Eventually, we need to open some kind of formal investigation into whatever energy source is powering bands like Microwaves out in the Pittsburgh area. Seriously, from Don Caballero to Feeble Little Horse and Save Us From the Archon, it just seems like there’s some kind of unfair advantage.
If we ever made a comprehensive list, we’d probably die before getting to the end of it, but today Microwaves are here with incontrovertible evidence that they’d belong near the top if we ever tried to write them all down. The band’s vaguely metallic mix of modern post-punk and 90’s post-hardcore has been immolating math rockers everywhere for over twenty years, and their upcoming LP is set to be their twelfth release overall.
Temporal Shifter, due March 27th via Decoherence Records, is set to be one of the year’s brightest and most satisfying barn burners, and below you can hear “All Direct Hits,” the first single teasing the album’s towering, noisy, and unapologetically raw sound.
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In the space of a single… single, Temporal Shifter threatens a pretty impressive range – as you can hear above, it zings between bits of the no-wave nastiness of Slint and Mclusky, but also pivots with post-punk and math. As related as they are, each of these influences and genres are fairly distinct through the lens of Microwaves, so best get excited to for the end of March when the whole thing is out. Full disclosure, we were able to hear most of it, and it’s a real tour de force – it will make you make time for it.
As the kids say, the band really cooked on this one. Here’s more from the press release:
“Built around the core of David Kuzy (guitar, vocals), Zach Moore (bass, vocals), and John Roman (drums), Microwaves have developed a sound that refuses easy categorization – drawing from no-wave tension, prog complexity, math-rock precision, while blending in punk energy and metal intensity.
“Temporal Shifter” was brought to life with the help of Mario Quintero (Spotlights, Sisters), who took part in tracking drums and mixing the entire album, James Plotkin (Khanate, OLD, Flux), who handled mastering, and Neil Burke (Men’s Recovery Project, Born Against), who created the cover art.
The album began life as raw guitar and drum demos by David Kuzy. Over several months the band meticulously sculpted and refined each composition adding live drum and bass lines, vocals, and unexpected sonic detours, allowing ideas to breathe and mutate organically in the studio. John reflects on how the album kept evolving creatively right up to the final stages: “Things were continually added and altered all the way through the mixing process”.
From a production standpoint, the band set out to push beyond their established sound towards a fuller and more saturated one, without losing its raw edge. “Working on the album was fairly relaxed, but there was a drive to tackle a slightly different style of songwriting and production”, shares John. “The result is songs that are longer and more dynamic. The sound of the album might be the biggest and densest of our catalogue”.
Rather than following the usual formulas, Microwaves allowed more room for individuality and instinct. It feels less like an extension of the past and more like a statement of where the band stands now: “This is the album where we let go a little bit of the identity either we had created over the past 25 years or the one that occurred due to circumstances”. John adds: “I guess there was a bit of both that led to the creation of the sound of the band. We were less precious about following our own rulebook and let things develop a little more naturally”. With Temporal Shifter, Microwaves step into a sound that feels both freer and more define.
Don’t forget to pre-order Temporal Shifter via Decoherence Records here.
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