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The Black Angels Share 'Empires Falling'

Their new album will be released this Friday, September 16.

By: Sep. 13, 2022
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This Friday, September 16, Austin's psych-rock legends The Black Angels will release their brand new album Wilderness of Mirrors via Partisan Records, with acclaim spanning NPR All Songs Considered, SPIN, BrooklynVegan, Guitar World Premier Guitar, Austin Chronicle, FLOOD, Under The Radar, and more. Today, they share the electrifying final single from the collection, "Empires Falling," alongside an official music video.

The band shares, "'Empires Falling' is a critical and reflective plea that examines humanity's repetitive art of violent mass destruction. As we say in the chorus, "it's history on repeat." We are living in a Wilderness Of Mirrors, where it's hard to tell what's right from wrong, up from down, or the truth from lies as we navigate through these times where the fate of humanity is being refracted and reflected from one state of panic to another.

The world is a "bleeding animal" and we are left exhausted, polarized, and "pleading from street to bloody street." History has proven, time and time again, that without a drastic metamorphosis from our leaders, politics, and ultimately ourselves... "you can be the one who saves yourself, or you can watch it all go to hell."

It has been 5 years since fans have been treated to an album from the band and Wilderness of Mirrors marks a triumphant return with their foot on the pedal. The new collection expertly refines The Black Angels' psychedelic rock attack alongside a host of intriguing sounds and textures while political tumult, the pandemic, and the ongoing devastation of the environment have provided ample fodder for their signature sound and fierce lyrical commentary.

Mellotron, strings and other keyboards are more prominent than ever before. The Black Angels - Alex Maas (vocalist/bassist), Christian Bland (guitarist), Stephanie Bailey (drummer), Jake Garcia (guitarist), Ramiro Verdooren (multi-instrumentalist) - co-produced the record, working closely with Brett Orrison (co-producer) and Dinosaur Jr engineer John Agnello to achieve something fresh and new while retaining their heavily influential classic sound.

Since forming in 2004 in Austin, TX, the Black Angels remain masterfully true to psych-rock forebears such as Syd Barrett, Roky Erickson, Arthur Lee and the members of the Velvet Underground, all of whom are namechecked on "The River."

The band's global influence is solidified by their beloved, long-running Levitation Festival, the veritable ground zero for the genre's past, present and future - celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The band will bring their blistering live show to stages across North America on their headlining fall tour, which continues in Dallas, TX on September 30th.

Watch the new music video here:

North American Tour Dates

9/30: Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
10/1: Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
10/3: St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
10/4: Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
10/5: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
10/7: Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
10/8: Chicago, IL @ House of Blues Chicago
10/9: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
10/10: Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
10/12: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theater
10/13: Montreal, QC @ Corona Theater
10/14: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
10/15: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/17: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
10/18: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
10/19: Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat's Cradle
10/21: Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
10/22: Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
10/23: Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
10/24: Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea's Live
10/30: Austin, TX @ Levitation Festival
11/5: Mexico City, MX @ Hipnosis Festival



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