Sydney psychedelic overlords Grinding Eyes have returned with Taste The Monochrome, a devilish, mind-melting experience brewed in the throes of 2020.
Grinding Eyes are a well-known force in Sydney’s psychedelic space, each member doing their time in some of the scene’s finest acts. Their music is a cataclysmic take on the genre, cherry-picking elements of drone and shoegaze to create a sound that’s noisy, foreboding, and luscious.
On Friday May 14th they’ll release their brand new album, Taste The Monochrome, ahead of an extensive Australian tour. But today, you can get an early listen of the record with Happy Mag.
Taste The Monochrome was recorded throughout 2020 in Sydney with Straight Arrows’ Owen Penglis, then mixed by Evan Foster (Boss Martians, Iggy Pop) and mastered by Ed Brooks (Death Cab For Cutie, Fleet Foxes).
It’s a record that’s not afraid to wear the year’s darker colours on its sleeve, from the foreboding opening moments of Monochrome to the all-out assault of a breakdown in You’ve Been Deceived.
Speaking about the lead single, Grinding Eyes frontman Matt Wicks shared:
“Until It Falls Apart was written on the road in the US. I was constantly moving, thinking about how to capture that feeling when one’s life falls apart, you know – even in slow motion – you’re being self-destructive and you can see disaster on the horizon, but you still can’t control the dark feelings rising within you like you might spin you wildly out of control and there’s nothing you can do.”
Taste The Monochrome will be delivered to Australian fans throughout an extensive tour, presented by Happy Mag. Hitting points all along the east coast as well as a triple-booked weekend in Adelaide, it’ll see the band on the road from May through to mid August.
Check out the full run of dates below – please note that some were recently rescheduled due to Sydney’s COVID-19 restrictions. Tickets are available through Grinding Eyes’ Facebook page.
Happy Presents: Grinding Eyes Taste The Monochrome tour
Thu 20 May – The Studio SSA, Albury
Fri 21 May – Cactus Room, Melbourne
Sat 22 May – The Tote, Melbourne – SOLD OUT
Sun 23 May – The Tote, Melbourne
Sat 5 June – Glider Festival, Sydney
Sat 26 June – Visual Arts Warehouse Party, Sydney – SOLD OUT
Sat 3 July – 24hr Party Festival, Sydney
Fri 16 July – Animal House, Adelaide
Sat 17 July – Unibar, Adelaide
Sun 18 July – Mystique, Adelaide
Fri 13 August – Waywards, Sydney
