If, like us, you already miss the Dillinger Escape Plan (the mathcore demolition artists called it quits at the end of last year), you can at least rest assured that you'll soon hear new music from the band's former singer Greg Puciato. Puciato's electronic/alt-rock outfit the Black Queen — which also features Josh Eustis (Telefon Tel Aviv) and Steven Alexander Ryan (Nine Inch Nails/A Perfect Circle technician) — has announced a new album, Infinite Games, the follow-up to 2016's Fever Daydream, for release September 28th via the band's own label Federal Prisoner. The announcement arrives with a short teaser video, which you can view above and includes both new instrumental music and the artwork for the new LP, created by fine artist and longtime Black Queen collaborator Jesse Draxler. Draxler, who was recently the subject of a cool video profile, is also a partner in Federal Prisoner, which the group describes as more of a "creative entity" than a typical record label.
"It's an expression of passion and individualism in a way that opens more doors for us to create and to own what we create with minimal compromise," Puciato explains of Federal Prisoner. "It's as much an act of refusal as it is a statement of intent. We won't be working within the current industry blueprint of premieres, 'instant grat tracks' or any of that nonsense. We're concentrating on the music, videography and packaging, an aural and visual experience. It's exciting to create our own path."
As for the new TBQ album, Puciato says, "This time, we learned how to do everything ourselves. There's less uncertainty and more confidence. I'm speaking both about the artistic and business aspect of creating and releasing an album. As for what's changed with Infinite Games, I think it feels more conceptual as an album [than Fever Daydream]. It's less a collection of songs and more about the front to back listen. Probably because it wasn't compiled over a four-year span of time like the last one. This one is actually hookier but more insidious, it's a more delicate record."
Infinite Games pre-orders are available now via theblackqueen.bandcamp.com. Vinyl, cassette and CD are highly limited with several variations already sold out. See the cover art and track list below, as well as the Black Queen's slew of global tour dates.
The Black Queen - Infinite Games track list:
1. Even Still I Want To
2. Thrown Into the Dark
3. No Accusations
4. Your Move
5. Lies About You
6. Impossible Condition
7. Spatial Boundaries
8. 100 to Zero
9. Porcelain Veins
10. One Edge of Two
The Black Queen tour dates:
September 15 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre
September 23 Chicago, IL Metro
September 28 Los Angeles, CA 1720
October 5 Bristol, UK Thekla
October 7 Glasgow, UK SWG3 Studio Warehouse
October 8 Leeds, UK Brudenell Social Club
October 9 Manchester, UK Deaf Institute
October 10 Nottingham, UK Nottingham Contemporary
October 11 London, UK Bush Hall
October 12 Tilburg, Netherlands Poppodium 013
October 15 Sint-Niklaas, Belgium Sint-Niklaas De Casino
October 16 Frankfurt, Germany Zoom
October 18 Cologne, Germany Blue Shell
October 19 Paris, France Supersonic
October 20 Milan, Italy Legend 54
October 22 Vienna, Austria B 72
October 23 Munich, Germany Backstage Halle
October 24 Leipzig, Germany Werk 2
October 25 Prague, Czech Republic Chapeau Rouge
October 26 Warsaw, Poland Klug Hybrydy
October 27 Berlin, Germany Gretchen
October 28 Hamburg, Germany Nochtspeicher
October 30 Copenhagen, Denmark Stengade
October 31 Oslo, Norway Parkteatret
November 1 Stockholm, Sweden Nalen
November 3 St. Petersburg, Russia Mod Club
November 4 Moscow, Russia 16 Tons
January 18 Sydney, Australia Landsdowne Hotel
January 19 Melbourne, Australia Northcote Social Club
