Article by: Leanne Ridgeway
The Boston, Massachusetts heavily stoner rock / metal quintet CORTEZ recently announced their upcoming third album ‘Sell The Future,‘ due out later this month on Ripple Music. Today seems an ideal day to unshackle their new single, “Faulty Authors.“
This latest track is the third to be set free of its current confinement within this album’s absurdly gratifying full play-through. With release date set for October 23rd, ‘Sell the Future‘ is eight beautifully structured, melodic songs packed with a level of barely contained rage that would border on frightening if it weren’t the year 2020.
Songwriting has never been turf that CORTEZ lacked any traction in, be it their first EP in 2007, their 2012 full-length debut ‘Cortez,’ the 7″ Split with Borracho in 2014 (where I arrived unfashionably late to the Cortez party), 2017’s sophomore album ‘The Depths Below,’ or their most recent ‘Chapter 9‘ split release with Wasted Theory for Ripple Music‘s ‘Second Coming Of Heavy’ series.
The upcoming album ‘Sell The Future,‘ with its starkly beautiful cover art by Timur Khabirov, was recorded and engineered by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios and features some guest vocals by Jess Collins (of Set Fire / Mellow Bravo). The album is a furious expression of motivated dissent.
As a whole, the music of CORTEZ gathers the peak phrasings from the essential promises that several heavy music genres offer – the clarity of classic hard rock, the weighted darkness of doom metal, and the iridescence of heavy stoner psych – and fuses them in such hauntingly distinctive ways that you can’t simply coin it as catchy melodies or memorable riffs. The compositions of each individual song are their own passionate union of ruthlessly shattering rhythms and crossfire guitar work that enhance rather than compete, with the vocals draped across the top of it all to sway with almost heartbreaking emotional range.
The five-man crew of vocalist Matt Harrington, guitarists Scott O’Dowd and Alasdair Swan, bassist and backing vocalist Jay Furlo, and drummer Alexei Rodriguez barely allow you an inhale to prepare before immediately generating galloping fist-throws in album opener “No Escape,” then take the pace down with a seamless flow into the despairingly agitated wailing of “Sell The Future” and back straight upright into the breakneck craze of “Look At You.“
Stopping here at the halfway point, let CORTEZ cradle you into their bluesy raft that starts you off on a glide into gently rolling waves of inspiration (or provocation… or both) with today’s premiering track “Faulty Authors,” streaming here:
Both the title track “Sell The Future” and other singles are streaming via Bandcamp below. I’ll refrain from any specific take on the second half of the record and leave it all to your listening pleasure upon release later this month, but suffice to say it’s as much of a repeater as the first half. The final song, “Beyond,” being especially poignant.
Tracklist:
01. No Escape
02. Sell The Future
03. Look At You
04. Faulty Authors
05. Deceivers
06. Sharpen The Spear
07. Vanishing Point
08. Beyond
With the unbridled attitude of a band who care less about your expectations than they do about writing kick-ass, drive-fast, dynamic, hugely-grooved, hugely melodic, and expansive tunes, CORTEZ arrive at their third album with a well-earned sense of freedom in their approach. It isn’t about what style they play or the genre niche you want to fit them in — the future is fast, the future is sharp, and the future has already been sold, baby, so you missed your shot. Better luck next time.
CORTEZ have always embodied an underdog spirit, and now have pushed themselves even further with ‘Sell the Future.‘ Whatever the days ahead might bring, they stand ready. October 23rd brings this release from Ripple Music and is available to order in the following formats:
– Rare Test Press vinyl
– Worldwide Edition Classic Black Vinyl LP
– Limited Edition Colored Vinyl LP (150 copies)
– CD (via Salt Of The Earth Records)
– Digital download and streaming
VINYL: Ripple Music – North America | Europe
CD: Salt Of The Earth Records Webstore
CORTEZ:
Matt Harrington – Vocals
Scott O’Dowd – Guitar
Alasdair Swan – Guitar
Jay Furlo – Bass, Vocals
Alexei Rodriguez – Drums
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