Tommy Concrete
Hexenzirkel
Trepanation Records
Release: 25 June 2021
TOMMY CONCRETE Announces New Album Through Trepanation Records
“There are people who say there is nothing new in rock and heavy metal these days, and then there is Tommy Concrete. (He is) quite possibly one of the most thought provoking and intelligent writers and composers out there today.” Gary Cooper, The Moshville Times
“Sometimes harrowing, sometimes enlightening, there isn’t a second […] that doesn’t feel completely genuine.” – Nathan Tyler, Astral Noize
Marked by relentless persistence and an ever-evolving creative spirit, the music of Edinburgh, Scotland solo artist Tommy Concrete pushes new boundaries with the upcoming album Hexenzirkel. Due out via Trepanation Records later this year, Hexenzirkel features an array of guest artists and incorporates unexpected musical genres to deliver a soundscape that fans of Devin Townsend, Ihsahn, The Gathering and Opeth will enjoy.
Concrete says of the album,
“It uses the same musical ingredients as my previous work, as in it’s a combination of black, doom, prog, and trad metal. But this time I’ve tried to create a fusion of styles as opposed to swapping between them. This concept came from listening to 70s flamenco/rock fusion artists such as Al Di Meola and Cameron De La Isla. Hexenzirkel also contains elements of flamenco, trip-hop, rap, and alt-rock thrown in with the usual blend of extreme metals.”
Lyrically, Concrete considers the album an exploration of psychosis of which he was diagnosed in 2019. A condition which he came to terms with during the global pandemic, in so far as it gave him the drive to create Hexenzirkel. The lyrics were written in order as they appear on the album, in almost diary format from March 2020 – May 2020.
Concrete, who is autistic, experiences synesthesia which is the ability to experience sound and music visually. His recent Unrelaxed 1 & 2 albums had neurodiversity as the lyrical concept. This time Concrete decided to represent neuro-diversity musically, by utilizing his synesthesia as a creative tool. In as such as drawing the music first and composing the songs to fit the shapes and colors. Hexenzirkel is literally the sound and shape (if your have synesthesia) of psychosis.
Hexenzirkel contains more doom metal influences than his previous releases. A genre he is more known for outside his solo work, having most recently appeared in three of the forty bands of the recent ‘Doomed & Stoned in Scotland’ compilation, namely Psychotic Depression, Jackal Headed Guard of the Dead and of course Tommy Concrete.
He has taken a definite turn from his time with Scottish punk legends The Exploited, forging his own solo identity. Now with Hexenzirkel, his ninth solo album and the second with Trepanation, Concrete welcomes a wealth of collaborators to continue this musical evolution. “The word ‘Hexenzirkel’ is German for ‘witches coven,’ which I felt was an appropriate title as so many people have contributed to the album,” he says.
Concrete is joined by the following vocalists:
– Laura Gilchrist of doom metal band King Witch
– Jenni Sneddon of witch rock band Juniper Grave
– Michael Brannagh of Tommy Concrete and the Werewolves and formerly American hard rock band Warrior Soul
– Christian Kimmet from Warrior Soul and American glam legends Love Hate
– Jamie Herkes from Tommy Concrete and the Werewolves and Scottish punks Critkill
– Bryan Ramage from prog metal band Ramage Inc.
Ramage also produced, mixed, and mastered the album.
Hexenzirkel will be available in CD and digital formats on 25th June 2021
Preorder available here: https://tommyconcrete.bandcamp.com/album/hexenzirkel
A hardened stalwart of the UK’s metal and punk scenes, Edinburgh multi-instrumentalist Tommy Concrete is a Scottish underground veteran who continues to make a mark. Concrete has played guitar for legendary UK punks The Exploited and instrumental doom band Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead, as well as sung for infamous metallers Man of the Hour. He began releasing music under his own name in 2001.
Since then, he has put out eight full-length albums and two EPs, with 2018’s LP Unrelaxed being named Album of the Year by Gary Cooper of Moshville Times. Concrete says, “Mental health, addiction, and altered states have been themes that run through my entire discography. However, since Unrelaxed I have focused the tone and I aim to advocate against ableism, to promote recovery, and to destigmatize mental health issues.” November 2018, Concrete delivered a seminar at the Scottish Autism 50th Anniversary conference at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, expanding his standing as a neuro-diversity advocate outside of the music scene.
Concrete just released his ninth LP: Hexenzirkel, through Trepanation Recordings. The album is an intimate look at his own psychosis, which he was diagnosed with in 2019. Through his music and activism, Concrete turns what could be a stigma into a defiant perspective. Marked by relentless persistence and an ever-evolving creative spirit, Tommy Concrete continues to push new boundaries decades into his career.
And what a career it has been. Beyond putting out music constantly, Concrete has released a novel ‘The Wages of Metal’ (With a second due for 2022), done film soundtracks and never stopped playing live, at least until the coronavirus pandemic. Now as the crisis shudders to a close, Tommy Concrete is planning for the exciting next phase of his career. As one critic put it, “‘Concrete’ is a great codename to describe Tommy’s career: solid, consistent, and incredibly heavy.”
Tommy Concrete – The Blind Man shines Light on The Truth
Tommy Concrete – They
Tommy Concrete – Orc Mage
Tommy Concrete – Trauma
Tommy Concrete – Robust Endeavour
Tommy Concrete links:
Band location – Edinburgh Scotland
Blogspot – Facebook – You Tube – Bandcamp – Merch –
Twitter – Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer – Last Fm
