Aaron Buchanan and the Cult Classics are special guests on Brooklyn’s legends LIFE OF AGONY seven date UK tour in September, kicking off at Norwich Waterfront on the 15th taking in Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham and finishing up at The Electric Ballroom in London on the 23rd.
“I’ve known about Life Of Agony for a number of years, I consider myself a fan of the band and have a big appreciation for Mina! The sludge metal and grunge era of music was the dominant inspiration for the debut album The Man With Stars On His Knees.” exclaims Aaron and promises that the shows will have “A plethora of extravagance, a seasoning of humour, a dash of heart and soul and a reason to wake up and sip a cold beer in the early arvo’.
Life Of Agony / Aaron Buchanan & the Cult Classics UK tour September 2017
15th NORWICH – Waterfront
16th MANCHESTER – Gorilla
18th NOTTINGHAM – Rescue Rooms
19th NEWCASTLE – Institute
20th GLASGOW – The Garage
21st BIRMINGHAM – O2 Institute 2
23rd LONDON – Electric Ballroom
Aaron Buchanan and the Cult Classics’ debut studio album,The Man With Stars On His Knees, was released recently to critical acclaim.
The Man With Stars On His Knees kicks off with Show Me What You’re Made Of as thunderous as prime Soundgarden and as kooky as MUSE and sets the tone for the whole album. The singles follow; first the lyrically purposeful and autobiographical All The Things You’ve Said And Done is an angry kick to the teeth and the first song Buchanan wrote for the album. It bristles with conviction while the Iggy Pop inspired Dancin’ Down Below with its riotous hooks follows.
This album is about struggle “bought on by surrounding yourself with the wrong people at the wrong time. What comes of that is negative energy. It’s the reason the album has such unique titles on it.” The Devil That Needs You talks of un-helpable addiction, A God Is No Friend speaks of not knowing what to turn to next be it a higher force or your next hit on whatever next passes by in the shop window of life, Mind Of A Mute speaks of how judged I felt over the years, there’s so much meat to this record. I don’t believe I could have written something like this without having been beat to an absolute pulp.”
You never find yourself in the presence of music that sounds self-consciously clever, everything flows before the incredibly elegant Morals, a showpiece song, stacked harmonies closes the album in the best possible way.
Every one of these 10 songs is a master class in how to write melodies that pull the heartstrings while refusing to rein in the balls-out instincts. Combined with the combination of fearsomely virtuosic metallic riffing, solid pile driving rhythm section and Aaron’s versatile and soulful voice ensures that The Man With Stars On His Knees is a colossal and essential debut.
The Man With Stars On His Knees retools every aspect of Buchanan’s story so far into something bigger, bolder and more emotionally potent. This brilliant and provocative artist has produced a hugely appealing and a simultaneously intricate and infectious debut album that deserves your attention
