I've been lucky to have made some nice friends via what I've done with Pink Priest and Bathetic. Getting to know TJ Cowgill and getting to take part in the release of his debut cassette, My Beloved Ghost, was one of the many highlights of the past couple years. Sometimes, through the friends I've made, I get the opportunity to hear things early; things that blow my mind, and sometimes — just sometimes — I get the chance to let the world in on what I'm hearing…
TJ was super cool enough to give me the go ahead to put this exclusive track up on Never Waking Up and I could not be more insanely psyched! What I have here is a track from the upcoming King Dude full-length, Tonight's Special Death, coming out next month on Disaro. Now, the fact that I'm unveiling a new King Dude track is fucking awesome in its own right, however, the deal gets even better.
“Slaves” features Kendra of the mysterious duo White Ring on guest vocals. Pretty fucking wild, right?
This track takes King Dude's brand of mellow, delicately strummed death-folk, but channels it through weird, blissful, witchcraft-enhanced gothic ambiance. There's a fog enveloping the room as the song unfolds from the speakers. Black candles drip wax onto skulls that have emerged from bathroom mirrors. Your skin is crawling, but your eyes are rolling into the back of your head. A calm embraces your spine and your hair turns to a burnt matchstick color as the room darkens into deep coppers and reds; burnt out ochres. The fog is still pouring around your ankles that hang off your bed, which now feels as if it possesses its own heartbeat. The song ends and you wake up with a peace in your head, you feel clarity in your soul and in your eyes. It's a deep rest you've needed. Something embraced you in that two minutes and 22 seconds of dark space. Breathe in deeply and do it again.
You should also check out what TJ is doing with his clothing brand, Actual Pain. It's some real out-there, possessed shit, that's for sure–and they host a number of amazing digital mixes from the likes of Darkthrone, oOoOO, Flight, Trash Talk, and more on the Actual Pain blog. Also, there's his death metal band Book Of Black Earth, if you're into ripping out some dude's heart and eating it in front of him.
