Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker, Senior Writer/Journalist ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor
Germany’s progressive, sludge metal heavyweights CRANIAL announce their return with the arrival of an upcoming sophomore album release.
‘Alternate Endings‘ is set to be released September 27th via Moment Of Collapse Records and anticipation for the album grows daily. Formed by guitarist Michael Melchers out the ashes of instrumental band Omega Massif in 2014, CRANIAL quickly garnered favor with heavy music fans. With their 2015 ‘Dead Ends‘ EP and 2017’s monumental full-length, ‘Dark Towers/Bright Lights‘, CRANIAL proved themselves capable of delivering crushing sludge and post-metal.
For their latest offering, the band – including bassist and vocalist Julian Weidhaus, guitarist and vocalist Sebastian Krockel, and drummer Cornelius Merlin alongside Melchers – pushed themselves. CRANIAL refined their songwriting in ways that yielded even more earth-shattering density, yet offset with uplifting melodic movements. This is something the band attributes in part to working on the new songs with Magnus Lindberg (Cult Of Luna) at Ghost City Recordings, as revealed in a collective comment:
“Alternate Endings is our most personally output so far. It is about loss, fear and desperation but also about rise and hope. Within these four songs we captured and encapsulated these strong feelings. Working with Ghost City Recordings and Magnus Lindberg was the perfect match for the new album. They helped us with our vision.”
With today’s announcement of the upcoming ‘Alternate Endings‘ release, we are including the album artwork (created by HummelGrafik), tracklist, and an album video trailer from Chariot Of Black Moth. It will see the light of day September 27th on CD and LP from Moment Of Collapse Records, and Cassette Tape from Sludgelord Records and Hand Of Death Records.
‘Alternate Endings‘ tracklist:
01. Faint Voice
02. Unceasing Lack
03. Burning Bridges
04. Holistic Figure
