“Spire of Fear,” released August 15 via Bleakhouse, is the latest full-length from Portland-based artist Tayves Yosef Pelletier, better known as King Yosef. Produced and written by Pelletier, recorded with Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at GodCity, and mastered by Alan Douches, the album collects eleven tracks that alternate between suffocating industrial hardcore blasts and slower, more haunting passages. Guests include Holy Fawn on “Glimmer,” The Bleakhouse Choir on “Doomtown,” and additional contributions from VTB, Slime NW, and Insula Iscariot.
Pelletier describes the shift in his work directly: “The role of King Yosef in my life transformed. From a place I went when I was waiting for production projects to release, to becoming my main source of creative fulfillment.”
On “Molting Fear,” the lead single accompanied by a video filmed inside an abandoned nuclear plant in Washington, he stripped things back almost entirely: “There’s no traditional instrumentation on this, other than drums. I wanted to make something where it got bigger in a shorter span of time than anything I’ve done before. It was about blurring the lines of ‘what is this instrument, what is that sound,’ and taking it to a very terrifying place.”
The record moves between extremes. “Blue Morning” and “Lichen” lean toward ballad territory, reflecting the rain-washed atmosphere of Oregon. “After ‘An Underlying Hum,’ I answered a lot of my own questions and then had to look forward and figure out what navigating the rest of my life was about,” Pelletier says. This time, he frames the process as forward-looking: “Turns out, it’s about showing up, being accountable and not turning away from the things that I fear, because the implications of turning away are far worse than the fear.”
That wider perspective carries into his sense of community. “Spire of Fear is influenced by Portland, because I am inspired by my friends,” Pelletier explains. “Between the time you spend together hanging out, going to each other’s shows or being at the studio when each of us record, it sort of all bleeds together into this amazing thing that creates a sound for where we are at. Portland’s DIY scene is consistently growing and transforming into the best version of itself I have seen since moving here 10 years ago.”
The album arrives after a string of singles, including “Lichen,” released with a video featuring friends and collaborators from Portland. Pelletier calls “Spire of Fear” a “community-based record,” a phrase that anchors the release to the local scene he’s been part of shaping.
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Within the past two years, King Yosef has moved from bedroom recordings to a live act touring with Converge and HEALTH, and is now wrapping up the “Industrial Worship Tour” alongside Youth Code, Street Sects, and Insula Iscariot. Dates stretched across the US in August and September, followed by Bleakfest in Portland and later shows with Author & Punisher. Also, a new string of Winter shows has been announced, too.
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Pelletier also shared a personal angle on Portland’s music legacy.
He put together a list of his favorite Portland artists of all time, noting he tried to “not go for all the classic heavy hitters and sprinkle in some stuff outside of the Dead Moon/Poison Idea realm.” His picks range across punk, metal, indie, and singer-songwriter traditions, including The Exploding Hearts, Wipers, Agalloch, Tragedy, Elliott Smith, Heatmiser, and The Dandy Warhols. Each choice is framed with a memory or connection—records discovered through friends, introductions made by family, or music that simply captured the atmosphere of the city.
My favorite Portland artists of all time, by King Yosef:
I tried to not go for all the classic heavy hitters and sprinkle in some stuff outside of the Dead Moon/Poison Idea realm.
The Exploding Hearts
A band that’s technically from Eugene but claimed Portland and for a record this good, it is completely fine to be transplants. Tragically ended too soon but left a beautiful legacy in a single album.
Wipers
Over The Edge is a record that feels like Portland year round. From the DIY ethics, the influence on all the huge bands that came after them and song writing abilities, Wipers is up in the top tier of all time Portland artist.
Agalloch
Ashes Against the grain was an album my friend showed me when I was into a lot of tech death, internet rabbit hole music and one of the first records that made me stoked to think about a band being from the same state as me. Front to back a beautiful record.
Tragedy
This is a band that was shown to me by a friend’s step dad. He bought the record simply because they were local and then we all sat in front of his turntable and listened to Nerve Damage. The melodic aspects of this record are some of the best in the genre.
Elliott Smith
I was late to this game but thanks to my wife I was made aware. Either/Or feels exactly like the fall in Portland. From the literal references to parts of town, the recording style and living down the street from where this was recorded, it’s a record that I connected with fast once I found it.
Heatmiser
Bonus is Mic City Sons by Heatmeiser. It’s always fun to imagine the timeframe of this band, Poison Idea, the Dandy Warhols and more, all playing at the X Ray Cafe in the same week.
The Dandy Warhols
The Portland archetype. DIY, overtly sarcastic, a hit single in Europe while talking about vegan food. The first 3 records this band put out are great rock albums and they’ve maintained a consistent string of releases. Bonus points for them doing an annual Portland show every year.
