Infinite Game is here and it’s a sexy little mo-fo.
Los Angeles’ The Black Queen are back with a new record, out 28 September via the band’s own label, Federal Prisoner.
Much has happened since the band released their cold, cutting debut album Fever Daydream. But throughout it all, the trio of Greg Puciato (former frontman of the now-defunct The Dillinger Escape Plan), Joshua Eustis (of Telefon Tel Aviv, Puscifer, and Nine Inch Nails), and Steven Alexander (a tech member for Nine Inch Nails, Ke$ha, and A Perfect Circle) have emerged as triumphant and intense as ever, documenting their journey via the synth-streaked industrial anthems of their sophomore release, Infinite Games.
With this release, the group have also announced a new undertaking in the form of their new label, Federal Prisoner. Resisting the more marketing-centric approach that feels standard at this point for the record label game, the goal of Federal Prisoner is to provide an outlet for projects that emerge naturally from The Black Queen’s own creative endeavors and collaborations with other artists. Puciato says “It’s just an expression of passion and individualism in a way that opens more doors for us to create and to own what we create with minimal compromise. It’s as much an act of refusal as it is a statement of intent.”
Infinite Games was written, produced, mixed AND mastered all by the band themselves. Album opener Even Still I Want To sets the eerie, goth-influenced tone for the record. It’s moody 80’s synths combined with intriguing lyrics across the board with this album – whether it’s the slightly more up-beat and melodic Thrown Into The Dark, or the RnB-infused No Accusations, there’s so much so to love.
Puciato’s vocals really hit home in Lies About You. Here the former The Dillinger Escape Plan singer puts his heart on a platter for you, backed by the dark synths you have come to obsess over at this point.
100 To Zero is another one of those tracks on Infinite Games that’ll sweep you off into another dimension. The peaceful soundscape has an airy yet very heavy feel to it, and that is something The Black Queen do very well on this record.
Just before you get to the last notes on Infinite Games, the band present you with possibly the best song on the album. Porcelain Veins adds a bit more of that rock feel into its sound with electric guitar picking. The vocal performance is outstanding and will leave you longing for more.
One Edge Of Two brings everything to a beautiful close. The Black Queen deliver a record that fits in nicely with the more electronic trend many bands are taking these days, but they add something extra special to it, getting you hooked from start to finish.
High Fives & Stage Dives 