BAND OF THE DAY: THE OTHER

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THE OTHER release their single ‘We’re All Dead‘, out now on Drakkar Entertainment, the first track taken from upcoming album ‘Haunted‘, which will be released on 12th June.

Check out their lyric video here: https://youtu.be/kM3v-UTV3U0

The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.
-Edgar Allan Poe

There’s still light in the house at the end of the road: The Other are back, unleashing what may very well be their most bone-chilling effort yet. For as long as they exist, Germany’s biggest Horrorpunk band has been under the spell of monsters, of outsiders, serial killers, apparitions, nightmares and creatures stitched together in secret laboratories. On ‘Haunted’,
however, terror and shock come in a different guise. Rod Usher, the very figurehead of horror itself, has the reasons: Album eight courtesy of his undead army is their most personal effort yet. And their most painful, at that. “I killed quite a number of women in these lyrics,” he groans. “It’s the necessary artistic closure of a crushing experience and a huge disappointment.” Edgar Allan Poe softly says hello. Even more so, he seems like the sixth band member this time around.

Then again, The Other didn’t abandon their horrorpunk frenzy, these particular songs in which revenant Rod Usher and his cast of zombies immortalize girls with rather long fangs, to name just one example. One of their trademarks still are those morbidly entertaining world-coming-down anthems about the things hiding under our beds while we stir in disturbing dreams. More than ever before, however, The Other dive deep into the worst horror of them all: the human psyche. Maybe that’s because The Other turned 18 this year, marking legal age in Germany. Or it’s because former bass player Aaron Thorn has re-entered the covenant? Both, possibly. “I totally forgot how much fun you can have with him,” Usher says on Thorns return. “The moment we’re hanging around, we’re irrational teenagers again.” That’s especially true with regard to their hot-blooded live antics. After releasing “Casket Case” in 2017, they have been successfully touring Germany and played diverse festivals like Wave Gotik Treffen, Rock Harz or Ruhrpott Rodeo. Just another proof of how versatile this musical weapon has become.

Still, “Haunted” is somewhat a watershed. A milestone equaling “We Are Who We Eat” that will significantly influence the years to come. “It’s the classic paradox,” the vocalist laughs. “We’ve taken one step forward while looking back. New pathways and old roots combined. We wanted to experiment a bit less in favor of highlighting the very trademarks of our sound. I really cherish the fact that this made us darker and more atmospheric.” Make no mistake, this is still horror rock at its purest. It just doesn’t need plastic skeletons and theatrical blood anymore. Not less scary, only less stereotype, think more The Damned or The Cult and less The Misfits. This is another era for the band that also becomes apparent in the latest band pictures: Horror redefined, less gesture and more content. Much like Lovecraft who indeed managed to squeeze unspeakable dread in-between his lines. Or indeed much like our world right now, where a simple look out of the window equals binge-watching an entire collection of horror movies.

In parts, “Haunted” still is a good old horror story, disemboweling some of their earliest works. Usher grins maliciously: “Of course there have to be songs like ‘1408 & 2717’, telling old-school horror stories in the archetypal way.” Sure enough, anybody who’s not familiar with these numbers should probably stop reading now. The rest will relish Usher’s deep, resonating and dramatic voice, the massive walls of guitars and some of their strongest songs yet, resonating an unparalleled sense of togetherness and freak community. Lead single “We’re all dead” is purest dark punk from the crypt, “Dead to you, dead to me” is full of foggy and nostalgic goth rock, “Turn it louder” sounds like a VIP party in an abandoned insane asylum whereas the bloody entertaining “Vampire girl” (no pun intended) will become one of the live favorites on tours to come while last not least, “Absolution” is as strong as political statement against right-winged idiocy as can be. As usual, Rod Usher did not spare himself. He set forth to learn what fear was. He dived into the trenches of our minds,
crawled through the deepest shadows of his consciousness, dug deep and returned. Yet, he is plagued by the spirits he called. For “Haunted”, he exorcised 13 songs. Of course it’s 13, what else should it be? The Other leave nothing to chance.

Rod Usher (Vocals), Ben Crowe (Guitars), Pat Laveau (Guitars), Aaron Torn (Bass), Dr. Caligari (Drums)

https://www.facebook.com/theotherhorrorpunk/
https://theother.de/
https://twitter.com/The_Other
https://www.instagram.com/theother_horrorpunk/

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