[photos by Rev Aaron Michael Pepelis / Return To The Pit]
New York hostile alchemist GRIDFAILURE will launch the extensive Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery concept album series through Nefarious Industries in February — the month GRIDFAILURE marks its third year of inception – by releasing the first of five albums. The lead track to the first album Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery I, “Sandy,” is now streaming as preorders for the record are posted.
GRIDFAILURE‘s concept sequence, Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery, is a series of albums which predict a grim, rapidly-approaching reality. The series’ five titles culminate tales of nature’s decimating wrath in response to humanity’s provocation, and the effects on our civilization. The series will include Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery I, II, and III, and will culminate with the two massive albums Teeth Collection and Drought Stick, which document random stories from the final days of the human species.
As resources are depleted, so are morals, and as monolithic storms ravage the planet, neighbors turn on one another, and once war and uprising decimate the population, survivors are left to slaughter for survival in a diseased and polluted wasteland aftermath. Sources of uncontaminated energy, food, and water are scarce on the grim sphere, and the species’ reliance on technology has left most humans helpless to do anything but wait to be pillaged and consumed by marauding outlander factions or simply perish in the unforgiving climate. Themes of cannibalism, disease, delirium, revenge, scourge, warfare, and general underhandedness are written from haphazard points of view within the withering human race in the multi-release series, which infuse heavy elements of tribal/and percussion with post-industrial and mechanical beats resembling a biomechanical hybrid, deploying a communal aura of woe and rage.
Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery I delivers over fifty-two minutes of GRIDFAILURE‘s paranoia-induced powerdementia. The album was entirely conceived, written, executed, recorded, mixed, and completed with hand drawn art by GRIDFAILURE‘s architect David Brenner who plays vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, electric, analog, and acoustic drums, keys, synth, harmonica, violin, theremin, field recordings, and more. Many elements of the record were written in times of blackout – including lyrics and themes written during a long blackout during Superstorm Sandy before GRIDFAILURE‘s inception – and elements recorded during open air sessions during extreme storms including outdoors, and more, helping embody the outfit’s moniker itself.
Additionally, the series embodies a wide range of contributions from fellow henchpersons who help sculpt the auditory terror into curious new dimensions, including bass from Greg Meisenberg (A Fucking Elephant, Maid Myriad, Tombs-live), vocals from Joy Von Spain (Eye Of Nix, To End It All), accordion from Benjamin Levitt (Megalophobe, Gridfailure-live), guitar from Pete Tsakiris, ukulele from Christopher Henry (Humans Etcetera, Fuck Your Birthday), and drums from BJ Allen (Full Scale Riot). The album was mastered by Dan Emery at Black Matter Mastering (Buzzov*en, Kool Keith, Dwarves, Krieg, AxCx.).
Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery I‘s lead track “Sandy” featuring several guests — accordion by Benjamin Levitt, bass from Greg Meisenberg, and ukulele from Christopher Henry – is streaming HERE.
Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery I will see release on February 15th through Nefarious Industries, who will also release the other titles in the series. Find digital preorders at Bandcamp HERE and watch for a limited physical run in the months ahead.
Watch for audio and video premieres from the album to see release in the days ahead and updates on the other installments in the series to follow.
Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery I Track Listing:
1. Sandy
2. Dysmorphia For One’s Neighbor
3. ICBMs In The Storm’s Eye
4. Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery I: Survivor’s Remorse
5. Post-Attack Habitat
6. Directly In Its Path
7. Phosphorous Fog
8. Exsanguination Of The Utopians
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