Adam Benavides October 27th, 2020 - 8:37 PM
Metal rockers Mustard Gas and Roses (AKA M.G.R.) have announced a brand new single called “Shadows,” which will appear on the group’s new EP We Are One. The EP will be released on Friday, November 10 on the Pax Aeternum record label and will feature a collection of two original songs as well as covers of Joy Division and Spiritualized.
“Shadows” sees Mustard Gas and Roses at its sludge metal, alt-rock best as the song delivers heavy riffs and thumping melodies throughout with brief moments of more accessible pop-rock melodies. Frontman Mike Gallagher’s vocals give the song a heavier and even haunting feel before coming to a loud, slashing close.
We Are One was captured at several studios with multiple lineups throughout 2017. Select songs were recorded by producers Adam Pike (Toadhouse Recording, Portland, Oregon), Steve Kille (Wiggle Room Studio, Tujunga, California) and Sanford Parker (Big Bad Sound LA, Los Angeles). The EP was mixed by Sanford Parker, mastered by James Plotkin, and completed with paintings by Nicole Momaney and layout by Brandon Pierce.
M.G.R. has been described as initially being an “exploration of the symphonic capabilities of the electric guitar.” According to a press release, “M.G.R.’s current incarnation experiments with more traditional “rock” approaches, yet always finds ways of pushing those sonic attributes to the fringe, with every track serving as an excavation and reassessment of the song’s core essence and urgency.”
While band founder Gallagher performs guitar and vocals on all the We Are One tracks, the EP features an array of featured musicians throughout including Marc Brandi (guitar), J Bennett (bass), Patrick Crawford (drums), Bryan Tulao (guitar), Sash Popovic (drums), Keefus Cianca (piano) along with Tara Connelly, C. J. Leedy, and Sera Timms providing additional vocal duties. The group’s last full-length studio effort, Becoming, was released in 2016 to widespread acclaim.
We Are One track list:
- “Shadows”
- “Becoming”
- “Exercise One” (Joy Division cover)
- “Cop Shoot Cop” (Spiritualized cover)
