California’s Bay Area continues to be a fertile breeding ground for the more visceral side of the post-punk spectrum. Just a few weeks back, The Vanishing returned from the ashes for a 20-year reunion, while another landmark band shifted members between projects to become ESSES, a like-minded deathrock/post-punk project that features members of Black Ice, Red Voice Choir, Phantom Limbs, and the Holy Kiss. ESSES have been carrying the torch in hometown Oakland since their inception in 2014, issuing a blistering LP in 2016 and an equally strong EP in 2018. With that in mind, we’re honored to premiere the latest track and video from the band, “Pierce the Feeling.” Watch below:
The video, produced and directed by Bailey Kobelin and edited by Cate Del Signore, is shot entirely in a black and white haze. The video depicts vocalist Miss Kel wandering a stunning pre-war building, exploring her surroundings cautiously. Clips of the band performing weave in and out of the narrative as Kel begins to succumb to her surroundings, attempting escape while the band plays on.
The track is an otherwise blistering post-punk affair, grindhouse guitars, pummeling drums, and Kel’s commanding vocals set ESSES ahead of the pack, nodding to their past projects and paving a new, bleak path forward. The performance clips showcase the band’s intimate, yet cathartic live presence,
“Pierce the Feeling” will appear on the band’s yet-to-be-titled new record, due out this winter. In the interim, the band will be embarking on a European tour next week, kicking off in Belgium. Their next stateside appearance will be with the like-minded and equally powerful Bestial Mouths in hometown Oakland, CA. Be sure to stop in and catch ESSES in their element, and stay tuned for more LP details to come…
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