Full Album Premiere! CONFRONTATIONAL – UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS + Video for “Animal Machine”!

Dread Central is thrilled to have been chosen as the site to premiere Under Cover of Darkness, a special all-covers collection from prolific synthwave kingpin CONFRONTATIONAL. The album (the inaugural release by SYNTHSTORM, a new synth-oriented label within the CONCILIUM collective) official goes on sale tomorrow on digipack CD and vinyl LP (with download card) So if you like what you hear, follow the links below to pick up your own physical or digital copy!

Digital version via Bandcamp: http://confrontational.bandcamp.com/
Vinyl / Digipack CDS: 
http://synthstorm.bandcamp.com/

There is a thick red line that binds together the worlds of darkness and disco – a line that can be traced through some of the tracks that unsuspectingly topped international charts between 1975 and 1987, going straight from Goblin’s “Deep Red” to Sabrina Salerno’s “Boys.” A story originated on the dance-floor through lyrics that, when read through a certain peculiar angle, attest to a number of severe implications. A wild ride into the night, ripe with possibilities, fear and excitement!

CONFRONTATIONAL mainman Massimo Usai tells us: “Under Cover of Darkness is the culmination of a journey that started in 2017 with the release of SUMMERTIME LOVE – a track that features synthwave pioneer and italo-disco artist Tobias Bernstrup. The goal was to pinpoint the red line that binds together disco and darkness through a selection of covers that inspired me in the creation of the CONFRONTATIONAL sound – songs that really altered my perception of music, growing up in the 80s. The lyrics tell a story of ambiguous nature, a duality that oscillates wildly between lust and love, fear and hope, stalking and devotion.

“Side A tracks are all about painting the broad picture that the main characters inhabit, a description of their outside world; Side B tracks explore the inner turmoil, the dark passions that drive this ride into the night to its final outcome. I couldn’t be more grateful to Cody Carpenter, Adrien Grousset, Tobias Bernstrup, Juan Zurdo, Amedeo and Giulia for being such a special part of this, as well as SYNTHSTORM for curating the physical release on gorgeous black and yellow translucent vinyl / CDS. I really hope that the listeners will enjoy the ride… while playing it at absurdly loud volumes.”

Side A:
1. “Deep Crimson” (Originally released by Goblin as “Deep Red,” 1975)
2. “Happy Children (Feat. Adrien Grousset)” (Originally released by P. Lion, 1983)
3. “Future Brain (Feat. Cody Carpenter)” (Originally released by Den Harrow, 1985)
4. “Escalator of Life” (Originally released by Robert Hazard, 1982)

Side B:
5. “You’re My Heart (Feat. Amedeo)” (Originally released by Modern Talking as “You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul,” 1984)
6. “Stranger Eyes (Feat. Cody Carpenter)” (Originally released by The Cars, 1984)
7. “Animal Machine (Feat. Adrien Grousset)” (Originally released by John Carpenter as “Christine,” 1983)
8. “Don’t Go” (Originally released by Yazoo, 1982)
9. “Summertime Love (Feat. Tobias Bernstrup)” (Originally released by Sabrina as “Boys (Summertime Love),” 1987)

As with previous CONFRONTATIONAL releases, the artwork is once again handled by Barcelona-based Branca Studio (Black Sabbath, Converge, Queens of the Stone Age, et. al.).

CONFRONTATIONAL recently dropped a video for “Animal Machine” (a lyrical reboot of John Carpenter’s theme to Christine) through NewRetroWave! Give it a look-see below.

A trip back in time and also into the future, Under Cover of Darkness is vintage CONFRONTATIONAL recast from the foundational stones of modern synthwave. The band’s social media links are below.

Confrontational.net – Spotify – Instagram – Facebook – Youtube

Are you a fan of CONFRONTATIONAL? What do you think of Under Cover of Darkness? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.

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