Fifteen years in and Barren Womb are still not interested in making things comfortable. “The Perils of Self-Improvement” is the latest proof — a mid-tempo stomper that crawls under your skin and stays there, built on tension and release rather than speed. It’s nasty, physical stuff: noise rock tangled up with post-hardcore and the kind of dirty, corroded low-end that doesn’t wash off easy.
The track was actually cut during the same sessions as their latest album “Chemical Tardigrade” but didn’t land in the final running order. Rather than force it, the band sat on it. As guitarist and vocalist Tony Gonzalez puts it: “‘The Perils of Self-Improvement‘ was actually recorded in the same go as the material for our latest album ‘Chemical Tardigrade‘, but since it didn’t quite fit the final sequence for the album, we decided to save it for a special occasion instead.”
That occasion turned out to be a split release with Hylko, the Japanese weirdo stoner trio — a pairing that makes a lot of sense given where both bands operate sonically. Gonzalez describes the track as “a study of tension and release, a mid-tempo stomper which lyrically bears ill tidings for the alleged power of self-help manuals.” So yeah, don’t expect affirmations and breathing exercises. The self-help industry takes a beating here, and the delivery matches the message — blunt, skeptical, unsparing.
With 2026 marking their fifteenth year as a band and a packed touring schedule ahead, the timing felt right to finally let the track loose. “Seeing that 2026 marks our 15 year as a band and we have upcoming tours in Japan and the UK, the moment felt ripe to finally unleash this beast unto the world,” Gonzalez adds. “And to sweeten the pot, it will be released as part of a split with the excellent Japanese weirdo stoner trio Hylko.”
The Norwegian duo — Gonzalez on guitar and vocals, Timo Silvola on drums and vocals — have been making noise together since the early 2010s, when their previous band Like Rats From A Sinking Ship fell apart. Barren Womb was always meant to be a two-piece, no more. In a recent interview with RetroFuturista, Gonzalez talked about how the harsh northern Norwegian landscape seeps into their sound: “The environment, especially in the northern parts of Norway, is quite dramatic, unforgiving and brutal. Living with this kind of primordial backdrop affects us, and this in turn influences our creative output and aesthetics as well.” The UK tour, notably, is their first ever — something Gonzalez admits was long overdue after years of sticking to the central European punk circuit.
He’s clearly looking forward to road-testing the new track live: “Can’t wait to rip through it on the road throughout the year, see you out there!”
And there’s plenty of road ahead. Barren Womb have dates stacked across Norway, the UK, and Japan this spring:
20.03 NO Trondheim, Moskus
21.03 NO Oslo, Vaterland
26.03 UK Nottingham, Billy Bootleggers
27.03 UK Hastings, TBA
28.03 UK Bristol, TBA
29.03 UK Brighton, Pink Moon
30.03 UK Exeter, The Cavern
31.03 UK Canterbury, Lady Luck
01.04 UK Glasgow, Bloc+
02.04 UK Edinburgh, The Hive
03.04 UK Dundee, Art Antics
04.04 UK Bolton, The Alma Inn
05.04 UK Gateshead, The Black Bull
15.04 JP Fukuoka, Yojigen
16.04 JP Hiroshima, Conquest
17.04 JP Kagawa, Toonice
18.04 JP Kobe, Makeshift
19.04 JP Kyoto, Socrates
20.04 JP Osaka, Hokage
23.04 JP Nagoya, Huck Finn
24.04 JP Tokyo, Nakano Moon Step
25.04 JP Yokohama, El Puente
26.04 JP Koiwa, Bush Bash
06.06 NO Arnemoen Gard festival
Pre-save the split here.
