The Sound & the Fury: Soul Butchers New LP, ‘Second Death,’ the Perfect Catharsis for these Dark Days

“I wanna live

until I die,

don’t think there is

another side…”

— ‘Antipathy’ (Soul Butchers) 

There’s something downright encouraging about the cynicism — or even, perhaps, nihilism — that permeates many of the songs on the excellent new album ‘Second Death’ by the Buffalo band, Soul Butchers.

After all, these are dark days, and they call for rebellion and skepticism — both of which are critical in confronting the morally bankrupt dogma now polluting America.

‘Second Death,’ which rips with a desperate urgency across the LP’s 13-tracks, is steep in rebellion and cynicism. And that not only makes this album the perfect record for these fucked-up times, but it also underscores exactly why punk rock is needed so badly right now, and perhaps more than ever.

“I think it's fair to say some of the songs might come off as nihilistic,” said Soul Butchers guitarist Allan Uthman. “Although really what they are is cathartic, like a temper tantrum. The world right now is looking kind of bleak, and it doesn't seem like it's going to get better anytime soon. So, some of these songs are expressions of frustration, desperation, or simple contempt for a species stupid and hateful enough to choose suffering and persecution over decency; or dictatorship over democracy.”

‘Second Death’ will drop Friday on Bandcamp, where it will live for a bit before also appearing on other streaming platforms.

But first, the band — also comprised of Rob Barnette on bass, Joe Peluso on drums, and Justin Rowland vocals — will host a listening party for the new album on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Matinee on Main Street in Buffalo.

“We’re excited and just a little nervous,” Uthman said. “There are a couple of tracks on this one that range into styles we haven't covered before. We've always been of the mindset that an album — or band — should take you to different places, and not just do the same thing over and over. This one visits a couple of new places, and we're curious to see how people will react.

“Still, there are plenty of tracks that will resonate with what people expect from us,” Uthman added. “It's funny: you kind of have an idea of what the band's musical identity is, but then new songs just kind of happen and they might not fit that mold. But we like them anyway, so now that's part of what the band is, too. We're not a single-genre band that 'stays in its lane,' so to speak, and hopefully that's one of the things people like about us.”

Raw, powerful, hyper and manic, ‘Second Death’ fuses the danger of The Stooges with the cynical fury of bands such as Titus Andronicus and The Dead Kennedys.

And though the band’s signature straight-ahead full-throttle punk approach is prevalent, the album is also explorative. ‘Antipathy,’ for instance, features a catchy, riff-driven Smithereens-like sound, while ‘Shoot Em Down’ is not only searing but anthemic.

‘Second Death’ was engineered by Peluso and mixed and mastered by Buffalo’s John Angelo. The production is stellar, bringing out the album’s force in a way that almost makes it tangible, enabling the listener to not only hear the record’s power and urgency, but feel it as well.

“Our previous releases,” said Uthman “were more just recording the band live in studio and maybe a couple of overdubs here and there. ‘Skin on Fire,’ (the band’s 2019 LP), was recorded in three hours at Mammoth Studios with one day for overdubs. This one was a DIY affair, but because we weren't paying for studio time, we were able to take our time and indulge in more ‘studio magic,’ for better or worse. Joe basically taught himself audio engineering while making this album, which was kind of amazing, and so a lot of the credit goes to him. 

“It's mostly track-by-track, and that enabled us to tweak the mix more. We all have strong opinions on how things should sound, which is why it's great to call on John Angelo once it's all there,” Uthman continued. “We've gone to him twice before and probably will again. He's a real pro with great ears. What he brings out is the music itself. It's like what salt does to food — suddenly the flavors are so much clearer. He's just really got it. Also, he's so easy to work with and actually makes changes when asked, even ones he probably thinks are bad ideas. Plus, he's just a cool guy. It's all those qualities that make us a repeat customer for John.”

Also standing out on ‘Second Death’ is its wordplay, and Rowland’s vocal delivery

I’m stranded, I’m alone again

Branded, on the side of my head

Frantic, with nowhere to run

Manic, like I’m the only one

Disgusted, at myself

I’m busted, just never had the stuff

Anxious, yet again

Pop some pills, make my brain pretend

Exhausted, with the day

I’ve lost it, in every way

Defeated, by myself

I’m needed, but I feel like hell

— ‘Feel Like Hell’ (Soul Butchers)

“It's hard to generalize about the lyrics, because there's more than one writer in the band,” said Uthman. “Sometimes, the lyrics are character sketches, meant to be the words of someone who isn't us, or is the opposite of us, like, say, ‘The Owl’ or ‘Winnebago Warrior’ by the Dead Kennedys. In truth, we don't want to ‘watch the world burn,’ (as Rowland sings on ‘Antipathy,’) but perhaps it just felt good to say it, to engage in that mental escape hatch of pretending not to care, when caring is so painful.” 

As for Thursday’s listening party, the band noted the event is free and anyone who’d like to attend is welcome.

“We'll be spinning the record on repeat through the sound system, and people can come in and pre-order the thing, buy some merch, and let Kev and Rex from Matinee keep them loose with their next-level cocktails,” Uthman said. “It'll be a truly amazing way to celebrate the culmination of almost THREE YEARS of work — yeesh — with the greatest fans, friends, and family, imaginable.”

Meanwhile, looking ahead, Soul Butchers will be playing an hour set at the Music is Art festival on Sept. 20, closing out the Refringe World Stage run by Curt Rotterdam. The band goes on at 10 p.m.

Soul Butchers will also play Nietzsche's annual Halloween show on Oct. 31 along with The Irving Klaws and Well Worn Boot.

“We'll be covering ‘I Against I’ by Bad Brains front-to-back this year, which is daunting, so come and see if we nail it or fail miserably,” said Uthman. “We're also looking to play more out-of-town shows. We've had a couple of really good ones in Rochester lately, but we want to branch out further than that. There may be a video release or two in the works as well. And, of course, Buffalo peeps will be seeing us out there on the regular, as usual. We love playing, so we like to do it as much as we can.”