On April 11th, Clang Quartet, the noise-rock project founded and curated by Scotty Irving released its’ newest LP. ‘A Slow Death For The Peacemaker’ via Strange Mono/No Rent Records as a limited edition of 150 cassettes.

Clang Quartet is the musical project of Scotty Irving (drummer for Spirit Of Hamlet, Geezer Lake, Eugene Chadbourne, and others) described by the man behind the project, Scotty Irving as “Harsh noise, Drums, Performance Art For Jesus Since 1997.”

Clang Quartet can’t be contained by genre. A true industrial renegade from Stokesdale NC, Irving has been persevering under the moniker of Clang Quartet for over two decades, performing and collaborating with everybody from Mike Watt and Ariel Pink to Acid Mothers Temple and Z’EV.

“To an extent, every CQ release has some form of catharsis with it.” – explains Irving, talking about the creating impulses behind the process of his project. Though, A Slow Death For The Peacemaker marks another step in the transitional sound for Clang Quartet. The use of lyrics, a more targeted approach to composition, and a directness of subject matter propel the project and its’ creator into a new era.

Building on his last release 2021’s Judge Thy Neighbor, Love Thyself, Scotty drilled down creating a more concentrated sound. The album’s first track “The Abortion Card” has a classic rock and roll structure of hooks that reinforces the lyrical depth. “With Weariness And Heavy Heart” has a more intimate feel with vocals that are subtle, heartfelt, and close, paired with sparse rhythms and an escalating atmosphere. Banished From Eden/A Christian Without A Church takes on a hymnal feeling with layered melodies and soft rising drones showing us what early industrial acts like Current 93 could have become in the later years.

The album’s last two tracks are more a return to the classic Clang sound. Friends Become Enemies (Psalm 55:12-16)/Purification By Fire (Ezekiel 22:17-22)/Prayer For Peace (Psalm 139) has lush layers of noise, spasmodic percussion, and samples finally resolving in the flowing of a river. Sufficient Grace (sounds based on my December 2022 MRI)(2 Corinthians 12:9) the album’s final track is triumphant in its minimalism as Scotty attempts to recreate the sounds he heard as he underwent an MRI for his recent cancer diagnosis.

Here’s the video for The Abortion Card:

Clang Quartet: Facebook / YouTube

If you would like to keep up with At The Barrier, you can like us on Facebook here, follow us on Twitter here, and follow us on Instagram here. We really appreciate all your support.