12XU

(IN STORES SEPTEMBER 16, MAIL ORDER SHIPS EARLIER)

The Gospel Truth’s 3rd record and 2nd full length takes ideas & sounds cleverly sketched out on 2013’s ‘A Lonely Man Does Foolish Things’ and opens ‘em up wide screen to the point where the quartet’s range is running neck-and-neck with their imagination. Expertly recorded by Ian Rundell (Spray Paint, Empty Markets, Xetas), ‘Jealous Fires’ is a brooding, kinetic masterpiece, one that makes a very strong case for vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Mark Tonucci’s unique take on the human condition.

There’s vague echoes of some exceptional moments in rock history (Suicide, the Bad Seeds, ‘Transformer’) but there’s no contemporaries with The Gospel Truth’s ability to fuse such unvarnished explorations of mind, soul & spirit to a musical accompaniment nearly as explosive. In bassist David Petro and drummer Brandon Crowe, Tonucci’s got one of underground rock’s more inventive rhythm sections ; in guitarist Patrick Travis, a player whose flair and stylistic range makes a mockery of, well, anyone who’d settle for calling this band post-punk.

All four of these guys have logged considerable time in other Austin bands you most likely know and love ; Mark in the improv jazz quartet Art Acevedo and as the frequent saxophone fixture in troubadour John Wesley Coleman’s live band, David on guitar/vocals for 12XU labelmates Xetas, bass for Art Acevedo, Brandon’s past tenure in When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth and recent work alongside Quin Galavis in False Idol, or Patrick’s drumming for The Golden Boys…but suffice to say, The Gospel Truth SOUND ZILCH LIKE ANY OF THE ABOVE and said backgrounds only serve to point out the fellas in question are all-over-the-musical-map in a very good way.

Since 12XU is legally bound to mention The Scientists at least once every band bio this quarter, the 8 originals on ‘Jealous Fires’ are augmented by a blistering cover of “Set It On Fire”.

(first 100 on red vinyl. included download code)