Today is a great day, as Uniform announce their fifth record, American Standard, accompanied by its first single, “This Is Not A Prayer”, a driving force of a song, propelled by the dual drums of Michael Sharp and Michael Blume. The record is surely Uniform’s most cohesive and intimate work to date, tackling themes of self-destruction and with a particular focus on vocalist Michael Berdan’s bulimia nervosa. About the record and the first single, “This Is Not A Prayer”, Berdan comments, “Although our new record is best experienced as one cohesive piece, it isn’t exactly Dopesmoker. The songs on American Standard feed into an overarching narrative with the goal of retaining their own individual identities. Existing in the netherworld between Public Image Ltd. and Butthole Surfers, “This Is Not A Prayer” best exemplifies the bludgeoning percussive interplay between dual drummers Michael Sharp and Michael Blume. Similar to bands like Swans or even Meshuggah, the guitar, bass, and vocals on this track act in complete service to what’s happening on the kits. The song is as purely rhythmic as we’ve ever dared to attempt, and we hope that these beats will take you where you need to go. Drums should serve as lead instruments in extreme music more often, but I digress… Thematically, “This Is Not A Prayer” touches on the internal paradox that I’ve experienced while in the throes of an eating disorder. It’s about how the best I’ve ever felt about my physical appearance came when the people I love have told me that I look sick. Rather than taking their concerns to heart, I internalized these sentiments as proof that I was on the right track. I was not.”
American Standard will be released on August 23rd via Sacred Bones. Pre-orders are now available here.
Photo credit: Joshua Zucker-Pluda & Sean Stout
