Photo by Andy Julia

Composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer James Kent, better known as Perturbator, has announced his forthcoming Nuclear Blast Records debut studio album, Age of Aquarius, due out October 10th. 

The announcement arrives following the heavy throb of this spring's first reveal from Perturbator, "The Art of War". Among Kent's most recent efforts, his acclaimed collaboration with Cult of Luna's Johannes Persson in FInal Light, as well as his contribution to the American Psycho comic book series soundtrack, vaulted the industrial/EBM outlier to spark serious excitement in anticipation of his next move. 

Paired with the announcement of the new album, Kent has debuted the next single preview with the bombastic, "Apocalypse Now". Recruiting Kristoffer Rygg of Ulver on vocals, the track is as dominant as it is dismal, framing the divisiveness that now seems weaved into out societal DNA. 

"’Apocalypse Now’ is a song about the systematic destruction we cause to our own kind. It is our inability to get along with–and often vilify–’the others.’ Thus accelerating the end of our ways of life through simple hubris and self validation," explained Kent. 

Working with director David Fitt, the filmmaker set out to capture the ethos of the track with a visual that spoke to the destructive subtext of the song. “The lyrics of ‘Apocalypse Now’ have made me wonder: what would the last war look like? A coup? A war of all against all? A nuclear war? Maybe. Could be. But I realized that what I would love to do, to watch, to happen, is a war of world leaders against themselves. The war they all dream of, but are too cowardly to fight themselves. This would be the ultimate war, in my opinion. And that's what I aimed to show. And then we're left wondering: what would be next? What if women took charge? Would power consume them too, eventually? Are we doomed as a species? That's what I wonder and want people to wonder with me.” 

The confirmation of Age of Aquarius arrives as the first full length follow-up to Perturbator's acclaimed 2021 LP,  Lustful Sacraments. The sixth LP and Kent's first for Nuclear Blast Records is bolstered by collaborative features from Alcest, Author & Punisher and Greta Link. 

Speaking to the greater scope of the album and how the latest single underscores that idea, Kent detailed the stratification that has defined the modern era. “We have this climate nowadays of people getting divided over everything. Every debate is two-sided, very extreme, very warlike, and people are very into group thinking: ‘There's this side of the conflict, and there's this side of the conflict, and if you're not on my side, you're wrong.’” 

In addition to the October release of Age of Aquarius, Perturbator will begin his EU/UK tour later this year with KÆlan Mikla and GOST. The tour begins November 5th in Nantes, FR and Bataclan in Paris, FR on December 6th. See a list of confirmed dates below. 

Age of Aquarius, the new album from Perturbator lands October 10th via Nuclear Blast Records. Get the album - HERE