Among the UK's most acclaimed, emerging aggressors, Pupil Slicer have resurfaced with their first offering of new music since 2023's triumph, Blossom. Introducing their next era, the title track "Fleshwork" serves a gargantuan reassertion - anchored by a commanding performance from guitarist/vocalist Kate Davies, the trakc also marks the arrival of bassist and backing vocalist, Luke Booth.
Speaking to the spirit of the title track, the band detailed the emotion at the core of such an assaultive reintroduction and how catharsis and introspection played an important role in constructing such a massive return. “Fleshwork is a deconstruction of what it means to be human, the penchant for personal and society-wide self-destruction and systemic cruelty that seems all but guaranteed to rear its head as long as humans exist. It’s more grounded and emotionally charged than previous work, with a stronger emphasis on the failings of our world to look after those who need it the most and our own ability to look after ourselves. How much pain can you inflict on yourself and others before you cease to be human? There is no limit; all of the worst things to happen to the human race have been caused by its own members."
The band continued, "Fleshwork's new image of PUPIL SLICER is one that's frayed around the edges, incinerated and burned to the ground; a survivor in a wasteland of loss and decay.”
Building on the band's unconventional rhythms and chaotic delivery, "Fleshwork" harnesses the same devastating energy, which a more more focused and direct approach. “‘Fleshwork’ as a track originally started as experimentation into more industrial and groove-oriented writing that we found really worked well in the practice space. Since road testing this song, we’ve found it hits like a brick wall live and really works in that setting so we believe it’s a great starting point for this new era. Lyrically, this song encompasses a lot of the themes of the album, dealing with manipulation, death, and total eradication of one’s own humanity to further a cause you don’t believe in and perpetuate a cycle of killing."
Paired with the announcement of the new album, the band have released a compelling new visual for the title track that underscores a consistent narrative throughout. "The music video was directed by our good friend David Gregory who we are excited to be collaborating with again. The narrative in the video spans across all of the upcoming singles for this release, to tell a story that depicts the tonal and thematic elements of our album through a cinematic eye.”
Fleshwork, the third full length album from Pupil Slicer is due out November 7th via Prosthetic Records. Check the artwork below. The album is current available for pre-order - HERE
