COVID threw every musician in the world for an unprecedented loop when it struck, absolutely gutting any tour plans, most practices, and any release that involved the input of more than one or two people. The situation was no different for beloved Oakland deathrockers FALSE FIGURE. After assembling in 2016, blessing us with several unparalleled releases, tours, and festival dates, they found themselves with a bassist who had moved and a whole new style to conjure. Never lacking in persistence, an album was planned and no time was spared for committing it to fruition. Leading the horde of preeminent shadowy hits off of Castigations is the video for “Possession” directed by Marcelle Marais.
Relying far more on melody than their previous output, their way forward sees hummable hooks that get stuck in your head and appeal to a wider audience while never abandoning their roots as a thoroughly carrion-soaked specter forcing its way through the marine layer at the stroke of midnight. Simple, catchy riffs float over the ever-present bass distortion with a vocal delivery that exceeds most modern post-punk lilting ranges by several degrees of magnitude. Transylvanian Recordings is set to release Castigations on November 1st but singles will be dropping once a week until then and a tour is planned for late this year.
