The new single from MTN ISL wastes no time launching into its lacerating growl and sludge-punk pummel. You can almost see the spit flying out of guitarist and vocalist Josh Lyner’s mouth as he accosts you at the entrance, but before you can steady your feet and stand your ground, the track’s rumbling groove is already bowling you over. Angular, discordant aggression has always been a hallmark of the Atlanta foursome’s aesthetic, but there’s something more primal and visceral at play here, something rippling with dark menace and thorny guitars.
“Morose” is the lead single from MTN ISL’s forthcoming sophomore LP, Maybe Sometimes People, and while it’s not a dramatic departure for the group, it could signal a shift in direction for a band that has been quiet for the better of a year. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by CJ Ridings (Big Jesus) whose production sounds a tad cleaner and more spacious than the band’s previous efforts. Whether or not all this remains true over the course of the record’s 13 tracks remains to be seen, but according to the band, “Morose” was selected as the first single precisely because it’s representative of what MTN ISL is bringing forth on Maybe Sometimes People.
“It’s a well-rounded display of what we’ve got going on,” Lyner says simply, with guitarist Gene Leath adding, “‘Morose’ is a solid showcase for the album. Some tempo, some chunk, and a killer end riff. It was a song we wrote together, in my basement, in basically one practice. It’s fun to play, for sure.”
Give it a listen below.
MTN ISL will celebrate the release of Maybe Sometimes People on Fri., Mar. 23 at the EARL alongside Casual Tiger, Harmacy, and Challenger Deep. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $7. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: mtnisl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @MTNISL
SoundCloud: @mtnisl
Twitter: @MTN_ISL