Author & Punisher issues a third and final preview of the San Diego-based outfit’s forthcoming album, Krüller, out February 11 via Relapse Records. “Blacksmith” is available for streaming below.

“’Blacksmith’ is a track that I co-wrote with the Krüller producer Jason Begin (Vytear),” explains Tristan Shone. “This one is a bit of an adventure where we go from my slow bending drones and morph into Jason's jungle and breaks with the same halftime bassline and vocals tying it together. Lyrically, this is an ode to Black women-led movements who have been fearlessly leading the way against oppression in this country for a long time."

Shone began work on Krüller after returning from his opening slot with Tool across the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, before being cut short due to the March 2020 lockdowns. "Melody has been and is still a part of my sound," says Shone. "I've always bathed them in a lot of reverb, delay, and distortion, though. This time around, I was bothered by the wall of distortion I had created. I wanted a little more clarity. I wanted to refine the sound. I wanted to step back from my own show and analyze it a bit. I had all these competing distortions that I wanted to streamline. I like contrast and wanted the vocals to be immediately noticeable. There's something about mixing punishing drones and rumble with a mellow thing on top that I really like on Krüller.”

Two already-released singles: “Drone Carrying Dread”, and “Maiden Star”, have showcased the new avenues Shone is taking his music.

Part of the Krüller revamp included refining the machines that have become synonymous with Author & Punisher. As a result, Shone is also launching a bespoke audio gear company called Drone Machines to coincide with the release of Krüller. The gear company launch follows nearly two decades of Author & Punisher honing in on his craft - meticulously inventing, machining, experimenting, and creating custom musical instruments for his incredible live performances and recordings.

Krüller pre-orders are available now at this location, with the 8-song, 52 minute collection available on a selection of limited-edition vinyl variants, CD, cassette and digitally.

Tracklisting:

“Drone Carrying Dread”
“Incinerator”
“Centurion”
“Maiden Star”
“Misery”
“Glorybox” (Portishead cover)
“Blacksmith”
“Krüller”

"Maiden Star":

“Drone Carrying Dread” video:

(Photo - Becky DiGiglio)