You Must Relax, the demoralizing debut album by Germany’s sludge/grime metal dealers, BELLROPE, is nearing release later this month through Exile On Mainstream Records, as the label celebrates its 20th Anniversary. As the record’s release grows near, the caustic new single “TD 200” has been premiered through BrooklynVegan. BELLROPE also kicks off a run of tour dates through Germany today, and will take part in their label’s anniversary galas in Germany and at Roadburn in April.
Raised on a diet of doom, noise, and crust punk, thriving in the international DIY/squat communities, BELLROPE is a band who dubs their sound as, “the total absence of tonal sanity.” The band’s sonic delivery ebbs and flows with the pummeling strength of Celestial-era ISIS, Old Man Gloom, Cough, Boris, and of course the former act of several members, Black Shape Of Nexus.
“TD 200” boasts guest vocals from Arne Heesch and Yvonnne Ducksworth of labelmates Treedeon. With their premiere of the song, BrooklynVegan declares, “With a mix of sludge intensity, post-metal atmosphere, discordant noise rock, and well-executed samples, it’s a sonic head trip that blurs the lines between ‘metal’ and ‘heavy rock’ and avoids falling into any typical trends or stereotypes. The first comparison that comes to mind is Boris, and fans of Black Shape of Nexus will find that this fills that band’s void very well.”
BELLROPE‘s Malte Seidel declares, “Listen to Treedeon!”
Unleash BELLROPE’s “TD 200” at BrooklynVegan RIGHT HERE.
BELLROPE‘s You Must Relax will see release through Exile On Mainstream February 22nd on CD, 2xLP, and digital formats. Find US LP and CD preorders at Earsplit Distro HERE and preorders for all formats at the label webshop HERE. Stream prior single “Old Overholt” HERE.
BELLROPE is booking live performances in support of You Must Relax, including a run through Germany in early February beginning tonight, February 6th with shows in Chemiefabrik-Dresden, Berlin, Jena, and Stuttgart through this Saturday, February 9th. The tour will be followed by performances at the Exile On Mainstream 20th Anniversary Parties this year, April 4th through 7th at UT Connewitz in Leipzig, Germany, and on April 13th at Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands. Watch for more widespread tour news to be released in the weeks ahead.
BELLROPE Tour Dates:
2/06/2019 Chemiefabrik – Dresden, DE w/ Eisenvater
2/07/2019 Zukunft am Ostkreuz – Berlin, DE w/ Eisenvater
2/08/2019 Rosenkeller – Jena, DE w/ Eisenvater
2/09/2019 JuHa West – Stuttgart, DE w/ Eisenvater, Arsen
4/06/2019 UT Connewitz – Leipzig, DE @ 20 Years Exile On Mainstream [info]
4/13/2019 Roadburn Festival – Tilburg, NL @ 20 Years Exile On Mainstream [info]
Driven by a rabid sense of urgency, and with a simple goal of “amp hauling and amp abusing” in mind, BELLROPE‘s sonic maelstrom traverses many different plains of heavy, oft recognizable, but never bound to one formula. Case in point being the visceral album opener; more than a palette cleanser, this is sensory overload, total tonal (in)sanity. Elsewhere the stomping second track “Old Overholt,” replete with blood curdling bellows, pays tribute to the iconic rye whiskey, whilst the morose dueling vocals from Treedon’s Yvonnne Ducksworth and Arne Heesch and sonic samples on “TD 200” carry that colossal track to a climatic end, leading into the album closer, “CBD/Hereinunder,” a heavy combination of chugging guitars and psych-like leads locking into a repetitive, almost entrancing groove.
https://www.bellrope-doom.com
https://www.facebook.com/bellropedoom
https://bellrope.bandcamp.com
http://www.mainstreamrecords.de