Fresh from announcing an upcoming new single ‘Poison Apple’ (UPDATE: listen below), Cambridge-based horror/psych/doom reprobates Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats have confirmed that their new album Mind Control will be released on April 15th via Rise Above Records. That will doubtless come as good news for anyone – ourselves well and truly included – enamored by their surprise hit LP Blood Lust, which was released in 2011 and crash landed in our favourite albums of the year. We described it thus: "Violent, druggy and hammy, its nine tracks – thick, groovy, riff-driven things, practically dripping with THC – are recorded in brow-beaten low-fidelity for an appropriately cracked, B-movie sort of feel."
For Mind Control we’re promised something similarly psychoactive. "Within its blood soaked grooves you will hear shocking tales of bizarre desert ceremonies, religious brainwashing and drug inspired mass slaughter!" reads the text accompanying the album’s release. "Imagine the original Alice Cooper band jamming in a cell with early Black Sabbath and the Stooges, whilst sitting on murder charges, and you may get a glimpse into their fuzzed up world of exploding tube amps and cymbal smashing mayhem."
Beyond that immediacy, though, we’re promised a concept album, whose theme "makes the acts and intentions of the likes of Charles Manson and Jim Jones seem like petty crimes." It seems to centre around a former member of a cult who kills his fellow devotees and goes on the run, co-opting others along the way for an almighty killing spree. "Simple and ragged in all its low life glory, Mind Control is the ultimate expose of killer cult madness and mind manipulation," says the press release. Doubtless, however, if their previous material is anything to go by there’ll be a mean pop edge to the new album to offset the gore.
In the meantime, while you await eagerly for the release of their new album, you can find out more about Uncle Acid and his Deadbeats by reading our interview with the man himself here.
UPDATE – March 28: In further Uncle Acid news, the band have just confirmed that they’ll be playing a set at this year’s Download festival, taking place from June 14-16; for more details, head here.
Mind Control will be released on LP/CD/DL on April 15th. Its tracklist runs as follows:
‘Mt. Abraxas’
‘Mind Crawler’
‘Poison Apple’
‘Desert Ceremony’
‘Evil Love’
‘Death Valley Blues’
‘Follow the Leader’
‘Valley of the Dolls’
‘Devil’s Work’