New album, “Breaking The Catatonic State”, out on March 20th!
Crouch features Wim Coppers (Wiegedood, Oathbreaker, Rise And Fall, Living Gate) on drums, Jasper Hollevoet (Ventilateur) on bass, and Levy Seynaeve (Wiegedood, Oathbreaker, ex-Amenra, Living Gate) on guitars and vocals. Each member brings extensive experience from their previous bands, which have solidified Belgium’s presence in the global heavy music scene.
“Breaking The Catatonic State” was recorded and mixed by Gilles Demolder (Wiegedood), with mastering handled by Brad Boatright (Audiosiege). The artwork, created by Bram Vanderbeke, depicts an aluminum pillar emerging from the ground, symbolizing the band’s evolution and breakthrough.
Musically, “Breaking The Catatonic State” marks a clear departure from the band’s earlier sound, moving away from familiar sludgy rhythms to embrace a more complex and dynamic direction. “Breaking with the 4/4 heartbeat rhythm we’re all so comforted by, even before we’re born, is at the center of the musical philosophy of this record,” explains the band. “Hooks and sharp corners at every turn are what keeps us on our toes as musicians and what ultimately drives us to write and play music and has led us to drop any preconceived notion of what the follow-up to our EP should sound like, and any expectation of being well received with it”.
Both in lyrics and sound, the album aims to get to the core of things. “This record is the musical and lyrical embodiment of its title,” the band notes. “Crouch no longer carries the same face it had at its conception and we’ve fully embraced what we ourselves find thrilling in making music”.
The evolution brings a new level of directness. “For the first time in my life I’ve found the words to address things without feeling the need to protect the clue by a wall of metaphors and adjectives,” shares Levy. “To quote a famous Parisian: ‘This is for us, this is not for you'”. In stripping away the filters, Crouch delivers an album that is intimate, unflinching, and deeply resonant.
(Photograph by Geert Braekers)
