Premiere: The Grand Mal ‘Rule My Soul’ – New Album ‘II’ Drops 4th Nov via APF Records
The Cole twins of Ryan and Elliot must be the busiest siblings in the rock and roll underground. If they’re not riffing out with Desert Storm or their lockdown project Wall, they’ve got the pedal to the metal with The Grand Mal. Starting off as a kind of side project, the five-piece are now surely a full band in their own right as they prepare to unleash their sophomore album, simply entitled II.
Consisting of twelve new tracks of heavy, yet groovin’ bluesy southern rock anthems, the long-player is poised to hit the streets on 4th November by the ever faithful APF Records. And today, as a taster of things to come, The Shaman is as pleased as punch to be able to bring you the first single Rule My Soul.
About Rule My Soul, drummer Elliot Cole says, ‘This is personally my favourite track on the new album. I always remember when Ryan showed us the song he had written in the rehearsal studio. I just love that main riff. It’s cool because it has that straight feel to it but it’s actually in 5/4. I think Dave-O did a great job vocally too. The choruses especially have such a cool and catchy melody to them.’
Now sit back, click play below and be ruled by your soul with The Grand Mal...
More On The Grand Mal & ‘II’
APF Records is delighted to announce the release of The Grand Mal‘s eponymous sophomore album to be called II (or 2 on streaming sites) on 4th November 2022.
The Grand Mal are essentially Oxford royalty. A coming together of five of the city’s favourite sons, in the form of Desert Storm’s twin brothers Ryan (guitar) and Elliot Cole (drums), as well as Mother Corona’s Rob Glenn (bass), Lee Cressey (guitar) and Dave-O (vocals), this is a band you should definitely already be interested in from that fact alone.
Formed in 2015 and having already honed their chops in their other bands, it was always a no brainer that they should find a place at APF Records given their individual pedigrees; so after hearing their tracks put to record, the band signed to APF in 2018.
Their self-titled debut, October 2019’s The Grand Mal [APF021], leant into grunge, whilst maintaining elements of the sludge, southern and stoner that have become staples of Desert Storm and Mother Corona’s output. Opening with the crunchy hooks of Explode, it was an instant introduction to an absolutely massive record; one which reached far further outward than a mere sum of the constituent parts. From start to finish, The Grand Mal captured the attention, leading to critical acclaim, significant sales, and a placing at No. 8 in the Doom Charts.
Following the album’s release, The Grand Mal would play live all over the UK, both on a 10-date headline tour and as support to Conjurer, Evil Scarecrow, Sergeant Thunderhoof, Tuskar, Dead Lettuce, The Brothers Keg, Alunah, Desert Storm, Limb, and many others.
After focusing on the release of Desert Storm’s Omens album and a European tour, and their other project Wall, both in 2020 and 2021, Elliot and Ryan have returned to The Grand Mal, recording album two with Dave-O, Rob and Lee at Jimmy Hetherington’s Shonk Studio. A band who could and should never be dismissed as a side project, The Grand Mal have built upon their solid foundations, assembling a monolithic beast of a second record.
II Tracklist:
01. Another Replicant
02. Petit Mal
03. Shallow
04. I Live For Today
05. Rule My Soul
06. Smash The Grave
07. Lost In Time
08. Hellbound Blues
09. The Lingering
10. Seas Of Glory
11. Empire Of Vultures
12. Blood Moon
The Grand Mal is:
Dave-O – Vocals, Tambourine, Keys
Ryan Cole – Guitars, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar on Lost In Time
Elliot Cole – Drums, Percussion
Rob Glen – Bass
Lee Cressey – Guitars, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar on Bloodmoon
Additionally, Jimmy Hetherington contributes lap steel on Rule My Soul, handclaps, loops, and samples on The Lingering, mellotron on Lost in Time, and guitar on Bloodmoon.
The Grand Mal live dates:
05/11/2022: Oxford, Rabidfest w/ Discharge & Desert Storm
03/01/2023: London, Helgi’s
14/01/2023: Rotherham, The Hive
15/01/2023: Nottingham, Tap n Tumblr
03/03/2023: Bournemouth, The Bear Cave
II, the latest album from Oxford’s The Grand Mal, releases 4th November through APF Records, and will be available for pre-order imminently over on the labels webstore.
Label: APF Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
