Battles stormed the ramparts in 2007 with their prog-metal tour de force Mirrored with a sound that attracted discerning head-bangers along with the most astute indie aficionados. In the process of creating their latest LP Gloss Drop, singer/multi-instrumentalist Tyondai Braxton left the band during the record sessions. Battles continued on as a trio, employing infamous guest vocalists such as Eye from The Boredoms and electronic godfather Gary Numan. The finished product will be available for consumption on June 7 via Warp Records with a corresponding worldwide tour beginning in April.
The first taste of Gloss Drop is the track "Ice Cream" fronted by Kompakt recording artist Matias Aguayo. The opening chugs like The Little Engine That Could, huffing and puffing until a full head of steam is achieved. The elastic track cycles through eccentric keys, bouncing bass and the vocal gymnastics as the muscular drums seal it like a care package. The sound definitely favors prog over metal, but jams nonetheless without the boiler-plate power chord pleaser. It is quirky and funky and fun leaving any guess at the overall sound of Gloss Drop a myriad of possibilities. Listen, then download the track for free on the widget below. Their tour hits Chicago on April 30 at Lincoln Hall. Get your tickets here. Bonus: if you are not familiar with Battles, check out the video for their track "Atlas". You're welcome.
Pre-order "Gloss Drop" here.
They played a killer show in Miami and we got to do a little interview :)
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