Australian alternative rock group Closure in Moscow have announced an exclusive album launch party in Melbourne for their forthcoming new album ‘Soft Hell.’

The band will celebrate the album’s release with a hometown show on Saturday December 2 at Howler in Brunswick with an announcement on their newsletter:

“Melbourne! This is our only headline show of 2023. Come hear us play some new bangers.”

The band will be supported by local experimental soul artists APHIR & NIINE (solo set).

The announcement follows the release of the band’s synth-laden 3rd single from the record “Keeper of the Lake.” The new single comes with a washed out performance video produced by Yovozol with filming by Rowey. Blending 90s VHS effects with the quirky and idiosyncratic performance of the band, it’s yet another glimpse into a new era of these genre-shifting chameleons.

The track follows the band’s well-received singles ‘Better Way’ released in March and ‘Primal Sinister’ released in May.

Having recently completed an Australian tour alongside Deafheaven, the band have also hinted at upcoming tour plans for Australia, the USA and UK, following the release of their new album in October.

‘Soft Hell’ is the band’s third album and their first new album in 9 years, following Pink Lemonade (2014), First Temple (2009) and their debut EP ‘The Penance and the Patience’ (2008).

The band have spanned a wide range of genres across their releases – from post-hardcore and earnest punk rock, through to progressive rock, avante-garde and experimental electronic rock.

The new album will be released through independent label Bird’s Robe, home of fellow Aussies sleepmakeswaves, We Lost The Sea, Toehider, Troldhaugen, Pluto Jonze & internationals including 65daysofstatic (UK) & Maybeshewill (UK).

About the new album, the band says:

It’s finally here for you to preorder, the last 9 years distilled down to 50 minutes. 

We’ve put blood, sweat and years into this, and fully believe when you hear these tracks, the wait will have been worth it. We know you have to take our word on that for the time being, but the wait is almost over.

The new album is called “Soft Hell.” 

Getting comfortable with chronic discomfort caused by the choices that fears and trauma lead you to make. This is life in a soft hell. There are enough distractions to stave off facing up to it, you can keep yourself in denial to avoid it, and things can just keep ticking along. Life becomes a fever dream of creature comforts and time killers, floating further into a lake of fire. People come along to pull you out, but they too get burned when you feel too stuck to climb with them.

Thank you to everyone that had been patiently waiting for new music. Everyone involved with working on this went so above and beyond because they believed in it, and we hope you hear what they heard too.

Linktree - Closure In Moscow

Mike Solo, the band’s manager and Director of Bird’s Robe says:

I am so damn excited for this album. I’ve been a super fan of the band since the day I saw them and have followed every step of their career enthusiastically. This is my favourite album from them and I’m so keen to share it with people and see the reactions. I know it’s taken forever but it’s totally worth the wait. I’m still in awe of them as a musical group and it’s still a little bit surreal that I get to be part of the process of helping share their music.

Thanks everyone for your patience and support all this time. More about Closure in Moscow: Closure in Moscow formed in 2006 and soon attracted attention for their dynamic, catchy and energetic take on post-hardcore with their debut ‘albumette’ The Penance and the Patience. They quickly signed to Equal Vision Records and relocated to the USA, recording their full-length debut First Temple with producer Kris Crummett and touring extensively with acts including Coheed and Cambria, Emery and Dance Gavin Dance. 

They returned to Australia for the Homebake Festival in 2009, completed a gruelling trek on the 2010 Warped Tour and all the while First Temple quickly earned a dedicated following for fans of their blistering musicianship, impossibly catchy melodies and formidable grooves. After returning to Australia in 2011, they joined the roster of TeamTrick management and toured with My Chemical Romance, Dead Letter Circus, Gyroscope, as well as touring Japan with FACT. Following this, they went into a long hibernation, as writing gradually began for what would become the Pink Lemonade album, produced by Tom Larkin and Andrei Eremin.

Emerging with a new rhythm section and a new look and sound, their Frank Zappa inspired record polarised some fans initially, before eventually being acclaimed as one of the most inventive and original records of the year. Finding fans in the Dillinger Escape Plan and Protest the Hero, they toured extensively with both bands. After joining Bird’s Robe in 2015 they also toured further with Coheed and Cambria, The Fall of Troy, Mew & sleepmakeswaves, whilst writing for their next record.

After another period of slow activity, during which time band members got married, started families and second careers, the band eventually gathered the material for Soft Hell. The process was affected by several welcome interruptions, such as their first US tour in 9 years in 2018, marriage and baby news – but also unwelcome interruptions, such as the pandemic, including Melbourne’s extensive lockdowns, which lead to cancelled studio time just as things began to flow.

In the meantime, the band announced vinyl repressings for their back catalogue and saw them promptly sell out within days – with all 3 records taking turns topping the Australian Independent Charts upon their release. They also took time to head out for their first national Australian tour in 5 years, alongside post-rockers sleepmakeswaves.

Partnering with talented producer Andrei Eremin, the band worked intensely on the record during the whole of 2022 after finally emerging from lockdown. With Eremin relocating to America, the deadline was clear – and the record was finally mastered in February 2023.

‘Soft Hell’ is due for release on Friday 27 October.

Listen/order Soft Hell at www.closureinmoscow.bandcamp.com

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Label Inquiries:

Bird’s Robe Records - Mike Solo: birdsrobe@gmail.com