With False Flowers, Seattle, Washington’s CITY OF INDUSTRY reveals itself to be one of the most compelling new hardcore bands of today. While many contemporaries in the scene are obedient dogs whose motivation is to follow the latest trends, City of Industry frontman and songwriter Ossa Humiliata is an outsider, operating from a place of pure passion. Beginning with the first, self-titled City of Industry release in 2017, Humiliata has bared his soul, musically and lyrically, and dared to carve his own path.
City of Industry’s foundation lies between earnest melody and crusty annihilation – think, the rousing anthems of Ceremony or Ghostlimb, by way of the scorched-earth policies of Dystopia and His Hero Is Gone. Epic riffs and horrified screams bleed emotion, as a rock-solid rhythm section propels every song to a level of fist-shaking reverie.
Describing the sound of City of Industry‘s 2019 album, Conspire Conspire Conspire, New Noise Magazine hit the nail on the head with these words: “Infectious riffs with a thundering delivery… Elements of melodic hardcore and crust punk.” “Insanely heavy yet catchy at the same time,” was NoEcho.com’s synopsis.
On upcoming new album False Flowers, City of Industry retain every ounce of passion while expanding the musicality to entirely new realms. False Flowers is the sound of a band stretching out and experimenting in a way that only strengthens the artwork, never diluting the intensity. “This album is by far the most complex and varied thing we’ve done ever,” says Humiliata.
Opening with the piano and viola intro of “Kronstadt,” False Flowers moves unpredictably through urgent stomps, metallic breakdowns, moody interludes, and at least one majestic, David Gilmour-esque guitar solo, all stitched together by a series of what sound like transmissions from an early 20th-century radio broadcast.
Standout “The Body Is a Faithless, Fleeting Friend,” premiered today, is a supremely cathartic rocker that could perhaps be mistaken for the heaviest Pixies song ever (a band City of Industry covered on its I Digress EP, earlier this year).
Lyrically, Humiliata never plays it safe. He delves deep into personal insecurities and asks political questions which many people in 2020 would shy away from. “I am a truth seeker, through and through,” he states. His truth-seeking takes the form of remarkably poetic lyrics; he names Rainer Maria Rilke and W.H. Auden as inspirations.
False Flowers was recorded by Nich Wilbur at The Unknown in Anacortes, Washington – the studio owned by Phil Elverum (Mt. Eerie, The Microphones), where, in addition to Elverum’s projects, such artists as Sumac and Angel Olsen have recorded. The album was mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Gouge Away).
Lineup: Ossa Humiliata – vocals, guitar, piano, synth, Jack Thompson – bass, backing vocals, Pablo Lara – drums, backing vocals
