Manchester Orchestra Announce Sixth Album 'The Million Masks Of God', Unveil First Single Bed Head
Thursday, 18 February 2021
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Shervin Lainez
Manchester Orchestra have announced their new album.
'The Million Masks Of God' will land on April 30 via Loma Vista Recordings, following up 2017's 'A Black Mile To The Surface'. The news comes at the end of a seven-day countdown that started after the Atlanta four-piece's free livestream event on February 12 titled A Black Mile To The Surface: The Global Concert Film.
Reuniting with producer Catherine Marks, as well as Phoebe Bridgers collaborator Ethan Gruska, the band crafted an album that serves as a sort of sequel to its predecessor. Frontman Andy Hull said:
"If Black Mile was this idea of 'from birth to death,' this album would really be more about 'from birth to beyond, focusing on the highs and lows of life and exploring what could possibly come next."
Its narrative was intended to play out like a movie, inspired by Hull and bandmate Robert McDowell's recent film scores, while some darker undertones reflected on the record address the loss of McDowell's father to cancer in 2019.
"It started off really abstract, but as Robert’s dad’s fight with cancer got harder and harder those last couple years, I started making parallels in my mind to what I was actually writing about," Hull explained. "It became an examination of my own faith. While Robert’s dad’s story certainly influenced this album, it’s equally about me coming to grips with the realness of adulthood and that there’s an expiration date to all of this—and how you’re going to live your life knowing that."
As a preview, they've shared the record's first single Bed Head, which retains the moody, atmospheric vibe of 'A Black Mile To The Surface', while churning out some crackling electronics, guitars, and synths among its stadium-sized production. Head below to view its Andrew Donoho-directed cinematic video, along with the record's artwork and tracklist.
'The Million Masks Of God' tracklist:
1. Inaudible
2. Angel Of Death
3. Keel Timing
4. Bed Head
5. Annie
6. Telepath
7. Let It Storm
8. Dinosaur
9. Obstacle
10. Way Back
11. The Internet
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