Steeped in nocturnal, death rock adventurism, driven with a post-punk anxiety that feels increasingly like the twitching heart of our modern age, and driven by hardcore punk intensity, the second studio album from Boston’s Final Gasp, New Day Symptoms, does what all great rock records do. Not only does it place itself within a lineage, summoning up and amplifying a spectrum of powers from rock’n’roll lore, it makes them resonate in the here and now. It gives voice to those fears and frustrations lurking just under the surface of waking consciousness and turns them into a rallying cry.
Throughout New Day Symptoms, Final Gasp create a potent reaction from the furious and the forlorn as frontman Jake Murphy vocalizes both a supercharged howl into the void and a remorseful echo back. Lead single “The Apparition” is “A story of reality being much more horrifying than fiction,” Jake tells. “It’s about a captain and his crew on a small boat. A storm came and capsized it and he and his two crew members were forced to swim to some sort of safety. Ultimately only he survived, having to watch his two friends be taken away by something that could have been avoided. He knew a storm was coming but thought they could make it. It’s all about bad timing and facing the consequences.”
“The Apparition” is available today with its haunting video directed by Caleb Gowett and Bill Politis. Watch below.
Where Final Gasp’s acclaimed 2023 debut, Mourning Moon, was a concentrated shot of acrid, underground death rock, its propulsion tanks largely filled with references to Samhain and Killing Joke, New Day Symptoms keeps all the core urgency while vastly broadening its scope. With new space to explore, this is an album that feels communal, a mapping of personal trials and dark recesses onto a map dotted with rafters-rousing marker points.
Final Gasp’s ability to meld opposing forces into something vibrant and new is encoded into their DNA. The process of forging a sound that combined but went beyond their musical background and musical obsessions was one that took a lot of soul-searching, taking them on a path whose destination remains open-ended.
“I think we’re still figuring it out, to be honest,” says Jake. “It’s like most things when you start out you have a vision and stick to it, we just quickly realised we could do so much more with it. We blossomed into this group of people that all have similar influences, but see them from different perspectives. We could hear the band beginning a new chapter.”
One of the main reasons for the broadening of the band’s sound on the new album is that New Day Symptoms was written much more as a democratic process than Mourning Moon.
“It got me personally more excited,” Jake enthuses, “because everything was on the table and everyone’s ideas were blending together really well. Naturally we still rely on what we’re used to, but this time we let ourselves explore different tones. And we were all so open and receptive to each others’ ideas that writing and recording this record was more of a collaboration. Having Arthur (Rizk, producer) produce this record opened even more ideas to us. Everyone was together at all times for a week while recording this, whether it be at the AirBnb working on songs, or working on them in the studio. It was a total hands-on, involved process between all of us.”
It’s that open-mindedness while still being fully in touch with your underground roots that gives New Day Symptoms such a galvanizing force. But where its predecessor dealt very directly with personal themes of loss and anxiety, here a slightly different approach was taken. “With this one, I didn’t want it to be as personal,” says Jake. “But then reading the lyrics back, I ended up feeling differently about them – they were personal on a different level. A lot of these songs are written from an outside perspective, what could’ve happened if things were different, but ultimately it didn’t end that way. You can’t change what’s already been done, so you just have to move on. It just means it’s a part of who you are now.”
Above all, New Day Symptoms is one of those rare killer rock’n’roll albums whose conviction and honesty make it unique, primed to stand the test of time, and as acclaimed tours with bands as diverse as Abbath, Gatecreeper, Fiddlehead, Poison Ruin, Devil Master and Imperial Triumphant make clear, unlimited in their appeal. As Jake says, “It’s exciting to have the record out. I think this is an evolution of the band and we’re just going to keep writing music that inspires us. We’re going to continue moving forward – you can’t stay in the same place forever. That’s the message of this record and it’s there to resonate for people who may not feel it’s possible.”
New Day Symptoms was produced by Arthur Rizk and sees its release February 27 via Relapse Records. Pre-order/pre-save here.
New Day Symptoms tracklisting:
“Eternal Silence”
“Look Away”
“The Apparition”
“Gifted Shame”
“No Hand To Lead”
“Prediction”
“Burials Of Birth”
“Fractures”
“New Day Symptoms”
“Pale Sun”
“The Apparition” video:
Final Gasp have announced a headlining North American tour which crosses both coasts, the midwest and more. Tickets are on sale here.
Final Gasp lineup:
Jake Murphy – Vocals
Alex Consentino – Guitar/Synth
Sean Rose – Bass
Peter Micanovic – Guitar
Kevin Ordway – Drums
(Photo – Caleb Gowett)
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