Uniform have announced a new album, titled American Standard, out August 23rd via Sacred Bones.
The Brooklyn-based industrial outfit also offered up the lead single “This Is Not a Prayer,” and unveiled dated for a Summer 2024 North American tour in support of the new LP.
The band will kick things off with a record release show with Poison Ruin and LEYA on August 30th at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. From there, Uniform will pop over to the West Coast for a short early-September run with support act World Peace that wraps up on September 10th in Tacoma, Washington.
General ticket sales for the New York City release show start at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster. Fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out dates via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.
As for the band’s new song, “This Is Not a Prayer” is built around the dual drumming assault of Michael Sharp and Michael Blume, who lay down the rhythmic backbone for this noise-rock workout. The unhinged and upfront vocal performance of Michael Berdan is a decided change-up from his harsher delivery on past projects, grabbing the listener’s undivided attention as guitars and various abrasive textures build to a fray.
“Existing in the netherworld between Public Image Ltd. and Butthole Surfers, ‘This Is Not a Prayer’ best exemplifies the bludgeoning percussive interplay between dual drummers Michael Sharp and Michael Blume,” commented Berdan in the press release. “Similar to bands like Swans or even Meshuggah, the guitar, bass, and vocals on this track act in complete service to what’s happening on the kits. The song is as purely rhythmic as we’ve ever dared to attempt, and we hope that these beats will take you where you need to go. Drums should serve as lead instruments in extreme music more often, but I digress…”
Berdan states that the new album is best experienced as a cohesive piece, but that “it isn’t exactly Dopesmoker.” Trigger warning: The lyrical themes of the album — and “This Is Not a Prayer” specifically — focus on Berdan’s struggles with bulimia nervosa.
“Thematically, ‘This Is Not a Prayer’ touches on the internal paradox that I’ve experienced while in the throes of an eating disorder,” said Berdan. “It’s about how the best I’ve ever felt about my physical appearance came when the people I love have told me that I look sick. Rather than taking their concerns to heart, I internalized these sentiments as proof that I was on the right track. I was not.”
Alongside Berdan and guitarist and founder Ben Greenberg, Uniform’s lineup on American Standard is notably bolstered by Interpol bassist Brad Truax. The album also marks the return of aforementioned drummer Michael Sharp and the Uniform studio-recording debut of longtime touring drummer Michael Blume.
Pre-order American Standard via Sacred Bones. Below you can stream “This Is Not a Prayer” and see the album art, tracklist, and tour dates.
American Standard Artwork:
American Standard Tracklist:
01. American Standard
02. This Is Not A Prayer
03. Clemency
04. Permanent Embrace
Uniform’s 2024 Tour Dates:
08/30 – New York City, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (Record Release Show) !
09/03 – Landers, CA @ Giant Rock
09/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon #
09/05 – San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside #
09/06 – Eugene, OR @ John Henry’s #
09/07 – Seattle, WA @ Black Lodge #
09/08 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios #
09/09 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl #
09/10 – Tacoma, WA @ Elks Temple #
! = w/ Poison Ruin and LEYA
# = w/ World Peace
