Doom sludge heavyweights Primitive Man are back this Halloween with their new LP Observance, via Relapse Records.

Their newest single, "Social Contract", is a harrowing, dissonant 10-minute epic that draws on themes and motifs inspired by poet Tongo Eisen-Martin. Listen and watch the music video here:

Vocalist and guitarist Ethan Lee McCarthy shares that the song "deals with some of the universal issues that people are collectively facing in terms of the rise of authoritarianism and the erasure of history. It is a backdrop for some of the more personal issues I speak about." McCarthy adds, "the video shows examples of these ‘problems’ and insinuates who may be to blame and who may be benefiting from techno feudalism and other 'world events."

In addition to "Social Contract," Observance contains six more sludge epics, collaboratively penned by McCarthy, drummer Joe Linden, and bassist Jon Campos. The trio described themselves as "obsessed" during the creation of Observance. The band embraces space more on Observance, utilizing psychadelia and acoustic soundscapes to let their massive sludge guitars sing. Imbued in sadness and anger, the band still seeks hope; McCarthy describes it as their most positive record to date, "even as they pick over the carcass of disillusionment they still seek a way out, a path towards the light."

Observance is out October 31. Preorder here. Full tracklist below:

1. Seer
2. Devotion
3. Transactional
4. Iron Sights
5. Natural Law
6. Social Contract
7. Water

See Primitive Man on tour with Otay:Onii, Guiltless, Today is the Day, and more in their North American tour. Dates here:

11/24 Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon
11/25 Boise, ID @ The Shrine
11/26 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
11/27 Vancouver, BC @ Astoria Pub
11/28 Portland, OR @ Star Theater
11/29 Eureka, CA @ Savage Henry's
11/30 Oakland, CA @ Stork Club
12/1 Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
12/2 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
12/3 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues (Parish)
12/4 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
12/5 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
12/6 Denver, CO @ Decibel Metal & Beer Fest
12/7 Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
12/8 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
12/9 Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room
12/10 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
12/12 Orlando, FL @ The Conduit
12/13 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
12/14 Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House
12/15 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
12/16 Brooklyn, NY @ The Meadows
12/17 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
12/18 Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall
12/19 Lakewood, OH @ The Foundry
12/20 Chicago, IL @ Reggies

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