Since our introductory interview with the then newfound Clawing back in February, the Alabama trio has come a long way. Spectral Estate, their horror-inclined debut album was a mighty impressive first look into the band's obscure darkness, followed by a slick, unforced split with Maurice de Jong's Offerbeast project. Half a year later Clawing keep up with their damaging fusion of ambient, industrial and noise sounds in the form of a new thirty-minute track which solely comprises their new album, Labour.
Drawing from the immersive bleakness that drug addiction is certain to bring, and based on real life experiences from vocalist Matt Finney's own family tales, Labour is a realistic, meth-infused nightmare that narrates the torment and drama of an addict, his knotty frame of mind and bottomless psyche.
The Americana element is more distinguishable and firmly present than ever in a Clawing recording, and Finney's hair-raising spoken word delivery and graceful poetry is once again at the top of its game. This time around the group's initial three-member lineup is enhanced by the addition of new members, Tyson Platt, J. James and K. Miller, and Clawing turn into a full grown and in full force band.
"I've known a lot of junkies and I've had friends die of overdoses but it's never actually been in my family. 2 years ago my mother's husband of 10 years decided he was going to do meth. It came out of the blue and his reasons were ridiculous. The two that he recited most often were that he needed to lose weight for his job and that it made him feel young," Finney says about the story's origins, and continues to elaborate in an interesting statement which accompanies the album, and can be found on the release's Bandcamp page.
Become immersed into the story and the band's deeply engaging and skillful delivery.
Labour is out now on Grey Matter Productions.
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