Full Album Stream: New Miserable Experience – “Philosophy on Pessimism”

If you clicked this article hoping for something about the Gin Blossoms’ 1992 classic, New Miserable Experience, then you’re in the wrong place but give it a shot anyway. New Miserable Experience was formed by vocalist David Grossman (Rosetta, Lotus Thrones) and guitarist/synth player Joshua Kost (Model Prisoner, Selfish Lover, Lotus Thrones), eventually growing to include drummer/synth player Bruce McMurtrie (Rosetta) and bassist Brett Bamburger (Revocation, River Black, Publicist UK).

New Miserable Experience sounds like none of those bands. Their debut album, Philosophy on Pessimism, is the furthest thing from the technical death-thrash of Revocation, the industrial black metal of Lotus Thrones or the crushing post-metal of Rosetta. It’s much closer to Depeche Mode or even modern Ulver with hints of Failure, heavily using synths and dreamy guitars for a danceable listening experience.

“This project is a giant love letter to Chvrches, Metric, Depeche Mode and Crosses,” Grossman says. “It’s four old dudes from metal bands take on pop songs, at least for now. The mission statement for this band is ‘no rules.’ We all spoke multiple times about how Alice in Chains jumped from Facelift to Sap to Dirt to Jar of Flies or Glassjaw going from Worship and Tribute to Coloring Book. These massive changes in sounds and genre because that’s what they wanted to do at the moment. That’s how we are treating this project. Maybe we’ll sound like the Minor Times or on the next batch of songs, who knows? That’s what’s exciting about this band.

As of right now there’s no plans for any shows but if the right opportunity comes along we’ll try to make it happen. It’s easier said than done but we’ll make it happen under the right circumstances. As far as future plans we are working on some remixes and covers for later this year. After that we’ll start the next batch of songs.

Hear the old metal dudes’ takes on pop songs below. Score a copy through Translation Loss before the album is out on January 27.