NYC-based post-punk / alternative rock duo A Cloud of Ravens have released their new single ‘Nature of Artifice’, the second taste of their third full-length album ‘Lost Hymns’, following lead track ‘The Blackest Mantra’.
A Cloud of Ravens emerged in Brooklyn, formed in 2018 by Matthew McIntosh (guitar and vocals) and Beth Narducci (bass guitar). Growing up in a family of avid music lovers and her mother being a professional opera single, McIntosh arrived at this genre of music after ample explorations in the punk, death rock and hardcore scenes, finally forging the duo’s trademark sound with Narducci, whose background is more connected with alternative rock and industrial music.
Recorded from spring to autumn 2021 and mastered by ACTORS’ Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound studio in Vancouver, the ‘Lost Hymns’ LP will be released in early 2023 via Berlin-based Nexilis Records, a a division of Schubert Music Europe.
“The song ‘Nature of Artifice’ is about choosing to bury your head in the sand, rather than confronting glaring societal ills and moral injustices. It’s easier to get lost in the minutia of our click and swipe modern world than watch its blessings crumble around us. To some extent, none of us are blameless,” says Matthew McIntosh.
At the outset, A Cloud of Ravens hit the ground running with a string of self-released offerings, making their mark in the burgeoning contemporary dark music scene and garnering attention that would result in a one-off release date for their 2021 album ‘Another Kind of Midnight’, a mournful yet triumphant collection exploring the heart of a world amidst a devastating pandemic and torn by moral tribalism.
Effectively merging classic and contemporary post-punk and darkwave sensibilities, their somewhat poetic use of prose and metaphor expressed the trials and joys of the world in which we now find ourselves. A Cloud of Ravens’ subsequent remix-based EP featured contributions by legendary producer John Fryer and such prominent artists as Clan of Xymox, ACTORS, Chris Vrenna and Ritual Howls.
‘Nature of Artifice’ is out now, available across digital outlets, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and Bandcamp. The full ‘Lost Hymns’ album will be released in April 2023. Fans can also look forward to North American tour dates with Clan of Xymox and Curse Mackey in mid-2023.
CREDITS
Lyrics and music by Matthew McIntosh
Matthew McIntosh – guitar, vocals, synths, drum programming
Beth Narducci – bass guitar
Recorded by Matthew McIntosh
Produced and mixed by Matthew McIntosh and Beth Narducci
Mastered by Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound
Artist photos by Kevin W Condon
TOUR DATES (with Clan of Xymox & Curse Mackey)
Wed, May 31 – San Antonio TX
Thu, June 1 – Houston TX
Fri, June 2 – Austin TX
Sat, June 3 – Dallas TX
Mon, June 5 – Albuquerque NM
Tue, June 6 – Denver CO
Wed, June 7 – Salt Lake City UT
Fri, June 9 – Seattle WA
Sat, June 10 – Vancouver BC
Sun, June 11 – Portland OR
Tue, June 13 – San Francisco CA
Wed, June 14 – Costa Mesa CA
Thu, June 15 – San Diego CA
Fri, June 16 – Los Angeles CA
“Their sound, though inspired by bands of their youth, is not rooted stubbornly in the past – their music feels of this time, with their messages transversing the cosmos” ~ Post-Punk.com
“A Cloud of Ravens impress not only for the dark poetry, which forms and develops in the band’s lyrics and expands in their alluring titles, but the duo also rivet through their gritty and immediate sonic scheme, which feels pitch dark and hard as nails” – Destroy // Exist
“A perfect blend of an homage to the past and the modern construction of the future. A heroic journey through a desolate land” ~ Sounds and Shadows
“They play cold wave, they play post-punk, they are Gothics, and they set to music some of the most striking lyrics you can find out there” ~ White Light // White Heat
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