Monday, June 17, 2024 — Obsidian, the upcoming album from Pennsylvania’s own riff-titans Crobot, and likely the band’s most introspective journey yet, is set for release on the extraordinarily lucky Friday, September 13, 2024 (Megaforce Records). Produced by Crobot, recorded at The Machine Shop Studios in Austin, TX, and engineered, mixed, and mastered by Alberto De Icaza, the 12 tracks on Obsidian dive into the deep, murky waters of the human condition, threading ancient myths with personal demons across its tracks.
Released today is the song “Come Down,” co-written and brought to the band by drummer Dan Ryan, and the track’s accompanying visualizer, which is populated by a spaceborne killer, ancient Celtic druids, the obsidian vocalist Brandon Yeagley found in the woods, tracks of a white rabbit headed to a portal into the underworld, and more. “As we started demoing songs,“ guitarist Chris Bishop explains, “the music was being pushed more and more into a heavier, darker, more metal direction. ‘Come Down’ is one of the heaviest songs that we’ve done, it’s much more in the world of Alice in Chains. Dan, our drummer, comes from that world, and we didn’t try to stifle that, so the new music is a lot heavier than our previous albums.”
You can listen to “Come Down” HERE, and view the “Come Down” visualizer HERE (live at 12:01AM local).
“‘Obsidian,’ the title track, went through many different structures,” Bishop explains, “but it was never quite right. So, we put it on hold and hit up Howard Jones, who used to play in Killswitch Engage and is now in Light the Torch. We told him that we had the album’s title, Obsidian, but not the title track, sent him the tune, and he came back with some ideas that were perfect. So, we rolled with that; Brandon put his spin on Howard’s ideas, and we brought Howard into the circle of being in Crobot for that one song.”
While the band’s primary songwriters – Bishop and Yaegley – tend to leave their songs somewhat ambiguous, the upcoming album’s new tunes touch upon very personal growth, conflicts, and reflections. “Each song descends into the darker reaches of the psyche,” Bishop says, “set to a relentless rhythm of heavy, pulsing beats and gut-wrenching guitar solos, and offers a stark reflection of internal struggles.”
“‘Obsidian’ is almost a rebirth of our career,” Brandon adds. “We were able to take a different approach to the writing and recording of this album, so the experience was very rewarding and different from past projects. Conflicts and reflections make you a better person, even in those darker moments, but I know I became a better person for it. I think that’s what symbolizes this entire album for us. It’s been a real breath of fresh air.”
Crobot plans to tour extensively in support of Obsidian; upcoming dates will be announced shortly.
Brandon Yeagley/harmonica, vocals; Chris Bishop/guitar • Photo credit: Kira Bishop