Turns out that Survival, in addition to now being our normal mode of being, is also an awesome NY power trio with an up-coming LP due out May 14th on Thrill Jockey. Recorded with Colin Martson (Glenn Branca, Jarboe, Khanate) at his Thousand Caves studio in Queens, the record finds Liturgy’s black metal guitarist Hunter Hunt-Hendrix teaming up with his longtime friends, fellow guitarist Jeff Bobula and drummer Greg P. Smith, to rekindle their hardcore psych project Survival, formerly called Birthday Boyz. Having worked and reworked the songs on their debut album over a ten year period means a track like the record’s opener “Tragedy of Mind” is baked to perfection, full of powerful riffage, intricate time changes, and chanted, choral lyrics! The blazing jam get’s a killer video treatment by director Eric Wrenn, as he pushes what on the surface seems a straightforward concept to mesmerizing ends. Funny how, even after a 100,00 years, you still can’t take your eyes off fire.
