In a year radiant with musical exploits, Brutus stands as a living testament to the magic of tenacity married with undeniable songcraft. The formidable trio—bassist Peter Mulders, drummer Stefanie Mannaerts, and guitarist Stijn Vanhoegaerden—haven’t necessarily rewritten the playbook on their latest offering, “Unison Life.” Yet it’s their resolute execution and masterful song structures that have ushered them into sold-out venues, such as the storied Ancienne Belgique, and onto an exhaustive roster of international festival stages.
Already slated for Wacken Open Air 2024—one of Europe’s most iconic metal festivals—the band’s transnational gravitas is palpable. The charisma and talent they display live are so potent that the hosts of the Willy podcast even went as far as to suggest that playing a prime slot at Pukkelpop has become the new normal for them. Mulders later nuanced this sentiment on the Zware Klap podcast, indicating that such milestones are never taken for granted.
As autumn casts its auburn hue, Brutus slows its relentless pace to reflect and share their latest single, “Love Won’t Hide The Ugliness.” Contrary to what its title might imply, this is not a saccharine ballad. The song serves as an extension of their previous release, “What Have We Done,” and was recorded during the same sessions that spawned “Unison Life.”
“When Vanhoegaerden lets his guitar wail and Mannaerts elevates her voice, Brutus occupies a space both fragile and unyielding.”
Rather than a throwaway track or B-side merely to promote their upcoming shows, “Love Won’t Hide The Ugliness” fits snugly into Brutus’ melancholic ethos. It’s a complex number that sits at the crossroads of vulnerability and resilience, themes eloquently echoed in its lyrics. As the trio anchors themselves deeper into the ground through their performance, they simultaneously lift us skyward in emotional elevation.
The single is available as a 7-inch and can be pre-ordered through their webshop.
Love Won’t Hide the Ugliness lyrics:
Love won’t hide the
I’m so tired of
Love won’t hide the ugliness
I’m so tired of looking
I won’t cry this time
I’m still standing on the sideline
Love won’t hide the ugliness
I’m so tired of losing
I won’t cry this time around
I’m standing on the sideline
And now I’m falling from the sky
I am losing my mind
I will go, I will follow you
With my head in the clouds
And now I’m falling from the sky
I am losing my mind
I will go, I will follow you, just you
With my head in the clouds
Brutus is setting off on an autumnal tour that includes appearances across a bunch of European cities. See the full itinerary below.
🇧🇪 SEP 02: Crammerock, Stekene
🇩🇪 SEP 08: Junkyard Open Air, Dortmund
🇳🇱 SEP 09: Baroeg Open Air, Rotterdam
🇫🇷 OCT 05: Rex, Toulouse
🇫🇷 OCT 06: Atabal, Biarritz
🇪🇸 OCT 07: Stage Live, Bilbao
🇵🇹 OCT 09: Hard Club, Porto
🇵🇹 OCT 10: LAV, Lisbon
🇪🇸 OCT 12: Copérnico, Madrid
🇪🇸 OCT 13: Salamandra, Barcelona
🇫🇷 OCT 14: Ex Tenebris Lux, Montpellier
🇫🇷 OCT 15: Ninkasi, Lyon
🇫🇷 OCT 17: La Co. de Mai, Clermont-Ferrand
🇫🇷 OCT 18: Brise Glace, Annecy
🇨🇭 OCT 19: Grabenhalle, St Gallen
🇮🇹 OCT 21: Colorificio Kroen, Verona
🇮🇹 OCT 22: Monk Club, Rome
🇮🇹 OCT 23: Legend, Milan
🇧🇪 NOV 17: C-Mine, Genk (SOLD OUT)
🇳🇱 NOV 18: Helldorado Festival, Eindhoven
🇩🇪 NOV 19: Große Freiheit 36, Hamburg
🇩🇪 NOV 20: Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin
🇧🇪 NOV 22: Trix, Antwerpen (SOLD OUT)
🇧🇪 NOV 23: Reflektor, Liège
🇧🇪 NOV 24: Vooruit, Gent (SOLD OUT)
🇫🇷 DEC 05: Le Trabendo, Paris
🇬🇧 DEC 07: Islington Assembly Hall, London
🇬🇧 DEC 08: Chalk, Brighton
🇬🇧 DEC 10: Trinity, Bristol
🇬🇧 DEC 11: Academy 3, Manchester
🇬🇧 DEC 12: G2, Glasgow
🇬🇧 DEC 13: The Asylum, Birmingham
🇧🇪 DEC 15: Eden, Charleroi
🇧🇪 DEC 16: Het Depot, Leuven (SOLD OUT)
🇧🇪 DEC 17: De Zwerver, Leffinge (SOLD OUT)
🇳🇱 DEC 30: Paradiso, Amsterdam
All shows, except for Eden in Charleroi, are sold out.
