Greg Puciato-Approved Black-Metal Act Annihilus: Hear New Song "Draw the Beast" | Revolver

Greg Puciato-Approved Black-Metal Act Annihilus: Hear New Song "Draw the Beast"

Puciato's label Federal Prisoner to release one-man project's 'Follow a Song from the Sky' LP

Since 2018, Greg Puciato and audio-visual artist Jesse Draxler have been releasing their own projects through the record label they started together called Federal Prisoner. Now, the label has announced the first release that its founders weren't directly involved in: the sophomore album by the rising black-metal artist Annihilus, titled Follow a Song From the Sky.

The solo project of Chicago-based musician Luca Cimarusti began in 2019 with a couple EP's, and last year he released his excellent debut LP, Ghanima. That album was a fusion of black-metal, noise, punk, drone and more that caught the ear of Federal Prisoner, whose mission statement is to release projects with an unconventional approach to genre boundaries. 

Cimarusti took a similarly multi-dimensional approach with Follow a Song from the Sky, which translates the unbearable pain of real-life loss and agony through fictitious lyrical themes that draw from the world of fantasy. The album's apoplectic lead single, "Draw the Beast," is a great entry-point, as it meshes the ferocity of punk and hardcore through the dense textures of noisy black-metal.

The track features vocals and lyrics by Ryan Wichmann of the Chicago grindcore band Sick/Tired, who based the subject matter on Barry Windsor-Smith's 1991 'Weapon X' comic series. Whether or not you put the effort in to decipher what they're saying, the song is a total ripper that black-metal loyalists and cursory listeners alike can appreciate. Check it out above via YouTube. 

"I think [Michael] Vallera's music video really captures the energy and chaos of the story here," Cimarusti said of its accompanying visual. "Claustrophobic, frantic, overwhelming dread caused by being trapped in confined spaces with something meaner and more powerful than you."

Follow a Song from the Sky is due out August 13th via Federal Prisoner, but there are two vinyl variants —on "orange crush" and "black smoke" wax — now available for pre-order. Peep the album's artwork and track listing below. 

Follow a Song from the Sky track listing: 
"The Grand Illusion"
"Twist Ending"
"Draw the Beast"
"Winter Song"
"The Voice of Shai-Hulud"
"AMA"
"Isolation Tracking"
"Song From the Sky"