Portland doom quartet USNEA have announced the full details of their third full-length album entitled ‘Portals Into Futility‘. Inspired by dystopian science-fiction and the painful intersection of today’s crushing reality, ‘Portals Into Futility‘ is 5 songs and 56 minutes of expertly crafted and elegantly depressive doom/sludge. With an evolved sound of strength and dynamism, USNEA delve more into the worlds of dissonant death metal, varied vocal structures and cinematic composition, all while maintaining the monumental heaviness, brutality, discord, anger, and mournful melodicism of their previous work. Across dark and brooding peaks and valleys, USNEA remind us that no matter how many doors are opened to the human species, our self-aggrandizement and hubris all lead to futility.
Album Art Credit: Orion Landau and Justin Cory
‘Portals Into Futility‘ is due out September 8 on CD/2xLP/Digital via Relapse Records. A complete track-listing is included below.
USNEA commented on the new song: ““Lathe of Heaven” was inspired the eponymous book by Ursula K Le Guin. It is a meditation on the blurred line between cognitive reality and delusion wherein the protagonist can change reality through dreaming. A well-intentioned psychologist attempts to corral that power but ends up creating more chaos and suffering. In the end, human arrogance and greed are shown to be the leading contributors to our own doom.”
Additionally, USNEA will tour throughout Europe dates this Fall as direct support for UFOMAMMUT. The tour commences on September 30 in Paris and ends October 22 in Munich while hitting 19 different cities. The tour includes appearances at multiple festivals including Up In Smoke, Doornroosje Festival and Keep It Doom. The band will also perform an exclusive US set at Psycho Las Vegas on August 18. A complete listing of dates is available below.
‘Portals Into Futility‘ will be released worldwide September 8 on CD/2xLP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical pre-orders and exclusive bundles are currently available via Relapse.com HERE and digital pre-orders are available via Bandcamp HERE.
‘Portals Into Futility‘ tracklist:
1. Eidolons and the Increate
2. Lathe of Heaven
3. Demon Haunted World
4. Pyrrhic Victory
5. A Crown of Desolation
USNEA Tour Dates:
Aug 18 Las Vegas, NV Psycho Las Vegas
— All dates Sep 30 – Oct 22 With Ufomammut —
Sep 30 – Paris, FR La Boule Noire
Oct 01 – Nantes, FR Le Ferrailleur
Oct 03 – London, UK Borderline
Oct 04 – Brussels, BE Magasin 4
Oct 05 – Wiesbaden, DE Schlachthof
Oct 06 – Pratteln, CH Up In Smoke
Oct 07 – Nijmegen, NL Soulcrusher Festival @ Doornroosje Festival
Oct 08 – Bielefed, DE Forum
Oct 10 – Oslo, NO Blitz
Oct 11 – Stockholm, SE Klub Undergangen
Oct 13 – Helsinki, FI Korjaamo Blowup VOL 3
Oct 14 – Tampere, FI Olympia-Kortelli
Oct 16 – Copenhagen, DK KB 18
Oct 17 – Berlin, DE Lido
Oct 18 – Hamburg, DE Markthalle
Oct 19 – Leipzig, DE Werk 2
Oct 20 – Wroclaw, PL Firley
Oct 21 – Prag Checkt, DE 007
Oct 22 – Munich, DE Keep It Doom
