The return of Amebix

Amebix will release a new album this fall.

It's hard to put into words how thrilling that is to write. The fathers of British crust punk were inactive for more than two decades, leaving behind a pair of full-length albums and an album's worth of stray tracks.

So the reunion of a couple of years ago was exciting enough, and last year's Redux e.p. -- featuring a trio of rerecorded classics with the current lineup -- showed that the band's signature epic heaviness had not been lost to time.

But new music? Oh man.

This track is a teaser from the album, Sonic Mass, and while it doesn't turn back the clock entirely to 1987, it does bring the band's signature vibe. The track builds slowly, with vocalist/bassist The Baron singing almost clearly before the heavy-duty power hits about midway through the track, fueling the song until its end. It's a terrific snippet of crusty punk that while certainly modern, never wavers from what brought Amebix to the table in the first place.

The song is available as a stand-alone download, on CD or in a vinyl edition from Profane Existence, pressed on heavy-duty wax, with an etching on one side and access to an exclusive video for the song. Whatever the format, it's more than worth a listen, at the very least to tide listeners over until September.