You know what a bucket list band is, right? That band that you just NEED to see before you kick it. The discussion came up recently and while there are some that are definitely unattainable (Oingo Boingo, original Alice In Chains, Wall Of Voodoo), others might just happen (AC/DC) while in other cases it’s all about location, location, location (Will Haven sticking to the West Coast primarily, Earthtone9 sporadically playing Europe only).
One other of those location bucket list bands for me is Swedish Industrial Metallers Misery Loves Co. who is back and, dare I say, better than ever and making a damn fine compelling case with each new release as to why I should update my passport soon.
But I digress.
New music from any artist that hasn’t produced together in some time is always a mixed bag. On the one hand you have the artists who go above and beyond, exceeding expectations. Then there’s the bands that come back and just fall into the same groove without skipping a beat and are almost a nostalgia act with the non-evolution and then you have the artists that come back and are just an embarrassment, a blemish on their own legacy.
Misery Loves Co. is one of those rare birds who came back stronger than ever. And hell, let’s face it. Your Vision Was Never Mine To Share was the highest note (at that point) for them to go out on so it would’ve been easy to devolve into the primal self-titled daze upon their return and pander to the old schoolers or just simply keep on keepin’ on and do the aforementioned plateau from album number three and settle.
But not Misery Loves Co.! In advance of their forthcoming fourth full-length, fans have been treated to a new cover (Garbage’s “Only Happy When It Rains” and the two original singles (“Would You” and “Suburban Breakdown”) which are getting a proper physical release through Beatbuzz Records on March 8th.
“Suburban Breakdown” manages to combine that visceral intensity of their debut with the intricate maturity of the third while “Would You?” is the next logical evolution for the band, mixing those anthemic structures and powerful melodies amidst a hard Industrial crunch. You can read our full reviews on each song by clicking here and here.
“Would You?” and “Suburban Breakdown” will be available as a limited edition/AA-sided 7″ vinyl on March 8th with pre-orders up and available now by clicking right here. For more on Beatbuzz Records, head here. As for the band in question, check out their social media pages here and here for updates on the new album’s progress and where you can catch them live.