THE FIERCE AND THE DEAD GET VOCAL!
Bassist Kevin Feazey to sing on ‘psychedelic’ fourth album, News From The Invisible World.
The Fierce And The Dead’s fourth full-length album, News From The Invisible World, will be released later this year. The proggers’ follow-up to their acclaimed 2018 record The Euphoric will be the first on their own imprint, Spencer Park Music, and their first to feature vocals, from bassist Kevin Feazey.
“Every album has been different from the last,” Feazey tells Prog. “We’ve never felt that we should or shouldn’t do something, and the new material is taking in sounds and influences that take us further into uncharted territory.”
Feazey, guitarist Matt Stevens and drummer Stuart Marshall have known each other since they were kids growing up in Northampton, with Feazey singing in their various bands together before The Fierce And The Dead emerged as a powerhouse instrumental unit in 2010.
With half of its tracks with vocals and half without, News From The Invisible World takes its name from an 1844 occult book, which is an anthology of ‘authenticated accounts of apparitions, ghosts, spectres, dreams and visions’, but the album deals with more familiar, topical issues. “There are these virtual, invisible worlds online,” says Stevens, “where people believe daft stuff like Q-Anon and all that nonsense. They live based on their own preconceptions and look for the evidence to support their worldview. We’re fairly political and outspoken on our socials, but Kev’s kept the actual lyrics open to interpretation.”
While co-guitarist Steve Cleaton has been well, both Feazey and Marshall caught Covid during production, and Stevens fell and fractured his elbow late last year. He’s only just able to play guitar again, and is finishing his parts.
The band’s relations with previous label Bad Elephant Music remain excellent, but they’ve launched Spencer Park as part of a short-term strategy to build up their potential live audience through Spotify and other streaming services, rather than focusing on selling physical product via a label. The first, as-yet-untitled single from the album will drop online in April, the same month the band will appear at HRH Prog, Prognosis and the O2 Academy Islington.
“This one’s a lot more psychedelic,” says Stevens of the album. “Those gigs we did with Hawkwind [in 2018] must have rubbed off! I really do think it’s the best stuff we’ve ever done.”
“The new material is taking us into uncharted territory.”
For the latest album updates and tickets see www.thefierceandthedead.com.