When I was in high school, living in the middle of Nowhere, WI, I got way too giddy over upcoming album releases. Maybe it was because I had nothing else on the calendar other than cross-country practice, but I’d always note the date of an upcoming album and be sure to get to a record store or have it pre-ordered. Those days waned pretty hard, and in college, I was all about that torrent action. Release dates didn’t mean a damn thing to me anymore, as someone on the internet could get me whatever album I wanted, when I wanted. But since getting a “big boy job” and making more than minimum wage (I’m a union man, baby!), I’ve thankfully gotten back into the buildup and anticipation of an upcoming record’s release.
Students of Decay, Alex Cobb’s consistently top-notch label, is an imprint that just grabs my attention whenever a new record is announced. While 2015 has been somewhat quiet for Cobb and co., its two releases (Sarah Devachi’s Baron’s Court and Cobb’s Chantepleure) have been stellar, and it’s now capping the year with an ambitious 2xLP set from En (Maxwell August Croy and James Devane). “Blonde Is Back,” our first preview of the album, is a sublime drone meditation that will pummel you over the head with its devastatingly heavy sound. It’s superb stuff and a good sign that the entire double album will be a complete shredder.
City of Brides comes out digitally and on vinyl November 20, so we’ve got a little while before we can embrace the whole thing. Until then, I’ll be marking the calendar in anticipation.
• En: http://ennnnnnn.com
• Students of Decay: http://studentsofdecay.com
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