovers, keep an eye on their social evil pages for news about the impending pressing on wax.
Label: Independent | Sludgelord Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram
