At the end of March, Agalloch announced that it had completed work on new EP Faustian Echoes. The band had originally planned to release the effort—one 20+ minute song (the longest of its career) recorded live onto two-inch tape—on its upcoming US tour, but on Sunday, roughly a week before its first show, made it available for digital release on its bandcamp page (though for the time being the LP and CD versions will only be sold at shows). While the track spans the wide breadth of the band’s musical endeavors, the gorgeous guitar interplay with, and soloing over top of, the riff that comes in at 6:14 is an early highlight, as is Billy Anderson’s production, which captures the track’s live feel.
We’re beyond stoked that the band behind our favorite album of 2010 has put out a new track, but it was just as interesting (at least to us) to see the other material the band has made digitally available. Since Agalloch is well-known for having a treasure trove of sought after über-rare releases—check out this or this for starters—it’s nice to see Jon Haughm and company willing to make some of that material available to a wider audience at comparatively rock bottom prices. For example, you could either download both tracks from 2003’s Tomorrow Will Never Come EP for $2 or try your luck on eBay and find yourself paying over $200 for one of 500 copies of the 7″. It certainly seems like a win-win for the band, particularly given that it has never seemed interested in profiting on the insanely high prices people seem willing to pony up for their releases, instead letting secondary markets generate, and profit from, the markups.
As for its upcoming “Faustian Spirits” tour, the quartet has promised that it will be playing a rotating setlist of both new (presumably including its namesake) and old material. All dates below with Taurus:
7/11 in Portland, OR at Branx w/Eight Bells
7/12 in Seattle, WA at the Crocodile w/Eight Bells
7/13 in Vancouver BC at the Rickshaw w/Eight Bells
7/14 in Spokane, WA at The A Club w/Eight Bells
7/16 in Bozeman, MT at Zebra
7/17 in Denver, CO at Bluebird Theater w/Velnias
7/18 in Omaha, NE at Waiting Room w/Velnias
7/19 in Milwaukee, WI at Miramar Theater
7/20 in Chicago, IL at Reggie’s
7/21 in Ann Arbor, MI at Blind Pig w/Musk Ox
7/22 in Cleveland, OH at Beachland Ballroom
7/23 in Toronto, ON at Opera House w/Musk Ox
7/24 in Montreal, QC at Petit Campus w/Musk Ox
7/25 in Boston, MA at Middle East
7/26 in Brooklyn, NY at Williamsburg Music Hall w/Musk Ox
7/27 in Philadelphia, PA at Underground Arts
7/28 in Springfield, VA at Empire
7/29 in Raleigh, NC at King’s Barcade
7/31 in Tampa, FL at Orpheum
8/01 in Atlanta, GA at The Earl
8/02 in Birmingham, AL at Bottletree w/Pallbearer
8/03 in New Orleans at One Eyed Jack’s w/Pallbearer
8/04 in Dallas, TX at La Grange w/Maleveller
8/05 in Austin, TX at Red 7
8/08 in Phoenix, AZ at Rhythm Room
8/09 in San Diego, CA at The Casbah w/Author & Punisher
8/10 in Los Angeles, CA at Echoplex w/Oskoreien
8/11 in San Francisco, CA at Great American Music Hall
*Photo by Veleda Thorsson
