Artist: Brutus (BEL)

Support: Quentin Sauvé (Birds in Row)

Datum: Tisdag 7 Mars

Lokal: Slaktkyrkan, Stockholm

Tid: Dörrar 19.00

Live från: 20.00

Åldersgräns 18+

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When times are tough, or you’re feeling worn down, you start longing for a life of total peace. A lifewhere there are no fights, arguments or lies; where there is no such thing as disappointment and youractions have no consequences. Some might call it a“fantasy world”. Genre-jumping Belgian trioBrutus call it the “Unison Life”–a phrase that titles their third studio album.Unison Lifeis about all thestuff that wears you down in the first place. It’s the ugliness, the pain, and the acts of bravery that getyou through it all. Beginning with a portrait of contentment and unravelling from there, the album goesinto battle and asks what really counts. In their own words:“Is this Unison Life a hoax? Or a quest?”

Since their formation in 2014, Brutus have made a name for themselves with their restless,emotionally raw rock that traverses the landscape of metal, punk, post-hardcore and beyond–often inthe same song. The three members first met in their hometown of Leuven, where they cut their teethplaying in different local bands. Their influences are wide and varied. Drummer/vocalist StefanieMannaerts–who grew up above a music shop run by her family–is into a variety of genres frompost-metal to electronic music. Bassist Peter Mulders is more of apunk guy, while guitarist StijnVanhoegaerden is into country and more melodic rock. Their diverse tastes come together throughBrutus to create a sound that’s as heavy as it is unexpected, full of beauty and surprises.

Unison Lifeasks whether a life of contentment is a myth or a challenge; a delusion or a goal. Thethemes are intimate but universal, with Mannaerts considering ageing without feeling changed(“Victoria”), the demands of friendship when you’re already drained (“Dust”), the fear of letting peopledown (“Chainlife”) and the difficulty of suffering in silence (“Brave”). Lead single “Liar” is Brutus in anutshell, starting off with a snaking guitar riff, lifting off into an anthemic post-rock chorus, and finallyreaching a chug-heavy third act that makes good use of those chimes they found. It’s a bridgebetweenNestandUnison Life, combining the changes of direction they’re known for with theconcentrated force of the new album. “When we wrote it, everything we had written was very heavy.For us it’s a logical consequence to counter that with a song that wasn’t too dark or upsetting.”