Very few local bands have had as busy of a year as Atlanta monoliths Big Jesus. The group’s melodic blend of heavy-hitting fuzz riffs and pop-inspired vocals has earned them some well-deserved notoriety and landed the quartet tours with the likes of Atlanta natives O’Brother and pop-punk giants Good Charlotte. The band has also been playing an increasing number of festivals, most notably the Carolina Rebellion Festival in May, Nashville’s Record Store Crawl in July, and this month’s Wrecking Ball ATL at the Masquerade. All of which is pretty impressive when you consider the band is still two months away from releasing their new LP.

But while Oneiric doesn’t drop until Sept. 30, you can listen to the latest single from the record below. “Felt in Reverse” is not the typical, riff-oriented jam that you’re used to hearing from Big Jesus. Instead, the group is content to take a more minimalist approach in terms of composition and arrangement, eschewing complexity for rich guitar tones and elaborate vocal melodies. Perhaps the stark style can explained by the circumstances that the song was written under. In a YouTube comment accompanying the track, guitarist and composer CJ Ridings says, “[‘Felt in Reverse’] was the only one for which we didn’t come to the studio already prepared with lyrics and melodies. It was just a skeleton of a song. We did a lot of writing during pre-production and actually didn’t finish lyrics until the last night.”

Opening with guitar swells that sound reminiscent of a classic surfer jam, the track takes off violently with the chunk of fuzz-infused guitars driving the song forward. Frontman Spencer Ussery sounds almost alien and angelic at the same time, particularly in the transitions between verse and chorus (an elated and enlightened “Ahhhhhh” exhale). Meanwhile, producer/engineer Matt Hyde (Deftones, Slayer) does a fantastic job of bringing the most life out of Joe Sweat’s drum tones. The toms and bass hit with an intensity that delivers a new level of rawness, and considering how bass-heavy the song is, the overall mix of the track is crystal clear and not overwhelming.

In the end, some fans may take issue with “Felt in Reverse” falling outside of the group’s norm. However, those who take the time to listen deeper might appreciate it as a worthy attempt to step outside of the box.

Big Jesus will perform on Fri., Aug.12 in support of Poison the Well for the Wrecking Ball ATL Kickoff Show. Fellow locals Piss Shy open the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $22.50. The group also performs on Sat., Aug. 13 on the Park South stage for Wrecking Ball ATL. Doors open at 12 p.m. Big Jesus performs at 1 p.m. Admission is $65-110.

More Info
Web: bigjesus.net
Bandcamp: bigjesus.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @bigassjesus
Instagram: @bigassjesus
Twitter: @bigassjesus