Two-time-Grammy-nominated band Rival Sons will release a new studio album, Darkfighter, on March 10th. The LP is led by the explosive single Nobody Wants To Die, which is available today (10/14) on all streaming platforms and accompanied by a music video. The track notably marks the first new music from the band since the release of 2019’s Feral Roots, which earned the band two Grammy Award nominations.
Regarding Nobody Wants To Die, vocalist Jay Buchanan shares, “You live your life knowing that the sword of Damocles is hanging over your head by a thread. You’re fully aware of the impermanence of your existence, but you can’t think about it all the time — or it’ll f–k your life up.
I used to work in a mortuary as a service advisor for a few years, driving and opening the hearses. I’d attend three funerals per day. Sometimes, they would be filled over capacity. Other times, it would just be me, a priest, and a hole in the ground. It doesn’t matter who you are; the great equalizer is coming. I was thinking of this because the music sounded like pursuit.”
Elaborating on the genesis of Darkfighter, Buchanan states, “Darkfighter represents the cultural mitosis of isolation, the pandemic, and the national fabric of the U.S. getting looser and looser. When I say ‘cultural mitosis’, there are lines being drawn constantly. We’re so divided, and you can’t step over the lines without offending someone. It certainly informed my writing. We recognized a responsibility to put a good word on people’s ears so there’s a good word coming back on their tongues too. We missed the joy of the live show and that magical interaction. When it was taken from us, that made me want to sing about topics that were important. There are strong themes on this record of loss of identity, preservation of joy, and beholding light and shape again.”
Lead guitarist Scott Holiday adds, “Records are a healthy form of escapism. I hope this one takes you as far away as possible. Our intent was to create a cinematic body of work. As soon as the doors shut behind you, you’re enveloped on the ride. This is the sound of us really coming into our own. We’ve gotten further from our influences and gotten closer to what we are. Darkfighter sounds like the Rival Sons.”
To celebrate the announcement, Rival Sons are set to perform an intimate one night only show at Los Angeles’s Peppermint Club on October 18th.
Darkfighter track listing:
1. Mirrors
2. Nobody Wants To Die
3. Bird In The Hand
4. Bright Light
5. Rapture
6. Guillotine
7. Horses Breath
8. Darkside
Rival Sons are Jay Buchanan (vocals, harmonica, rhythm guitar),Scott Holiday (lead guitar),Mike Miley (drums) and Dave Beste (bass).
5 Responses
The beginning reminds me of the Winery Dogs‘ Elevate, nevertheless, good song.
This song is AWESOME!! And the video is AWESOME!! Rival Sons are AWESOME!! I love it!!!
In all honesty, i love the fact they actually made a COMPLETE VIDEO for this song, instead of a lyric video!
Great song from one of the greatest bands on the planet today! Can’t wait for this new album! March is soooo far away!
Also, the new Alter Bridge is simply amazing. I was wrong about not getting excited about it on previous comments I made on this website. I’m stuck listening to it on my iPhone because they didn’t ship my damn pre-order until yesterday and it has to come across the country from California/. Is it even worth doing pre-orders if you won’t have it in hand by the day of release? Seriously irritating! Anyways, I’ll go on record to say Pawns & Kings is a top 3 AB record right up there with Fortress. Not sure which one Id choose as their third best album but it would probably come down to Walk The Sky, ABIII or Blackbird.
I pre ordered it on Amazon (which is now my record store, since the one in Jersey I used go to, closed down) along with Alter Bridge and the new Skid Row album and they showed up on this Friday.Guess it depends where you are or what you order.