The Black Angels are back, and they have something to say. The Austin, Texas-based Psych Rockers announced a new double album will drop in September called Wilderness of Mirrors, and they’ve already released two singles that give us a little taste. The band has also released an incredible music video for the single “El Jardin” that features an interesting and poignant dystopian sci-fi theme.
The new album is highly anticipated, as The Black Angels’ last album, Death Song came out in 2017. Wilderness of Mirrors will be the band’s seventh studio album, adding to a catalog of some of the best modern Psych Rock of the 21st century. Lead singer Alex Maas has also been busy with a side project, having released a fascinating solo album, Luca, in 2020 that’s definitely worth checking out.
Members of The Black Angels have also been involved in many other awesome side projects over the years, including The Viet Minh, Christian Bland & The Revelators, and The UFO Club. And, of course, The Black Angels are also deeply involved with Levitation (formerly the Austin Psych Fest), an annual three-day music festival featuring some of the best bands in modern psychedelic music.
Wilderness of Mirrors will be released on September 16th on Partisan Records. The video for “El Jardin” features actor Austin Amelio from The Walking Dead and Amelio’s son, Lev. It’s a really cool concept, and it’s beautifully shot. Lev explores the landscapes of a healthy Earth through a virtual reality headset, but things aren’t what they seem.
While the VR looks excellent, the real-world outside is in a post-apocalyptic state where trees have gone extinct, and the climate catastrophe appears to be at full throttle. Meanwhile, Maas sings: “It’s been coming, such a long time coming/All the ages calling, whispering so softly/We were deaf until now.”
The “El Jardin” video was directed by Vanessa Pia. She told Brooklyn Vegan the concept is about “a future where Mother Nature is dead because we killed her, and the only way to experience her is through virtual reality – an already relatable feeling, as most of the world lives viscerally through social media. Who knows where we will be 100 years from now?”
Check out the video to “El Jardin”:
The Black Angels have always had great lyrical social commentary, but it remains to be seen if the new double album has an overarching theme of the climate crisis. However, given the multiple global crises right now, the band definitely has a lot of material to work with.
The two singles released from the new album include “El Jardin” and “Firefly.” The band has been known for experimenting with different arrangements throughout their long career, but Wilderness of Mirrors will apparently bring more Mellotron and strings to create a very cool sound.
I’m thrilled The Black Angels are back with an epic new double album and can’t wait for this one to come out. The band just finished a West Coast tour, including dates opening up for Primus, and they’re set for a lineup of fall shows across North America. So, make sure to check out the new album when it drops and see their live show!
Check out the official visualizer video for the single “Firefly”:
Support The Black Angels by checking out their website and Bandcamp or finding them on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube).