Release Date: September 11th 2026. Record Label: SPM Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Regional Theatre - Tracklist
Loungeside
The 1234
Shake Hands & Exit
Somehow
Hey Nightmare
Superbia
Dream Sequence
Thrash
Hypernormalisation
Signal Bleed
Members
Kevin Feazey: Vocals, Bass, Production
Tom Hunt: Keys, Vocals, Percussion
Matt Stevens: Guitar
Steve Cleaton: Guitar
Stuart Marshall: Drums
Review
Alternative/Stoner/Prog Metallers The Fierce And The Dead return with their fifth full length album Regional Theatre which takes a different direction compared to their acclaimed 2023 album News From The Invincible World. The record is compounded by a heavy Shoegaze effect which gives the band a whole new level of creativity to go with their already well-known and highly established experimental sound.
The Fierce And The Dead use their musical influences wisely with sounds reminiscent of the likes of QOTSA, Mastodon, Slowdive, HUM, HELMET, At The Drive-In, Faith No More and Sonic Youth. I would even add MELVINS and BORIS to that impressive list as how the band create different QUIET vs LOUD musical dynamics with the powerful strands of Post-Rock and Shoegaze transforming into a battering ram of Doom/Stoner Metal dimensions.
Regional Theatre does have a theatrical or cinematic aspect to the whole story where the music drastically changes with each individual track. The heartfelt poppier / stadium rock friendly aspects soon give way to a more damaging Grunge, Heavy Psych and Prog Metal dynamic. The Fierce And The Dead are very hard to categorize here and they do remind me of the amazing band CLOAKROOM. As both bands have similar styles of delivering HEAVY MUSIC though multiple different lenses of the ROCK / METAL spectrum.
There’s a wonderful Eighties Rock sound that feels inspired by The Smiths and The Cure but with a subtle Sludgy Rock sound still being heard in the distance. Then the band changed musical direction for an abstract Punk Rock and Grunge sound on the amazing tracks of Somehow and Hey Nightmare being my favourite two tracks on the album.
Regional Theatre is perhaps one the hardest albums I’ve reviewed this year but that’s a great thing as the whole musical journey keeps you on your toes with it’s outlandish and surreal vision fully coming to life on the standout tracks of Loungeside, The 1234, Somehow, Hey Nightmare, Superbia, Hypernormalisation and Signal Bleed. I know that’s almost the entire album listed there but I love those tracks the same as each other.
The melodies are wonderfully subversive and superbly confusing at the same time with a jangled approach still allowing The Fierce And The Dead to show you what FAITH NO MORE, MASTODON and AT THE DRIVE-IN would sound like if they enter the Stoner Rock/Metal underground scene with a dash of TOOL and KING CRIMSON just to fuck things up even further but in a good way.
The lyrics are slightly fantastical but are the perfect gateway and introduction for casual listeners to find a way into The Fierce And The Dead’s wonderfully inventive world. There’s a great use of SONIC experimentation which brings a fresh perspective to the band’s entire musical output.
Regional Theatre is an absolute masterclass of warped and passionate heavy music which manages to project almost every genre possible but still being mostly part of the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. Yeah, The Fierce And The Dead are in a league of their own which will no doubt push them onto greater, bigger and better things once more.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to The Fierce And The Dead for the promo.
Regional Theatre is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via SPM Records.
Links
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