The real beauty of the internet is how it connects people, right? Hell, you’re here right now, visiting from wherever you may be, all because of this wonderful little community we share (aww…). Really though, it’s dope to think that even though things are always seemingly changing for the worse, we’re still finding each other, connecting, and making this rock hurling through space a little more tolerable. Fittingly, that includes Suffer and Continue, an upcoming split featuring NYC’s solo deathgrind project Manipulator, international avant-grind supergroup Stench Price (Necrophagist, High Tension, Static X) and Cleveland brutal death metallers Mulciber (the latter two contributing previously recorded material to the split). So how ‘bout we press pause on suffering through more words and continue on to the video premiere for a third of this split, Manipulator’s “Coattail Ouroboros // Sickening Power” eh?
The two-part track hits all the Manipulator hallmarks: unbridled ferocity and lively blast beats, foreboding swells of tension, riffs that pull more G forces than that last Top Gun movie, industrial and noise tinges, and of course a stupid hard breakdown. I’m especially digging the vocals in this track, this wider repertoire of styles brings to mind Cattle Decapitation’s ability to dramatically stop-on-a-dime and change direction. Mixed and mastered by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone Studios, “Coattails // Sickening Power” finds a raw, almost-DIY sort of edge amidst a detailed and robust production. The video brings it all together in a way that feels just like the aforementioned—it’s gritty, it’s unnerving, and the aesthetic hits just right. Project mastermind Andrew Notsch (This is the Last Time, ex-Sunless) takes a holistic approach here, not only did he handle the music (lyrics and samples were provided by This is the Last Time bandmate Tim Bradley) and artwork for this release, but also the music video for “Coattail Ouroboros // Sickening Power”. As if that wasn’t enough, Notsch is getting together a full-length Manipulator release later this year that also includes an art book, vinyl release, album-length music video, annnnd video game (release date TBA).
Presales for Suffer and Continue vinyl open today. Grab a copy directly via Manipulator, Wise Grinds Records, Psychocontrol Records (EU), Dead Red Queen, & No Time Records.