The Brutalist

The band formed in the middle of punk's '77 explosion, but quickly began seeking out new, hitherto unexplored space. Vastly influential, Wire's myriad adventures remain entirely inspiring, even after all this time. Toasting their 40th anniversary, the band will release new album 'Silver/Lead' through their own pinkflag label. As a preview Wire have shared new cut 'Short Elevated Period', and it's a deft fusion of the band's pop / Brutalist sides, a mixture of old and new that unsettles and provokes.

American eccentric Scott Walker's latest collection of scary stories to sing in the dark is technically a collaboration with the sludgiest band on the planet, but it plays like any of his recent solo albums: flighty, operatic melodies, minimalist circles of percussion, and brittle stabs of noise. SunnO))), the cloaked duo known for foundation-rattling electric guitar drones, provides triumphant punctuation and proper atmosphere, covering his compositions with a layer of tar. With humming menace comes tracks like "Brando" and "Herod 2014," which have the blood-in-the-desert vibe of Cormac McCarthy, with shockingly vivid lyrics ("the nurseries and crèches are heaving with lush lice") and snapping bullwhip from circus performer Peter Gamble. This teaming of a gifted poet and bruising metalheads is like Lou Reed and Metallica's Lulu – but about half as long, and about twice as heavy.