This post involves breaking news about two iconic figures in the world of heavy music — Trent Reznor and Dan Swanö. The news is that both will have new music coming, and we already have a taste of what Dan Swanö’s new project has been creating, with a song that premiered yesterday.
NINE INCH NAILS
This appeared late yesterday on the Nine Inch Nails Tumblr:
“I’ve been less than honest about what I’ve really been up to lately. For the last year I’ve been secretly working non-stop with Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder on a new, full-length Nine Inch Nails record, which I am happy to say is finished and frankly fucking great. This is the real impetus and motivation behind the decision to assemble a new band and tour again. My forays into film, HTDA and other projects really stimulated me creatively and I decided to focus that energy on taking Nine Inch Nails to a new place. Here we go!”— Trent Reznor, 5.28.13. New NIN album later this year on Columbia Records.
As we reported back in February, Reznor reformed NIN early this year, bringing King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew, Telefon Tel Aviv’s Josh Eustis, and former NIN touring members Robin Finck, Alessandro Cortini, and Ilan Rubin into the fold for touring purposes. Now it appears they will be making a new album. Hallelujah.
WITHERSCAPE
It was a reader of this site (ElvisShotJFK) who first turned me on to Edge of Sanity about three years ago. I knew other things about Dan Swanö before then, principally about his early participation in Bloodbath and his production work at the famed Unisound studio, but somehow I had never discovered Edge of Sanity. But what an amazing discovery that turned out to be.
I’ve been thinking about Edge of Sanity because of yesterday’s news that Swanö has signed a long-term, worldwide deal with Century Media, and that the first release will be an album by a new metal project that Swanö started called Witherscape. In this project, Swanö has teamed up with another multi-instrumentalist, Ragnar Widerberg. Here’s what Swanö is quoted as saying about the Witherscape album:
“I have just completed the final mixes of the first album from my new project WITHERSCAPE. Fans of my ‘Moontower’ album and the catchier parts of EDGE OF SANITY won’t be disappointed! I sing, both clean and growl, play drums and keyboards. Ragnar Widerberg plays all guitars & bass and has co-written almost all the tracks with me.”
To draw particular attention to this news, yesterday Century Media began streaming the first Witherscape single, “Astrid Falls”. The song is truly a multi-textured creation — atmospheric, progressive, beautiful, and bestial. It reminds me of Opeth before Mikael Åkerfeldt went soft on us, but mainly it reminds me of parts of Edge of Sanity — and what a fuckin’ cool reminder that is.
The album’s name is The Inheritance, and it will be out on July 29 in Europe and August 6 in North America. Here’s “Astrid Falls”.
11 Responses to “SEEN AND HEARD: A NEW NINE INCH NAILS ALBUM IS ON THE WAY AND DAN SWANÖ IS BRINGING US WITHERSCAPE”
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Really like the prog elements of witherscape and to hear dan growl again, just take my money!!!
His growls are some of the best harsh vox ever . . . still!
Good ol’ Dan Swano! Islander have you ever heard of his crazy avante-garde/experimental death metal band from the 90’s called Pan.Thy.Monium? Most people that know him surprisingly haven’t heard of it. Here’s a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfPKfHpaZyY
Holy shit, that’s amazing. I’d never heard of this. Throwing the sax (and random electronic samples) into death metal back in 1996! And the riffs and roars are so fine…
They were far ahead of their time. Simply fantastic avante-garde metal. I highly recommend…all of their music http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Pan.Thy.Monium/338
I`m totally on the “Dan Swanö is God”-bandwagon 🙂 But Witherscape is not new :)) It´s only “new” in that it sees the light now, but the project has been in planning for many years. Some part of it comes from that bazillion fanguys and -girls have been waiting (and asking) for a “Moontower II”.
If you like PanThyMonium, try also Karaboudjan (“Sbrodj”). The Saxophone btw in many of those albums was played by Dan’s elder brother Dag Swanö.
the Witherscape track is excellent! and the Otep comparison is perfect 🙂
Islander, never heard of Pan Thy Monium before. LOL, what a nOOB
Kevin, I have holy milk for you.
Oddly enough, One heard of Pan.Thy.Monium before Edge of Sanity.
Islander, if you are looking for extraordinary stuff, there is a techno-project by Dan Swanö and Jon Nödtveidt 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kU2XZDS0Co
(no kidding).
Of course, godly vocals by Dan, as always =)