Less Art Strangled Light CD

QUEEN GERTRUDE
More matter, with less art

LORD POLONIUS
Madam, I swear I use no art at all

CHamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

Gertrude was telling Polonius to quit fucking around and get to the point, and that s exactly what the members of Less Art have in mind

Less Art is the alliance of brothers Riley and Ed Breckenridge of Thrice, Ian Miller and Jon Howell of Kowloon Walled City, and Mike Minnick of Curl Up and Die On Strangled Light, these five veterans bash out their own new version of post hardcore C post hardcore by post youths is how they cheekily describe themselves, but this music is dead serious The musicianship is world class; the perspective is world weary; the sound is fresh and urgent and crackling with feeling

Strangled Light’s nine songs add up to a modern, muscular incarnation of the vibe set forth years ago by bands like Fugazi, Unwound, and Drive Like Jehu Like those bands, Less Art rages C emotionally charged and electrifying C yet also knows how to wield dynamics as a weapon The lulls make the peaks even sharper

Initially it was baseball that brought these musicians together: four fifths of Less Art are the men behind baseball themed hardcore band Puig Destroyer Blasting through songs about bunting and stealing bases eventually led these four to want to start a real band C they enlisted Riley’s brother Ed and Less Art was born

The band name might be lifted from a line in Hamlet, but ultimately it is raw emotion that drives this band Using blunt phrases and the realest of tones, frontman Minnick sings of self destruction on the micro and macro levels C candid lyrics address his personal demons as well as the collective deathwish leading all humanity to the brink Pessimism as Denial, debuted today, plainly describes our species’ suicidal path: We’re surrounded by prophets Who think spilling their guts Is the same thing as giving blood We’ve eaten all the animals We’ve burned down every tree We’ve done so many wrongs This system doesn’t work The world is better without us

Strangled Light was recorded and mixed by Kowloon Walled City frontman Scott Evans at Sharkbite Studios and Antisleep Audio, and mastered by Brad Boatright Full of Hell, Mutoid Man at Audiosiege

Guest vocals on Diana the Huntress were delivered by Meghan O’Neill Pennie Super Unison, ex Punch

The cover art was created by Jacob van Loon, whose work adorned the cover of Explosions in the Sky’s The Wilderness album

Strangled Light is a thrilling debut C an entirely new, relevant vision from five men carrying decades of experience between them Stand by for news of the next live shows