Souls Extolled Redefines Punk Rock with New Album Soulsex!
If you love Punk Rock music then you are really going to like Souls Extolled a band who has proved themselves time and time again in the Austin Indie-Punk scene are now taking it to the road…
CelebnMusic247.com would like to introduce you to the torchbearers of the Austin Indie-Punk scene, Souls Extolled have proven time and time again that the dedication they bring to their craft is unmatched.
With the release of their newest album Soulsex, the band is proud to announce a few dates including their record release party and vinyl release party!
While continuing to build momentum off their latest album, “MMXXII,” which garnered nationwide attention on its merit in 2022, the band has released their fourth studio album Soulsex, out now and available everywhere you stream music. Save “Soulsex” here.
It is their most personal and eclectically-inspired album to date, and the obvious choice to deem it their self-titled collection, opting for the band’s preferred shortened version of their name – SoulsEx. In discussing the personal weight behind the album, vocalist Zach Black commented, “We feel like the album captures perfectly the meaning of the band. Souls Extolled has always meant a celebration of our souls, spirits, or unique consciousnesses through music or art in general.” On the intimate significance felt by this accomplishment, Black goes on to say “If this is the last music I ever release, I’m absolutely ok with that. This is the album for me.”
Recorded in their hometown of Austin at the historic Bubble Studio under the guidance of local mastermind Chris “Frenchie” Smith, the history of the artist’s musical roots was ingrained in the recording process on a molecular level. Determined to integrate an indie, Avante-Garde feel into the production, the bandmates felt an immediate connection to the studio’s production style and a deep respect for Frenchie. This connection allowed for the producer to push them in ways they could not have imagined creatively. Upon reflecting on the recording process and final product, Black remarked “It was not only ‘us’, but it was an ‘us’ packaged and polished in a way we felt other people would get as well.”
Most evident on the debut single “The Cut,” which pushes the limits of the artist’s adrenaline-pumping proclivities. A fast-paced powerhouse of the album, anchoring the central themes of rebelliousness and individuality throughout the record. Featuring a hypnotically rhythmic beat, grungy vocal enthusiasm, and aural embellishments that pay homage to the pioneers of the genre, it serves as a personal tribute to growing up in the Austin counterculture scene. Another standout song is “Vanguard,” a satirical take on the superficiality of social media culture, with Black reflecting, “It’s about how everyone wants to be, or pretend to be, some kind of badass influencer, rock star.”
“Triumphant Monsters,” the second single off the new album, is a melodic anthem with a skank-reggae chorus, the energy is hard to overlook. The lyrically-motivated track seeks to give commentary on the absence of morality so often seen in those who pursue wealth and power, and holds a light up to society for the platform we give to those who value their own success over the greater good. “Fathers Before” was written during a rare outing with Black’s father, amidst the towering California redwoods, he reflected on the interpersonal and socio-political failings of his generation while urging Black and his generation to strive for better; the song’s thumb-and-fingers picking rhythm evokes a medieval, Eastern European folk quality, and true to Souls Extolled’s rock roots, it crescendos into a spirited jam outro—because, after all, this is a rock band!
“Johnny TFC” was created from a jam session where sonically the band created ‘the filthiest thing we could play’ —a chaotic, contagious mess. Black recalls, “Also I should add… JP and Joe are like music-band nerds, and for one of the breakdowns designed an off tempo structure that’s counted 3-7-2-5-4. They really get off on this, and we think maybe it could be like the band’s number or secret code, to put on T-Shirts or something.” Lyrically they wrote a story around “Johnny” a crazy-misled-charlatan-preacher-school-shooter hybrid character, with a Tin Foil Crown.
“A Star Is Born” began as a reflection on Black’s wife Paige’s battle with cancer and grew to encompass broader tragedies like those in the Middle East and Ukraine, questioning why suffering befalls the undeserving, before closing as a heartfelt love letter to his now cancer-free wife. The band blends RATM-inspired verses, Pearl Jam-style choruses, a cinematic guitar breakdown, and a tender indie-rock finale reminiscent of La La Land. “Gold” is a standout single released ahead of the album, Zach Black comments, “I’m a huge fantasy-sci-fi nerd, and for ‘GOLD’ I found inspiration in fantasy literature, using imagery and themes from Stephen King’s book ‘Fairy Tale’ to denote how our journey through life teaches us to discern what’s really important, and how in doing so we become the hero of our own story.”
As a whole, the album showcases Souls Extolled’s musical range. Its design threads the needle between paying homage to the influences of their genre and defining their own individual sound through the band’s commitment to technique and poetry, coupled with a nuanced sensibility.
While their fans have shown a great deal of support for the new album, Soul Extolled is excited to return the sentiment to their own Restless Kind with a grand release and celebrate this milestone. In support of the album the band will be performing select dates throughout Texas including their record release party on January 16th at Hotel Vegas, and the vinyl release party on March 29th at Valhalla! The full show schedule is below with more dates coming soon.
Soulsex is out now and available everywhere you stream music! Save “Soulsex” here.
Upcoming Shows:
• 1/16: Austin, TX — Hotel Vegas with Jelly Ellington and Cowboy Diplomacy * Album Release Party *
• 2/14: Austin, TX — 13th Floor with Mikky & The Doom and Jess Helios
• 3/29: Austin, TX — Valhalla with Los Alcos and Our Last Daze * Vinyl Release Party *
“Sporting an arrangement that refuses to grow stale between its anthemic stop-and-start bookends, “Gold” sheds the too-cool-for-school attitude of Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes in favor of authentic and invigorating alt-punk passion. So go ahead. Be judgmental. Because we all know it kicks some serious ass.” – KUTX Song of the Day
“There’s such a wonderful diversity of genre on display across Souls Extolled’s new album, but each track is unmistakably theirs. They don’t shy away from the big topics with their lyrics and use poetry and imagery to great effect to make their points.” – York Calling
