Author & Punisher returns with a new album, Krüller, out February 11th, via Relapse Records.


Krüller tracklist:

  1. Drone Carrying Dread
  2. Incinerator
  3. Centurion
  4. Maiden Star
  5. Misery
  6. Glorybox (Portishead cover)
  7. Blacksmith
  8. Krüller

News of the new album come with the release of the first single for the opening track “Drone Carrying Dread”. The video was directed by Monte Legaspi and features illustrations from album cover artist Zlatko Mitev.

“’Drone Carrying Dread’ was the first song I wrote on Krüller,” explains Tristan Shone of the album that thematically was inspired by Octavia E. Butler’s Parable series. “I had just gotten home from the final tour of the Beastland album cycle and I spent a couple weeks updating my overall tones with a nice balance of sub, saw/synth and tube amp. This track was basically the one where it all clicked and I had these chords that resonated just right, shaking the entire warehouse. It’s a simple but raw progression that was ripe for the addition of melodic guitars, as well as synthesizer programming from myself and co-producer Jason Begin (Vytear). Lyrically, it’s about escape and survival, as the events that were unfolding in 2020 were prophesied by the books I was reading throughout the year.”

Shone began work on Krüller after returning from his opening slot with Tool across the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, before being cut short due to the March 2020 lockdowns. “Melody has been and is still a part of my sound,” says Shone. “I’ve always bathed them in a lot of reverb, delay, and distortion, though. This time around, I was bothered by the wall of distortion I had created. I wanted a little more clarity. I wanted to refine the sound. I wanted to step back from my own show and analyze it a bit. I had all these competing distortions that I wanted to streamline. I like contrast and wanted the vocals to be immediately noticeable. There’s something about mixing punishing drones and rumble with a mellow thing on top that I really like on Krüller.” Shone’s digitized snarls rightfully had their place on earlier tracks like “Doppler,” “Terrorbird,” and “Nihil Strength,” but contrasting mellow vocals atop Author & Punisher’s unparalleled heft made dynamic sense. Indeed, with Shone’s singing on songs like “Drone Carrying Dread,” “Maiden Star,” and the exceptional translation of Portishead hit “Glory Box,” Author & Punisher have projected an air of uncertainty around the steely, often slow-motion grind. On this album he was joined by handful of guest players including Tool’s Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor.

📷: Becky DiGiglio

Author & Punisher has announced two rounds of 2022 European tour dates with North American performances to be announced soon and hopefully a Tijuana date as well.